At last, it feels like summer! England celebrates the sunshine (oh, and St George's Day) in temperatures of 20C
- It could hit 22C on Thursday making it the joint warmest day of the year
- England will see a north-south divide today with 20C in the south
- Seven out of ten people want St George's Day to be made a national holiday
- Temperatures are set to fall in time for the weekend
By ROB COOPER
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Temperatures hit 20C today as the sun shone on England for St George's Day today - and tomorrow could be even hotter.
It was 20.3C in St James' Park central London, and at Charlwood, Surrey, at 4pm today, the Met Office said.
It could reach 21C (70F) in the south tomorrow with 22C on Thursday. The warm weather makes it as hot as the city of Tangiers in Morocco – and warmer than California, where it was expected to reach just 19C (66F).
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Warm weather: Two women enjoy the sunshine in Green Park, London, today as temperatures were set to hit 20C
Beach day: Southampton University students Kate O'Riordan, Anouska Partner and Hannah Mortimer, all 20, in the sea at Bournemouth beach today
Crosses of St George: The children wave their flags on St George's Day today in Emsworth, West Sussex
Spring in full swing: Natalie Wischusen and her daughter Elsie look at some spring flowers in her Dorset garden today
Relaxing: A man sits in a deckchair reading a newspaper in St James' Park, central London, today where temperatures peaked at 20.3C
Three day forecast: England will have a warm day today - but tomorrow and Thursday a wet weather front will slowly spread from the west
Patriotism: Schoolchildren from Thornley Island Junior School in Emsworth, West Sussex, wave English flags as soldiers from the 47 Regiment Royal Artillery march today
Best of English: The crowds wave flags in Emsworth as soldiers march through the town to mark St George's Day
Patriotic: Gracie Fitzgerald, 2, from Emsworth waves a St George's flag with her mother Stephanie, 26, prior to the St George's Day celebrations in St Peter's Square in Emsworth
Eating outside: Children enjoy their lunch under the watchful eye of St. George in Swindon's Wharf Green
If it does reach 22C, it will equal the warmest day of the year so far on April 14 when it reached 22C in Gravesend, Kent.
But while the south basks in the best weather of the year, those in northern England and Scotland will see temperatures dipping to zero at night.
And the chillier weather is expected to spread south by the weekend, bringing clouds and rain to most places.
With bright and sunny weather across Britain today, it is perhaps little surprise that a majority of people in England said they want St George's Day to be made a Bank Holiday in a new poll.
Flying the flag: The Cross of St George flutters over No 10 Downing Street today as the nation marks April 23
Wave: The Duchess of Cambridge meets primary school pupils in Wythenshawe, Manchester, today.
Visit: The Duchess of Cambridge in the sunshine at Willows Primary School in Wythenshawe today, with a visible baby bump
Beautiful day: People punting on the River Cam in Cambridge today as temperatures continued to rise
Sunbathing: People enjoy the spring sunshine in St. James's Park in central London as the country warmed up
Picturesque: People enjoy the spring sunshine in St. James's Park in Central London as temperatures soared
More than seven out of 10, or 73 per cent, backed making April 23 a public holiday in an online study of 3,600 English adults for the IPPR think tank and Cardiff and Edinburgh universities.
In Evesham, Worcestershire, the first cut of the season's asparagus was delivered to shops in an eccentric ceremony.
The Great English Asparagus Run witnessed a 'round of Gras' tied in willow twine being sent off to the dinner table.
The quirky ceremony, in which a local vicar blessed the humble vegetable, is always held on St George's Day.
