A lovely taste of Spring and there's more on the way

Spring is in the air and there's more on the way for the rest of the weekend.
Dawn at South Shields lighthouse as the sun rises above the horizon. Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA WireDawn at South Shields lighthouse as the sun rises above the horizon. Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Dawn at South Shields lighthouse as the sun rises above the horizon. Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

And although temperatures will continue to climb tomorrow, don’t expect the best of the balmy weather to hit the North East.

Weathermen said a blast of warm air from the Americas would bring milder weather to the UK and temperatures that could rival parts of the Mediterranean.

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Thermometers could reach 15C or 16C (59F or 60.8F) in southern and eastern England by Monday, while highs could peak at 17C (62F) in eastern Scotland, the Met Office said.

But for the North East, temperatures were more likely to reach 13C in areas such as Hartlepool, South Shields and Sunderland on Monday, before falling away to 9C by Friday.

The mild weather, which is pushing temperatures to 4C or 5C above the average maximums for this time of year, is being triggered by an air mass making its way over the Atlantic Ocean from Florida and parts of the Caribbean.

The rise could make parts of the UK among the hottest locations in Europe, following bouts of snow and freezing temperatures that took hold on the continent earlier this month.

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Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: “The average maximums in the north are 6C or 7C (42.8F or 44.6F) for this time of year, but we are looking at 15C or 16C (59F or 60.8F) in a few spots.

“But it will still be a bit short of the all-time record for February, which is 19.7C (67.5F) recorded on February 13 1998 in Greenwich, south-east London.”

MeteoGroup forecaster Tom Whittaker said temperatures of 15C could be higher than places like Palma in Majorca, and parts of southern France.