PARTS of Scotland could be warmer than Majorca in the next few days as the mercury rises significantly for the first time this year.
Forecasters said spring will finally be in the air as a blast of warm weather from the Americas brings milder weather to the UK and temperatures that could rival parts of the Mediterranean.
Thermometers could reach 15C or 16C (59F or 60.8F) in southern and eastern England by Monday, while highs could peak at 17C (62F) in eastern Scotland, the Met Office said.
Aberdeen and London are both tipped as likely locations for the highest temperatures, with the east of the country broadly enjoying the best of the warmth.
The mild weather, which is pushing temperatures to 4C or 5C above the average maximums for this time of year, is being triggered by an air mass making its way over the Atlantic Ocean from Florida and parts of the Caribbean.
The rise could make some parts of the UK among the hottest locations in Europe, following bouts of snow and freezing temperatures that took hold on the continent earlier this month.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said it will still be a bit short of the all-time UK record for February, which is 19.7C (67.5F) recorded on February 13, 1998 in Greenwich, south-east London.
MeteoGroup forecaster Tom Whittaker said temperatures of 15C could be higher than places like Palma in Majorca, and parts of southern France.
Most areas will reach 10C to 12C, with a few areas climbing a degree or two higher.
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