Brits can look forward to an “extended run of dry weather with lots of sunshine” with temperatures hitting 20C on Saturday making it the hottest day of the year.
People are set to head to the beaches with sunshine “up and down the country” and temperatures will build on Friday’s peak, the warmest day so far, and hit 20C.
BBC weather forecaster Chris Fawkes said: “Our settled weather is due to this big area of high pressure.
“We do have a weather front coming in on Sunday and Monday, very weak affair, could bring an odd shower but the emphasis nevertheless remains on an extended run of dry weather with lots of sunshine in the forecast as well. It is going to be mild for the time of year.”
BBC weather colleague Helen Willetts said that there may be some frost first thing in the morning on Saturday but after that it will feel “really quite warm”.
“17.5C in West Sussex it was the warmest day of the year so far (on Friday), no surprise really because the March sunshine is strengthening and there was barely [any] cloud to block that sunshine out during the course of Friday and it will be a similar story through the day ahead,” said Ms Willets.
“But a chilly start on Saturday and some patchy fog around. So the frost is more likely across northern and eastern areas not as widespread as Friday morning and there will still be some pockets around.”
There will be be a breeze about on Saturday, especially on the eastern side of the country, but it will be a day to be outdoors and enjoy the sun.
Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin “A cracking day on Saturday if you like sunny skies, there are plenty of blue skies up and down the land thanks to high pressure.”
He said that the hottest temperatures are set to be in Scotland where it could hit 20C.
“Temperatures will be well above average inland in the sunshine ... 16C, 17C maybe in Cardiff and Glasgow," said Mr Deakin.
"That breeze though will be more noticeable on the east coast, even here the temperatures are above average but feeling a little fresher 11C or 12C compared to Friday’s values.
"The top temperature actually likely to be across the Highlands of Scotland where we could easily get to 19C or possibly squeak up to 20C for the first time this year.”
UK forecast for the next 5 days
Fine, dry and mostly sunny today, but also windy.
Today:
Fine, dry and bright with plenty of sunshine. Windy though, especially in the south and west. Feeling pleasantly warm in the sunshine and out of the wind in many areas, though perhaps quite chilly in some North Sea coastal areas.
Tonight:
Turning chilly this evening and then dry but quite windy with mostly clear skies overnight. Colder than last night with a touch of frost in some rural and upland areas.
Sunday:
Most parts dry with good spells of sunshine. Cloudier at times over East Anglia and far southeast England where a little showery rain is possible. Breezy and colder than today.
Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:
Chance of early showers in the east on Monday. Otherwise, widely fine and dry with plenty of sunshine for most. A cold start for most on Monday before turning warmer.
