UK weather: Heatwave to hit as lockdown restrictions begin to ease

Temperatures are expected to reasch as high as 24°C in the first heatwave of the year

The warmest day of the year so far is forecast for many parts of the UK on Tuesday as a spring heatwave arrives just as lockdown restrictions on outdoor meetings ease for millions.

Temperatures will begin to rise on Monday as sunny spells break up the clouds with temperatures reaching as high as 21°C in the southeast of England.

In some areas it will be the warmest day so far this year on Tuesday, with the southeast reaching around 24°C and between 18 C and 21°C in the north of England and Wales.

The maximum temperature recorded in March is 25.6°C on 29 March 1968 at Mepal, in Cambridgeshire.

However, the Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings across parts of Scotland on Monday and Tuesday, where heavy rain and winds will be persistent. It is the lowest of the three weather warnings, meaning there may be some disruption. 

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The warmer temperatures arrive just as lockdown begins to ease in England, with the stay-at-home order coming to an end and groups of either two households or six people allowed to meet outdoors. 

The warm weather will continue through Wednesday but will begin to tail off towards the Easter weekend, temperatures dropping to between 8°C and 12°C with wintry showers expected on higher ground.