Get ready for another scorcher! Today will be the hottest day of the year as temperatures soar to 26C - but it's so warm plants are wilting at Chelsea Flower Show

Yesterday's top temperature was 24.5C in Central London but the mercury will rise up to 26C in England today



Gardeners at Chelsea Flower Show in London taking desperate measures to stop their prized plants wilting

May could still be on track to become hottest ever, with record set 60 years ago when temperatures got to 33C



But the South West will see showers today and the rain is expected to spread north east through the country

Bumper crop of strawberries, cherries, apples and pears on the way this summer thanks to run of good weather




Vast swathes of Britain will enjoy the hottest day of the year so far today.



Millions flocked to parks and beaches yesterday as the temperature rose to a 2014-high of 24.5C (76.1F) in central London.

That was compared to high teens in Greece, Italy and the Mediterranean holiday islands.



But today could see temperatures rise even higher to 26C (78.8F), with the best conditions expected in England.

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Scorcher: Helen Elks Smith waters and covers the plants to protect from the sunlight during the preparations for the opening day at Chelsea Flower Show tomorrow

Struggle: Wilting Iris flowers in the heat at the Chelsea Flower Show as gardeners have to take special measures to protect their flowers from the hot weather

Famous view: Sun-seekers headed to Brighton beach in East Sussex yesterday as the sun shone down on the South-East and other parts of Britain

Scorcher: Today will be the hottest day of the year so far, with lots of sunshine in England before more stormy colder conditions take over for the rest of the week

With the Chelsea Flower Show set to start tomorrow, gardeners have been forced to cover the plants and give them extra water because they have started to wilt.



Alex Burkill, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: 'There's a good chance we could reach 25C.

'There's an outside chance we could get a little above 25C, perhaps reaching 26C.'

Mr Burkill said places most likely to see the hottest temperatures would be the London area, up to the Midlands, and up towards the north west.

Covering their faces: Sunbathers lay on the beach in Margate, Kent. Much of Britain enjoyed warm and sunny weather yesterday

South coast: Some of the crowds enjoying the fine spring weather on Brighton beach in East Sussex Eye protection: A cool-looking piglet enjoys the sizzling heat at Manor Farm and Country Park in Southampton, Hampshire

On the beach: Dancers Rebecca Batchelor, 18, and Sophie-May Lambert, 20, enjoy the hot weather yesterday at Thorpe Bay beach in Southend-on-Sea, Essex Soaking up the rays: Two women enjoy the sun on Brighton beach in East Sussex as the hot weather continued in Britain yesterday Keeping cool: Laura Jervis, two, from St John's in Worcester, plays in the fountains beside the River Severn yesterday Relaxing: Dance instructor Sophie Louise Martin, 23, of Hertfordshire, enjoys an ice cream on Southend seafront in Essex yesterday Busy: People enjoy the hot weather at St Andrews Park in Bristol, as temperatures remain high across Britain Egg-cellent idea: On what is the hottest weekend of the year, this chicken keeps cool under the shade of an umbrella in the South of England Packed: Fine weather at Porthcawl beach in Mid-Glamorgan, South Wales, as day-trippers head to the seaside BUMPER CROP OF FRUIT ON THE WAY THANKS TO GOOD WEATHER

A bumper crop of strawberries, cherries, apples and pears is on the way following a good run of kind weather, experts said today.

But the Royal Horticultural Society said gardeners must get their plants in the ground quickly to make the most of the conditions - and warned that pests are also flourishing.

Many plants have been flowering up to three weeks earlier than usual - and fruit trees were now flourishing and packed with buds.

Guy Barter from the RHS told The Times: ‘We had our hearts in our mouths because of the risk of frosts but we got away with it.

'The good light and warmth that we are experiencing will help plants retain fruits instead of dropping some, especially cherries.’

