Parts of the UK are expected to be warmer than Ibiza and Corfu this week on the first official day of spring.
This Thursday marks the spring equinox and temperatures could reach 19C (66F) in the south of England. The Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said that was 8C hotter than the average for the time of year.
“We’re expecting quite a lot of dry weather, increasing amounts of sunshine as we head through the next few days,” she said. “By Wednesday, we’re looking at highs of about 17C in the south. And then on Thursday, we could get as high as 19C.”
That temperature is estimated to be hotter than in Ibiza, which is forecast to have highs of 17C on Thursday, while Corfu is forecast to have highs of 16C.
However, the start of the week in the UK will still feel chilly, with some overnight frost, the forecaster said.
“So the temperatures we have got currently are around average, which is about 10C. But we’ve also got quite a chilly wind at the moment, so it’s making it feel even colder,” Mitchell said.
“But by the time we get to Wednesday and Thursday, temperatures will be about eight degrees above average in some places. The spring equinox will coincide with some nice warm weather, definitely feeling spring-like.”
The expected higher temperatures will be due to a large area of high pressure, which tends to bring dry and sunny weather.
The warmest air will be in southern parts of the UK, Mitchell said.
“Parts of the south-east [and] across the Midlands will be the warmest spots on Wednesday, and then on Thursday that warmth travels a bit further north, so it’s going to feel pretty warm across southern Scotland, Northern Ireland and the whole of England and Wales.
“There’s really just northern Scotland that will keep hold of the colder weather through the middle of the week.”
