The spring equinox on Thursday is forecast to bring the warmest day of 2025 to the UK, with temperatures reaching “well above average,” according to the Met Office.
Wednesday’s highest recorded temperature was 18.7°C in Northolt, west London.
However, the Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge predicts Thursday will be even warmer, with plenty of sunshine and only a few fair-weather clouds in central England.
Partridge said: “The highest temperatures are expected in an area stretching from London and the home counties to the southern Midlands. We’re likely to see 19°C or 20°C widely, with one or two areas possibly reaching 21°C.”
This rise in temperatures coincides with the start of astronomical spring, marked by the spring equinox.
The expected temperatures on Thursday could even make parts of the UK hotter than some European cities, including Barcelona, where temperatures are forecast to reach 15°C, and Athens, which is expected to experience highs of just 12°C.
The highest recorded spring equinox temperature in the UK was 21.5°C in 1972, although the Met Office spokesperson, Stephen Dixon, said it is unlikely that 2025 will surpass that mark.
This year, the UK has already seen a peak temperature of 19.7°C in Crosby, Merseyside, on March 9.
While Thursday will be warm and dry, with plenty of sunshine, wetter weather is expected to arrive on Friday, bringing showers to parts of the UK.
These will start in Cornwall and move northeast throughout the day, affecting Wales, central, and southern England. The weekend is expected to be more unsettled, with rain for much of the country.
Meteorological spring began on March 1, while astronomical spring, or the equinox, starts around March 20 each year. The equinox marks the sun crossing the equator, making day and night almost equal in length. The next equinox will take place in September.
BBC weather
Is this warm weather unusual for March?
The warmer temperatures this week are expected to be 4°C to 7°C above the March average, but such spells are not uncommon during the transition from winter to spring. March often brings significant temperature swings depending on the wind direction.
However, climate change has made these warmer spells more likely, with scientists from Climate Central estimating that this week's temperatures are at least one-to-three times more probable due to climate change, and in some regions, four-to-five times more likely.
The hottest-ever recorded March temperature of 25.6°C was set in 1968 at Mepal, Cambridgeshire.
How long will the warm spell last?
While Thursday will see the peak of the warmth, temperatures are expected to stay above average for a few more days, both during the day and night. However, by the weekend, cooler air and more unsettled conditions will gradually move in, marking the end of the warm spell.
For a longer-term forecast, the Met Office’s monthly outlook will provide further updates.
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