A taste of summer nudging temperatures into the mid teens will be washed out by a tropical storm drowning the Continent.
Balmy winds, blue skies and sunshine through the coming days will push the mercury widely to 17C-plus.
High pressure, the driver of fine weather, will work its magic giving sun-starved Britons a long-awaited taste of summer.
But lurking off the coast, powerful Storm Lawrence threatens to nudge the high out of the way spelling a return to crackling thunderstorms.
Temperatures later this week will reach the mid and high teens
PA
Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: “Temperatures will rise through this week and there is a good chance of seeing 16C, 17C or even a bit higher by the time we get to the weekend.
“But this is not going to be permanent, and we will be toing and froing between periods of fine weather like this and then a return to the rain.
“This week, we are keeping an eye on Storm Lawrence, the knock-on effects of which could be coming to get us by Friday.
“This storm is coming out of the Bay of Biscay, and while we do not expect to see anything like they are getting on the Continent, it will likely spell a return to showers and the potential for thunderstorms.”
Sun-starved Britons have a couple of chilly days to get through before the burners fire up.
Temperatures today will hover below average before climbing gradually in the run up to the weekend.
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Storm Lawrence threatens to nudge the high out of the way spelling a return to crackling thunderstorms
PA
Thermometers will then lift into the high-teens, forecaster say, before turning unsettled for the weekend.
Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said: “On Tuesday, it will be quite cold for the time of year, with temperatures no better than 10C or 11C.
"As for the rest of the week, we hold on to a good deal of sunshine, and those temperatures are starting to climb quite nicely, too.
“By Thursday and Friday, we could see temperatures into the high teens in one or two spots.
“But by Friday, things will start to turn more unsettled as low pressure arrives from the south and west.”
Lawrence is one of a line of spring storms to hit the Continent with another forecast before the end of the month.
For the rest of the week, we hold on to a good deal of sunshine, and those temperatures are starting to climb quite nicely, too
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It follows Konrad and Jana, which smashed Andalusia during early spring unleashing torrents of flooding rain.
The Spanish weather agency Aemet predicts heavy rain in the region through the week and have warnings in force.
While no direct impacts from the storm will hit the UK, a knock-on effect could shunt high pressure in favour of low.
Dale said: “The effects of Laurence will kick out the high pressure and allow a low to move through.
“Southern regions will be first to get some of that rain before it moves south, and there is a risk of some more unsettled conditions as we go into the weekend.”
