UK weather: ‘Wall-to-wall’ sunshine forecast for locked-down Britain

Temperatures expected to hit highs of 24C on Thursday and Friday

Most of the UK will bask in “wall-to-wall sunshine” this week as the country grapples with its fifth week of coronavirus lockdown.

The mercury is expected to hit highs of 24C in London on Thursday and Friday, making the capital hotter than the Spanish island of Lanzarote.

“It’s going to be a week of wall-to-wall sunshine for much of the country, very little rainfall,” said Bonnie Diamond, a meteorologist at the Met Office.

“We could see highs of low 20C and reaching 24C on Thursday and possibly Friday.”

A large area of high pressure to the north of England is behind the warm weather, making the days clear and bright, forecasters said.

All parts of Britain will share in the warm conditions. On Thursday and Friday, temperatures are set to reach 23C in Wales and south-west England, 18C in Scotland and 19C in Northern Ireland.

The north-west of London is due to see the mercury climb the highest.

“I wouldn’t rule out the likes of Greater London areas and southern regions even reaching 25C,” said Ms Diamond.

While this week is not expected to top the highs of 26C recorded over the Easter weekend, this month could go down as the warmest April since 2011.

“It is on for being quite a sunny April,” the Met Office said. “We have had lots of days with clear blue skies, so it will be interesting to see where we end up by the end of the month.”

However, the UK is on course for a more “unsettled” weekend, with rainfall forecast for parts of the country.

“The latest data suggests there could be 5-10mm of rain in some of the heavier showers across the south over Saturday and Sunday,” the Met Office said.

“We are likely to lose the southwesterly wind and a return to less warm temperatures and more in the way of unsettled conditions.”

Western parts of the UK are expected to see showers on Friday, while the north is set to remain relatively dry until Sunday.

Net Weather said: “There might by Sunday be some rain in the north if a low pressure does manage to push in off the Atlantic.”

Daytime temperatures this weekend will drop to the mid-to-high teens - a contrast to the warm weather enjoyed earlier this month that saw some Britons defy lockdown rules to flock to parks and beaches.

Crowded seafronts were reported in Bournemouth, Brighton and elsewhere, with police forced to break up groups.