The UK is set to experience its warmest day of the year so far this week, with temperatures predicted to climb to near 20C. The Met Office has forecast that London will be hotter than Barcelona and Ibiza, as the capital basks in three days of sunshine.
According to the Met Office, the hottest day of the year so far was 19.2C in London earlier in March, but temperatures could peak at 20C on Wednesday in the west of Wales. London is expected to reach a balmy 19C on Wednesday, with Thursday seeing a slightly lower top temperature of 18C.
Dan Harris, Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, attributed the warmer weather to the passage of east to south-easterly winds over areas of higher ground, known as the Foehn effect. Ollie Claydon, a Met Office spokesperson, said: 'The peak temperature and mildest day of the week will be on Wednesday. It is likely to be the warmest day of the year so far, potentially reaching 20C in places.'
Claydon added: 'We can expect high teens broadly across the rest of England and Wales. This weather is not a surprise as we move into spring. There will be lots of sunshine around Wales and England and there could be mist and fog in places but it will burn off throughout the day.'
However, clouds are set to return by Friday, with temperatures dropping back to the mid-teens, before an average of 12C over the weekend. Despite this, it seems the worst of the wintry weather is at last behind us.
