The bank holiday weekend started well as London and the South East recorded highs of 21C on Saturday, sending people flocking to beaches and parks; it could end with the hottest day of 2021 so far.

Fine and dry conditions are expected to continue on Sunday as Britons make the most of their newly restored freedoms following the lifting of many lockdown restrictions.

But the balmy bank holiday is set to bring the warmest weather of the year so far, with the mercury due to hit 25C on Monday.

The Met Office said eastern parts of England and Scotland will be overcast early on Sunday, before the cloud retreats back to North Sea coastal areas where it may linger in places.

Evening cloud is forecast to spread from these coastal areas to eastern counties and parts of the Midlands in the evening, but a dry night with clear periods is predicted elsewhere throughout the UK.

Saturday dawned cloudy across many parts of the UK, but the skies cleared as the morning progressed, making a lazy afternoon in a beer garden an attractive option.

In Cambridge, a floating bar did a roaring trade with the punters out on the River Cam and all those lining the banks.

The fine weather stretched the length of the country, with the mercury creeping over 20C in most areas.

Sunday across the north of England and the Midlands is expected to bring a few clouds but also expected highs of 22C. Wales will also bask in the ongoing sunshine on Sunday, with a top temperature of 21C.

It is a similar picture in Northern Ireland, while in Scotland things will be a little cooler with a maximum of around 15C in Edinburgh.

What’s the forecast for bank holiday Monday?

A dry Monday with warm sunshine is predicted for most areas, with early cloud over sections of England and Scotland again forecast to shift back to North Sea coastal regions as the day progresses.

But before catching some rays, the Met Office has warned the public to make sure they don plenty of sun cream as UV levels will be high or very high

The Met Office said: “Keep covered and wear a hat and sunglasses, spend time in the shade and use a high factor sun cream with good UVA protection to protect yourself.”

Becky Mitchell, a meteorologist from the Met Office, said: “We could potentially get to the hottest day of the year but definitely by tomorrow.”

The previous high of 24.5C was recorded on 30 March at Kew Gardens.

“We will see highs of 24C, most likely in parts of Wales and the Midlands and in north-west England as well on Sunday, it’s likely we could get to 24.5C. We are expecting highs of 25C tomorrow, so the warmest day of the year so far, and both today and tomorrow we will see temperatures in the low 20s in most parts of the UK, even in northern Scotland.”

She continued: “The only exception is along the east coast – there is quite a lot of low cloud, mist and fog in east coastal areas and that will stay for the next few days , so highs of between 12C and 16C there – quite a lot lower than elsewhere.”

Although a fine bank holiday is a rarity, in themselves the temperatures are not unusual for the time of year, with the mercury usually sitting in the high teens and low 20s by late May.

Mitchell said: “That could go up to 27C in one or two spots by Wednesday, that is pretty warm for the time of year but not record breaking and not exceptional.”

“It is just because of the weather we have been having that it will feel pretty warm,” she said.

May was the fourth wettest on record for the UK, and the wettest ever for Wales.