Britons have been urged to get out their sunscreen with the hottest day of the year predicted for Friday.

       Temperatures are expected to soar into the mid-twenties, with parts of the South East forecast to be hotter than Majorca.

       On Thursday evening, Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth issued a warning to Britons who might be looking forward to making the most of the hot weather.

       “UV levels will likely be high,” she said. “Some protection is advised, and long periods in the sunshine not recommended.”

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       The forecaster added that if peak highs aren’t seen on Friday, it is “likely” the year’s record would be broken at some point during the week.

       A high of 23.4C was recorded in St James’s Park, London, on April 15, the hottest of 2022 so far.

       If this is exceeded on Friday, it would make Britain warmer than Majorca and Ibiza, where highs of 22C and 21C have been forecast.

       It’s quite likely we’ll see those warm and much warmer than average temperatures across the UK

       Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth

       Ms Shuttleworth said that temperatures are expected to be “much warmer than average” through May.

       She added: “Average temperatures at this point in early May is about 17C for London and somewhere around 15C outside of that.

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       “It’s quite likely we’ll see those warm and much warmer than average temperatures across the UK.”

       High temperatures are expected to stay for several days before dropping around the middle of the month.