UK weather: Hottest day of the year so far as UK enjoys eggcellent Easter sunshine

The Met Office has confirmed that Saturday was the warmest day of the year so far - with temperatures reaching 25.5C (78F) in Hampshire.

There has barely been a cloud in the sky across large parts of the UK, with Britons making the most of the Easter bank holiday weekend.

And the warm weather is set to continue. Temperatures could peak at 26C (78.8F) on Sunday and may reach 27C (80.6F) on Monday.

It means the UK is a better bet for sun this weekend than many parts of Europe, with temperatures higher here than in Corfu, Monaco and Majorca.

Despite the glorious temperatures, the UK is quite a way off beating the Easter Saturday record of 29.4C (85F), set in London in 1949.

However, Sky News weather forecaster Kirsty McCabe added: "There is a good chance we'll beat the Easter Sunday and Easter Monday records."

The record temperature for Easter Sunday is currently 25.3C (77.5F), while for Easter Monday it is 24C (75F).

Both were set in the Solent area in 2011.

The rest of the weekend will be "largely dry, sunny and very warm", McCabe said, adding that a "weather system will affect the far north and west, bringing thicker cloud and rain there".

The Met Office said Scotland and Northern Ireland saw the hottest Saturday of any Easter weekend on record. Temperatures reached 23.7C (74.7F) in Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire, and 22.3C (72.1F) in Armagh.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut odds from 5/6 to just 8/11 for this year to see the hottest Easter Sunday on record.

However, people are being warned to beware of strong UV light and high pollen levels.

Hayfever sufferers have been warned that they could also have to contend with a so-called "deadly pollen bomb", which occur when cold and wet winters are followed by a sudden spell of bright and balmy conditions.