Unseasonable sunshine as spring comes early

People out strolling in the winter sunshine this weekend could have been forgiven for thinking it was the height of summer rather than mid-February.

Thousands flocked to Britain's beauty spots to bask in the unseasonally warm weather, providing the tourism industry with a much-needed boost.

	Temperatures across Britain have been well above average

According to weather forecasters, temperatures are up to 16 degrees warmer than the average, meaning that flowers normally reserved for spring have already begun to flower.

Paul Fox-Hughes, from the Met Office, said London was the principal beneficiary, with temperatures there climbing to 62F (17C) on Saturday.

"Normally at this time of year, the temperatures would be hovering around 46-50F (8-10C) and it's substantially warmer than that," he said.

"There will eventually be some cold weather coming in from the Continent but at least until Tuesday, the first taste of spring will continue."

At Kew Gardens in south-west London, daffodils, usually the herald of spring, are in flower having opened in mid-January - a week earlier than last year.

English hawthorn is expected to flower by the end of this month - more than eight weeks earlier than usual. Crocuses have also set a record, opening 11 days in advance of the past decade's average.

According to Nigel Taylor, the curator at Kew, the early blooms are an indication that climate change is having a greater impact than previously seen.

"Blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, is already leafed out and in flower and common ash, Flaxinus excelsior, is in flower," he said.

	Crocuses are flowering 11 days in advance of the last decade's average

"These are months earlier than the norm and given that they are species that have evolved in the vagaries of the English climate, the more remarkable because one would expect them not to react so easily to milder weather in winter."

Mike Collins, a spokesman for the National Trust, said visitor numbers to its outdoor sites had been swelled by the warm conditions.

"Although climate change may well be a factor in the warmer weather, it could be very good news if it encourages people to holiday closer to home in the future - there's nothing better than the UK in the sunshine."

The warmer weather is also welcomed by ice cream sellers. Colin Vear, of Winstones Cotswold Ice Cream based in Stroud, Glos, said sales were up 65 per cent on the same period last year.

"A lot of the seasonal sites along the south coast that we supply to have opened up earlier in the year which has given us a big boost," he said.

"We weren't expecting to be so busy but it's a really pleasant surprise."