The UK could have its hottest day of the year so far on bank holiday Monday, with temperatures predicted to soar after rising across the country over the weekend. Forecasters said the mercury may pass 25C (77F) on Monday, which would be a new record for this year, beating the current high of 24.5C measured in Kew Gardens on 31 March. According to the Met Office, most parts of the country will experience a bright and sunny morning and the sunshine looks likely to continue into the afternoon, although patchy cloud will build in western areas and coastal fog will linger on eastern coasts. The evening will be clear with the chance of late sunshine. The clear skies are set to remain overnight for much of England and Wales. Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland will see some thicker cloud build, but it should remain largely dry. Spring so far has seen a mix of weather conditions. The sunny end to this month is a marked contrast from the rest of May, which has been much wetter and colder than usual. April, in comparison, was unusually dry and cold. Mike Kendon of the National Climate Information Centre said: “May 2021 has been a cool and wet month for most. Heavy showers, which normally characterise April, more than made up for their earlier absence during May. “The start of the month continued how April concluded, with cold conditions in charge. But then this unsettled theme dominated for most of the month. “As well as the rain, the cooler than average temperatures have been notable, with maximum temperatures having been particularly suppressed, often struggling to reach the high teens celsius … There have also been some unusually late frosts.” Tuesday will also be bright for many, with thicker cloud in Scotland. Light showers and a few spells of rain can be expected, particularly in Northern Ireland. There will be unsettled on Wednesday for southern England and Wales with thundery showers, while elsewhere will be sunny with very little, if any, cloud cover.