UK weather forecast: Met Office expects hottest February day in 178 years The record for the warmest February day has already been met in Scotland, where temperatures reached 17.9C

Britain could experience its hottest February day in 178 years this week.

Simon Partridge from the Met Office said it is possible that the current record of 19.7C – set in London in 1998 – might be broken over the weekend, or some time in the next seven days.

He said the record in Scotland – 17.9C set in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire in 1896 – was equalled today, Thursday 21 February.

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“By the weekend we could see temperatures almost ten degrees higher than what we might normally expect at this time of year” Steve Willington, Met Office

Mr Partridge told i: “There’s definitely potential, certainly a possibility that the record might be broken. We’ve already seen the Scottish record equalled.

“In Aberdeenshire, it’s down to warm air, which is coming in from West Africa, climbing up the mountains and drying out. When it comes back down drier, it’s 1-2C warmer, which is quite amazing.

“Similar things are happening in North Wales, where it’s about 15C at the moment. There’s also less cloud in these areas right now.

“It’s about 14C in London today, but if moisture clears and the sunshine carries on, we might see the overall record broken. If not over the weekend, maybe midweek, after a cooler spell across Monday and Tuesday.”

Southerly flow

Britain has been enjoying “spring-like” weather in February and the mild spell is expected to continue.

Forecasters said conditions should be “settled”, with “dry and sunny weather” over the weekend.

Temperatures are around 5-6C higher on average across the country. The Met Office said southerly winds and high pressure mean temperatures will gradually rise day by day to around 15 to 18C for parts of the country on Friday and Saturday.

Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Willington said in a statement: “By the weekend we could see temperatures almost ten degrees higher than what we might normally expect at this time of year, so there will certainly be a spring-like feel in the air across the country.

“North-western parts of the UK will be wet and windy at times this week, but settled conditions will spread to all parts of the country by the weekend, bringing plenty of sunshine and unseasonably mild temperatures that could well compete with current February temperature records.”

Sunny spells

While the South East is where the overall record might be broken, mild days and sunny spells are anticipated elsewhere.

The highest February temperature on record for Wales is 18.6C, recorded in Powys in 1990, 17.9C in Aberdeen, Scotland, recorded in 1897, and 17.8C in Bryansford, Northern Ireland, recorded in 1998.

Looking beyond next week, deputy chief meteorologist Chris Tubbs, said: “Although temperatures next week may not be as high as what we’re expecting this weekend, it looks like temperatures will stay on the mild side for the rest of February.”