Temperature in Leeds set to eclipse May average today with highs as hot as Spain

Forecasters are predicting "the first signs of spring" will be felt across much of the UK in the coming days, with some places experiencing weather more like May than February.

Highs of up to 17C (62.6F) are predicted for Norfolk and Cambridgeshire on Wednesday, with the mercury rising to around 15C (59F) or 16C (60.8F) across parts of South East and central England.

While much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and part of North Wales have been braced to expect heavy rain, the rest of the UK has been told to expect mild and often dry conditions.

In Leeds, temperatures are set to reach 15C on a mild Wednesday.

This matches the temperature expected in Barcelona and Madrid.

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: "A few days of milder temperatures are forecast.

"Through the week we're into double figures (in Celsius) for many places, including parts of Scotland.

"It will be a noticeable change from what we've had in recent weeks."

Wednesday's predicted highs are well above the UK average maximum temperature for February, which stands at 6.6C (43.9F).

In fact, 17C (62.6F) will eclipse the average maximum temperature for May, which is 14.8C (58.6F) for the UK, and 15.8C (60.4F) for England.

The rain is forecast to move down across the UK from Wednesday into Thursday, but is likely to clear by Friday.

More sunshine is predicted for the end of the working week, with sunshine and mild temperatures again reaching up to 15C (59F) across the UK.

Mr Claydon said: "It will feel more like spring, especially in the sunshine."

The mild weather comes three weeks after fresh snowfall and sub-zero temperatures across much of the UK.

For the rest of the week in Leeds, temperatures are set to remain above 10C - hotter than usual for this time of the year.

The Met Office predicts sun until Saturday, where clouds and overcast conditions will return.

The chance of rain from Thursday until Saturday is predicted to be less than 5 per cent, the Met Office said.

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