Weather forecast today – Mini 20C heatwave coming to UK next week in boost ahead of Rule of Six changes and Easter

EASTER VISITORS TO FORESTS URGED TO PLAN AHEAD

Visitors to England’s public forests wanting to get outside and enjoy the sunshine are being urged to plan their trip and follow coronavirus guidelines as high numbers are expected in woods over Easter.

Forestry England, the country’s largest landowner which manages and cares for 1,500 woods and forests in the public forest estate, has issued guidance for people hoping to enjoy some time in nature as restrictions begin to ease.

The guidelines include planning visits, following Government guidance, bringing masks and sanitiser, taking litter home and a ban on barbecues to cope with the expected influx of visitors.

The organisation said the nation’s forests have seen a large number of people visiting through the pandemic, and it anticipates sites remaining busy as Covid restrictions ease and warmer weather arrives.

In a statement Forestry England said: “While high visitor numbers are helping to support Forestry England’s work and the local economy, there are challenges – ranging from some visitors parking thoughtlessly and leaving litter behind, to forgetting to be considerate to staff and each other.”

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“There is still much uncertainty about the weather during the Easter period. High pressure could have a good deal of influence but its positioning is key to the weather the UK experiences.

“At this stage a washout Easter period is considered unlikely, but if high pressure is centred to the north, the likelihood of periods of rain being focused on the southern half of the UK could not be ruled out.”

EASTER OUTLOOK

Brits look set for a “mixed bag of weather” at Easter this year.

The Weather Outlook forecast states: “The weather at this time of year can be very mixed and in early April it is often still too cold to sit outdoors for long.

“However, April 2020 was the UK’s sunniest on record, with an average of 224.5 hours of sunshine. It was also notably warm with temperatures about 1.7C above the norm.

“Computer models are showing a wide range of outcomes during the Easter period. A tendency for high pressure to be situated to the north of the UK is possibly favoured.

“It would lead to the highest risk of rain being in the south and south west with drier conditions more likely in the north. It also brings an increased chance of temperatures being above or below the average, rather than close to it.”

LUNCHTIME SUNBATHERS

Sunseekers hit the beach at lunchtime today as warm weather hit the UK.

Crowds were seen on the pebbles in Brighton as temperatures reached 11C.

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“We’ve been told we might not get some brands of new greenhouses till December.”

Builders, landscapers and conservatory specialists have also warned that supply chain issues will see some jobs delayed.

Shane Ellis, boss of Norfolk Paving and Landscaping, said “It’s been absolutely crazy with enquiries. I think people haven’t had much else to spend their money on and have been stuck at home thinking about what they could do to make their homes better.

“We have had some problems with supply – I think because the factories were closed during various lockdowns. We’ve seen the price of some supplies rise by about 15 per cent.”

But he would not be charging more for jobs.

LOCKDOWN GARDENERS FACE NIGHTMARE

With spring in the air and Easter beckoning, locked-down gardeners face a new nightmare – so many people want new greenhouses, some suppliers are quoting next CHRISTMAS for delivery!

Bored people have turned to gardening in a big way during the pandemic, filling in time by digging and weeding, but also discovering the delights of growing your own fruit and veg.

Sales of greenhouses have soared and with many suppliers based abroad, the surging demand is pushing back import delivery times further and further.

One major supplier, Halls, has told garden centres and stores to quote 25 weeks – the end of summer.

Others are even worse, with one supplier saying Santa might have to bring one.

WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST

The Met Office has said it will be rather cloudy on Thursday with some rain.

Thing will then turn “much colder on Friday with frequent heavy showers” with wintry conditions in the northwest.

There will be showers in the north on Saturday but it will be fine elsewhere with sunny spells – and “less cold”.

NO WEATHER ALERTS FOR WEEK AHEAD

It looks like a quiet week ahead with no weather warnings in place across the UK.

WEATHER FORECAST TONIGHT

Rain in the northwest, heavy on hills, moving gradually southwards.

Mild for many in England but northern parts turning colder with showers arriving in the NW.

PICTURED

Sunny intervals in the town of Tenterden in Kent as people sitting on benches take advantage of the warm spring sunshine.

RISK OF SEVERE GALES

The Met Office has warned there is a risk of severe gales in northwest Scotland this evening due to a small but deep area of low pressure.

It said the strongest winds are likely to remain offshore, but some gusts of around 60mph are likely across exposed spots in the Outer Hebrides and Shetland.

FORECAST FOR EASTER

It looks like the Easter weekend will see mixed weather, varying across the UK.

The Met Office forecast says: “After a brief cold interlude on Friday, temperatures will recover on Saturday with further showers, wintry over high ground during the morning, and strong winds in northwestern areas.

“Elsewhere across the UK most areas becoming largely dry but often cloudy. Bands of rain are then likely to continue to move in from the northwest during this period, with the heaviest rain across northern and western parts of the UK.

“The best of any settled weather will be in southeastern areas, though rain could reach here at times. The strongest winds are likely to be across far northern and northwestern areas, with winds possibly being from fresh to strong across other parts too.

