Most of the country will bask in fine and dry weather over the Easter weekend, with forecasters predicting that a new record for the hottest day of the year could be set on Good Friday.
Temperatures are expected to rise to more than 10C above average, peaking at 22C in some parts of the UK.
Richard Miles, a Met Office forecaster, said that although most places would experience fine and dry weather, areas in the north-west might experience the occasional shower, making eastern areas the most desirable destination for weather over the weekend.
He said: “Largely it’s going to be pleasant until Sunday for most areas across the UK. The warmest weather will probably be on Friday, but it will stay well above average for most of Saturday and Sunday too.
“The average temperature for this time of year is roughly 12C – so it will be around 10C warmer for an April day.”
The warmest temperature so far this year was 20.8C recorded in London on 23 March, which means that the highs predicted for the south-east over the weekend would set a new record for 2022.
Scotland is expected to be slightly cooler at 15C, while temperatures in Wales are expected to reach about 17C.
However, a change is expected on Monday, with cooler and more unsettled weather to come.
Neil Armstrong, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “A low-pressure system will affect the north-west of the UK later Sunday, bringing unsettled weather to the north with some strong winds and rain in the north-west, which could impact driving conditions for some, but further south it will be drier, especially in the south-east.
“There will be varying amounts of cloud, but temperatures are widely likely to be above average for the time of year, although low cloud might keep temperatures lower in coastal areas.
“However, where the sun comes out people can expect some very pleasant spring conditions.”
In March, the Met Office updated the threshold as to what temperature is considered a heatwave by 1C across several counties in England between Surrey and East Yorkshire.
Dr Mark McCarthy, the head of the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, said that climate statistics over time had revealed an “undeniable warming trend for the UK”.
“Temperature rise has been greatest across parts of central and eastern England where they have increased by more than 1.0C in some locations, while further north areas of Scotland and Northern Ireland have seen temperatures rise by closer to 0.7C,” he said.
Earlier this month, leading scientists said that the UK government was moving too slowly when it came to tackling the climate emergency, in response to the latest IPCC report.
