Londoners are set to bask in a burst of spring weather on Thursday, with temperatures in the capital set to climb to 18C.
The sunshine will make London warmer than parts of Spain, including Barcelona, where highs of just 16C are expected.
Temperatures already peaked at 18.7C at Kew Gardens last week — the hottest day of the year so far — and forecasters say Thursday could edge even higher.
Conditions across the capital will turn increasingly bright today after a cloudy start, with sunshine developing through the afternoon and highs around 16C.
Thursday will begin with some mist and low cloud, clearing to a bright, sunny afternoon before cloud thickens again in the evening.
The skies are playing sunshine swapsies this week ☀️
— Met Office (@metoffice) March 4, 2026
Much of England gets the brighter share on Thursday, while Northern Ireland and Scotland take their turn with more sunshine on Friday pic.twitter.com/GeaFr2iozr
Looking ahead to the weekend, temperatures are expected to dip slightly to between 12C and 13C, with largely overcast skies.
The warmer spell comes as a welcome relief after a soggy winter across the United Kingdom, which saw repeated storms, flooding and widespread travel disruption earlier in the year.
It comes as the Met Office has released its provisional statistics for 2025-2026, with winter ranking as the wettest since records began in 1836.
This winter was wetter than average across the UK, with rainfall running 13% above the long-term seasonal average.
The figures mask sharp regional contrasts, with England recording 42% more rain than normal, while Northern Ireland and Wales were also significantly wetter.
In contrast, Scotland saw a drier-than-average winter, with rainfall 14% below normal.
The heaviest impacts were felt in southern and central England, where already saturated ground left communities more vulnerable to further bouts of wet weather.
Met Office Science Manager Dr Amy Doherty said: “February’s mild and notably dull conditions have brought a winter of considerable contrasts to a close. While February itself stood out for its exceptionally low sunshine and above average temperatures, the broader winter picture shows just how varied conditions have been around the UK.
“Some southern and central areas of the UK experienced persistent rainfall, leading to saturated ground and several areas recording one of their wettest winters on record. In contrast, parts of northern and western Scotland were markedly drier, which is notable given these areas are typically among the wettest in the UK.
“This year, it was eastern Scotland that saw above average rainfall, highlighting an unusual reversal of the pattern normally expected, and demonstrating the strong regional differences that can develop within a season.
“Taken together, the winter and February figures highlight the influence of a predominantly Atlantic weather pattern and the pronounced variability that can characterise the UK climate.”