“Temperatures are expected to be near to or a little above average, although short-lived cooler interludes could occur.”

POTENTIAL SNOW ON FRIDAY

Brits could see falling snow on Friday as temperatures fluctuate.

Weather maps show bands of snow or rain heading for the northwest and western areas of the UK.

The Weather Outlook tweeted: “The new GFSv16 model is running the 18z update at the moment.

“It continues to suggest the risk of (falling) snow in places this Friday.”

WHEN IS IT OFFICIALLY SPRING?

According to the Met Office, the astronomical start date for spring in 2021 is Saturday, March 20.

The end date, which signals the start of summer, is Monday, June 21. 

This date is determined in reference to the position of the Earth’s orbit in relation to the sun, taking equinoxes and solstices into account. 

However, meteorological spring begins on Monday, March 1, and ends on Monday, May 31, based on yearly temperature cycles.

‘BREEZIER LATER ON’

BBC Weather says today will be largely dry and cloudier than recent days with a little rain in the north and west.

“It will also turn breezier later on,” forecasters have said.

SOAKING UP THE SUN

The sun is shining in the town of Tenterden in Kent today.

People have been soaking up the warm spring weather in parks and gardens as temperatures rise.

An elderly couple is pictured here sitting on a bench drinking coffee surrounded by spring daffodils.

ODDS SLASHED ON HOTTEST EASTER ON RECORD

Leading bookmaker Coral has slashed the odds to 1-2 (from 5-4) on this Easter being the hottest on record in the UK.

The firm goes 4-5 for next month to end as the hottest April since records began, while it is 4-9 that 2021 is the hottest year ever.

“With temperatures set to rise early next month, the odds on a record hot Easter weekend are melting quicker than Easter eggs under the sun,” said Coral’s John Hill.

“Not only can we expected a sweltering Easter, April looks set to be a glorious month this year, according to our betting,” added Hill.

TODAY’S TEMPERATURES

Temperatures across most of the UK are hovering around 10C today.

It is slightly warmer in the southeast where it is 11C, but overall it is a fine but cloudy day.

SNOW COULD FALL ON FRIDAY

Brian Gaze from The Weather Outlook has said Britain could experience some snow on Friday has “unsettled weather” hits in the coming days.

His forecast reads: “The very quiet period which the UK has been experiencing recently will be replaced by more unsettled weather in the coming days.

“Tomorrow and Thursday bring mixed conditions but during Friday it turns colder from the north west and showers could fall as snow to low levels in the north.

“Showers develop and they fall as snow down to low levels in the north and over high ground in Wales and possibly the south west.”

BRITS TO GO ‘AL DESKO’

More than four in 10 home workers are planning to go ‘Al Desko’ this year – by moving their laptop into their garden when the weather improves, research has revealed.

A survey of 1,000 UK adults working from home found 45 per cent have struggled with their mental health more during the third lockdown compared to the previous two.

This was driven by the monotony of lockdown for 63 per cent of those who have struggled, with the dark mornings and evenings (62 per cent) and it being winter (60 per cent) also key drivers.

But as the days get longer and the weather improves, Brits working from home are preparing to make the most of their outdoor spaces while they work.

Research by Lenovo found 43 per cent aim to work from their garden when it brightens up, with 62 per cent of those believing that being outdoors in the fresh air will make them more productive.

NO WEATHER WARNINGS

There are no weather warnings in place across the UK for next week.

From today until March 29 Brits can relax knowing there is no risk of severe weather to disrupt day-to-day lives.

However, there are 10 flood alerts in place in England where “flooding is possible”.

The Environment Agency warns people should “be prepared”.

TONIGHT’S FORECAST

The Met Office said: “Rain in the northwest, heavy on hills, moving gradually southwards.

“Mild for many in England but northern parts turning colder with showers arriving in the NW.

DRY DAY

Met Office weather charts show it is a dry day across the UK today with very little rain showing.

There may be a few showers on coasts and hills in the west but overall dry and cloudy.

But forecasters warn the rain could get heavier in the northwest later.

TEMPERATURES CREEPING UP

The Met Office has said temperatures are increasing right across Europe as a result of high pressure.

Forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: “At the moment we’re seeing figures that are well above the 12C (54F) average for this time of year.

“And after the bleak winter we’ve just endured I think we probably deserve it.”

WEDDING IN GALE FORCE WINDS

A Scots couple who had their wedding cancelled due to Covid-19 eloped to Skye during gale force winds to get married in their waterproof walking jackets.

Newlyweds Steven and Dionne Abbott couldn’t wait any longer so “nipped across” to the Isle of Skye from their home in Irvine, North Ayrshire to get hitched.

The couple got engaged on the island in 2019 and were due to be married last year before lockdown started.

But after having to cancel their big day, the loved-up pair decided they weren’t “going to let Covid-19 and gale force winds” stand in their way.

Dionne said: “Due to gale force winds we decided just to get married in our walking gear and then got our pics taken a day later when the weather wasn’t blowin a hooley. It was baltic though.”