Sunny start to spring as temperatures expected to climb above average for some

Much of the UK is in for a dry, sunny start to meteorological spring – with some areas set to enjoy above-average temperatures, forecasters said.

After a wet winter which brought significant rainfall to the UK, the Met Office has predicted a “good start” to March.

Meanwhile, the UK will enjoy at least two more hours of daylight over the coming weeks as it gears up for British Summer Time, which begins when the clocks “spring” forward an hour on March 29.

Meteorologist Honor Criswick said temperatures are sitting around or above average for the time of year, with highs of 16C possible in some parts on Thursday.

She added Scotland, parts of north and south-west England and Wales may see “quite a damp” start to the week, but could enjoy temperatures of up to 15C.

Ms Criswick said: “Across central, southern England, and the eastern areas of England, there should be quite a lot of dry weather around, some sunshine as well.

“(It will be) feeling a bit milder tomorrow again, with temperatures reaching around 14 to 15C, so feeling quite a pleasant where you catch the sunshine.”

“On the whole, temperatures are above average for this time of year,” Ms Criswick added.

The dry weather is expected to continue into Tuesday with spots of sunshine, which may be interspersed with some drizzle across central and eastern England.

If the sunshine can break through cloud cover on Wednesday, highs of around 15C could be reached, before rain sets in for some later in the week, Ms Criswick said.

She added: “On the whole, it’s quite a nice, settled start to the spring. You can’t completely escape the rain, but it’s a lot better than what we’ve had recently, so it’s quite a nice week.”