The weather forecast says sunshine is now on its way for the weekend and next week as the jet stream finally moves north.
Temperatures are set to soar into the 80s with unbroken sun and blue skies baking Britain and giving us the summer we’ve all been craving during weeks, and weeks, of rain.
But just in case it disappears again as fast as it arrives, here are 10 technological ways to make the most of the sunny weather.
Buy yourself a camera
Whether you’re outdoors in the sunshine with friend, family or children, there’s bound to be some fun memories to capture – if only to look back on in a few weeks when it’s pouring down outside.
You don’t have to spend a fortune either, there are plenty of decent digital camera models for under £100 that will shoot pixel perfect pictures or short videos for uploading to social networks and websites. You can also print them out and keep them for posterity to prove we really did see the sun through all those clouds.
Cool yourself down
Ok, so it might not last but we’re not used to high temperatures this year and all that the heat could be a shock to the system. So if you’re sweltering in the office or at home, then there are plenty of fans to chill with.
The bladeless Dyson Air Multiplier range are amazing to watch work but they do cost a lot so there are lots of cheaper fans to choose from too. If you’re feeling very optimistic, you could even invest in an air conditioner unit.
Have some drinks on ice
As soon as the sun peeks through those clouds, the whole country is going to go BBQ mad. And there’s only one thing you’ll need to hand when the coals are burning and that’s an ice cold drink – whether alcoholic or soft.
Mini Fridge is perfect for when you’ve loads of mates round and come in all different sizes while a Wine Cooler will ensure your bottles of plonk are nicely chilled and ready to drink.
Make your own ice-cream
There’s nothing more satisfying in the sun than slurping on a nice ice cream. And there’s nothing more satisfying when doing that than knowing that you made it yourself. This Ice Cream Maker from Kenwood is a bargain and ensures you can make it as healthy or as flavoursome as you fancy.
Indulge your creativity and add all sorts of wacky ingredients.
Become king of the BBQ grill
BBQ, check. Coals, check. Firelighters, check. Matches, check. Fire extinguisher, check. Smartphone app… oh! If you’re preparing to cook a load of meat in the sunshine then arm yourself with an app full of tips for the best recipes, marinades and ways to grill without giving your guests a dodgy tummy.
Grill-It for Android is one top app while Weber’s On The Grill for iPad may cost £2.99 but it’s well worth it for pages of appetising pictures and top recipes.
Put your feet up and e-read a book
If you’re sitting in the garden on a lounger, cooled drink in one hand and homemade ice cream in the other, with a BBQ-ed bit of grub resting on your lap, then there’s still room for an e-Reader on the table beside you.
Whether it’s the classic Amazon Kindle or similar device from Sony, you can download a range of books in an instant plus magazines and newspapers too.
Check the forecast – every few minutes
Us Brits are obsessed with the weather and so it’ll be no surprise that even when the sun does make an appearance that we’ll all be constantly checking our phones to see when it’s about to leave us again.
AccuWeather for Android is one comprehensive free app to use while the official Met Office one for iPhone is always a great place to start. After all, they’re usually more right than wrong!
Tune in to Rdio
There are plenty of music apps available from Spotify to Last.fm to keep you entertained with an outdoor disco. But Rdio, available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7 and BlackBerry is one of the new up-and-coming acts in the charts.
Stream music from millions of songs on demand over Wi-Fi or 3G and you can also sync songs on a device ready to play when you don’t have any signal.
Head out for the day
There’s no reason to stop in the garden if the weather is suddenly bright. Take a trip out for a few hours or the whole day and find some new places to visit with the AA Days Out 2012 app for Android and iOS. It’s free so you won’t waste any money you could put towards some fun in the sun.
Let the music play on
Hopefully it won’t be a case of sunshine on a rainy day and more like feeling hot, hot, hot. So grab your iPod or MP3 player and dock it into a portable speaker system and get your groove on whether in the backyard, the park, around a swimming pool or sunbathing on whatever patch of grass you can find nearby.
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