This weekend, the UK experienced its warmest day of the year twice, with temperatures reaching almost 20C in various regions, as reported by the Met Office.

In Crosby, Merseyside, a high of 19.7C was recorded on Sunday, surpassing Saturday’s peak of 19.1C in Cumbria.

These unusually high temperatures made some parts of the UK feel hotter than popular holiday destinations such as the Balearic Islands, Costa del Sol in Spain, and Italy’s Amalfi coast.

According to Craig Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, the warmth was widespread across the east and west, and was also enjoyed in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

However, conditions are expected to gradually cool down this week. Rainfall is forecast throughout the nation.

Snell explained that the south will retain milder temperatures on Monday, around 17C or 18C, but with more cloud cover.

Conversely, the north will experience a significant drop in temperature, with patchy rain showers moving in and gradually spreading southwards.

By Tuesday, most of the country will have cooled down, with this trend expected to continue through the week.

Scattered showers are predicted in northern and eastern areas, accompanied by temperatures ranging from 6C to 8C in the north and 8C to 9C in the south.

Snell noted that temperatures will remain in the single figures this week, making it a notably colder period following the warmth of the weekend.

Despite the cooler conditions and frequent showers, there will be intermittent sunny spells. The breeze will contribute to keeping temperatures down.

Conditions are expected to persist from Friday into Saturday before temperatures begin to rise slightly as the weekend approaches.

Last year marked the 11th instance since the 1960s when temperatures reached 34.8C in the UK, with six of these instances occurring over the past decade.