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

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Before a slight coolingWarmest day of the year expected

Before a slight cooling
Warmest day of the year expected