The UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far as temperatures soared to 28.6C (83.84F) in London following a weekend of high temperatures and sunshine across the country. The temperature reached 28.8C (83.48F) at Heathrow airport in west London on Monday, following the previous high for 2021 of 28.2C recorded in Northolt, north-west London, on 2 June, the Met Office said. People gathered in parks and beaches over the weekend in temperatures hotter than Ibiza and Mykonos. On Saturday and Sunday, socially distanced tables in pub gardens were packed as Wales played played Switzerland and England took on Croatia in the Euros. Simon Partridge, a forecaster at the Met Office, said the hot temperatures were due to southerly winds bringing in warmer air, allowing temperatures to build gradually, combined with the long hours of sunshine in the run-up to the longest day of the year on 21 June. Partridge said the next few days would be a “rollercoaster”, with a weak cold front bringing cooler air and lower humidity across the country on Tuesday, creating a “much fresher feel” before temperatures rise again on Wednesday, potentially surpassing Monday’s record. “We will see some very muggy warm air pushing back in from the continent. We might see 28 or 29 degrees, possibly even 30,” he said. The warm spell will end with thunderstorms on Wednesday evening, followed by a weekend of changeable weather, but Partridge said people in the UK could look forward to the fine weather returning soon. “As we go into the second half of next week it looks like we could have another build of temperatures – not massively high, but warming up again. It’s not the end of the fine, dry sunny weather for this month.” The Met Office is warning people to be careful about wearing sunscreen in the run-up to the summer solstice because this is when the sun is at its strongest, and for more hours of the day. “Be aware that high UV levels are expected over the next few weeks,” Partridge said. While temperatures in June have been much higher than so far in 2021, Monday’s record still fell far below the previous record for June, which was 35.6C, set twice, in 1976 and in 1957.