Latest news with #MarcoPetagna
The Sun
6 days ago
- Climate
- The Sun
Spring was sunniest since records began as Brits enjoy 630 hours of sun in three months
SPRING was the sunniest since records began in 1910, the Met Office said yesterday. Britain enjoyed 630 hours of sun from March 1 to May 27. 2 That topped the previous best of 626 hours set around lockdown in 2020. Temperatures are also set to soar after days of rain. Today's 23C (73.4F) high will be topped by 25C (77F) tomorrow before a possible 27C (80.6F) on Saturday. Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: 'The best of the weather will be felt in the south east. "There will be some rain in places, particularly across western areas and parts of Wales. But for the most part it's going to be dry and sunny.' Summer's arrival comes hot on the heels of an unprecedented spring. The hottest day of the year so far was on May 1, when 29.3C (84.7F) was recorded at London's Kew Gardens. Forecasters said the latest provisional data means seven of the top ten sunniest springs have been recorded since 2000. Last year the UK saw only 377 hours of sunshine across March, April and May — making it one of the dullest springs on record. Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said: 'We all remember the exceptionally sunny spring of 2020, but that title has now been surpassed by the spring of 2025. "It has indeed been an extremely sunny and dry spring for the majority. Some nice sunrise and sunsets' as weather bosses pinpoint Spring temps hit 17C 'But with a few days left of the season and more unsettled weather this week, it's too early to say what will happen with other records.' Figures for spring rainfall totals are due to be published by the Met Office later this week.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Costa del Scotland! Life's a beach for lucky Scots basking in hotter temperatures than Spain
Scots flocked to beaches and parks to enjoy the sunshine yesterday as temperatures soared to their hottest of the year so far. Blue skies across much of the country saw many places bask in temperatures above 20C, with Aviemore, Inverness-shire, recording a sweltering 23.5C - breaking this year's previous high of 22.8C at Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, on April 10. In comparison thermometers in Marbella on the Costa Del Sol only reached 18C as the Spanish city was hit by rain showers. But with a band of cloud pushing its way southwards, from today [Thurs] forecasters are warning that temperatures will start to dip slightly. There is also a chance of scattered rain across the country. While the mini-heatwave appears to be coming to an end, however, the Met Office said the dry conditions will continue and temperatures will remain around average for the start of May. Meteorologist Marco Petagna said: 'Going into the weekend we are looking at temperatures of between 10C and 15C, so closer to where we should be for the time of year. 'We will see a lot of dry weather in the days ahead, with just a few showers - and a lot of dry weather on the outlook as well.' He added that the best of the temperatures will be reserved for those living in the south of Scotland, which today could still see highs of 19C. But over the next few days the South East is likely to be hit with the heaviest showers, while elsewhere the rain will be lighter. The forecaster also warned that there was also a chance of frost returning to some rural areas with overnight temperatures dropping to just below freezing. An 'extreme' wildfire risk, however, remains in place across the North East, and central and southern areas until Saturday following the prolonged dry spell. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is urging those heading outdoors to 'act responsibly' and 'avoid using anything with a naked flame'. Area Commander Michael Humphreys said: 'There are currently vast areas that are tinder dry and vulnerable, which provides all the ingredients for fire to take hold and spread. 'Human behaviour can significantly lower the chance of a wildfire starting, so it is imperative we all act responsibly while enjoying the outdoors.'
Telegraph
30-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Wear a big hat to beat hay fever, says NHS
The NHS has told hay fever sufferers to wear a large hat, masks and wrap-around sunglasses to fight off the pollen. Some 13 million people suffering from the allergy have been advised how best to stave off hay fever this spring. The NHS website says those experiencing symptoms should 'wear wrap-around sunglasses, a mask or a wide-brimmed hat to stop pollen getting into your nose and eyes'. It also says to 'put petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) around your nostrils to trap pollen'. The guidance also advises taking a 'shower and changing your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off', as well as 'keeping windows and doors shut as much as possible', 'vacuuming regularly and dust with a damp cloth' and 'to try to use a pollen filter in the air vents of your car, if you have one, and a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter in your vacuum cleaner'. With no cure or prevention for hay fever, the symptoms of which include sneezing, coughing and itchy eyes, sufferers have resorted to intense medical treatments or mythical intervention, according to the NHS. The UK has one of the highest rates of hay fever in the world, with one in five adults suffering from hay fever every year. There are 30 types of pollen that cause hay fever, according to the Met Office. Most people are allergic to grass pollen, which is common in late spring and early summer followed by tree pollen, which is released during the spring. Marco Petagna, from the Met Office, said: 'It's tree pollen season at the moment with pollen from hazel, yew, elm, alder and willow peaking around now. 'We have some moderate counts in northern England and Scotland today, spreading into the Midlands by Monday but mostly on the low side.' Meanwhile, the UK is set for another week of warm weather with temperatures above average for the time of year. On Thursday, temperatures could reach 20C – compared to the usual 9-14C experienced in early April. In a blow to hay fever sufferers, who rely on rain to decrease pollen concentration in the air, it will remain mostly dry with wet weather only expected in the north west of Scotland. Mr Petagna said: 'Temperatures are expected to climb to the mid to high teens, with the possibility of reaching 20C by Thursday. 'But a cooling breeze will offset the warm weather and there will be cold nights with some frost.'