Temperatures yesterday were in the mid-20s in much of England and Wales while parts of western Scotland and Northern Ireland were not so lucky and were hit by wet and cloudy conditions. Sheffield, Cambridge and Gravesend in Kent all enjoyed highs of 24.3C (75.74F) while Northolt in north west London reached 24.1C (75.38F). It means that this May could still be on track to become the hottest ever, with bookmakers Ladbrokes slashing odds to 5/1 that the record set 60 years ago when temperatures got to 32.8C (91.04F) will be beaten. Forecasters said that while much of England and Wales would enjoy another warm day today, the South West will see showers. The rain is expected to spread north east through the country, with conditions becoming more unsettled as the week goes on. Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said yesterday: 'We expect to see highs of around 24C (75.2F) again tomorrow in the South East but temperatures will start to fall elsewhere. 'By Wednesday temperatures will likely be in the high teens rather than the low 20s and then go back to averages for this time of year of around 16C (60.8F).' Northern Ireland could witness heavy showers this evening and into the night. Meanwhile, Scotland is expected to see an improvement, with temperatures rising to 20C (68F) in Glasgow compared to 15C (59F) yesterday. Eleanor Nicholson, seven, stands amongst one of Britain's most spectacular bluebell displays, across the Rannerdale Valley floor in the Lake District Around we go: People enjoying the hot weather on a ride at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle Paddling: Evie (left) and Sophie Williams (right) enjoy the fine weather in the sea at Porthcawl beach in Wales Going outside: People enjoy the hot weather at Portishead Open Air Pool in Somerset, as the UK experiences continuing high temperatures In the water: Miss Batchelor, from Essex, and Miss Lambert, from Hampshire, make a splash on Thorpe Bay beach Nice day for it: People take full advantage of the sunny weekend weather by punting along the River Cam in Cambridge Glorious day: Sam Davies 10, from Norton in Worcester, enjoys an ice cream beside the River Severn

Bright: A woman carrying a paddle board across Hove beach in East Sussex is silhouetted in the spring sunshine this morning Water: Five-year old Owen Jervis (left) plays in the fountains beside the River Severn in Worcester, while three children sit down on Bournemouth beach (right) in Dorset

Shade: A dog wears sunglasses as people enjoy the hot weather in St Andrews Park in Bristol, as temperatures remain high across the UK Child's play: Amelia (left) and Madison Luck (right) in the sea in Margate, Kent. Much of Britain is enjoying warm and sunny weather Britons were today flocking to parks and beaches in a similar vein to yesterday - seeking to make the most of the fine weather. Tens of thousands of people flocked to Bournemouth, Dorset - where most of the 200 hotels were near capacity, with many displaying 'no vacancy' signs.

Local resident Julie Smith was making the most of the fine weather on the beach with her husband Mark and children Paul, seven, and Alice, five.

Seaside staff hired out almost all of the 3,000 deckchairs and ice cream vendors were trying their best to cope with ten-minute queues. Bikini weather: Leah Shaw and Lisa Johansson sunbathe at Portishead Open Air Pool in Somerset By the river: Natalie Tompkins relaxes next to the Thames with her horse Cair Paravel during the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle Beautiful scenery: Derek Wormald from Rochdale Triathlon Club cools off in the warm waters of Derwentwater near Keswick in the Lake District Wetsuit: A surfer makes the most of the fine weather at Porthcawl beach in Wales Pleasant: A boat travels along the River Severn in Worcester, as Britons flock to parks and beaches Punting along the River Cam: Millions flocked to parks and beaches yesterday as the temperature rose to a 2014-high of 24.5C (76.1F) in central London River Cam: Most of the country will bask in glorious sunshine and enjoy the hottest weekend of the year so far, with temperatures set to soar to 25C Going for a stroll: Walkers beside the River Severn in Worcester make the most of the beautiful weather yesterday Park life: People enjoying the hot weather at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle in Berkshire Off to the seaside: Traffic backed up on the A23 heading into Brighton, East Sussex

Gardeners at the Chelsea Flower Show faced a battle to stop their blooms wilting ahead of the Queen’s annual visit today. WARNING OF TERRAPIN THREAT

Turtles which can bite off a human’s finger or toe are spreading through our rivers, lakes and canals as the weather hots up, experts claim. The terrapins were bought as pets but have since been dumped because they have become too big for families to look after them. A mild winter which failed to freeze lakes helped them survive, and a hot summer will provide ideal conditions for them to spread, according to the Canal and River Trust.

