Mini heatwave on the way: UK set to be hotter than Sicily with glorious sunshine & temperatures pushing 20C

The weather in the UK has been somewhat of a rollercoaster over the past week, with balmy temperatures of 18C on Easter Sunday before heavy showers and yellow alerts for wind took hold the following week.

But after the recent washout, Brits are set to enjoy a mini heatwave in the coming days that could see temperatures soar as high as 20C - warmer than sun-drenched Sicily off the coast of Italy.

The seven-day scorcher comes courtesy of a moving band of high pressure that will push any chilly April showers aside. According to the Met Office, the weekend will be reasonably mild, with some showers and grey skies across the UK.

It will be all change from then according to predictions, with weather experts forecasting highs of 18-20C around the Midlands, the north of England and lower parts of Scotland from Monday to Friday. These parts of the UK will also enjoy glorious sunshine and dry conditions.

Forecaster Claire Nasir said: "The outlook suggests that we could, for the first time this year, reach 20C.” It comes after Storm Noa battered the UK this week, with gusts of up to 96mph hitting the south west coast particularly hard.

The storm saw parts of the M4 and old Severn Bridge close while dashcam footage captured an HGV sliding across three lanes of the motorway in Greater Manchester due to strong winds. The weather started to improve from Thursday onwards, with temperatures steadily increasing.