Londoners enjoyed a mini-heatwave after weeks of rain.
Temperatures in the capital reached 21c on Friday and are expected to hit the 20c mark on Saturday prompting people out into parks, pubs and cafes.
The UK saw 127% of the usual monthly rainfall in March, rising to 162% in England and 179% in southern England, according to the Met Office and the hospitality industry to take advantage of the better weather.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, voiced concern that an unseasonably damp spring was having an effect on footfall.
She told the PA news agency: “The last few months of 2023 and first quarter of 2024 have been notably wetter with many pubs adversely affected by flooding and a drop in subsequent trade.”
Ms McClarkin noted that events such as rugby’s Six Nations and Easter had provided an uptick in sales for many pubs, but said she hoped that drier weather would encourage a wider return.
She said: “Like everyone across the beer and pub sector across the UK, we very much hope that the weather will be sunnier, especially ahead of a great summer of sport which should see more people enjoying a refreshing beer in the sun while cheering on their teams.”
Kathryn Chalk, operational meteorologist at the Met Office, said the weekend would be “very warm for the time of year”, but warned the dry spell was not going to last.
“For Saturday we’ve still got a bit of a north south split,” she told the PA news agency, adding: “In the south, we could see a bit of cloud first thing, but once that lifts and breaks, we should see some sun.
“It doesn’t last long, as we get some showers feeding through on Monday and it’s going to be feeling widely colder,” Ms Chalk said, adding: “It’s probably going to seem like the driest weekend for a while.”
