Easter weather: London to be hotter than Majorca

The Met Office predicts that temperatures will push into the twenties over the Easter weekend - and the heatwave could last right through until the Royal Wedding on April 29.

Temperatures are predicted to hit 22C in the southeast on Thursday, making London hotter than Rome (21C), Majorca (19C) and Athens (18C). The fine spell is described as a 'warmer than average' Easter weekend - good news for those Brits who resisted the temptation to book a last-minute overseas break to take advantage of the forthcoming double bank holiday.

"The weather for the start of this week looks similar to what we have at the moment," Met Office forecaster Rebecca Sherwin said. "It will be mostly dry with a few showers here and there. Most places will start the day with sunny spells and some cloud.

"As we go into the weekend and beyond I think generally the weather is going to be fine and dry with the possibility of a few showers, particularly in coastal areas," she continued.

"I think [it will be] similar to the weather we have now, perhaps a little warmer - we are looking at maximum temperatures of maybe 20C in southern areas at the weekend which is warmer than average for this time of year. Across the Midlands and northern England the temperature will be around 17 or 18 degrees."

News of rising temperatures will surely add to the 10 million cars expected by the AA to hit the roads over the Easter holiday. The car breakdown service predicts that the Easter and royal wedding weekends will be some of the busiest days on the roads "for several years".

A recent survey of the AA's 13,000 members showed that 85 per cent were planning to stay in the UK over the coming fortnight, with a third expecting to make car trips during the period. Congestion is expected to peak on Maundy Thursday, April 21. ·