Parts of the UK are expected to see the warmest temperatures of the year so far as high pressure builds behind Storm Dave. The Met Office forecasts that London and south-east England could reach 24C on Wednesday, with Manchester hitting 20C, as warm southerly winds replace the rain and 70mph gusts that battered northern areas over Easter.
The brief warm spell follows Storm Dave, which brought snow, strong winds and travel disruption to northern England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Gusts reached 93mph at Capel Curig in north Wales, while 75mph winds were recorded at Emley Moor in West Yorkshire and St Bees Head in Cumbria.
Tuesday is expected to see temperatures of 21-22C in the south-east, rising to 24C on Wednesday. A Met Office spokesperson said the warmth is due to a change in wind direction: “As Storm Dave has moved away, high pressure is building behind it, dragging up warmer air from the continent.”
However, the warm weather will be short-lived. Thursday will bring a sharp drop, with temperatures falling to between 10C and 14C, and the weekend will see cooler conditions with highs of 10C in the north and 14C in the south. Showers and potentially very windy weather are expected in the north-west by Friday.
The joint hottest days of the year so far were 20.9C in Gogerddan, near Aberystwyth, on 18 March, and in Pershore, Worcestershire, on 31 March. The Met Office noted that while the warm conditions arrived earlier than expected, they are not unusual for this time of year.
