Gravesend sizzled as Britain's hottest place yesterday - but the warm weather is not set to last.

The Met Office said the mercury hit 22C (71.6F) in the town, making it the warmest spot in the country.

The Gravesend temperature was higher than many traditional holiday destinations managed - including Athens in Greece, where the mercury only hit 17C (62.6F).

The balmy BBQ weather brought a welcome end one of the chilliest starts to spring, with March the second coldest since records began.

However, the glimpse of summer is not expected to last the week as wet weather looks likely to make a comeback.

While sunny spells with highs of 15C are predicted for today, temperatures are set to tumble again towards the weekend - with some heavy showers forecast as storms are poised to sweep in from across the Atantic.

Gravesend has a history of being one of the warmest places in the county.

In August 2003, it briefly held the record for the highest temperature ever recorded in history.

But the very same year it was pushed out of the spotlight by Brogdale, also in Kent, where temperatures rose to a scorching 38.5C (101F) compared to 38.1C (100.6F) in Gravesend.