UK Easter weather forecast to be hotter than Mallorca and Ibiza

Good Friday likely to set record for hottest day of the year so far

Shade will be a sought after commodity in London's parks this Easter weekend. Reuters

The UK is set to bask in "very pleasant" spring conditions over the Easter weekend, with temperatures rising to more than 10°C above average.

Forecasters are predicting the mercury could peak at 22°C in some parts on Good Friday, setting a new record for the hottest day of the year so far.

If accurate, parts of the UK including London will be warmer than a raft of popular European holiday destinations for Easter travel, including both Mallorca and Madeira (22°C) and Ibiza, Malta and Crete (18°C).

Met Office forecaster Richard Miles said although most places will experience fine and dry weather, areas in the north-west may experience the occasional shower, making eastern areas the most desirable for weather over the weekend.

"Largely it's going to be pleasant until Sunday for most areas across the UK," he said.

"The warmest weather will probably be on Friday, but it will stay well above average for most of Saturday and Sunday too.

"The average temperature for this time of year is roughly 12°C - so it will be around 10°C warmer for an April day."

The warmest temperature so far this year was 20.8°C, recorded in London on March 23, meaning the highs predicted for the south-east over the weekend would set a new record for 2022.

Scotland is expected to be slightly cooler at 15°C, while temperatures in Wales are set to reach about 17C.

However, a change is expected on Monday, with cooler and more unsettled weather to come.

Neil Armstrong, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "A low-pressure system will affect the north-west of the UK later Sunday, bringing unsettled weather to the north with some strong winds and rain in the north-west, which could impact driving conditions for some, but further south it will be drier, especially in the south-east.

"There will be varying amounts of cloud, but temperatures are widely likely to be above average for the time of year, although low cloud might keep temperatures lower in coastal areas.

"However, where the sun comes out people can expect some very pleasant spring conditions."