Warmer weather expected before easing off later in week

The warmest temperature of the year so far could be set three times this week, forecasters said.

Parts of the UK could enjoy highs of 21C or 22C on Tuesday, with temperatures rising again on Wednesday, climbing as high as 24C in south-east England, before the weather cools off towards the end of the week.

The warmer spell comes in the wake of Storm Dave, which caused widespread damage and disruption over the Easter weekend as 70mph winds battered parts of northern England, Scotland and Wales.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “As Storm Dave has now moved away, and this high pressure is building behind it, we’re now dragging up warmer air from the continent.

“It’s one of the seasons where it can change really quickly, day on day.”

The Met Office warned of another “big change” on Thursday when temperatures are expected to drop to between 10C and 13C.

“It’s all purely down to wind direction at this time of year,” the spokesperson said.

“For the next couple of days, we’re dragging in that warm, southerly wind, which will allow us to see temperatures reach the mid-20s.

“As we go into Thursday, we’ll see temperatures return to normal for the time of year as we see the weather turn more changeable with advances of rain and showers.”

Temperatures are forecast to hover around 10C in the north and 14C in the south over the weekend.

This week’s warmer conditions have arrived earlier than expected, the Met Office said, though the high temperatures are not unusual for this time of year.

The UK recorded highs of 25C in early April in 2011 and 2020.