Before a slight cooling - Warmest day of the year expected

Before a slight cooling
Warmest day of the year expected

UK temperature map dated 05.03 showing orange shading across England, with a highlighted reading of 19 °C at King’s Lynn and nearby values of 18 °C in London and 16 °C in Norwich.

A high of 19 °C in

on Thursday marks the warmest day of the year so far.

Temperatures are expected to reach up to 19 °C today in parts of England, marking the warmest day of 2026 as Saharan dust arrives in the country.

The high is seen in Norfolk, where King's Lynn could be the first location to reach a high of 19 °C in 2026.

It occurs as Saharan dust moves into southern England, bringing a vibrant sunset on Thursday and sunrise on Friday.

The warmth fades back to the average for this time of the year by the weekend, complete with widespread gloom as cloud cover and rain returns.

Already by Friday, the high for King's Lynn drops to just 9 °C, though some heat is retained along coastal areas with Ipswich still seeing up to 14 °C.

By Sunday we could see another warmer day ahead of the new week.

Saharan dust reaches the UKread more

Ryan Hathaway

More on the topic

Split weather graphic showing breezy conditions across the UK and Ireland on the left with winds around 25–30 mph, and a rain band moving east across Ireland into Britain on the right.

Tuesday, 31 March 2026

Unsettled midweek

Wet & windy Wednesday for some

Split image with UK nighttime weather map on the left showing clouds, rain bands, and temperatures, and a bright full moon above dark pine trees on the right.

Wednesday, 1 April 2026

Good visibility for most

The Pink Moon rises tonight

Silhouette of a person sitting beside a telescope on a tripod under a clear night sky filled with dense stars and the bright band of the Milky Way.

Wednesday, 1 April 2026

April astronomy outlook

Pink Moon rises ahead of meteor shower

All weather news

This might also interest you

Split image showing strong winds over the UK on a forecast map and widespread rain and snow on a weather radar map.

Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Severe gales & heavy rain

Storm Chandra makes impact

Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.

Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow

UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.

Friday, 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend

All articles

Before a slight cooling - Warmest day of the year expected

Before a slight coolingWarmest day of the year expected

Before a slight cooling
Warmest day of the year expected