UK Easter weather: Britain to be hotter than Barcelona today before thunderstorms and hail tomorrow, Met Office warns

THE UK is set to be hotter than Barcelona today before wet and windy weather hit tomorrow, according to the Met Office.

Brits basking in the sun during the long weekend are in for a treat with temperatures expected to reach 18C in parts of the country.

Forecasters say that the balmy spring temperatures will make the nation hotter than sunny Barcelona – which is expected to reach a peak of 17C.

Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said people can expect “hazy sunshine” this afternoon due to weather fronts pushing their way in from the Atlantic.

It will be a cloudy start to the day in the eastern part of the UK but a strong breeze should clear it as the day progresses, the forecaster said.

Most of the country will be sunshine in the afternoon and the chance of downpours interrupting bank holiday fun is minimal.

The meteorologist added: “Temperatures are actually up to where we have seen them on Saturday, so highs of 15C in the central belt and maybe pushing towards 18C in some other areas as well.”

Meanwhile, the mercury reached just 12C in Rome on Saturday and the UK was also hotter than the likes of Marseilles (14C) and nearby Monaco (15C).

18C temperature readings would set a new record for the warmest day of 2023.

The warmest day of the year to date was on 30 March when a temperature of 17.8C was recorded in the Suffolk village of Santon Downham.

According to forecasters there is an 80 per cent chance temperatures will break this record.

Unfortunately for Brits, the beautiful weather is not looking likely to last past Sunday.

Large swathes of the country will be hit by downpours on a wet and miserable Monday morning, forecasters say.

The rain is expected to clear later in the day and there will be some sunshine, interspersed with heavy showers and a risk of thunder and hail.

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell warned it would turn “wet and windy” as we go into next week.

He said: “Monday is certainly going to be that day of change, as low pressure starts to dominate the scene.

“With blustery showers, it’s the day to do anything you want indoors.”

Despite the rain temperatures are expected to reach a very reasonable high of 16C.

Met Office chief meteorologist, Jason Kelly, added: “A change is on the way for the UK weather as the dry, settled, and in places warm conditions are replaced by a more unsettled weather pattern from Sunday afternoon.

“This change happens first for Northern Ireland and Scotland, where Sunday afternoon rain will be replaced by blustery showers overnight and into Monday.”

A low-pressure system is set to bring a “sustained period of wet and windy weather” from Tuesday and into Wednesday, with the potential for heavy rainfall and even snow – although this will probably be confined to high ground in the north of the UK, the Met Office said.