Warm April breaks weather records (From Mid Devon Star)

Warm April breaks weather records

9:04am Monday 30th April 2007

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WEATHER experts say the Westcountry is enjoying the warmest April on record - and the balmy conditions are due to continue.

Hundreds of people across the region are expected to soak up the sunshine today as forecasters say Britain is basking in the warmest April for more than 140 years.

The Exeter-based Met Office revealed that the average daily temperature in Cornwall in April has been 11.1C (52 F) - that's 2.9C above the average. In Devon, the average temperature so far this month has been 11C (51.8F), which is 3.2C above average.

The previous April record for Cornwall - 10.4C (50.7F) - was set in 1961. In Devon, the hottest recorded April before 2007 was in 1943, when temperatures reached an average of 10.2C (50.3F).

Unusually warm weather in the South West has mirrored conditions around the UK. Provisional calculations by the Met Office show the average daily temperatures across the UK this month were 10C (50F), compared with an average of 6.9C (44.4F). The calculations are based on records going back to 1914.

Nationally, the provisional figure for April, 11.1C, beat the previous record of 10.6C set in 1865.

Temperatures around the Westcountry were forecast to stay in the high teens and early 20s today and tomorrow.

While the pleasant spring weather in the Westcountry is a boon for tourists and local residents alike, scientists predict the possible cause of the temperature increase - global warming - will cause mayhem and misery around the globe.

Commenting on the latest record-breaking figures, Dr Debbie Hemming, climate scientist at the Met Office Hadley Centre, which researches climate change, said: "The effects of temperature rise are being experienced on a global scale.

"Many of the regions that are projected to experience the largest climate changes are already vulnerable to environmental stress from resource shortages, rapid urbanisation, population rise and industrial development."

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