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

A harbour in Crete with a reddish-brown, overcast sky

Friday, 3 April 2026

Blood red skies

Dust storm in Crete

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

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

Wednesday, 1 April 2026

Air quality dropping

Saharan dust coats the Canaries

All weather news

This might also interest you

Weather map of the UK and Ireland showing scattered showers with cloudy patches across much of the region, especially around western and northern areas. Sunshine symbols appear over London, Cardiff, and parts of southern England, while temperatures range from 17°C to 18°C in most places. Areas of heavier rain are visible over the Atlantic to the west.

Friday, 29 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Unsettled conditions into the weekend

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

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