Temperatures across Britain are set to skyrocket past 20C this Thursday marking the beginning of what could be an unseasonably warm spring.
The Met Office forecasts highs of 21C in London, 19C from the south to the east coast, and up to 17C in the north as the season officially begins on March 20.
Much of the country can expect relatively balmy mid-teen temperatures into the afternoon – though central and northern parts of Scotland are set to experience more typical seasonal temperatures of about 9-10C.
The warm weather comes alongside the spring equinox, with day and night reaching equal lengths at precisely 9.01am on Thursday.
Much of the country can expect relatively balmy mid-teen temperatures into the afternoon, the Met Office says
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For comparison, the hottest March day on record reached 25.6C in 1968.
The warm spell will begin on Wednesday, with temperatures reaching 17C in the south before peaking on Thursday.
And in a further boon to stay-at-home sunbathers, temperatures in the UK are set to outstrip popular Mediterranean holiday destinations.
Forecasters predict the UK will be hotter than Ibiza, which expects highs of only 17C on Thursday, while the Greek island of Corfu will reach just 16C.
But the pleasant conditions won’t last into the weekend, with cooler and wetter weather expected to return.
The start of the week will still feel rather chilly with some overnight frost before the midweek warmth arrives, the Met Office says.
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The Met Office is predicting highs of 21C in London, 19C from the south to the east coast, and up to 17C in the north
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Temperatures are set to soar past those in Mediterranean holiday hotspot Ibiza
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“The temperatures we have got currently are around average, which is about 10C. But we’ve also got quite a chilly wind at the moment, so it’s making it feel even colder,” said Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell.
“By the time we get to Wednesday and Thursday, temperatures will be about eight degrees above average in some places,” Mitchell explained.
“The spring equinox will coincide with some nice warm weather, definitely feeling spring-like” which the Met Office attributes to a large area of high pressure.
“We’re expecting quite a lot of dry weather and increasing amounts of sunshine as we head through the next few days,” said Mitchell.
Looking further forward, however, the Met Office warns that rain and showers are increasingly likely.
The Met Office warns that rain and showers are increasingly likely looking further forward
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“Still fine for many at the start of this period but by Friday and into the weekend, there is an increasing likelihood that rain or showers will start to arrive from the south or west,” the agency’s long-range forecast says.
“Wetter weather will probably spread to all areas, at least for a time, and could be accompanied by strong winds at times.
“Into the following week, unsettled conditions will probably continue across many parts of the UK. Some heavy rain or showers are possible at times, these most likely across southern parts of the country.
“Temperatures are likely to be widely above average at the start of this period before probably falling back and then fluctuating around average for the remainder of the period.”