18C temperatures this weekend

The temperature is set to soar to 18C at the weekend - a 10C increase in a single week.

This month Londoners have endured sleet, snow, hail, rain and night-time temperatures as low as -3C.

But the Met Office today forecast the start of an unseasonably warm spell, possibly lasting until the Easter weekend.

Forecasters said warm winds blowing in from the Azores would take average temperatures in London to a pleasant 18C on Saturday. The average for the time of year is 12C, and last Saturday peaked at 8C.

"It is certainly going to feel very, very mild," said a Met Office spokesman. "Saturday looks like being a particularly good day. The milder weather will continue for the first part of next week, and will be above average moving into the Easter weekend."

Theo Moore of the Royal Parks said he anticipated a rush to London's green spaces. Hyde Park expects about 200,000 visitors. "We have ice cream concessions open all year, but they'll see their first customers this weekend," said Mr Moore.

Experts also predict a sudden blooming of flowers. Nigel Taylor, a curator at Kew Gardens, said: "After a mild winter everything was on the verge of coming into flower. However, the cold snap effectively held them in suspended animation.

"The weather this weekend will make everything come into flower together, creating an amazing display."

The "warm snap" starts modestly today with a peak temperature of about 15C.