WE can all agree it has been warm this weekend.

According to Met Office reports, the town hit highs of 21C over the Easter break.

And while temperatures soared, the RSPCA warned drivers not to leave dogs or other animals in warm cars.

Lisa Hens, a dog welfare expert with the charity, said: “Opening a window, parking in the shade or leaving a bowl of water for your dog isn’t enough and still leaves dogs in serious danger of suffering from heatstroke. Popping into the shop for five minutes is long enough for your dog to be affected.”

But was it hot enough for that most famous of reporter’s science experiments: frying an egg on an unsanitary surface?

We tested it out. And the answer was…no.

To safely fry an egg you’re looking for a temperature of around 62C to 70C.

This afternoon in the Swindon Advertiser car park it was around 21C.

Eschewing the bird poo-spattered metal bonnet of the reporters’ pool car, we left a frying pan to warm up on the car park’s grey asphalt for around 10 minutes.

Cracking an egg into the pan, it was clear this was one experiment that wouldn’t work. The egg refused to change colour from glistening translucent gloop to shiny white.

After a 15 minute wait we ditched the experiment.

So, while the Easter weekend charted record-breaking temperatures – but it wasn’t hot enough to cook an egg.

However, the advice against leaving your dog in a hot car remains as important as ever.

According to the RSPCA, the temperature inside a car can rise to 47C within minutes – even if the outside temperature is a mere 22C.  

Holly Barber, a campaign manager for the charity, said: “You should never leave a dog in a hot car. This isn’t a new message, it’s something we’ve been shouting from the rooftops for a number of years now but it’s staggering that around half of people still think it’s okay.

“The message is getting through to many people but there are still too many instances where animals are being left in sweltering cars, caravans and conservatories and tragically some of them have deadly consequences.

“While ignorance is bliss in many circumstances, this most certainly is not one of them. There is no excuse for owners not to be aware of the dangers associated with leaving any animal in an environment in which they cannot escape the heat or the sun."