Highs of 20C to follow washout weekend, says Met Office

Highs of 20C are expected this week following a washout weekend of cancelled cricket matches and flooding, the Met Office said.

Forecasters expect warmer weather to return mid-week, with south-east England set to enjoy the highest temperatures.

Areas north of Newcastle, particularly the east coast of Scotland, will see the chilliest weather next week with potential showers scattered across the UK, forecasters said.

Senior meteorologist at the Met Office Amy Bokota said: “Temperatures have been below average for the last couple of weeks, so certainly by the time we get to Wednesday, and probably into next weekend, temperatures will be warmer.

“It might not be the sort of glorious sort of heatwave that we’re hoping for … but there probably will be some more pleasant and warmer weather for some people as we head towards the end of the week.”

This warmer weather comes after heavy rain interrupted sports matches and flood warnings were issued across the UK during the weekend.

Cricket matches across the country were postponed or cancelled over the weekend because of the rain and soggy grounds, including Vitality County Championship games in County Durham, Yorkshire and Leicester.

The Environment Agency issued several flood warnings for Sunday, meaning flooding was expected, including in St Ives in Cornwall, areas on the River Wreake in Leicestershire, Water Eaton Brook at Water Eaton and several towns on the Isle of Wight.

So far this month, the maximum temperature recorded has been 21.8C in Writtle, Essex, on April 13 with a low of minus 6.3C recorded in Shap, Cumbria, on April 26 and a UK-wide average of 8.4C, according to the Met Office.

Grey skies and wet weather meant April may have felt unusually cold despite temperatures being higher than average for the time of year, the organisation said.