Britain basks in hot May temperatures

LONDON, May 17 (UPI) -- Meteorologists say Britons have been basking in the hottest early May temperatures since accurate weather records began to be kept 175 years ago.

Meteorologists have determined that the first 10 days of May had an average temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit, the warmest since 1772, and that the average temperature for the first 15 days of May was the warmest since 1833, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

Although temperatures should cool slightly in the next few days, forecasters said the general warm trend should continue in Britain.

"It's a long way ahead but it looks like we'll have high pressure over most of the UK," meteorologist Barry Gromett told the newspaper. "That means we should see temperatures into the high teens or perhaps the early 20s inland. We should get a decent bank holiday."