Met Office confirms hottest day of the year as UK basks in sunshine and 20C temperatures

Britain is enjoying its hottest day of the year so far as temperatures exceeded 20C on the spring equinox.

The mercury hit 20.6C in Northolt, west London, reaching higher than the previously warmest temperature so far of 2025 – a reading of 19.7C in Crosby, Merseyside, on 9 March.

It coincides with the spring equinox on Thursday which has seen generally dry and fine weather with plenty of sunny spells.

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The Met Office said images show “plenty of blue skies across the UK, although high cloud in the west is making the sunshine hazy here” and “in the sunshine across the south temperatures have already reached 20C in a few spots”.

The highest recorded UK spring equinox temperature was 21.5C in 1972.

Meteorological spring always starts on 1 March, while astronomical spring – or the equinox – begins around 20 March each year.

The other equinox is in September and both mark the sun crossing the equator, rather than being at an angle. Day and night are therefore around the same length.

As of 3pm, temperatures were pushing towards 20C across much of England and Wales, with readings of 17C as far north as Keswick and Carlisle. In Scotland, Aviemore, Glasgow and Aboyne saw temperatures hit 14C.

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Despite the clement daytime conditions, the Met Office forecasts that it will be a milder night for many and rather breezy, as the picture turns increasingly cloudy from the west and locally heavy showers arrive in the South West towards dawn.

The UK is set for changeable weather this weekend, with showers or longer spells of rain likely, possibly turning heavy at times. While forecasts suggest Monday will mainly be dry with bright spells, temperatures are expected to gradually drop.

The warm weather on Thursday has also brought warnings of pollution and signs that those who are allergic to birch pollen, a type of tree pollen from birch trees, may have tough times ahead.

The Met Office’s UK pollen forecast manager Yolanda Clewlow said: “The pollen season has already started and people with a sensitivity to tree pollen may have noticed the early tree species in the air.

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“For those who are allergic to birch pollen, the season for this species is likely to be high, largely due to the conditions last spring and summer when pollen was forming on some trees.”

A high air pollution alert has been issued for London, the first this year after forecasters at Imperial College warned of a rise in particulate pollutants from mainland Europe.

London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said: “I urge Londoners to look after themselves and protect those with conditions such as asthma. This includes refraining from engine idling and burning wood or garden waste.”

Additional reporting by PA