Saharan winds are blowing a warm front to Britain, making some parts hotter than the holiday island of Majorca.
Brits on a spring holiday here could on Wednesday bask in 22C sunshine, while those who braved travel chaos to get to the Spanish isle will shiver over their sangrias at a maximum of 15C.
In a further disappointment to those on a Mediterranean holiday, many resorts are forecasting “mud rain” – when dust and sand particles are washed out of the atmosphere.
If the forecast for eastern and southeast England is right, it would top the warmest day of the year so far – March 23, when 20.8C was recorded in St James’s Park, central London.
The southern regions of the UK will all get double-digit temperatures, while Birmingham is set for 18C.
Northern areas of the UK, including Yorkshire and most of Scotland, will remain much colder as chillier air pushes in from the north.
They will still be shrouded in thick cloud, with possible rainfall and temperatures between 6C and 8C.
Showers are likely to develop elsewhere through Thursday, and some rain may spread into the far west later.
BBC weatherman Darren Bett said: “Temperatures are going to be rising and we should have a frost-free week. The southerly breeze will lift temperatures, some rain heading northwards on Tuesday.
“This quietens down in the middle of the week, a grey start on Wednesday, but on the whole, a lot of dry weather.”
On Thursday, after a cloudy and misty start, there will be some sunshine, but high pressure moving in from the north again is likely to keep temperatures at their normal level for Easter, ranging from 12 to 17C. Next week dry, mild weather is forecast in southern England.
But more unpredictable conditions could affect the North and West, bringing cloud and rain at times. The Met Office said the country would effectively be divided in two.
A spokesman said: “A northwest/southeast split of weather is likely to form, with the northwest more changeable, with strong winds and rain.
“Some rain may occasionally spread into parts in the South East at first, but it is likely to turn dry and become generally much more settled, though perhaps cloudy, in the South, with lighter winds.”
