UK weather: Britain set to be hotter than California this week thanks to warm currents from Africa

Temperatures could reach 27C – warmer than both Malibu and Madrid

Parts of Britain will feel like the Mediterranean this week, as a warm air front from North Africa is forecast to push temperatures into the mid-20s.

Less than two weeks after snowfall across the country brought a white Easter to many areas, Britons were out in droves on Saturday to enjoy the warmest day of the year so far, with a high of 19.5C in Northolt, north west London.

Things are set to heat up even more this week, as weather maps show a 1,500-mile-wide air current pushing its way north over Europe.

People relaxing in the spring sunshine on Saturday in Green Park London (Amer Ghazzal/REX/Shutterstock)

It will be slightly cooler on Monday than it was on Saturday, with a risk of showers particularly in the west of the country, but the Met Office is forecasting highs of 21C for Tuesday and 22C for Wednesday.

On Thursday and Friday it could reach 25C – 12 degrees higher than the average for this time of year.

This would make Britain warmer than Malibu, California, where the high will be just 20C mid-week.

The north of England will see highs of 23C – the same as Madrid.

But this early taste of summer may not last, with the Met Office forecasting rain and temperatures closer to the average for this time of year in the north and west of the country by next weekend.

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell told The Independent: “It’s going to be much warmer than we’ve seen so far this spring and the warmest weather of the year yet.

“Thursday will be the warmest day, with the highest temperatures in London. We’re looking at mid-20s.

“Even Scotland will be in the high teens.

“It looks like it’ll cool off again by the weekend but the fine weather should hang on in most of the country. If you’re living in the north or west it may be slightly cooler but it will still feel like the opposite of the week just gone, which was very grey and cold.

“The exception will be if you go towards coastal areas as the sea remains very cold at this time of year.”