April temperatures hottest on record for Britain since 1659

What does this mean for summer?

The provisional mean temperature for the UK is 10.0C (50.0F), beating the previous historical high of 9.2C (48.6), recorded in 1943.

Forecasters say this month is on course to set new records in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The average temperature for the UK over the past 12 months is also shaping up to record a new high of 10.4C (50.7F)

Meteorologists also expect this month to be the warmest April in central England for more than 300 years.

The provisional mean figure in the region for April 2007 is 11.1C (52.0F) - that is 3.2C (5.8F) above the long-term average.