UK to be warmer than Istanbul this weekend as Britons get break from wintry weather

Some parts of the UK will enjoy 13C on Sunday whilst it’s only 5C in Istanbul

Temperatures will soar to highs of 14C in London and Exeter this Saturday (Met Office)

Britons are in for some respite from the grim winter weather this weekend, with temperatures to be higher than popular tourist hotspots like Istanbul and Athens for parts of the UK.

Temperatures are set to reach 14C in Exeter this Saturday, with highs of 13C in London, Birmingham, Peterborough and Cardiff.

On Sunday, temperatures in the UK are set to be higher than Istanbul in Turkey where it will only be 5C, according to the Met Office. Meanwhile the UK will see highs of up to 13C. The warmth may also match or surpass the temperatures in Athens on Sunday, where it is expected to be 12C.

The temperatures are 10 degree jump on those experienced in recent days– providing a much needed and welcome break from the cold gloom experienced so far this year.

London will enjoy 13C, along with temperatures throughout the UK ranging from 7 to 13C (Met Office)

The Met Office have predicted conditions on Saturday to “be drier and brighter in the east” with weather being the “sunniest in Shetland”.

The forecaster added that it will be “rather cloudy with rain or drizzle moving northeast” and that this would be “the heaviest over western hills”.

There will also be “windy conditions with strong gusts, but it will feel very mild throughout”.

Sunday is set to be brighter, but may have some blustery showers in the north, the Met Office predicts.

So far this year, the weather has been glum, with record-breaking floods and extended periods of rainfall in some parts of the UK.

This week also saw several yellow weather warnings for snow and ice in parts of the country, with as much as 15cm of snow predicted on Wednesday and Thursday.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also issued a cold alert beginning at 6am on Friday which is likely to last until 8am on Monday.

Researchers at Newcastle University have warned that the UK’s turbulent weather is a result of climate change. They warn that UK winters are becoming "significantly wetter” and experiencing dramatic increase in flood risks due to rising greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Their data shows rainfall is increasing by almost 7 percent for every degree of global or regional warming.