Temperatures are set to rise to twice the average for the time of year next week, as a tropical air-mass builds up over Northern Europe.
Although temperatures will dip today and tomorrow, with Londoners today feeling the chill of a 13°C breeze, the UK will warm up significantly next week as temperatures of around 22°C creep in.
Accuweather predicts that the UK will be the same temperature as Marrakesh and 11°C hotter than Istanbul next Wednesday, as forecasters suggest the UK will be enjoying a very Mediterranean 22°C, with the Turkish capital at a cool 11°C.
However, the UK forecast from the Met Office has cautioned that it will be the south and south east of the UK that enjoy the most sunshine:
It states that it will be: “Largely fine and increasingly warm across much of southern Britain.
Windy and more unsettled in the northwest, the threat of heavy, prolonged rainfall across western Scotland on Tuesday and Wednesday.”
The warm spell is due to a tropical airmass from continental Europe, which will give way to a stormy Atlantic weather system by next weekend.
Met Office Spokeswoman, Nicky Maxey, said: “It is going to stay fine and dry for most of the week.
“Temperatures will hit 20°C with Wales and the West Midlands in for the best of the sunshine and warmth.”
However, there will be cold nights: “We could see -3°C in some spots very early in the morning so there is going to be a very big difference between overnight and daytime temperatures,” she added.
Ladbrokes has it at 10/1 that this month will be the hottest April on record, while other bookmakers are taking bets at odds below 5/1 that this summer will be the hottest on record.