Easter eggs set to melt in scorcher

THE bank holiday weekend is set to be a scorcher - days after snow showers swept parts of East Anglia.

Forecasters are predicting a hot start to the Easter break with highs of up to 23C/74F or 19C on the East coast – around twice as hot as the average temperature for this time of year.

It is far cry from last week's low of just 7C when cold North Easterly winds brought sleet and snow to the region.

Ice cream sellers should be out in force in parks and on promenades as punters switch hats and scarves for t-shirts and bikinis to soak up the early summer sun.

Beach-lovers could be well advised to dip a toe in the water before they take the plunge, with sea temperatures on the East coast still an icy 9C/49F. Even in the summer the North sea is rarely warmer than 17C/62F.

The warm spell may not be to everyone's liking. Farmers and gardeners are beginning to look to the skies. It is now 38 days since any substantial rain fell in East Anglia – even then we only saw ¼in.

April showers have held off so far, with no rain expected for the foreseeable future.

Rainfall totals for February to April are 1.5in below average. So far this month, we have only seen 0.18in of rain, when we should have had 1.68in.

Ken Blowers EADT weather expert said: "It will stay dry until Monday and even then, there is absolutely no sign of any rain. It is very unusual. Temperatures are way, way above average.

"It is all due to what is known as a blocking anti-cyclone over Southern Scandinavia, stretching as far as the UK, which has not moved for several days. We can be pretty sure it will stay with us for up to a week."

Nationally, temperatures are expected to tip 26C in the hottest parts – far above the average of 14/15C.

Weather forecasters believe temperatures will peak on Thursday. The weekend should be sunny and dry but not quite as warm.