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

Left: Weather radar from Monday evening – Right: The corresponding wind radar

Wednesday, 1 April 2026

Air quality dropping

Saharan dust coats the Canaries

Split weather graphic showing a low-pressure system with tight isobars over the UK on the left and a wind map on the right with strong gusts up to 90 mph, plus a windsock warning icon.

Thursday, 2 April 2026

Gales and blizzards

Storm Dave disrupts Easter weekend

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

plit image showing a double rainbow over a rocky shoreline on the left and sheep grazing in a green field under stormy clouds on the right.

Sunday, 2 November 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Mixed conditions on an unsettled week

Split image showing a person in a yellow jacket struggling against strong winds and heavy rain on a street at night on the left, and an Irish wind forecast map on the right with red and purple shading, gusts up to 75 mph, and a wind warning icon, divided by a curved white line.

Saturday, 24 January 2026

On this day...

Historic Storm Éowyn arrives

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