A HEATWAVE is set to scorch the UK for two weeks in April as Brits ready for glorious 18C sunshine this weekend.
There will "barely be a cloud in the sky" over the next two days as the mercury soars above average temperatures of 10C for March.
Britain is set to enjoy "wall-wall-sunshine" on what could be the hottest day of the year so far on Saturday.
The Met Office said the mercury could hit 20C in north-west Scotland and the Moray coast on Saturday - beating Friday's high of 17.5C recorded in the West Sussex village of Wiggonholt.
Elsewhere, temperatures are expected to reach a balmy 15C to 17C - which are above average for March.
And the unseasonably fine weather will continue into Sunday before Brits are set bask in a fortnight of even hotter temperatures in April.
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Weather expert Jim Dale told the Express: "I think hot weather could come in fairly early as far as April is concerned perhaps.
"I know March is the start of spring but I think we’re probably going to get properly into April before we start to see the searing sort of temperatures."
He added: "I wouldn’t be surprised to see 26C, 27C, 28C in the middle of April.
"Longer-term, given what’s happening globally in terms of the temperature profiles in the southern hemisphere and what’s also happening in the United States, I would not be surprised if we started to see some big highlights - in whichever direction it goes, either cold or hot.
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"It is more likely that we see those spikes of heat at early stages because of global warming.
"It’s too difficult to be certain at this moment, but I would not be surprised to see the summer deliver the same kind of heat stress at times."
During the first two weeks of April, the Met Office said the weather is "likely to become more changeable during this period with spells of drier weather".
But April is expected to be warmer as the country gradually warms up to summer - and temperatures could be above average for the time of year.
A heatwave is when the temperature reaches above a certain heat - generally when the mercury reaches more than 25C.
The summery predictions have pushed bookies to slash the odds on temperatures hitting at least 20C in March.
Coral is now 1-2 on the milestone being met - with April being the hottest on record at 4-5.
The bookmaker's John Hill said: "It feels like spring has sprung early this year and it looks like we are set for a scorching April."
This weekend, there will be "barely be a cloud in the sky for the vast majority," BBC Weather forecaster Matt Taylor said.
Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said: "Today lots of areas will be seeing a very warm day for March, especially in north-west Scotland and parts of the Moray coast. We could see temperatures up to 20C in that area this afternoon.
"Away from that we're likely to see temperatures of the mid to high teens, so highs of about 15C in London, and then in more western areas, so the north coast of Devon and Cornwall and the north coast of Wales, we can see more like 16C or 17C in those areas.
"It's because we've got high pressure bringing wall-to-wall sunshine for much of the UK today.
"Having said that, for some southern and eastern areas of the UK it is feeling a little bit cooler than it did yesterday because of a stronger breeze, and sea temperatures aren't that warm at the moment."
Sunday and Monday will see slightly cooler and cloudier conditions and some showers possible in south-east England.
But dry weather should prevail everywhere else, with sunshine particularly in western areas.
Temperatures are predicted to pick up again into Tuesday and Wednesday, reaching the mid to high teens along with more sunshine and dry conditions.
Ms Shuttleworth said: "Sunday will be a bit of a cooler day across the UK and a bit more cloud around on Monday and Sunday.
"But as we head into Tuesday and Wednesday we are keeping with high pressure so things staying dry and temperatures will increase again up to the mid to high teens.
"There will certainly be some long-lived sunshine but it might not be wall-to-wall sunshine like on a day like today when there's hardly a cloud in the sky."
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The pleasant conditions are due to the jet stream tracking well to the north of the UK, letting high pressure dominate from the east, the Met Office said.
The area of high pressure is centred over Denmark, which could see its highest pressure record ever.
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