The Independent
10-02-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Mapped: Where temperatures will plunge to -6C as cold snap sweeps Britain
The UK will face more freezing weather this after a particularly chilly weekend saw temperatures plummet to -8C overnight. Temperatures could drop as low as -6C in parts of Scotland this week as the cold weather shows no signs of letting up, according to the Met Office. Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon told The Independent that while daytime temperatures would stick to the mid-single figures and that people could expect 'colder than average weather' throughout the week thanks to cold easterly winds from Scandinavia. He said: 'There's a chance of some sleet and snow over high ground in places, though this isn't particularly unusual for the time of year. To lower levels, any rain is more likely to be drizzly in nature.' The Met Office has predicted hill snow in the north and east for Monday. This will continue into Tuesday, which is set to remain grey and cold for most with some sunny spells developing across northwest England and western Scotland. Between Wednesday and Friday, the forecaster said it would be 'cloudy with some patchy rain and hill snow developing at times', predicting an 'increasing risk' of heavy rain in the far west on Friday. Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said on Sunday: 'In the places with the clearest skies we could get down to minus 5C, minus 6C again tonight. 'But elsewhere any frosts could be quite patchy, because we've got the wind and the cloud around it's stopping the temperatures getting too low. 'Most places away from the north west of the UK just about escaping the frost by the looks of things.' A number of yellow cold health alerts remain in place across northern England and the South East. The UKHSA said they will remain in place until 11 February. The UK's cold snap comes the European Space Agency Copernicus marked the warmest January ever was recorded globally, defying expectations that 2025 might be cooler than previous years. While the UK may have experienced a cooler January than on average, it faced a number of extreme weather patterns as Storm Eowyn brought 'once in a generation' hurricane-force winds to the UK. Strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Samantha Burgess, explained: 'A much larger area of the planet's surface was much, much warmer than average.' Today: Cloudy, with outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Some hill snow is possible, mainly in the north and east. Drier and brighter for parts of Northern Ireland and northwest Scotland, with some sunshine here. Feeling cold, with a brisk easterly wind. Tonight: Staying mostly cloudy overnight, with further outbreaks of rain, sleet and hill snow across central and eastern parts. Drier in the west, with a patchy frost under any clear skies. Tuesday: Tuesday will remain grey and cold, with some rain and hill snow in the north and east. A few sunny spells developing across northwest England and western Scotland. Breezy. Wednesday to Friday: Often cloudy with some patchy rain and hill snow developing at times. An increasing risk of some heavier rain in the far west come Friday. A cold easterly breeze continuing.
Sky News
10-02-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
UK weather: Chilly start to the week with temperatures as low as -6C
Chilly and grey weather will linger over most of Britain during the coming week, the Met Office has said. While temperatures dipped as low as -6C on Sunday night, the rest of the week may be slightly warmer with highs of 5C - but forecasters said it will feel close to freezing in the "fairly brisk" easterly winds. Rain, drizzle and some sleet will fall today and tomorrow. Snow is forecast but mostly on hills, with a few centimetres of coverage possible in the Pennines. Slightly drier weather is expected by the middle of this week, but temperatures will still be around two degrees lower than the February average. Weather fronts will push in from the southwest later in the week, bringing a risk of patchy rain, but that is likely to be contained to west Cornwall and Ireland. Get the weather forecast where you are Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said: "The bulk of the UK even to the end of the week stays in this cold air, often quite cloudy, but drier generally away from that far west and southwest corner at the end of the week." A yellow cold health alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the southeast of England and parts of northern England and remains in place until 9am tomorrow. Around 1,500 without power after Eowyn Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people remain cut off from electricity more than two weeks after Storm Eowyn's record-breaking winds hit Ireland. Power has been restored to 766,500 homes, farms, schools and businesses but some 1,500 remain without supply. Amid the reconnection efforts, scam text messages are purporting to come from ESB Networks. The National Cyber Security Centre warned members of the public to exercise caution when receiving messages from unknown numbers, and said government departments, agencies and banks will never text asking unexpectedly for bank details. Uisce Eireann said it is also working to return service to the "final few" customers without water Elsewhere, emergency response hubs are assisting people with basic needs such as water, hot food, phone charging, broadband access and shower facilities.
