London weather warms up as spring banishes winter, says Met Office

Londoners can shed a few layers this week as spring makes itself known through sunny days and above average temperatures before the mercury starts to fall over the weekend.

Despite the chilly start today, the temperature is expected to climb to 14C in London, well above the average of 11C for the month.

The rest of the south east will also experience warmer weather than usual, with some sunny spells, according to the Met Office.

Temperatures will stay high all week as the UK shrugs off the last of winter to welcome in the spring. While clouds will block out most of the sunshine those set to enjoy the weather are advised to bring sun cream with them.

Heading into the weekend, Saturday could see the south east hit with some rain showers later in the day. Rain and brisk winds will hit the north, with patches of frost and fog scattering Scotland.

While the temperatures are expected to rise in London over the week to around 13C, the weather will still fall short of last month's record temperature for the year of 21.2C in Kew Gardens.