You could easily mistake the first day of spring for summer today as it’s the hottest day of the year so far, the Met Office has said.
The Met Office has confirmed temperatures hit a whopping 20°C in southern areas in the UK today, just in time for the first day of spring.
The forecaster confirmed the mercury had ‘already reached 20°C in a few spots’, though they haven’t released the data on where exactly has had the hottest temperatures yet.
It means that parts of southern England will actually be hotter than Mediterranean European destinations.
For example, Barcelona in Spain and Athens in Greece will only reach highs of 15°C and 12°C respectively today.
The highest temperature recorded during the first day of spring previously was in 1972, when a temperature of 21.5°C was recorded.
The top temperature recorded this year so far was 19.7°C in Crosby, Merseyside, so today’s temperatures have well and truly beaten the 2025 high.
Which area will be the hottest in the UK today?
The hottest temperatures are expected in London, where the mercury is expected to hit 20°C.
Other cities that are expected to see warmer than average temperatures include Cardiff which is set to reach 18°C.
It might feel a little chillier in places like Glasgow which will see 13°C and Belfast which is predicted to reach 14°C.
What time will it be the hottest?
As a general rule, temperatures tend to hit their peak between around 11am-3pm each day, as the sun reaches its highest point.
Stephen Dixon from the Met Office said: ‘Today’s weather is going to be a widely dry, fine and sunny day for many, with temperatures well above average at the time of year.
‘Temperatures are going to peak on the Thursday and they’ll decline into the weekend, heading closer towards average but still relatively warm for this time of year.’
Higher pressure to the east of the UK is currently helping to draw warmer air north across the country, he said.
The sunshine will be only broken by some clouds in central parts of England on Thursday, according to the Met Office.
How long will the heat last?
It’s not all good news I’m afraid because this lovely weather will not last long.
Rain is expected to hit on Friday.
While Friday is still set to stay warm for many, rain will move in from the south west.
This will start off in Cornwall but will then move north east during the day and hit parts of Wales, central and southern England.
It is then a rainy outlook across the country into the weekend.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates said: ‘This heralds the move to something more unsettled for the UK’s weather on Saturday, with more rain or showers developing for much of England, Wales and Northern Ireland through the day, and some heavier bursts likely in places.
‘Western parts of Scotland are also likely to see rain on Saturday, with this gradually moving eastwards across the rest of Scotland through the weekend.
‘Unsettled weather, with occasional rain or showers for many, will continue on Sunday, with plenty of cloud around as well.’
What is a spring equinox?
The spring equinox marks the beginning of astronomical spring and is determined by the Earth’s tilt on its axis as it travels around the sun.
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At the equinox, the Earth is tilted neither towards nor away from the sun, which means daytime and nighttime are nearly equal in length.
The equinox happens twice a year, in March and September.
As we’re in the northern hemisphere, the March equinox marks the transition from winter to spring, while in the southern hemisphere, where seasons are reversed, it marks the first day of autumn.
This year, the spring equinox took place on March 20 at 9.01am GMT.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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