Britain set to be hotter than IBIZA today as March temperatures soar to 18C

Spring may still officially be a week away but temperatures are already starting to soar, with parts of the UK set to be even hotter than Ibiza today.

With temperatures in the south set to reach 18C – around 8C warmer than the average – Britain is set to bake in what could be the hottest day of the year so far.

The maximum daytime temperatures forecast for today in Ibiza, Barcelona and Madrid are also 18C.

However, temperatures will have to soar higher than the 18.3C recorded on February 20 in Northolt, north-west London, and Kew Gardens, south-west London, to become the hottest day of 2017.

The average maximum temperature for this time of year, taking in all of the UK, is 8.9C – significantly lower than highs reached on Monday.

Murlough in County Down reached 15.9C the Giant’s Causeway hit 15.8C, Usk in Monmouthshire enjoyed 15.4C, and Saint James’s Park in central London reached 15.3C.

MORE: Blue badge holder fined for parking across two spaces when no disabled bays were available
MORE: Mother of twins allowed to remain on plane after kind stranger offers to hold baby for entire flight

While southerners will enjoy the warmth, the north of the country paints a very different picture.

Gales are forecast in the north of England and north west Scotland, with gusts of up to 75mph forecast by the Met Office.

And the second half of the week for the rest of the country is unlikely to match the highs of today, with temperatures set to fall to just above the average maximum highs for mid-March.

Forecasters quashed hopes that it could be the hottest March week ever, as thousands of race-goers prepare to descend on Cheltenham Festival.

It is thought that it is unlikely that the mercury will reach 25.6C (78F) – the highest-ever March temperature, recorded on March 29 in 1968 in Mepal, Cambridgeshire.

Race-goers can expect cloudy skies but will enjoy largely dry conditions.

Top pic: Rex