Met Office verdict on hottest day this week as highs of 25C forecast

The Met Office has predicted that temperatures will reach the mid-20s on Wednesday during what will likely be the hottest day of the week.

After the UK faced chilly weather in recent days, with temperatures dropping below zero overnight, forecasters have now predicted a much more pleasant week with highs of 25C expected.

Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said temperatures in areas of the north and south of the UK could see temperatures around 24C or even 25C on Wednesday.

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He said by the middle of the week, high pressure is "still definitely the main feature" of the forecast, but there may be a bit more of a breeze. The highest temperatures are likely to be in the south east as well as in the north of Scotland, where highs of 25C have been predicted.

He added: "Most places will be around or perhaps a little bit above average but it will be noticeably warmer than average across the north-western corner and across pockets of the south east."

Dean Hall, senior meteorologist at the Met Office previously said that high pressure would be "well and truly in charge of our weather" for much of this week. The best of the weather will likely be seen across western parts of the UK, while areas on the eastern side of the UK see more breezey conditions.

However, he said sunny parts of the south and south east of England, that are further inland and out of the wind, will also feel “quite warm”. The predicted low-20Cs in those areas are well above the average 18 or 19C for this time of year, Mr Hall said.

He added: "Summer as a whole has been a bit on the coolish side for some, temperatures have not been great over the past few days, so