News flash: Sometimes Britain is hotter than the Mediterranean

Brace yourselves, Britain: In the coming days some parts of your normally rainy, windswept country could be hotter than the Mediterranean! Can you believe it? It goes without saying that local newspapers have been trumpeting this rare and unusual occurrence. Or maybe not so rare:

• May 31, 2015: “Temperatures set to soar making parts of Britain hotter than parts of the Mediterranean” (The Independent)
• May 9, 2015: “Britain hotter than the Med, as summer temperatures return next week” (The Independent)
• April 10, 2015: “What a scorcher! North-East hotter than the Med but it’s not here to stay” (The Northern Echo)
• April 8, 2015: “Air pollution warning issued as Greater Manchester sizzles in temperatures hotter than the Mediterranean” (Manchester Evening News)
• March 9, 2015: “One week after blizzards, Northern Ireland’s hotter than the Med” (Belfast Telegraph)
• March 6, 2015: “Brits set to hit great outdoors with temperatures hotter than the Med” (The Mirror)
• July 24, 2014: “Huddersfield as hot as the Med on warmest day of year” (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)
• July 7, 2014: “Hotter than the Med: Britain set to sizzle in 86F heatwave that will last TWO WEEKS” (The Express)
• July 3, 2014: “Hotter than the Med! Britain sizzles on hottest day of the year so far” (The Express)
• June 21, 2014: “Hotter than Mediterranean with temperatures hitting 26C in first week of Wimbledon” ()