Saturday was the hottest day of the year so far, with highs in areas of the UK reaching 20 degrees Celsius.

The Met Office said that the temperature hit 20 degrees Celsius in Kinlochewe in north-west Scotland, approximately 10 degrees Celsius above usual for this time of year in the area, surpassing Friday's peak of 17.5 degrees Celsius in the West Sussex village of Wiggonholt.

Forecasters said it was the first time the temperature has soared to 20 degrees Celsius since October.

UK's records the hottest temperature of the year

The Met Office reported that the temperature reached 17.5 degrees Celsius in the West Sussex village of Wiggonholt on Friday, while it was 17 degrees Celsius in Gogerddan, Cardiganshire, Wales.

The mild weather is anticipated to remain on Saturday, which Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin describes as a "fantastic day if you like spring sunlight,"

Temperatures are expected to reach 15°C to 18°C from across the UK, significantly above normal for March, as per the Independent.

The greatest temperatures will be seen in northwest Scotland, where the mercury may reach 20 degrees Celsius in certain protected glens.

He stated that the favorable weather is due to the jet stream tracking well to the north of the UK, allowing high pressure to dominate from the east.

The pressure difference is focused over Denmark, which is on track to set a new high-pressure record, according to the Met Office.

Winds will be gusty throughout southern England, Northern Ireland, and western Scotland, making it seem a touch colder than the peak temperatures would imply.

"It will be a considerably colder day on Sunday," Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said. It will still be bright for many people, and the winds will be a little lighter, but we have cooler air across the UK, so temperatures will not be as high, as per The Guardian.

Monday will be somewhat colder and cloudier, with a chance of showers across southeast England.

However, dry weather with sunlight should dominate everywhere else, particularly in western locations.

Temperatures are expected to increase to the mid to upper teens on Tuesday and Wednesday, accompanied by additional sunshine and dry weather.

In July 2021, the maximum temperature in the United Kingdom was 32.2 degrees Celsius (89.96 degrees Fahrenheit) at Heathrow.

UK's highest temperature record

The World Meteorological Organization will verify the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe, which was claimed earlier this week in Italy.

On Wednesday, August 11, 2021, a temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius, or 119.85 degrees Fahrenheit, was recorded in Sicily, as part of an extraordinary heatwave that was sweeping over North Africa and into southern Europe, as per In Your Area.

Some cited the rising climate problem, which has resulted in several disasters throughout the world in recent months, including wildfires in Greece and large-scale flooding in Germany.

According to the Met Office, climate change is expected to make UK winters warmer and wetter, while cold or dry winter weather will still occur on occasion.

Summers in the United Kingdom are anticipated to get hotter and drier, and by 2050, heatwaves will be considerably more prevalent, occurring every other year, comparable to the 2019 heatwave that witnessed record temperatures.

The hottest day ever documented in the UK was July 25, 2019, when the temperature in Cambridge reached 38.7 degrees Celsius.

The measurement, collected at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, almost edged out the old UK record of 38.5C, set on August 10, 2003 at Faversham, Kent, according to the Evening Standard.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Wales is 35.2 degrees Celsius. The reading was taken in Flintshire on August 2, 1990.

The hottest day on record in Scotland was August 9, 2003, when the temperature hit 32.9 degrees Celsius in Greycrook, in the Scottish Borders.

Temperatures in Northern Ireland have hit 30.8 degrees Celsius twice: on June 30, 1976, in County Fermanagh, and on July 12, 1983, in County Antrim.