Brits are set for a sharp rise in temperature on Thursday with the mercury rising to the mid-teens making it warmer than Greece or the south of France.
It has been a bitterly cold start to March for many parts of the UK with temperatures hovering around the low single figures but there will now be a brief respite from the wintry conditions - although it may be too soon to say spring has arrived.
With temperatures set to peak at 15C or even 16C, it will be warmer than Athens which is predicted to be 7C on Thursday or Monaco where it will be 13C.
After several cold nights, the weather has become increasingly unsettled this week as a low pressure front threatens from the Atlantic and is competing with high pressure over the continent.
It looks like the low pressure will be held off bringing mild temperatures but at the same time wind and rain will not be far away.
The will also be a east-west divide, with the higher temperatures on the east coast.
Met Office spokesman Richard Miles told The Sun : "The west will be wet and windy which will gradually spread across the country overnight, and then it will be cooler in the west and wetter in the east.
"That's the picture for the next few days. It will be wet and windy over the weekend too but when the sun comes out in central and eastern areas, we will see temperatures creeping up to quite pleasant numbers."
BBC weather forecaster Stav Danaos said that there will be sunshine especially across the east of England.
"Cold, frosty start for Northern Ireland but bright with some sunshine," he said.
"Some sunshine getting into western Scotland and it will also be bright across eastern England and the South East where again we will see temperatures very mild for the time of year, 14C or 15C, but even double figures further north and west, it will be a little bit breezier as well.
"As we head through Thursday night it turns cloudier, outbreaks of rain pushing up from central and southern areas and it will spread northwards, across northern England and towards Scotland so more cloud around and more breeze so it will be a milder night for most of us, and a milder night certainly for Northern Ireland."
Mr Danaos said it will then be a "blustery" day on Friday with wind in the north and a maximum temperature around 13C.
He continued: "On Friday we see a more active weather front start to sweep in from the Atlantic, that will bring more windy weather but also some heavier rain which will start to push in through south west England, Wales and Northern Ireland as the day wears on.”
UK forecast for the next 5 days
Unsettled over the next few days.
Today:
Patchy light rain across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western England will slowly clear northeastwards to allow brighter skies. Very mild across eastern and southeast England where some sunny spells are possible. Patchy rain reaches southern England later.
Tonight:
Cloud and patchy light rain moving northwards across some parts, though also some dry spells. Breezy and mild. Heavy rain reaching the far southwest later.
Friday:
Patchy rain clearing northern and eastern parts to leave a brighter spell. Rain in the southwest, heavy at times, moving northeastwards across most parts. Windy, with coastal gales.
Outlook for Saturday to Monday:
An unsettled weekend with showers or longer spells of rain, wettest in the west. Windy for a time with coastal gales in the west. Drier for most on Monday.
