Just for a change, it’s a sunny bank holiday!

BANK holidays are notorious for being blighted by the rain – but you’ll be able to leave the brolly at home with confidence this weekend.

Forecasters say ‘very pleasant’ conditions are expected, with sunshine and warm temperatures which are set to continue towards the middle of next week.

According to the upbeat predictions, Sunday could even turn out to be the hottest day of the year so far, with a maximum of 24C (75F) expected, warmer than Athens.

Grahame Madge, Meteorological Office spokesman, said: ‘The conditions are set fair for much of the UK up to and including the bank holiday weekend.

‘The area of high pressure that has brought fine conditions is set to continue until at least the middle of next week.

‘Day by day the extent of cloud may vary, which will have an effect on local temperature, but overall we can expect a very pleasant period. Temperatures will likely be in the range of high teens and low 20s Celsius (high 60s to low 70s Fahrenheit) for many parts.’

The weather will be a welcome contrast to chilly and damp conditions which have dominated this spring. But the sunshine has created tinder-dry conditions in rural areas, with a seventh fire this year breaking out on an area of Pennine moorland which is an important wildlife habitat. Firefighters were still on Marsden Moor yesterday after a fire which started on Monday and engulfed almost a square mile of countryside.

Adrian Bairstow, of West Yorkshire Fire Service, said: ‘The fire spread so quickly because the dry grass burns easily. With this warm weather we know there is no rain coming.

‘This is the seventh fire on Marsden Moor so far this year and we do our best each time to protect this Site of Special Scientific Interest, famous for its rare ground-nesting birds.’

The previous warmest day of the year was last Sunday, May 21, when 23.3C (73.9F) was recorded at Porthmadog, North Wales.

Forecasters said there will be no heatwave any time soon, with the warmer temperatures inside what is expected for late spring.