Britain is set to bask in unseasonably warm sunshine on Thursday, with temperatures predicted to reach a balmy 18 degrees Celsius in southern regions. This pleasant spring weather will make parts of the United Kingdom hotter than Barcelona, where highs of only 16C and rainy conditions are anticipated.
Record-Breaking Warmth Continues
The current warm spell follows last week's peak of 18.7C recorded at Kew Gardens, which marked the hottest day of 2026 so far. Meteorologists now suggest that Thursday could potentially exceed this temperature, as high pressure builds across the country throughout the week. The Met Office confirms that southern England will experience the warmest conditions, with widespread sunshine and mild temperatures.
A Brief Respite Before Cooler Conditions
Unfortunately, this spring heatwave will be relatively short-lived. Forecasters predict a noticeable temperature drop by Friday, with London expecting highs of 15C and Manchester cooling to just 9C. Rain is also forecast to spread across southeast England on Friday, bringing generally cooler and more unsettled weather nationwide.
Winter's Wet Legacy
This warm interlude comes after an exceptionally wet winter season. Provisional Met Office data reveals that Cornwall, Leicestershire, and the West Midlands experienced their wettest winter on record. Meanwhile, Dorset and Warwickshire recorded their second wettest winter since comparable records began in 1836, and southern England endured its fourth wettest winter period.
The past three months saw numerous low-pressure systems moving across the UK from the Atlantic, bringing repeated bouts of wet and windy weather. January alone witnessed three named storms – Goretti, Ingrid, and Chandra – which caused significant flooding and widespread travel disruption through heavy downpours. Although February remained predominantly rainy, drier and sunnier conditions finally emerged towards the month's end.
Detailed Five-Day Forecast
Today (Thursday): Early brightness in eastern areas will give way to rain moving slowly southeastwards across Scotland and Northern Ireland. Showery rain may develop across west Wales and western England. Elsewhere, early morning mist will clear to reveal a very mild and mostly sunny day.
Tonight: Rain, potentially turning to hill snow in northern regions, will continue southeastwards across northern and western England and Wales. Southeastern areas will remain dry with low cloud cover, while clearer skies further northwest may bring frosty conditions.
Friday: Rain will gradually edge southeastwards across England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland should remain largely dry with some sunshine, which may later extend to Wales and northern and western England. Temperatures will be generally cooler nationwide.
Outlook for Saturday to Monday: Saturday will bring cloudy conditions with patchy rain across central and southeast England, as well as northwest Scotland. Other regions should experience fine weather. Sunday and Monday will be rather cloudy with intermittent patchy rain. Northwestern areas can expect often windy conditions throughout this period.
As Britain enjoys this temporary spring warmth, residents should prepare for the return of more typical March weather patterns in the coming days, with cooler temperatures and precipitation expected to dominate the forecast.
