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Britain will enjoy an early taste of spring today as temperatures soar to 18C for the first time in more than 100 days - making the UK hotter than Corfu and Ibiza.
The warmest weather of the year so far is due in the South East where conditions will be even milder this afternoon following a 2026 high of 16.6C (61.9F) yesterday.
The last time the temperature reached 18C (64F) was November 13, 2025 - although today will still be some way off the all-time February record of 21.2C (70.2F) in 2019.
A high of 18C today would make the UK warmer than the likes of Corfu and Lisbon (both 17C/63F), Ibiza (16C/61F) and Malta and Barcelona (both 15C/59F).
Thermometers have risen following a change to mild south-westerly winds from the Atlantic – although the mercury is set to return to average levels from tomorrow.
Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said: 'It's a mild day wherever you are, but we'll see temperatures up to 17C, 18C in the South helped with some sunshine.
'You can see the warmth extending across the country, but still cloud and rain which will push eastwards and north-eastwards through the day.'
It follows the warmest day of the year so far in England and Scotland yesterday, with 16.6C (61.9F) at High Beach in Essex. Scotland got to 13.7C (56.7F) in Kinloss, Moray.
Wales and Northern Ireland were below last weekend's highs, but still got up to 15.2C (59.4F) at Hawarden in Flintshire and 13.4C (56.1F) in Helen's Bay, County Down.
A woman takes photographes of crocus flowers at Bournville Park in Birmingham this morning
Joggers run past the spring daffodils at St James's Park in London on Monday morning
Ms Nasir said rain will fall across parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland this morning while also impacting parts of the west of Wales as well as the West Country.
But she added: 'Further east, you'll see some sunshine through the morning into the afternoon, helping temperatures rise very nicely through the day.
'The rain turns more showery towards more southern and western areas through the morning into the afternoon with the more persistent wet weather becoming confined to the north and the northwest of Scotland.
'Brighter skies remain across more central and eastern areas.'
Ms Nasir said temperatures of 12C (54F) or 13C (55F) were expected across Scotland and Northern Ireland, which was still 'mild the time of year'.
Highs of 15C (59F) were forecast for northern England and Wales, but she said eastern areas of the country could get up to 17C (63F) or even 18C.
She added: 'We haven't seen an 18C since early November last year. Still a breeze coming in, a blustery wind towards more western areas, but feeling mild certainly where you see that drier weather.'
But rain will return across northern and western areas tomorrow, with plenty of cloud around and highs of 14C (57F) in the South and 13C in the North.
The working week will then finish unsettled as an area of low pressure is expected to move across the UK with temperatures of 13C in the South and 11C (52F) in the North.
The warmer temperatures and sunshine this week have been a welcome change from months of storms and grey skies.
The UK has seen just 70 per cent of its average sunshine over the winter months so far. It has also been very wet, with rainfall above the average of the past 30 years.
There were 42 flood warnings and 85 flood alerts still in place across the UK as of today, with most of them in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Somerset.
Meteorological winter, as used by forecasters, runs from the start of December to the end of February - meaning the official start of spring is this Sunday.
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