At 63F, balmy Britain is set to match Majorca

BRITAIN could be as warm as Majorca and Sardinia next week thanks to a blast of warm air from across the Atlantic.

The unseasonable warmth produced by air masses from Florida and the Caribbean means parts of the UK could match the Med.

Some areas are in store for highs of 17C (63F), following on from the mild February weather of the last few days – and the freezing bouts of snow that preceded them.

The East will get the best of the sun overall, but London and Suffolk are tipped to reach the highest temperatures by Monday, with the warmth continuing into the middle of the week. It could make the UK among the hottest locations in Europe.

But despite bringing British temperatures well above the average of 4-7C (39-45F) for this time of year, the expected increase won’t break any records.

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: ‘It is going to be around 16C to 17C (61F to 63F), and more broadly it will be mild across the East and North-East.

‘Although obviously above average, it’s not unusual. In February 2012, around 50 stations recorded temperatures of 15C (59F) and over and we’re not expecting that many to record the same next week.’

Mr Claydon said the warm spell would turn cooler by next weekend.

However, Sabrina Lee, a meteorologist at Meteogroup, said it should be a balmy week.

Miss Lee added: ‘British temperatures could be on a par with the likes of Minorca and Majorca – up to around 15C.’

The hottest February was in 1998, when temperatures hit 19.7C (67.5F) in Greenwich, south-east London.