Rising temperatures forecast to bring warm start to spring

Temperatures could reach 18C in the south of the UK on Thursday, the first day of astronomical spring, as the weather warms after a chillier start to the week.

The peak, expected on the spring equinox, is seven or eight degrees warmer than average in the region for this time of year, according to BBC Weather.

West Wales, along with central and south England, will have the best chance of the highest temperatures, but it will depend on cloud cover.

In the north of the UK, temperatures are expected to reach 10C in Edinburgh and 13C in Belfast.

“The spring equinox will coincide with some nice warm weather, definitely feeling spring-like,” Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said.

As of now, it does not look like Thursday will be the hottest day of the year though: The warmest so far was 9 March, when Crosby reached 19.7C.

The week will start off with frosty nights and around average daytime high temperatures.

Monday will be fairly cloudy, but it will turn sunnier from the east late in the day, leading to a largely sunny Tuesday.

Wednesday looks mainly fine in the north, but there will be some cloud and a slight chance of a shower across the southern half of the UK. Daytime highs will be in the mid-teens across the south of the UK, but low teens further north.

On Thursday, any mist and fog should lift, leaving another mostly fine day. Winds from the south will bring in warmer air.

Highs in the north will be in the low to mid-teens, with mid-to-high teens across central and southern parts of the UK.

However, on Thursday night, rain may start to spread from the south, leading to a more unsettled and slightly cooler day on Friday.

Thursday’s warm weather will coincide with the spring equinox, which marks the start of astronomical spring. It will usher in the new season just after 09:00 on 20 March.