Britain to be ‘hotter than Madrid’ as Azores winds bring 20C heat

Britain is set to be hotter than Madrid as warm air blows in from the Azores and sends temperatures close to 20C, some forecasts claim.

Wednesday is the first day of spring, and the season is getting off to a mild and relatively calm start just days after much of the country was hit by strong winds and heavy rain or snow.

The Met Office is predicting dry conditions with some warm sunshine in places and temperatures inching into the mid to high teens.

However, some forecasts claim temperatures could head towards 20C if there are period of prolonged sunshine.

Temperatures will be about eight degrees higher than average on Wednesday and Thursday thanks to hot air blowing in from the Azores.

London, Aberdeen and parts of Lincolnshire and East Anglia and London could hit 17C.

The average maximum temperature for the UK in March is 8.9C.

Eastern parts of the country, which are sheltered from westerly winds, are likely to see the best of the sunshine and warmer weather, the Met Office said.

Spokesman Richard Miles said: “If the sun comes out in sunny spells they could get up to that 17C peak temperature but the majority of temperatures are going to be more around the mid-teens.

“It will pretty much be mild everywhere but it’s just that those peak temperatures are more likely to be on the eastern side of the country.” 

The Midlands is likely to see 15C and west Wales around 12C.

Northern Ireland will continue to experience some showery, blustery weather, especially along the coast, and temperatures are unlikely to rise above 15C.

Temperatures are expected to cool slightly towards the weekend but the weather will remain settled, Mr Miles added.

"There will be some rain possibly in the very north west but most places will be reasonably dry and fairly mild," he said.

"On Saturday there are some showery outbreaks possible in the south."

The drier and warmer weather will come as a welcome relief after heavy downpours at the weekend, with parts of Wales having half a month's rain in the space of a day.

The highest temperature of the year so far is 21.2C, recorded last month in Kew, southwest London.

The highest March temperature on record is 25.6C in Cambridgeshire in 1968.

Met Office five-day weather forecast

Wednesday

Patchy rain in southern Scotland, northwest England and Northern Ireland will soon move northwards and turn heavier.

Elsewhere it will be fairly cloudy and dry, but there will be some warm sunshine too.

Turning windy in northern Scotland later.

Wednesday night

The far north of Scotland will be wet and windy, with occasionally heavy rain.

Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with patchy drizzle over western hills.

Risk of fog patches in southern England.

Thursday

Thursday will be fairly cloudy, but with some warm sunshine at times too.

The rain, which will be occasionally heavy, across northern Scotland will continue, with strong winds.

Friday to Sunday

The cloudy, windy and mild regime will be replaced by sunnier and fresher weather.

Blustery showers in the north and northwest will continue though.

Turning cooler by Sunday

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