UK enjoys 'mini-heatwave' but weather to return to normal for bank holiday

24 April 2021, 16:08

Temperatures could climb to 20C as the UK enjoys a mini-heatwave and a warmer than usual late April.

Brits have been taking in warm weather across Saturday, with the west of the country due to experience the warmest weather across the weekend.

Porthmadog in North Wales could see 20C on Saturday afternoon, just below the high of 20.8C it was on Friday.

Liverpool and Shropshire were forecast to see 17C temperatures - but the upcoming bank holiday won't be as warm.

The weather comes as lockdowns across all four nations continue to ease, with customers eagerly returning to enjoy outdoor hospitality.

Outdoor areas of bars and restaurants were expected to fill up over Saturday night.

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The mini-heatwave will last through the weekend into Sunday, with the Western Highlands of Scotland expected to be the warmest part of the UK then – temperatures of up 18C have been forecast.

London will be cooler at 14C.

Met Office forecaster Martin Bowles said: "There will be lots of sunshine on Sunday, although slightly more cloudy in the east.

"It will be a bright and dry day, while the west of the country will remain wall-to-wall sunshine.

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"Over the next few days temperatures are going to be dropping a bit because they are above average for this time of year."

The mercury will dip to highs of 16C on Monday, 15C on Tuesday and 13C on Wednesday, while the bank holiday weekend will see more "normal" temperatures – 15C in the south and 12C in the north, Mr Bowles said.

These are the average daily maximum expected for late April.

This month has been one of the driest Aprils on record, with less than a fifth of the average rainfall.