Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

UK weather: Caribbean breeze to make Britain hotter than the Mediterranean this weekend

Highs of 17C in Scotland and 15C in London forecast for what could be the UK's warmest weekend of the year

Adam Withnall
Thursday 05 March 2015 13:08 GMT
Comments
Daffodils in central London last year - as forecasters said the weekend should bring the first spring sunshine of the year
Daffodils in central London last year - as forecasters said the weekend should bring the first spring sunshine of the year

Britain is set to enjoy some of its warmest weather of the year this weekend, with temperatures set to beat those of Mediterranean holiday hotspots like Istanbul and Corfu.

After weeks of wind, rain and icy conditions up and down the country, forecasters are predicting a return to the milder weather that came unseasonably early at the start of 2015.

The public have been told to expect a “marked change” going from Friday into Saturday as spring takes hold one week into March.

The hottest part of the country will actually be eastern Scotland, according to the Met Office’s Simon Partridge, who said the shelter of the Highlands could see the mercury hit a record high for the year of 17C.

London and the South East could reach temperatures of 15C, while even Manchester and Liverpool could experience 13C.

“We are going to have some milder conditions and there will be spring temperatures from Saturday,” Mr Partridge said.

“We have been there already but not for a while. The most recent highest temperature was at Exeter Airport. It was 16.5C (62F) on 9 January.

“The mild weather is coming in from the South West, which originated in the Caribbean area and across the Atlantic.”

The Met Office said the spring conditions would be less evident in the north of England, while cloud and stronger winds in Wales mean it is unlikely to get above 12C there.

He said: “It's going to be a marked change and people will feel the difference. In some parts of the country people are going to be having a very pleasant day compared to the weather in the last few weeks.”

Additional reporting by agencies

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in