Spring sunshine means parts of the UK to bask in temperatures of 19C

Thursday is forecast to be the warmest day so far of 2026 – beating the 18.7C (65.7F) maximum reached in the last week of February at Kew Gardens in London.

However, make the most of the warmth if you can because Friday will bring a dramatic change in the temperatures.

The weekend looks warmer again but next week could bring more rain for some of us.

The early season warmth will be welcomed by many, but not if you suffer from tree pollen.

Less grey and misty weather on Thursday morning and more sunshine will allow temperatures in England and Wales to rise rapidly with the warmth drawn up from Europe on a southerly breeze. South-east England is forecast to reach 19C (66F), or possibly higher.

But it will not be warm everywhere. England and Wales, away from western coasts, will see temperatures widely at 16-17C.

This warmth is ahead of a weather front that will bring cloud and rain to Scotland and Northern Ireland on Thursday. It will push in to western-most parts of England and Wales in the afternoon. So, these areas, temperatures will be pegged at 10-13C.

The weather front bringing rain to Scotland and Northern Ireland on Thursday will be further south on Friday. There will be little rain in England and Wales but there will also be a lot of cloud.

As a result, temperatures in England and Wales will be much lower. Maximums will be nearer 8-11C, and perhaps 14C in the far south-east of England, depending on sunshine.

Scotland and Northern Ireland, by contrast, will have a much better day on Friday with lots of sunshine. Temperatures won’t change much though because the air will be colder following a touch of frost overnight.

Temperatures will be higher across the UK this weekend as most places enjoy a dry weekend, at least until late on Sunday.

If you have watery or itchy eyes, headaches, a reduced sense of smell, or disrupted sleep and tiredness – it could be you are suffering from hay fever.

Prof Jonathan West, a plant pathologist and aerobiologist from Rothamsted Research institute, told the BBC the types of pollen in the air at the moment are from various trees – mainly Alder, Hazel and Cypress and also Yew and Elm.

“Recently, we have had a lot of pollen in the air because we had a long period of relatively cool, wet weather, which slowed down the development of flowers on those early flowering tree. This has been followed by some nice sunny and warm weather, suddenly advancing the flowering of certain trees so they released large amounts of pollen.”

Rising temperatures caused by climate change mean that the pollen season is extending. The latest ‘State of The Climate Report‘ published by the Met Office in 2025 revealed the flowering of hazel was almost 10 days earlier now than in the past.

The pollen forecast will be available on the BBC Weather app from Thursday 19 March.

Northern and western parts of the UK will be in the firing line for more active weather fronts bringing spells of rain.

Southern and eastern areas look less wet due to a European high pressure area having more influence.

Between bands of rain there will be quieter weather which brings the risk of one or two chilly or foggy nights.

For much of the time winds will blow from the south or south-west. The warmest weather will be in south-east England, typically around 15C.

Early spring can be a very fickle time of year with wild swings of weather and temperatures. Recently studies have shown climate change is having a big influence on our weather during spring.

For the latest forecast where you are check online or the BBC Weather app. Keep an eye on the monthly outlook here.