Temperatures as warm as Ibiza will hit Britain on Friday before the unseasonable heat gives way to frost and April showers over the weekend.

London could see the mercury hit 17C, matching what holidaymakers sunning themselves on the popular Spanish island would be able to expect.

However, the weather will go from one extreme to another as frost, sleet and even the isolated snow shower over higher ground are forecast for Saturday.

“Friday is going to be mostly dry and sunny. Some fog will clear first thing, then for most it will be fine and dry,” the Met Office's Nicky Maxey told The Independent. “For London you are probably looking at 17C tomorrow, central England 14C or 15C and somewhere like Newcastle anywhere between 14C and 17C.

“Temperatures are above average. For April the average daytime temperature is 12C so we are looking at a little bit above average.”

This season's record heat vs the same time last year Show all 8 1 /8 This season's record heat vs the same time last year This season's record heat vs the same time last year Top: people walking their dogs on Blyth Beach in Northumberland on February 27 2018 Bottom: the same view on February 26 2019 PA This season's record heat vs the same time last year Top: Edinburgh's High Street on March 1 2018 Bottom: the same view on February 26 2019 PA This season's record heat vs the same time last year Top: the Croft An Righ in Holyrood, Edinburgh on February 28 2018 Bottom: the same view on February 26 2019 PA This season's record heat vs the same time last year Top: Victor the polar bear at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster on February 28 2018 Bottom: polar bears Pixel and Nissan at the same park on February 26 2019 PA This season's record heat vs the same time last year Top: cars stuck on the M80 near Haggs in Glasgow on February 28 2018. Bottom: the same view on February 26 2019 PA This season's record heat vs the same time last year Top: the Kelpies in Helix Park, Falkirk on February 28 2018 Bottom: the same view on February 26 2019 PA This season's record heat vs the same time last year Top: the M876 in Scotland on March 03 2018 Bottom: the same view on February 26 2019 PA This season's record heat vs the same time last year Top: the Kelpies in Helix Park, Falkirk on February 28 2018 Bottom: the same view on February 26 2019 PA

Saturday will see a move towards more unsettled conditions, with damp weather and showers starting in the north and moving slowly southwards by Sunday.

In the far north of Scotland and areas of northern England, this precipitation could fall as snow on higher ground, the Met Office said.

By early next week, widespread frost is expected. Southern areas are likely to stay dry and see sunny spells, although elsewhere there could be outbreaks of rain, while winds will pick up.

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“Temperatures start to dip as we go through the weekend, we’ve had some dry settled weather this week because we’ve had a high pressure system anchored over the UK, that’s moving away slowly,” Ms Maxey added.