The sun shines before storm as temp hits 30C!

BEACHES, parks and pub gardens were packed out yesterday as the nation basked in the hottest day of the year so far.

- Tony Whitfield

Parts of central and south-east England rivalled holiday hotspots Ibiza and Rhodes as temperatures soared to a sizzling 30C.

It reached 32.2C or 89.96F at Chertsey in Surrey. Hawarden in North Wales recorded 28.9C, Auchincruive in South Ayrshire reached 29.8C and Armagh in Northern Ireland climbed to a balmy 25.3C.

With virtually the whole of the UK enjoying blue skies, as the heat and humidity built up, thunderstorms bubbled from southern England through to north-west Scotland in the afternoon and evening.

These children, right, certainly seemed to be enjoying the warm weather in Bradford city centre.