Climate watchers and one local horticulturalist, Paul Scannell, have noted the behaviour of up to 40 species of plants and animals which appear to think that winter is already at an end and spring has started.

Mr Scammell has cited changes including the flowering of bottlebrushes and apple trees, the budding of peaches and plums, and the lack of autumn and early winter frosts over the past 25 years.

He says the milder temperatures are changing the behaviour of plants and impacting upon the autumn foliage displays; and in turn will change the habits of insects and birds as they adapt to the weather changes.

The question is whether the changes are cause for concern and whether they will lead to long-term climate change.

Mr Scannell argues there is the potential for the changes to seriously affect fruit production, while Border environmental group WATCH says recent spells of unseasonally balmy weather had the potential to do greater harm than record summer heatwaves.

But the warm weather may be due to come to an end with the cooler temperatures due to arrive later this week.