London to be hotter than Athens this week as Brits bask in 18C spring sunshine after weeks of rain

Temperatures could reach 18C in parts of England, as clear skies and sunny weather arrive after weeks of wet and windy conditions.

These temperatures would mean parts of southeastern and central England could be hotter than the 16C forecast for the Greek capital on Wednesday,

The UK has experienced a distinct lack of sunshine over the winter months this year, experiencing just 70% of its average so far.

Read more: Sunshine forecast for most of UK before new weather warnings to bring snow and ice

Speaking last week, senior meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: "So temperatures throughout next week, by day look like to be around between 10 and 14C generally.

"Any sunnier breaks, maybe locally 15C in the south."

It has been a wet winter in the UK, with rainfall above the average for the last 30 years, but for some it has been much wetter than others.

The meteorological winter, as used by forecasters, runs from the start of December to the end of February and the averages for rain and sun are calculated by using data from the past 30 years.

Mr Dewhurst said that this winter does not look "remarkable" until it is broken down regionally for the "big differences" across the UK to be seen.

The Met Office said that eastern Scotland has experienced 114% of its rainfall, while northern and north-western Scotland have had just 60%.

Similarly, the Midlands is on 140% of its expected rainfall while north-west England is on 90%.

Mr Dewhurst said "the next week or so will be pretty much business as usual weather" which may see the skewed averages reduce before the end of winter.

Explaining the regional split, Met Office presenter and meteorologist Alex Deakin said: "A southerly shift in the jet stream, driven by the freezing conditions across North America, pushed low-pressure systems further south than usual.

"Combined with a blocking pattern that caused these systems to stall, this set up a semi-permanent south-easterly flow into the UK.

"As a result, rain has been funnelled in from the surrounding seas into the south-west of England, eastern Scotland, and the east of Northern Ireland, while western parts of Scotland have been notably drier than normal."

The Met Office also said that climate change provides "important context" for the wetter weather, and that projections indicate a greater likelihood of intense storms like those seen this year.

A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, approximately 7% more for every degree celsius of warming. This means that when it does rain, downpours can be heavier and more intense, the forecaster explained.