More record-breaking February temperatures are being forecast with parts of the UK likely to be warmer than some Mediterranean tourist hotspots.
Maximum temperatures of 21C are possible in areas across the south and south-east of England which would beat Monday’s winter record of 20.6C at Trawsgoed in Ceredigion, west Wales.
London will hit around 20C and Lerwick in the Shetland Islands will have temperatures up to 11C, above the February average.
More warm conditions are expected with the record of 20.6C in Wales likely to be broken in the south or south-east.
The balmy conditions are being bolstered by a large area of high pressure moving in a clockwise direction bringing warm winds from the Canary islands, meaning more sunlight.
The dry ground needs less energy to heat up and so it will become hotter, and combined with the southern air flow, it will be very warm for the time of year.
<img class=”styles__noscript__2rw2y” src=”https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/feb%2026%20mon%20heat.PNG?v=at&w=485&h=273″ srcset=”https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/feb%2026%20mon%20heat.PNG?v=at&w=485&h=273 400w, https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/feb%2026%20mon%20heat.PNG?v=ap&w=980&h=551 800w” >Temperatures in the south of England will be similar to tourist hotspots around Europe, with places such as Benidorm, Mallorca and Ibiza all registering cooler weather.
The warm weather is in stark contrast to this time last year, when the UK was swept by the “Beast from the East” which brought heavy snow showers and lows of minus 5C (23F), leading to travel delays and power cuts in what were the lowest temperatures in the week leading up to March 1 since 1986.
<img class=”styles__noscript__2rw2y” src=”https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/TWC_UK_D1_PM_MAX_TEMP_DEPARTURE_1.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273″ srcset=”https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/TWC_UK_D1_PM_MAX_TEMP_DEPARTURE_1.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273 400w, https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/TWC_UK_D1_PM_MAX_TEMP_DEPARTURE_1.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551 800w” >Last year’s cold weather was down to a similar weather pattern, but the high pressure instead came from Arctic Russia, moving over Scandinavia.
The conditions seen this week come from the tropic Atlantic and parts of North Africa.
However, by Thursday the weather from the Atlantic will bring colder showers, with temperatures dropping significantly.
Heavy showers are possible as temperatures will struggle to get above 11C or 12C.
New records predicted with UK ‘warmer than some Mediterranean resorts’ – The Weather Channel