Out with that barbie... mercury to hit 73F in the South

SOUTHERN Britain will get a blast of heat this weekend as warm air rises up from Spain and France.

While those in the South could get to use the barbecue one last time before Christmas with highs of 73F (23C), those further north are more likely to need their umbrellas.

Forecasters expect a mixed bag, with some areas enjoying sunshine and others at risk of showers.

Scotland can look forward to unusually high temperatures for this time of the year, with Glasgow set to reach a high of 63F, according to experts. However the warm weather will not last, as the country looks set to be battered by rain and storms next week.

Met Office spokesperson Craig Snels said: “It is going to get distinctly warmer than what it should be for this time of year. The really hot weather is going to be restricted to Iberia and parts of France, but that warm air heads in our direction for the weekend.

“It’s not going to be everywhere. southern England, the Midlands and maybe parts of Wales will see the warmth. Unfortunately, the weekend is going to be quite cloudy elsewhere and on Sunday quite wet – so not all of us will be able to enjoy the best weather.

“At the moment we are fairly happy that there will be a high of 73F on Sunday in the south-east of England and East Anglia. It may hang on in some areas on Monday, but it will potentially be very unsettled in the South-west.

“It’s a bit of a split picture over the weekend and by early next week it will be turning very unsettled right across the country. It will potentially be quite stormy for some of us.”

Meanwhile, flooding in Cumbria has forced a number of school closures and led to traffic chaos across the region. The A590 at Kendal, the A6 at Kendal and Milnthorpe and the A591 at Windermere and Troutbeck Bridge were affected by torrential rain. Two bridges – Egremont Bridge and Forge Bridge near Eskdale – were closed due to the heavy rain and wind.

Nine schools – six in Wigton – had to shut their doors on Wednesday. The Environment Agency issued eight flood warnings and police urged motorists to drive carefully and beware of standing water.

Northern Rail said lines were blocked between Aspatria and Carlisle because of flooding, with a bus replacement service operating between Carlisle and Maryport.

The downpours were expected to ease in the afternoon.

Earlier the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning of heavy rain for much of north-west England from midnight until 3pm yesterday afternoon.