Patriotism: Crowds celebrate St George's Day in Nottingham's Old Square market today
Busy on the beach: Sunseekers headed to Brighton beach today as the temperature hit 20C in the south
Heathaze: Although it is a weekday, the beach at Brighton was busy today. However, the weather will take a turn for the worse by the weekend
Celebrations: Boris Johnson has a microphone fitted round his neck as he speaks to primary school pupils in south London today about St George's Day
London Mayor Mr Johnson points at pupils as he talks to them about St George's Day this morning
St George's celebrations: Morris dancers perform to a crowd of people in Leadenhall market today to mark April 23
A group of Morris Dancers perform as part of St George's Day celebrations in Leadenhall Market
English colour: Decked out in the red and white of the English flag, these Morris dancer's perform today
Soaking up the sun: City workers enjoy the sunshine in London today against the city backdrop as temperatures hit 20C
Enjoying the weather: Construction workers take a break in front of the Tower of London today
Celebrations: A 20ft high model of St George parades though Swindon Town centre for St George's Day
April 23: St George's day celebrations in Nottingham's Old Market Square
Beach workout: A couple jog along the promenade by the beach huts in Hove, Sussex
Day out: A pensioner enjoys the weather by the beach in Hove today
The round was driven away in a top-down Morgan classic car and across the country to the luxury London department store Fortnum & Mason Piccadilly, where it will feature on a seasonal menu.
TRIBUTE TO OUR PATRON SAINT
St George is famed for slaying a dragon in popular imaginations but most people know very little about his past and his somewhat obscure links to England.
George is believed to have been born in Turkey in around 275AD and was a soldier.
He went to Silene, in Libya, which was being plagued by a sea dragon. The people of the city were being forced to hand over their children to the creature.
George slayed the dragon after the king sacrificed his own daughter. But the soldier only carried out the mighty task after everyone was baptised.
There followed an uprising against Christianity, and George left the army and protested against it.
He was later arrested and beheaded. St George's Day is marked on April 23 because it is believed to be the day he died in AD303.
It was only in medieval times that he came to be associated with England.
The story emerged that he had travelled here during his time in the army. Later still, there were claims he had slayed another dragon here.
While all the tales are of dubious truthfulness, one thing is for certain - he was definitely not English.
Indeed, he is also the patron saint of Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Portugal, Germany and Greece.
Angela Tidmarsh, organiser, said: 'We're here to celebrate everything good and great about Britain.'
Google today created a special Doodle on their homepage to mark St George's Day.
It shows England's patron saint destroying a green dragon as he shields a princess from its clutches.
David Cameron hailed the growing popularity of St George's Day celebrations.
The Prime Minister said: 'I send my best wishes to everyone celebrating St George's Day today. I think it's great that in recent years it has become more and more popular to mark St George's Day.
'I'm very proud to be English and I think it is important that people in England can celebrate St George's Day, just as other nations of the United Kingdom celebrate their patron saint's days.'
Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said that although there is going to be some fine weather today, the best of it will be in the south.
'There is going to be a bit of a north-south split over the next couple of days,' she said.
'It will be a pleasant day today and we should see temperatures in most places of between 15 and 17C. In the south-east it could be up to 20C.
'Overnight tonight we see the cold thickening across the north and parts of the UK will be feeling a lot colder.
'There will be some rain from Wales northwards. It won't be terribly heavy and will mainly be on the west side of the country.
'Tomorrow it will be between 19 and 21C in the south-east - in London and up into, Suffolk and in Kent. There will be a lot of clear unbroken sunshine and it will feel really pleasant.
'In the west and the north it will be not as warm and up in Scotland it will be 11 to 13C which is normal for the time of year.'
Warm:A sun-seeker makes the most of her lunch break on Bournemouth beach while Inaya Dehal, aged one, from Swindon, makes the most of her day trip
Sun seekers: With temperatures set to hit 20C today, it looks like a summer's day on Bournemouth beach
Warm weather at last: A couple soak up the sun outside their beach hut at Bournemouth today
Spring day out: Sylvie Bramley, three, plays on Bournemouth beach today
Beautiful day: A young girl smells the daffodils in Sawnley Park, Kent, today as temperatures hit 20C
Delight: Miqualer Causon, aged 21 months, enjoys the weather in Stanley Park, Blackpool, today
Hot day: Student Viktoria Ruskyte sits among the cherry blossom enjoying the warm weather by the River Cam in Cambridge today
Sun: A woman paints a picture in the St James's Park today as temperatures are set to hit 20C in the south of England
Warm: Revellers sit on the steps outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, central London today
She added that temperatures could nudge 22C in London and the south-east on Thursday - which would put it level with the warmest day of the year to date.
