Britain is to be hotter than Ibiza as the sun comes out for a 21C Easter sizzler, forecasters believe.
Temperatures will soar this week as bitter winds and snow give way to a balmy 'tropical' blast.
Warm winds will flood into Britain steered around high pressure similar to the driver of the march mini heatwave.
Met Office weather meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: "Warmer weather is on the way for the start of the week, and we could even see 20C in the southeast.
"The general trend is for it to turn warmer with higher pressure increasingly likely through the week and into the following week.
"There is still the chance of some rain mainly in the west."
Stubborn rainfall threatens to dampen spirits in Scotland and north-western Britain, he added.
He said: "Into Monday, low pressure becomes more and more erratic, but it looks likely that northern and western parts of the UK that bear the brunt of any wetter weather.
"Low pressure is slowly progressing from the west bringing some rain in on Sunday, most likely in north-west of the UK, western Scotland, western England and north Wales
"Cold air remains in the far north with the potential for snow if that rain mixes with cold air as it approaches from the west."
However, forecasters agree the UK is about to warm up with a 70F scorcher prompting bookmaker Ladbrokes to slash the odds to 5-2 on a record hot Easter.
Spokesman Alex Apati said: "At last it looks as though Brits will have something to smile about on the weather front, with a record-breaking Easter scorcher potentially on the cards."
Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: "The trend is for temperatures to rise next week.
"If things play out, we could be looking at 20C or 21C in the south over Easter."
Warm weather comes with a warning for hay-fever sufferers with tree pollen levels predicted to soar next week.
Airborne allergens expert Max Wiseberg said: "The start of the tree pollen season has been slow, with the poor weather so far most of this spring.
"But it looks as if the season could start in earnest with high pollen counts forecast across the South and East of England on Monday."
Britain could be about to turn hotter than Ibiza with temperatures on the Balearic Island to top 16C next week.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said: "It is all change as we go into Monday.
"Warmer conditions will be brought by tropical maritime air coming in from the south west."
