Springlike weather ahead with forecast temperatures up to 18C

For some of us it's already feeling like spring really is just around the corner.

Not only are daylight hours increasing rapidly at around 4 or 5 minutes a day, but temperatures have started to rise.

Milder south-westerly winds from the Atlantic have brought temperatures into the teens this weekend, and the early spring warmth will continue through this coming week too.

While it might be milder there will still be quite a lot of cloud with rain at times, especially in the north and west.

After the cold, wet and rather miserable weather we've experienced so far this year this blast of milder air will feel like a welcome relief.

Recent weeks have seen temperatures typically in the mid-single figures by day and as low as minus 9C (16F) in Scotland at night.

It has felt even colder in strong east or north-easterly winds at times.

Over the weekend, a switch in wind direction has helped temperatures to their highest levels of the year so far. 16C (61F) was recorded at Yeovilton, Somerset on Saturday, while we hit 15C (59F) in Wales, 13C (55F) in Northern Ireland and 12C (54F) in Scotland.

Then through the week they may creep up a bit higher with forecasts suggesting Tuesday and Wednesday might see 17 or 18C (63-64F) in some central and south-eastern areas of the UK.

The last time 15C was recorded in the UK was on 13 December with 15.1C (59.2F) recorded on the north coast of Scotland. More widely we'd need to go back to 9 December, and we have to go back even further for the last time we saw 18C (64F) across the UK. That was on the 13 November, when the temperature hit 18.7C (66F) at Chertsey, Surrey.

The temperatures we will see next week will be around 4 to 6C above the average for the end of February.

While staying mostly cloudy, there will be some brighter or sunnier spells. And that might make it feel warm and even spring-like.

While not as cold, the predominant south-westerly winds over the next few weeks will bring in spells of rain and areas of low pressure from time to time.

The wettest weather is expected to be over western hills. That means a change of fortune in Scotland, where up to now it has been extremely wet in eastern Scotland but drier than normal in the west of the country.

The recent snowfall will also melt rapidly as temperatures rise.

Given the saturated ground in many parts of the UK, the risk of flooding will remain a concern well in to March.