meteorological

Whilst the upcoming spell of warmth is significant, with a number of areas seeing temperatures 10 degrees above what we'd usually expect, it is not technically going to be a heatwave in meteorological terms.

It comes on the spring equinox which marks the first day of astronomical spring - although weather forecasters prefer to refer to meteorological spring which began on 1 March.

The team to the Sanae IV base typically comprises a doctor, two mechanics, three engineers, a meteorological technician and a couple of physicians.

With a glorious start to the meteorological spring, coming in like the proverbial lamb rather than lion, temperatures have risen thanks to increasingly mild air, boosted by plentiful sunshine and longer daylight hours.

She added that meteorological conditions play a role as extreme downpours can flush water through the rocks or put pressure on infrastructure like water mains.