UK enjoys hottest day of the year before cloudy skies return, Met Office says

The UK saw its hottest day of the year so far on Wednesday but cloudy skies and rain are expected to make a return later this week, forecasters have said.

Kew Gardens recorded the highest temperature in the UK on Wednesday with 18.7C, according to the Met Office.

The forecaster said it is the highest temperature recorded in the country in February since February 27 2019, when 19.2C was logged in Heathrow.

Prior to that, 21.2C was logged in Kew Gardens on February 26 the same year, which remains the highest temperature recorded in February in the UK.

But the current spell of sunshine and drier weather is not expected to last as temperatures are set to drop from Thursday.

“A brief period of southerly winds has drawn in some warmer and drier air,” Dan Harris, chief forecaster at the Met Office said earlier on Wednesday.

“This has enabled cloud to clear across many parts of England and Wales, and with the sun at this time of year beginning to gather a bit of strength it has warmed the air that bit more.

“Today (Wednesday), some parts of South East England could reach 17 to 18C.”

Mr Harris added: “Temperatures across much of the UK are expected to drop tomorrow (Thursday), relative to today, as winds become more westerly.

“This means a greater influence of moister, Atlantic air, which is likely to be both cooler and contain more cloud.”

On Thursday, temperatures could reach highs of 12C to 14C in most of England and Wales, 12C in Northern Ireland, and 10C to 11C in Scotland, according to the Met Office.

The forecaster said there should be a “bright start in the east”, but skies across the country should be generally cloudy, with outbreaks of rain turning heavier and more persistent in the west.

Many parts of the UK are expected to be “unsettled with rain” on Friday, making way for some brighter spells on Saturday, but with some showers.

Cloud and rain will likely return from the west on Sunday, according to the forecaster.

The UK has experienced a “lack of sunshine” over the winter months this year, having had just 70% of its average sunshine so far.

The winter has also been particularly stormy and wet, with rainfall above the average for the last 30 years.

There are 41 flood warnings and 85 flood alerts still in place across the UK as of Wednesday, with most of them in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Somerset.

In the UK, meteorological spring always begins on March 1 and ends on May 31, according to the Met Office.