BBQ bonanza on the way

Stock up on charcoal and chill those beers - Britain is set to enjoy its best barbecue weather ever this year.

We can look forward to beating last summer's record of 41 perfect days for outdoor cooking, experts said yesterday.

And with changing climate patterns, Manchester will have Cornwall-style summers within 15 years and the whole country will be as 'barbecue-friendly' as Australia by the end of the century, weatherman John Kettley said.

The TV forecaster has created a formula for working out the right type of weather for barbecues.

As well as considering rain, it also eliminates days that are too hot or windy.

Mr Kettley said a heatwave will strike in July and decent outdoor weather will

continue right through to the end of September. He added: 'My research shows that summers are becoming hotter and drier and, most importantly, longer.'

By the end of the century, we will have 62 perfect barbecue days - as many as Australia - compared with our present average of 36 a year. This weekend will be mostly sunny, with a high of 24°C (75°F) tomorrow and 29°C (84°F) on Sunday.