Parts of the UK could be hotter than cities in Greece and Spain this week, as the country continues to bathe in spring sunshine.
Dry, sunny conditions could see temperatures rise as high as 21C (70C) on Thursday in the south of England, while Athens is set to peak at 17C (63F), the Met Office has said.
On the same day, South Wales and Somerset could reach 20C (68F) and may be hotter than Barcelona, where 16C (61F) is the expected high.
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Northern Ireland and northwest Scotland had some rain and cloud on Monday morning, but the weather is generally expected to remain dry and sunny across the country throughout the rest of the week and into the weekend.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said many in the UK had “a fine dry and sunny day” with temperatures that were “well above average for the time of year and that theme is set to continue for much of the week.
Predicting a “settled period” for the UK’s weather, he said it will “possibly get as high as 21C on Thursday”.
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Mr Dixon said high pressure is set to be near or over the UK in the coming week and into the weekend, leading to warm and dry conditions.
Image: Tom Brumwell (left) and Byron Richards in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Pic: PA
Image: Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. Pic: PA
Image: Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. Pic: PA
“Through the middle of the week it will be a touch breezier in the South West, but it will still feel much warmer than average.”
Although temperatures are likely to gradually drop on Saturday, they will still hover around the mid-teens and are likely to be higher than the average maximum temperature of 12C (54F) for the UK in April, forecasters said.
April’s record high was a summery 29.4C (84F), recorded in Camden Square, London, in 1949, Met Office records show.
Many headed for the beach to make the most of this year’s unseasonal sunshine.
Katy Alston, who has been selling ice cream in Bognor Regis for more than 20 years, said business was booming at the weekend.
Image: Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. Pic: PA
Ms Alston, 57, said the weather has been “absolutely wonderful. Everything has been so tough and this weekend it’s like we have seen light again”.
She said the mild weather was “perfect timing” with Mother’s Day on Sunday and added she is “really excited and feeling really positive (about the forecast)”.
The dry spell should last into the weekend and early next week, though there is less certainty when forecasting much further into April, the Met Office said.
Prince Harry has denied having a fight with Prince Andrew after it was claimed “punches were thrown” between the pair in 2013.
The allegations appeared in excerpts from a new book on the Duke of York being serialised in the Daily Mail.
It claims a row started after Prince Andrew said something behind Harry’s back, with Andrew “left with a bloody nose” and the pair needing to be broken up.
It also claimed the Duke of York once warned his nephew about marrying Meghan and suggested it wouldn’t last long.
However, a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex strongly denied the claims.
“I can confirm Prince Harryand Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry,” a statement said.
They said a legal letter had been sent to the Daily Mail due to “gross inaccuracies, damaging and defamatory remarks” in its reporting.
The book – Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York – is billed as the first joint biography of Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
It’s said to be based on interviews with “over a hundred people who have never spoken before”.
He said his brother once knocked him to the floor amid a confrontation over Meghan’s “rude” and “abrasive” behaviour.
“It all happened so fast. So very fast,” Harry wrote in the book.
“He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me.”
“I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out,” the prince added.
Harry claimed his brother wanted him to hit him back “but I chose not to”, and that William later returned and apologised.
The Duke Of Sussex has described his relationship with his family as extremely strained after he quit as a working royal and took legal action against the media, and over the removal of his UK police protection.
He claimed earlier this year the King wouldn’t speak to him and there had “been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family”.
Martin Lewis says motorists who were mis-sold car finance are likely to receive “hundreds, not thousands of pounds” – with regulators launching a consultation on a new compensation scheme.
The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com believes it is “very likely” that about 40% of Britons who entered personal contact purchase or hire purchase agreements between 2007 and 2021 will be eligible for payouts.
“Discretionary commission arrangements” saw brokers and dealers charge higher levels of interest so they could receive more commission, without telling consumers.
Image: Pics: PA
Speaking to Sky News Radio’s Faye Rowlands, Lewis said: “Very rarely will it be thousands of pounds unless you have more than one car finance deal.
“So up to about a maximum of £950 per car finance deal where you are due compensation.”
Lewis explained that consumers who believe they may have been affected should check whether they had a discretionary commission arrangement by writing to their car finance company.
However, the personal finance guru warned against using a claims firm.
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“They’re hardly going to do anything for you and you might get the money paid to you automatically anyway, in which case you’re giving them 30% for nothing,” he added.
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Who’s eligible for payout after car finance scandal?
Yesterday, the Financial Conduct Authority said its review of the past use of motor finance “has shown that many firms were not complying with the law or our disclosure rules that were in force when they sold loans to consumers”.
The FCA’s statement added that those affected “should be appropriately compensated in an orderly, consistent and efficient way”.
Lewis told Sky News that the consultation will launch in October – and will take six weeks.
“We expect payouts to come in 2026, assuming this will happen and it’s very likely to happen,” he said.
“As for exactly how will work, it hasn’t decided yet. Firms will have to contact people, although there is an issue about them having destroyed some of the data for older claims.”
He believes claims will either be paid automatically – or affected consumers will need to opt in and apply to get compensation back.
The FCA says you may be affected if you bought a car under a finance scheme, including hire purchase agreements, before 28 January 2021.
Anyone who has already complained does not need to do anything.
The authority added: “Consumers concerned that they were not told about commission, and who think they may have paid too much for the finance, should complain now”.
Its website advises drivers to complain to their finance provider first.
If you’re unhappy with the response, you can then contact the Financial Ombudsman.
Any compensation scheme will be easy to participate in, without drivers needing to use a claims management company or law firm.
The FCA has warned motorists that doing so could end up costing you 30% of any compensation in fees.
The FCA estimates the cost of any scheme – including compensation and administrative costs – to be no lower than £9bn.
But in a video on X, Lewis said that millions of people are likely to be due a share of up to £18bn.
The regulator’s announcement comes after the Supreme Court ruled on a separate, but similar, case on Friday.