UK weather forecast: Parts of country to enjoy hottest February day in over a century as warm air from Canary Islands blows in

Scotland's 17.9C record – set in Aberdeen in 1897 – could be broken this weekend

Parts of Britain could enjoy the warmest February day in over a century as warm air from the Canary Islands blows in.

The mercury would have to rise to 19.7C to break the UK's all-time high for February recorded in Greenwich, London, in 1998.

But parts of Scotland, such as Moray, look likely to exceed the 17.9C record set in Aberdeen in 1897 as temperatures gradually rise.

Forecasters are predicting a “spring-like” feel as it continues to be unseasonably warm over the coming days, with the mercury reaching the high teens across the country.

Met Office chief meteorologist, Steve Willington, said: “By the weekend we could see temperatures almost 10 degrees higher than what we might normally expect at this time of year, so there will certainly be a spring-like feel in the air across the country.

“Northwestern parts of the UK will be wet and windy at times this week, but settled conditions will spread to all parts of the country by the weekend, bringing plenty of sunshine and unseasonably mild temperatures that could well compete with current February temperature records.”

Thursday was predicted to get off to a cloudy and damp start for some, with low pressure from the Canary Islands expected to bring rain and strong winds to the north and west.

The best of the bright weather is expected to be across parts of the midlands and towards the southeast.

Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell said: “We could see some brighter spells, particularly for northern parts of Scotland where temperatures could get up to 17C into the afternoon.

“Temperatures will be mild in the mid-teens for most of us feeling pretty warm in the sunshine.”

A fog is expected to drift into the south of the UK overnight on Thursday and into Friday, slowly making its way towards Wales and the midlands.

On Friday morning it will be a foggy start for some but that should eventually clear away leaving a dry and sunny day for most again.

Florence O'Sullivan, three, plays in the daffodils in Green Park, London, on 20 February 2019. (PA)

It will continue to be “exceptionally mild” for the time of year over the next few days, however since it is February the nights will still feel chillier.

Where it is sunny it will feel warm – but it won’t be sunny everywhere.

The places with the sunniest skies will see the highest temperatures to the north coast of Devon, northern parts of Wales, northeast England, and the Moray Firth.

Temperatures are likely to hit the mid to high teens in these places, where up to 16C to 18C is possible.

Forecasters predict there is likely to be a “slight change” in the weather over the weekend when there will be more cloud around on Sunday.

It will remain mild across the country but there will be slightly cooler air, particularly in the North.

However the warm air will return again for the start of the new working week.

The current record maximum temperature for February is 19.7 C, set in Greenwich, London, on 13 February 1998.

The highest February temperature on record for Wales is 18.6 C recorded in Powys in 1990, and 17.8C in Bryansford, Northern Ireland, recorded in 1998.