Spring out of bed this weekend as sun set to shine on Yorkshire

Saturday and Sunday are expected to be the warmest days of the year so far, with the mercury reaching 12C in most parts of the county. The chances of rain are low, according to meteorologists.

The improving picture will be even more pronounced in the South, where temperatures could reach 17C (62.6F) as a wave of high pressure arrives.

Those figures could well make parts of the country warmer than the south of France and even the Greek islands, where temperatures are forecast to be around 15C.

It will come as a welcome relief to communities still recovering from the horrendous storms that caused severe flooding and brought the transport network to its knees during January and February.

MeteoGroup forecaster John Lee said: “The weather will be getting much better into the weekend.

“The south of England will be somewhat drier than we’ve had recently, with a wave of high pressure.

“It means we’re looking at a forecast of up to 17C in London on Sunday. Even other parts of the South could see 15C and 16C this weekend.”

The warm weather will not reach all parts of the country, however. Pockets of the North West can still expect to see showery downpours this weekend.

But Mr Lee said those areas that remain dry can expect a few days in the sunshine.

He said: “There is a strong feeling that the high pressure will remain – it’s looking promising.”

The outlook contrasts sharply with recorded temperatures for March last year, when the mean reading across the country was 2.2C – 3.3C below the 1981-2010 average.

It was the coldest March since 1962, and the equal second-coldest since 1910.