Britain's set to bake this week, with the hottest day of the year so far.
With spring in full swing temperatures will be as high as 27C on Wednesday – 10C above average for the time of year.
East of England will be hottest, but the whole of the UK should be well above 20C, the Met office said.
Parts of the UK will be warmer than some of Europe's top holiday destinations, including Marbella and Ibiza.
The mini heatwave will continue into Friday for some, testing the nation's resolve as people are asked to avoid crowded outdoor spaces so two metre social distancing can be observed.
There will be a "north-south divide" on Monday and Tuesday, according to Met Office meteorologist Matthew Box, with spells of rain in north-western parts of the UK while southern areas will reach highs of 24C.
But it will begin to clear going into the middle of the week, as warm southerly winds from the Mediterranean start to move north, Mr Box said.
"It's going to be very hot for large parts of England for most of the week, reaching highs of 27C (80.6F) on Wednesday, which would make it the hottest day of the year so far," he continued.
"This will occur due to large areas of high pressure, combined with southerly winds from the continent, bringing with it, pleasant sunshine, dry skies and warmer air."
Forecaster Alex Burkill added: “Temperatures are going to rise through the week. We could have 25 or 26C by Tuesday and 27C by Wednesday.
“There’s uncertainty about afterwards – it could be even higher on Thursday or there’s potential cold air from the West.”
It should help gardens and the natural world continue to look their best.
The golden laburnum arch at the National Trust’s Bodnant Gardens near Colwyn Bay, Conwy, North Wales, is in full bloom as the site stays closed.
And cygnets were spotted enjoying fine weather yesterday on the River Leam, Leamington Spa.
The hottest day so far was 26C, in Cornwall, on April 10.
On a less positive note, there is a possibility of thunder and bands of rain across the south and east of England and Wales on Thursday while Friday could be windy, mainly for western areas, with heavy downpours.
MET OFFICE OUTLOOK
Sunday Evening and Tonight:
Breezy with rain or drizzle at times across Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England. Dry elsewhere with some clear spells. Turning chilly in the south.
Monday:
Light rain or drizzle across northern parts although some brighter spells are likely in the afternoon. Warm sunshine across central, southern and eastern England, perhaps very warm in the southeast.
Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:
Cloudy with patchy rain parts of the north Tuesday and Wednesday, dry with sunny spells in the south and very warm. Risk of thunderstorms in the south and east Thursday.
