Sussex to bask in temperatures hotter than the Med this week (From The Argus)

Sussex to bask in temperatures hotter than the Med this week

12:00pm Monday 21st May 2012 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter

Sussex will be hotter than the Med this week as the county basks in unseasonably high temperatures.

Experts have predicted the mercury in the thermometer will slowly rise throughout the week until it reaches 25C.

This would make it the hottest weather of the year and mean Sussex is warmer than holiday destinations such as Cannes, Malta and Barcelona.

The news was greeted warmly by businesses and leaders who hope the heatwave will lead to an influx of visitors.

Anne Martin, the manager of Brighton’s Palace Pier, said: “It’s about time that the weather improved, it feels like we’ve had 40 days of rain which has badly damaged the business.

“We have been praying for sun. Since the beginning of April the weather has been atrocious and the whole town’s been quiet.”

Stuart Wilkie, of the Lanes Business Network, said: “Business is always good when the sun comes out and we always have a couple of good months every year. Let’s hope it starts this week.”

Among the events in the city this week are Brighton Festival and Fringe while Sussex County Cricket Club has five days of cricket scheduled at Hove starting on Thursday.

The Met Office is predicting temperatures will reach about 18 or 19C today, rising to 21 or 22C by Wednesday and topping 25C by the weekend. In comparison, the Mediterranean island of Malta will have 23c and Cannes in the French Riviera will reach 20c.

Cities such as Rome (23C), Barcelona (24C), Sydney (23C) and New York (22C) are also unlikely to be as warm.

Rebecca Sherwin, from the Met Office, said: “With the cold weather we have had it will certainly feel really warm to people.”

The weather will put further pressure on water firms as the county is still in drought.

Tony Mernagh, of the Brighton and Hove Business Forum, said: “It is very difficult for businesses that trade seasonally. They don’t have very much time to trade to make their money.

“This ridiculous inconsistency of weather is not good for any element of the economy, but certainly seasonal traders are suffering more than most.”