Why is the weather so warm?

A year on from the Beast from the East which left Britons battling snow and ice, a new record has been set for the UK's warmest February day.

– What weather records have been broken?

The temperature reached 20.3C (68.5F) at Trawsgoed in Ceredigion, west Wales, on Monday, the UK's warmest February day on record, beating the previous record of 19.7C (67.4F) recorded in Greenwich in 1998.

Meteorologists said it was the first time the temperature has exceeded 20C (68F) in winter (December to February).

It is also the earliest recording of an above 20C (68F) temperature in a calendar year, since 20.2C (68.4F) was recorded at Exeter Airport on March 2, 1977.

On Monday, temperatures of 20.2C (68.4F) in Northalt, West London, and 20.1C (68.2F) in Gogerddan, west Wales were also recorded.

– Why is it so warm?

According to the Met Office the record-breaking conditions are a result of warm air combining with a period of sunshine across the UK, resulting in higher temperatures.

Winds from the south and southeast of the country, including from Spain and Africa, are pushing air over a part of Wales that has the greatest "land track", causing it to get gradually warmer.

The further the air travels over land the more moisture it loses and faster it heats up, the Met Office said.

Temperatures in west London are also high as the air is warmed by travelling over the city.

– How unusual is this warm weather?

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: "It's exceptional for it to be this warm at this time of year."

Average temperatures for the month of February in the UK are around 8C, the Met Office has previously said.

This time last year the country was being blasted by the Beast from the East, which brought snow and freezing conditions.

According to the Met Office, being a small island, the UK is usually a "relatively mild" country with weather mostly affected by conditions over the Atlantic and west of the country.

– What has been the reaction to the conditions?

Mr Burkill said the current conditions were forecasted by experts but are "exceptionally" high for the time of year.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas linked the warm weather to concerns over "climate breakdown" and called on the government to "wake up to this crisis".

She said: "I like spending an afternoon in the sunshine as much as anyone, but it's impossible to shake the feeling that this isn't right.

"After last year's unprecedented global heatwave and last month's deadly temperatures in Australia, our baseline perception of what's normal is shifting."

The Met Office said the predictions around climate change are that the UK will experience greater extremes of weather, including more higher and lower temperatures and unsettled conditions at times.

– How long will the warm weather last?

The Met Office warned that conditions could be chilly, frosty and cloudy overnight on Monday, with temperatures in some places getting below freezing.

But the warm weather is expected to be repeated on Tuesday with temperatures possibly reaching 21C.

Later in the week temperatures will drop and conditions will become more changeable.