Watnall, Nottinghamshire reached 18.6C yesterday, narrowly missing becoming the warmest day of the year by just one-tenth of a degree. The country’s highest March temperature was recorded in 1968, when Cambridgeshire reached 25C.
“Eastern parts of the country stand the best chance of seeing 20C this week, as higher temperatures are down to seeing more sunshine,” Met Office forecaster George Goodfellow said.
“Sunday was an excellent example of the week ahead, with anywhere with extended sunny spells seeing temperatures in the upper teens.”
The country is also unlikely to see much rain this week, Goodfellow said, which could increase England’s risk for a drought this summer. Some parts of the country recently experienced the driest February for 14 years, making a hosepipe ban and other water restrictions all the more likely.
The Environment Agency will outline guidelines for water usage in its Drought Prospects Report, to be published tomorrow.
