One of the best spells of spring weather in the last two decades is set to peak today with temperatures in England beating most of the Mediterranean. And keep those sunglasses at the ready – the sunshine is forecast to last until the middle of next week. The mercury is expected to reach 25C (77F) in the South East today. This will beat Marseille at 22C (72F), Athens at 21C (70F), Rome at 19C (66F) and Madrid at 18C (64F). Temperatures will drop slightly tomorrow as fresher weather arrives but the days will remain sunny until next week. Scroll down for videos . Messing about in boats: Young women on a pedalo yesterday in the Serpentine, which runs through Hyde Park in central London . Celebration: Sisters Isabella and Lola Ward play in a tulip field near King's Lynn in Norfolk during the sunshine . Laid-back: Londoners in St James's Park lying down and sunbathing as the heatwave continued . Fun in the sun: A woman is pictured enjoying the fine weather in St James Park in central London as temperatures climbed to more than 22C . Faiza Humayra, 10, from London (in pink) and her friend play on one of the fountains in Trafalgar Square in central London yesterday afternoon . Soaking up the rays: Three teenagers on the beach at Southsea, Hampshire, with temperatures set to reach a record for this year so far . Jog: A young woman running through Regent's Park and enjoying the heat . At ease: A woman strips off to take full advantage of the sunshine in Hyde Park . It will be chillier at night, with parts of the North dipping to 2C (36F) tonight with the threat of frost. The maximum temperature recorded by the Met Office yesterday was 22.7C (72.9F) in St James's Park in central London. Meanwhile 22.6C (72.7F) was seen at Shoeburyness in Essex and 22.4C (72.3F) at Manston, Kent. The hottest day of the year before Tuesday was last Friday, when a high of 21.9C (71.4F) was recorded in London. The South East and London were considerably hotter than the rest of the UK, with temperatures peaking around 18C (64.4F) in the Midlands. Similar temperatures were observed in the North, while most of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was no warmer than 14C (57.2F). Flowers: Two-year-old Abi Jones running in a meadow of tulips at Cardiff's Cathays Park . Beside the seaside: The beach at Southsea had dozens of people leaning against the sea wall enjoying the sunshine . Friends: Three young women taking a selfie on Southsea Common as they sat on a picnic blanket . Posing: A man takes a photograph on the beach at Southsea during the heatwave yesterday . While the record temperatures are only going to last two days, the weather is expected to remain warmer than the average April high of 14.2C (57.6F). 'It is staying sunny and getting warmer, so it will be a good week,' said Met Office forecaster Nicola Maxey. 'There will be plenty of sunshine around and it looks like we will see the warmest day of the year so far. 'In some places temperatures will be double the average for this time of year tomorrow. 'We could see some cooler air coming in on Thursday, but it will stay settled and temperatures will still be above average.' Drifting off: A young woman rests in Regent's Park and enjoys the sunshine . Boating: A couple take a paddle boat out on the water in Regent's Park . Chilled: Londoners by the Regent's Canal taking advantage of record temperatures . Leisure: Flying kites on the beach at Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, yesterday . Splash! Youngsters Max, Arran and Harry brave the English Channel on Southsea beach . At Britain's last remaining tulip farm, the flowers were thriving in the warm conditions after blooming late because of the relatively cold spring. Farmer Mark Eves, of Belmont Nurseries near King's Lynn in Norfolk, said: 'We are having a later Spring this year. 'The tulip crop is around two to three weeks behind. 'We have had some warm and bright days but the nights have been cold and the average soil temperature has been very low. 'It looks like a promising crop, the plant health is good and the flowers are a good colour.' Picturesque: Isabella and Lola Ward surrounded by colourful flowers at Belmont Nurseries in Norfolk . Thriving: The tulip fields are thriving in the sunshine as the warm April conditions continue . Peaceful: Two sunbathers on the beach at Portsmouth in conditions reminiscent of summer . Treat: Beach goers bought ice creams to help them cool down in the heat . The farm has been in operation for 15 years after Peter Ward, Mr Eves's father-in-law, decided he could grow tulips as well as the Dutch. Those enjoying the top temperatures have been warned to stock up on suncream, as spring sunshine can be deceptively dangerous. Jim Bacon of Weatherquest said: 'The sun has got a lot of strength in it. 'Think that towards the end of April you're the same distance away from mid-summer as you are at the end of August. 