A craze of keeping terrapins as pets followed the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon in the late 80s and early 90s. But many of them were illegally dumped into the wild once they had grown too big for domestic fish tanks in family homes.

Many took to covering plants, particularly peonies and irises, in muslin to keep off the rays. Others tied up their flowers and watered them repeatedly to stop them opening too early. The baking temperatures left gardeners at the London show – which opens this week – more than a little hot under the collar.

Andrew Wilson, 55, who designed a wine-themed garden costing tens of thousands of pounds, said: ‘Last year it was freezing and this year it’s too hot. My irises have started to go over. I’ll have to substitute some of them with roses.’ Elizabetta Clementel, who has designed a garden for Country Life magazine, said she was worried about whether her Irises would hold out. The 55-year-old, from Spain, added: ‘It’s a bit of a panic but we’ll do our best.’ A Met Office spokesman said: ‘Scotland and Northern Ireland will see further rain but in England and Wales it will be a warm and sunny day. ‘London, South East England and the East will see the warmest temperatures, and it could reach 25C in the South East.’ This week is expected to become more unsettled with thundery showers over the country, but overnight temperatures are predicted to stay warm. Meanwhile, a body has been recovered from the water at the disused Denbigh Quarry in North Wales after a man failed to resurface. Police were alerted to the incident at about 4.15pm on Saturday, and a body was recovered from the water later that evening. The next of kin have been informed. Tomorrow will see a swathe of heavy and thundery showers initially in south-western parts spread further north-eastwards. Wednesday will be dry in most areas for a time, but with showers or longer periods of rain pushing in from the South-East, possibly thundery in places. Meanwhile, YouGov research for the RNLI found 89 per cent of Britons do not drink enough enough water to maintain healthy hydration levels. The study of 2,000 people also revealed that 20 per cent of men drink no water during the day, compared to 13 per cent of women. Not helpful: This JCB was sent to clear a beach in Burnham-On-Sea, Somerset, for sun-seekers - but ended up getting stuck in the sand Sent to clear the sand: Onlookers watched as the large vehicle sank into the sands at Brean beach in Burnham-On -Sea in Somerset Feeling the heat: People enjoy the hot weather at St Andrews Park in Bristol, as temperatures remain high in England and Wales Splashing about: A European Brown Bear cools down in the hot weather by playing in its pond at the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire Animal magic: An elephant (left) and a wolverine (right) at the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire

Unusual sight: Competitors warm up before the Heroes and Villains 10km charity race in aid of Pass it on Africa on Hove seafront in East Sussex Yellow: Anna Pinto, 29, and Claire Brown, 26, dressed as Minions from the 2010 film Despicable Me, compete in the Heroes and Villains 10km charity race in Hove Wacky race: Children - running for only 500 metres (550 yards) - and adults take part in the charity fun run on Hove promenade, dressed as heroes or villains Colourful: A total of 550 exhibitors will be displaying their work to an estimated 157,000 people during the Chelsea Flower Show, which opens on Tuesday Chelsea Flower Show: London Mayor Boris Johnson has been immortalised by a crochet artist as a blond gorilla called 'BoJo' (left). Also pictured is Peter Rabbit (right) Family: BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth (right), with her mother Jenny (left), a keen gardener, at the Chelsea Flower Show

Study: YouGov research for the RNLI found 89 per cent of Britons do not drink enough enough water to maintain healthy hydration levels