Express & Star

Spring weekend weather to make UK warmer than European holiday destinations

The highest temperature recorded so far in 2025 was 19C in Santon Downham in Suffolk on Thursday.

By contributor Catherine Wylie, PA
Published
People run between palm trees beside the sea
Joggers enjoyed a calm start to Friday on Southend-on-Sea, Essex (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Parts of the UK are expected to be warmer this weekend than holiday hotspots including the Balearic islands, Costa del Sol and the Amalfi Coast.

Sun worshippers may find themselves basking in the highest temperatures of the year so far, with 20C possible in central England on Sunday.

The highest temperature recorded so far in 2025 was 19C in Santon Downham in Suffolk on Thursday.

A young woman walking past daffodils growing in a park
Daffodils are in bloom in St James’s Park, central London (Ben Whiteley/PA)

The average UK daytime maximum temperature in March is 9.2C – an average that takes in all of the country across the whole month.

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said it will be a “very pleasant” weekend for people in most parts of the country.

On Saturday, central parts of the UK, and as far north as Cumbria, will see a high of 19C.

On Sunday, central parts will again see 18-19C, with the possibility of a balmy 20C in some isolated spots.

Two planes in the sky above the London Eye
Blue skies and sunshine are forecast for some parts of Britain this weekend (Ben Whiteley/PA)

Northern Ireland will see potential highs of 15C on Saturday and 16C on Sunday.

Meanwhile, European holiday destinations known for their warm weather will possibly record cooler temperatures than thermometers in the warmest parts of the UK.

A high of 15C is forecast this weekend for Marbella on the south coast of Spain, a maximum of 17C is expected in Ibiza, and 18C is forecast for Sorrento on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.