Sizzling Manchester is set to be hotter than Madrid today after a weekend of glorious sunshine.

And with temperatures poised to peak at 26C this afternoon, the Met Office has predicted that the city could be the warmest in the country.

Forecasters recorded the hottest day of the year so far in Porthmadog, north Wales, on Sunday, where the mercury topped a balmy 27.8C, which is just over 82F.

The Met Office said Manchester’s Monday would bring plenty of sunshine and become ‘very warm’ for many. There’s just a five per cent chance of rain, with very little wind leading to humid conditions.

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It’s bad news for hay fever sufferers however, as the Met Office has released a pollen count warning.

Levels will be high throughout the day.

A Met Office spokesman said: “

It will be a fine start to the day with plenty of sunshine allowing it to become very warm for many.”

Tuesday’s weather is expected to continue in a similar vein, with plenty of warm sunshine and highs of 25C.