Brits can look forward to soaring temperatures over the next week with "seven days at least" of warm sunshine with the mercury set to hit 20C.
Spring has arrived in the UK with above average temperatures on the back of a cold start to March, says the Met Office, although there will still be frosty starts to the day.
People are set to head out this week and enjoy the sunshine with blue skies up and down the country.
A high pressure system to the east of the country is moving in and by Wednesday it will be centred over the UK.
Southern areas including parts of London and Cambridge are set to bask in up to 20C heat on Tuesday, and forecasters have advised anyone spending long periods outdoors to wear sunscreen.
Following a warm weekend when the mercury hit 20.2C in Kinlochewe in Scotland, Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern said Brits can look forward to a further “seven days” of sunshine “at least”.
“There will be more spring sunshine to come during the rest of the week,” he said.
“High pressure close to the east then becomes increasingly centred over the UK from Wednesday into Thursday and Friday.
“That high pressure isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable. For the next seven days at least it’s going to bring plenty of warm sunshine.”
He added that “variable amounts of cloud” will move across parts of northern England, the Midlands and southern Scotland on Tuesday bringing “a few lights showers”, but most of the day will be dry and sunny.
Mornings will also feel cold and could drop to -3C in Scotland but for the rest of the country it should be above freezing.
"A fresh start or a chilly start in places on Tuesday morning, you’ll see that cloud across central areas moving south and a few spots of rain associated with it but it tends to fizzle away by the afternoon perhaps reforming to give a few showers across northern England and southern Scotland later in the day," said Mr McGivern.
"Otherwise away from that area, plenty of sunshine and in western parts, a sunnier day compared to Monday.
"Temperatures reaching 16C to 18C quite widely from central Scotland down to the south of England. Could see 19C to 20C in London or Cambridge, for example. The far north, Shetland, staying cold with a brisk breeze coming off the North Sea but for most the temperatures are well above average for the time of year."
Similar temperatures are forecast for the following days, with the mercury dropping one or two degrees towards the end of the week.
UK forecast for the next 5 days
Tuesday sunny and warm for many, only very isolated showers.
Today:
Mostly dry with spells of hazy sunshine. Scattered showers may develop over the Midlands, northern England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland during the afternoon. Most places missing these but the odd one could be heavy. Warm in the sunshine.
Tonight:
Any showers fading, then dry with clear spells. Some rural spots ending up with grass frost, while a few fog patches are likely, more especially in east and northeast England.
Wednesday:
After any fog clears, many areas fine, with temperatures well above average and feeling warm in the sunshine. One or two places in the east could catch a stray shower.
Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:
Dry for most with warm sunny spells and patchy rural frost and fog overnight. Cloudier across the far north with some patchy rain or drizzle at times. Light winds.