In Bournemouth, Dorset, many of the 3,500 deckchairs on the seafront had been taken up as people flocked to the coast.
Families, students and officers workers on their lunch breaks were all soaking up the sunshine.
Debbie Brown, 35, from Poole, was walking along the promenade with her children Max, four, and Charlie, two.
She said: 'Finally we have a spring! We've had such miserable weather for what feels like forever so when I heard the forecast this morning I almost couldn't believe it.
'I thought it best to make the most of it as it will probably turn cold again knowing this country.
'The kids have enjoyed a nice time building sandcastles, it's such a far cry from a few weeks ago when we were stuck inside with all the rain.'
Hot: Jessica Dutton, aged five, and her grandfather Neville, play in a fountain in Nottingham today
Spring day: A family enjoy the sunny weather in Greenwich Park today
Spring weather: A woman enjoys the sunshine among the daffodils in St James's Park today as temperatures are set to hit 20C
Lunchtime revellers: The warm weather drew a huge lunchtime crowd to Green Park today
And in Scotland, where it has been far colder in recent weeks, two German teenagers have finally escaped Scotland's icy grip after their camper van became stuck in a Highland snow drift for a month.
Oli Suft, and Julia Kumschier, both 19, left were stranded up a remote glen near Bridge of Balgie in Glenlyon by freak weather more than four weeks ago
The couple, from Bavaria, had travelled to Scotland after falling for the scenery in the recent James Bond film, Skyfall.
They set off in their Volkswagen camper van but their holiday turned into a nightmare when they got stuck in a snowstorm as they crossed a nine-mile stretch of untreated hill-pass near Ben Lawers by Loch Tay on 18 March - blithely ignoring warning signs that the road was 'unsuitable during winter months'.
They had to abandon their van and walk six miles in the snow before finding the nearest village.
The camper remained stuck in the snow until Perth and Kinross Council sent a JCB to clear a passageway through the snow last Tuesday.
A digger cut a metre-high channel and dragged their van out. Amazingly it started first time despite being exposed to the elements for a month.
The couple set off on Monday morning for the docks at Newcastle.
Pleasant weather: People gather in St James's Park today as London heats up for St George's Day
Spring run: Two joggers in St James's Park today
Meanwhile, hay fever sufferers received some good news today as experts predicted a shorter hay fever season this summer.
Cold weather over recent months is thought to have delayed the release of silver birch and grass pollen.
Beverley Adams-Groom, pollen forecaster at the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, said: 'The most important tree pollen type is silver birch which triggers hay fever in approximately 25 per cent of sufferers.
'The cold weather of the last few months will delay the release of birch pollen which, in an average year, starts to be emitted from around the beginning of April in the south of the country. This year it could be at least two weeks later.'
Ms Adams-Groom added: 'Grass pollen affects around 95% of hay fever sufferers in the UK. There are a number of grass species that flower ahead of the main pollen season, often in April, such as sweet vernal grass and foxtail.
'The cold weather will delay the flowering of these types which is good news for those people who are affected by these species. However, it's too early to predict what will happen during the main grass pollen season.'
St George's celebrations: Soldiers from 12 and 47 Regiment of the Royal Artillery, march through St Peter's Square in Emsworth today
An elderly woman in a wheelchair waves a Cross of St George flag today in Emsworth as the soldiers march through the town
Celebrations: Patriotic dog Eddie joins in left, while war veteran Hugh Pollock also celebrates April 23 with four-year-old Austin Turvey
Parade: The soldiers from 47 Regiment Royal Artillery, based at Thorney Island, march through Emsworth, West Sussex today
Patriotic brothers Roger and Paul Boughen celebrate St George's Day in Emsworth today
Google Doodle: St George slays a dragon while protecting a princess in this Doodle which appeared on the Google homepage today
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2313365/St-Georges-Day-2013-Sun-shines-England-celebrates-temperatures-set-hit-20C.html#ixzz2RKY77Q3t
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