UK’s winter warmer ... we’ll be hotter than Athens

ANYONE itching to shed their Christmas jumper should be able to do so this weekend as a mini-heatwave leaves parts of the country warmer than cities around the Mediterranean.

Temperatures today and tomorrow could reach highs of 14-15C (57-59F), figures not normally achieved until April or May. The average for this time of year in England and Wales is 7-9C (45-48F).

The warmest places are likely to be sheltered parts of north Wales and North-East

England, the Met Office said. Elsewhere, daytime temperatures today and tomorrow could reach highs of 12-13C (54-55F).

In Athens, meanwhile, the predicted high is 9C (48F) today and 8C (46F) tomorrow, while in Rome 11C (52F) is expected today and 9C (48F) tomorrow.

Unusually, the warmer spell is the result of an area of high pressure, which would typically bring cold and frosty weather from the continent. This time, however, it is trapping an area of cloud and mild air.

Sunshine is likely to be limited and some rain is forecast, including a potentially heavy spell in North-West England today.

Emma Smith, of the Met Office, said Scotland and Northern Ireland could also expect wet and windy weather this weekend ‘but for many of us it is likely to be cloudy, drier and mild’. The beginning of next week is set to turn chillier as the current area of high pressure is replaced by a second one bringing colder air.

Parts of Wales could wake to frost on Monday and temperatures could fall to 12C (34-36F) even in southern England.

Tuesday could begin with fog but is expected to be mainly fine and dry into the night for New Year’s Eve. The settled conditions follow wet and windy weather for much of November and December.