UK weather forecast: Easter Monday temperatures to plunge after 2020’s hottest day yet under coronavirus lockdown

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Temperatures are set to plunge across Britain on Easter Monday after a clement weekend that saw the year’s hottest day so far with highs of 26C.

A bitter wind coming in from the North Sea will see result in significantly colder weather, with temperatures to average around 13C, with some parts of the UK struggling to reach double figures.

The less inviting weather should discourage people from breaking coronavirus lockdown laws by flocking to beaches and national parks, while those who endured a stuffy weekend indoors should enjoy some relief.

Monday ”is going to be a bit of a shock to the system for some places”, said Met Office forecaster Emma Salter, after Good Friday broke this year’s warm weather record.

After a night of thunderstorms in Wales and the Midlands, the overcast skies that remain across much of the UK will take a little longer to brighten in Scotland and England’s east.

But but by lunchtime there should be some sunny intervals, with the whole country set to brighten up more as Easter Monday progresses.

“As we go through the evening we will continue to see the fine and dry weather lasting across all areas,” said Met Office meteorologist Luke Miall.

“But there’s certainly a nip in the air as the evening goes on, with the frost already forming by nine o’clock in the night.”

Most of Britain is expected to enjoy dry sunny spells for the rest of the week, with the exception of northern Scotland.

However, high pressure – which serves as a shield to deter rain – will break down by the coming weekend, with northwestern and southern areas at most risk of a washout.

As a result, high groundwater levels in central south England means several dozen flood alerts remain in place.

It comes as the mercury reached 25C in Kew Gardens on Sunday, not far off the 25.3C Easter Sunday record set in Solent, Hampshire, in 2011.

The warmest April day was in Camden, north London, in 1949, when temperatures soared to 29.4C (85F).

Beaches and parks were largely deserted for most of the Easter weekend, with popular bank holiday hotspots and motorways almost empty, as police praised people for shunning the sun and staying at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Matt Hancock told Sunday’s Downing Street press conference that the future path of the Covid-19 pandemic would be “determined by how people act”, adding: “I’m really glad that at the moment the British people this weekend are doing their bit.”

And Mr Hancock reiterated the importance of complying with lockdown regulations as he wished the nation a Happy Easter.

The heatlh secretary posted a video on Twitter urging people to continue following the social distancing rules, saying: “Stay at home. That way you protect the NHS and you’re doing your part to save lives.”

Additional reporting by PA