Brits are in store for a balmy late-May bank holiday weekend, with a spell of warm, bright weather heralding the onset of the summer months.
The Met Office predicts temperatures will soar to 26 degrees, with the whole of the UK in store for a good dose of sunshine.
Before the clouds clear for the three-day weekend, however, a spell of stormy showers must be endured.
Most parts of England and Wales are expected to see rain through Sunday night and Monday morning, especially in the west, where it will be heavier and possibly thundery.
Forecasters expect a rotation of sunshine and showers to continue throughout the first half of the week, with temperatures failing to rise above 20 degrees.
But things will turn noticeably warmer and drier from Thursday.
Thermometers could climb as high as 26 degrees on Friday, according to the Met Office, equaling the highest temperature recorded so far this year.
This would see Brits enjoying higher temperatures than Spaniards in Barcelona.
The Met Office's forecast for 4pm on Friday, May 22, with temperatures peaking at 26 degrees
Brits could be flocking to the beaches over the Bank Holiday weekend, as they did at the start of April (pictured)
Temperatures are predicted to soar to 26 degrees, and to remain in the mid-20s for a number of days
Craig Snell, forecaster at the Met Office, said: 'The first half of this week is still going to be changeable, if not unsettled, across parts of the UK.
'Temperatures at the start of the week still a little subdued for the time of the year, as we head towards the weekend we are expecting to see a change.'
Monday will be a day of sunshine and showers, some could be heavy with the occasional rumble of thunder, before a band of rain moves across most of the UK later in the day, Mr Snell said.
Blustery conditions are expected into Tuesday, with wind and rain, sometimes heavy, along with thunder.
Temperatures will begin to climb nearer to what is expected for the end of May, the forecaster said.
On Wednesday, there will be a mixture of sunshine and showers, but temperatures in the south of England will climb towards 20C.
On Thursday and Friday, it will be increasingly drier and brighter, especially for England and Wales, and maximum temperatures of 26C could be seen on Friday in the south east, Mr Snell added.
Mr Snell said it was too early to predict exactly how things will pan out from Friday onwards, but that the general trend of warmer weather would continue.
Sunbathers take to the grass in St James's Park in central London in April
The UK is predicted to be warmer than Barcelona on Friday, when temperatures are expected to hit 26 degrees
He said: 'The best of the sunshine across the bank holiday weekend will probably be across England and Wales.
'Temperatures still above normal, potentially very warm again, but it's a bit too far in the future to get maximums.
'Indications are at the moment that the bank holiday looks a lot better than what we've had over the last week or so.'
A forecast for Friday onwards on the Met Office's website reads: 'High pressure is expected to bring a good deal of fair, warm weather to the UK during the Bank Holiday weekend.
'It may be cloudier with a chance of some showers across Northern Ireland and Scotland, but even here it will be much warmer than the previous week and there will be plenty of dry weather around too.
'Through the following week, high pressure is expected to broadly remain in place for much of the UK, and fine weather is likely to continue for most of the country.
There may be occasions where low pressure to the north may bring some brief spells of rain across northern parts, but in general fair weather will dominate.
'Temperatures are expected to be above normal, feeling very warm at times with light winds.'