Weather: Leeds set to bask in weekend sunshine as heatwave continues

A balmy beginning to the weekend is in store as the mini-heatwave continues to provide high temperatures and glorious sunshine to the city.

Thursday was the hottest April day for nearly 70 years, with the mercury soaring to 29.1C (84F) in St James' Park in London.

Today's highs are likely to be around 18C in Leeds, the Met Office said, with most parts of the country enjoying warmer conditions than normal for the time of year.

"It's going to be pretty hot again tomorrow, with a lot of sunshine around," said meteorologist Alex Burkill.

"We will see highs of 26C, 27C and maybe 28C in the London area. Low 20s are likely for much of England and Wales, while Northern Ireland and eastern Scotland will see temperatures in the high teens."

All four home nations enjoyed their hottest day of the year so far, with everywhere seeing a high of at least 20C (68F) on Thursday.

The hot weather, which is a result of warm air moving up from the Azores in the south, is set to last into the weekend.

However, experts at The Weather Channel are warning that the mercury could drop to -2C is some places by the middle of next week, causing air frosts that are a complete contradiction to this week's tropical temperatures.

You can read more on that by clicking here...Sunny spells will still be possible throughout Sunday in particular with Sunday's temperature for the London Marathon predicted to top 22C.

There is a chance of thundery showers though, according to the Met Office.

A spokesperson for The Weather Channel said: “As the high begins to retreat over the weekend, low pressure will push in once more over the UK on Saturday bringing cooler temperatures and a return to unsettled conditions during the weekend.”

One possible destination for the sunny weekend could be this beach that is only one hour away from Leeds, and we bet you didn't even know it existed! Click here for more info about Gaddings Dam

While you're here, you might want to see if you can spot yourself enjoying the April sun on Thursday in and around Leeds. You can view it by clicking here.