What was the hottest ever March? UK sees bright start to spring
All the key questions answered, including when is British Summer Time, when does spring begin, and when was the hottest March on record
March has started with some much-appreciated sunshine in the UK but it will need to be significantly warmer if it is to be the hottest ever spring day.
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Having shared that it had been the wettest winter on record for three English counties, the Met Office has now shared that the sun will finally be coming out around the country.
Temperatures are set to hit 18C this week, with Thursday forecast to be the hottest day of the year so far - perhaps even exceeding the 18.7C felt in Kew Gardens at the end of last week.
The Met Office has forecast a sunny start to spring, with Brits set to enjoy the added bonus of longer evenings - especially when British Summer Time begins.
Read also: What is the Spring of Deception? UK temperatures fall after 18C heat
Read also: Hayfever season begins early for Brits after sudden warm spell brought wet weather to an end
What is the UK weather forecast?
High pressure will build on Tuesday, with maximum temperatures of 14C, rising to 16C on Wednesday and peaking at 18C on Thursday.
Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk said: “Tuesday will be fine and settled for most, with the best of the sunshine across Northern Ireland, north England and Scotland, but more mixed to the south with sunny spells and drizzly showers.“
What was the warmest ever March?
The highest ever March temperature was 25.9C, which dates back to an unseasonably warm day in Cambridgeshire in 1968.
While that record has stood for nearly 60 years, it was tested in 2021, when Kew Gardens felt heat of 24.5C, the highest since the Cambridgeshire record.
When does spring begin?
There are two timeframes for seasons, the meteorological and astronomical dates - which have different calendars for when spring begins and ends.
- Meteorological spring started on March 1 and will end on May 31,
- Astronomical spring starts on March 20 and will last until June 21 - although this is not a fixed date as it is based on rotations around the sun.
When does British Summer Time begin?
One of the features of spring is lighter evenings, which will be exacerbated when the clocks go forward for the beginning of British Summer Time on Sunday, March 29.
BST will last all over the spring, summer, and early autumn period until Sunday, October 25.