Hot spell due to come to a chilly halt

Parts of the country have rivalled Mediterranean holiday destinations as temperatures soared to 22C (71.6F). About 60,000 people headed to Bournemouth beach at the weekend and hotels in the holiday town reported a late surge in bookings after the fine weather was predicted.

Supermarkets reported huge sales of burgers, sausages, beers and ice cream as early barbecues were held.

And garden centres saw a surge in outdoor furniture sales, while a Tesco spokesman said that it was the earliest ever demand for barbecue equipment. But forecasters warned that the thermometer will take a dip this week

‘Monday will be nice and sunny in the south-east for most of the day but it will become a bit more unsettled later on,’ said Rebekah Sherwin, from the Met Office. ‘It is looking like it will be more unsettled and closer to the normal temperatures towards the end of the week.’

William Hill is offering odds of 33/1 that the hottest day of 2011 will come in April. It has also trimmed the odds of a hosepipe ban in the No.10 Downing Street garden from 16/1 to 14/1.

PICTURE: Andy Stone/NEWSPICS