'You shouldn't be surprised if you get sunburnt in April.' And fire brigades say there is an elevated risk of dry weather and outdoor barbecues creating the conditions for countryside blazes. Blossom: Flowering trees in a park in Cambridge as Britain basked in sunshine yesterday . Carefree: Young women cycling through central Cambridge in the warm sunshine . Out in force: Cyclists in Cambridge taking advantage of the sunny conditions yesterday . Crossing: The Isle of Wight to Portsmouth ferry emerges from the fog as it makes its way across the Solent . Stunning sight: A fog bank passes over Kingswear in Devon . Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service issued a warning after a gas-powered barbecue caught fire in the county. And the Devon and Cornwall fire brigade drew attention to the dangers of children playing with matches outside. Britons are so confident of a scorching summer that bookmakers are receiving tens of thousands of pounds in bets on this year breaking records. The record for the hottest day ever in the UK was set more than a decade ago in August 2003 when temperatures hit 38.1C (101F) in Gravesend, Kent. Coral’s price on this summer being the hottest on record has fallen from 10/1 to 2/1, while Ladbrokes has 5/6 on this spring being the warmest ever. Wednesday warmth: Most of England and Wales will enjoy sunshine over the next few days with temperatures hitting 24C later this week . Hot day: These graphics show the cloud coverage and temperatures today, with the South East expected to have the best weather . Arriving: The predicted hot weather this week is the result of a plume of warm air heading towards the UK from the south west . There has been a surge in bets after the recent warm weather, and William Hill has 8/1 odds that the temperature will exceed 100F (37.8C) this year. Ladbrokes is also offering 8/1 that the April record of 29.4C (84.9F) set in 1949 in Camden, north London, will be broken by the end of the month. Met Office spokesman Laura Young said: ‘We are expecting some really good temperatures over the next few days. 'Unless you are in north-west Scotland, which will see quite a lot of rain, it will be dry and sunny. 'Wednesday will be 22C to 25C (72F to 77F) or higher in places. Thursday will probably be slightly cooler but still in the high teens. ‘There is a cold air mass arriving on Thursday night but it is expected to stay dry well into next week. After that we can be less certain.’ Warming up: Joggers and commuters on the Millennium Bridge in London yesterday, on what was the warmest day of the year . Spring: HMS Belfast pictured in front of Tower Bridge this morning as London was set to see highs of 24C (75F) Sunrise: The scene at Gravesend Sailing Club yesterday as the rising sun reflected off the Thames Estuary . Morning: The tanker Futura making its way up the Thames as the sun rose over Gravesend . The spell of warm weather, which has now lasted more than a week, has seen people flocking to the nation’s beaches. Among them were swimmers in the South West who were stunned to see giant jellyfish in the waters. The Met Office three-month contingency forecast for public officials predicts that there is an average chance of a warmer than usual summer. But thankfully the chances of it being much colder than usual is just 10 per cent. A spokesman said: ‘Unfortunately, the weather we get in April doesn’t necessarily tell us anything about the kind of summer we can expect. 'We’re still in the midst of spring, so it’s far too early to say what the months of June, July and August may hold.’ Giant jellyfish are being spotted off Britain earlier than normal thanks to the warm weather, it was claimed yesterday. Kayaker Rupert Kirkwood, a seasoned sea watcher, was stunned to see the giant creatures off Hope Cove in Devon. The barrel jellyfish, which have tentacles up to 6ft long, were pictured floating next to Mr Kirkwood’s kayak in the sun-drenched blue waters. Up close: Rupert Kirkwood's son Henry had this encounter with a barrel jellyfish near Hope Cove off the coast of south Devon . The species are usually found in more tropical areas such as the Mediterranean Sea. But the rising temperatures and warmer seas have meant more plankton is available - and the jellyfish have headed closer to shore. The dustbin lid-shaped species is harmless to humans but with the weather warming up experts say more could be heading our way. Beachgoers are advised not to touch jellyfish in case they have chanced upon a species with a powerful sting. Floating: The dustbin lid-shaped species is harmless to humans but with the weather warming up experts say more could be heading our way . The Red Cross says that anyone who does get stung should not try to use urine to provide relief as the healing properties of this are an urban myth. Vinegar is said to be far more effective. Vet Mr Kirkwood said: ‘No doubt they [are] encouraged to put in an appearance by the sunny weather. ‘I have never seen them so early in the year. Could be the start of a bumper jellyfish year.’
Yesterday was officially hottest day of 2015 with a high of 22.7C  - with temperatures rising to 25C today . Weather caused by warm air from Azores is creating conditions we might usually experience in July or August . It is set to get cooler later in the week but temperatures will remain higher than the average for this time of year . Families are warned to use suncream if they are relaxing outside while firefighters issue warning over fire risks .