The UK is expected to experience its warmest April day in six years on Wednesday, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 26C in some areas. The warm spell follows the snow and severe gales of Storm Dave over the Easter weekend, marking a sharp contrast in weather conditions.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst described the weather as “unusually warm” for this time of year. “The average temperature should be around 15C,” he said. “The wind is coming in from a southerly direction, and with not many clouds around, it should be well above the early April average.” He noted that similar temperatures were last seen in 2020, when Cornwall reached 26C.
London is forecast to be the warmest location, with a high of 25C expected at 5pm on Wednesday. Swindon and Southampton are set to reach 22C, while Manchester and Newcastle will see 20C and 18C respectively. Tuesday is expected to be mostly dry and sunny, though some showers are anticipated across western parts of Wales and northwest Scotland later in the day.
The Met Office has warned of a “big change” on Thursday, when temperatures are expected to drop sharply to between 10C and 13C. A spokesperson attributed the current warmth to wind direction: “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.” However, from Thursday, more changeable weather with rain and showers will return temperatures to near normal for the time of year.
