THURSDAY was officially the hottest April day ever recorded in Reading, with temperatures reaching 26.7 degrees - breaking a record that stood for 70 years.

Scientists have confirmed the peak temperature of 26.7 degrees, recorded at around 4.30pm, was 0.5 degrees hotter than the previous record.

Crowds of hungry town centre revellers made the most of the scorching heat by heading to Forbury Gardens for the Cheese Festival.

The University of Reading's weather station recorded it as a record-breaking day.

Stephen Burt, from the University of Reading’s Department of Meteorology, said: “It is incredible to think that this record-breaking hot day has come barely a month after the Reading Half Marathon, along with several others, was cancelled due to heavy snow.

"This is just another example of how bizarre the English weather can be.”

The only two other days in Reading’s history to have surpassed 26 degrees were April 1949 (26.2°C) and April 2011 (26.1°C).

The figures from Reading date back to 1908 – earlier than national records – and often reflect the wider picture across southern England as a whole.