UK weather: "Tropical air" treats Britain to mild weekend

Britain is set to bask in unseasonably warm weather as spring arrives early, bringing temperatures as high as 17C this weekend.

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The mild conditions, which will sweep across Britain, are thanks to a plume of "tropical air" and will be enjoyed across most of England, east Wales, eastern Scotland and eastern parts of Northern Ireland, BBC Weather reports.

Forecaster Steve Cleaton said: "Through the weekend, increasingly mild air of tropical origin will be steered across the UK by westerly winds."

The Met Office says it will be "generally mild" with dry conditions and sunshine in the south on Saturday, but northern areas will see showery and blustery weather.

Meanwhile, Britain is odds-on to bask in hotter temperatures than Barcelona this weekend, according to Ladbrokes.

The bookies make it 1/2 that the mild front brings a hotter peak temperature than the Catalan capital, with 4/6 offered the UK is warmer than Athens, while it's just evens the mercury soars higher here than in Abu Dhabi.

A peak temperature of over 20C has also now been slashed to just 2/1, from the 20/1 offered earlier this week.

Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: "The latest weather betting indicates we might see a few pairs of shorts make an incredibly early reappearance up and down the county weekend. The odds suggest anyone heading south in search of a bit of sun should just stay at home."

For Sunday, the Met Office says it will stay rather cloudy but mild, with patchy rain, mainly across the north and west.

Next week's weather is expected to bring a mixture of cloud with rain and some brighter spells, the rain heaviest across the north and west. It is likely to be "very windy at times, although mild, exceptionally so in places on Monday."

Visit weather.aol.co.uk for your local forecast.