the mercury is expected to reach 25c -lrb- 77f -rrb- in the south east today .
this will beat marseille at 22c -lrb- 72f -rrb- , athens at 21c -lrb- 70f -rrb- , rome at 19c -lrb- 66f -rrb- and madrid at 18c -lrb- 64f -rrb- .
the maximum temperature recorded by the met office yesterday was 22.7 c -lrb- 72.9 f -rrb- in st james 's park in central london .