Today is officially the warmest March day for five years - with Kent clinching the top hot spot in the country.

The highest temperature was recorded in Gravesend as the mercury rose to 21.8c.

Those who chose to flock to the Med this week will be gutted as Ibiza only managed 18.9c.

But anyone hoping for the good weather to last into the weekend will be disappointed as forecasters say some cloudy conditions are expected to move in and highs will only get up to 18c.

Nicola Maxey from the Met Office said: "We've reached 21.8C in Gravesend which is the highest March temperature for the last five years.

"It is all thanks to some warm air coming up from the continent which is bringing the warmer spell of weather, but it's just for today."

She said the average temperature for March as whole for the UK is actually 9C (48.2F).

She added: "Obviously you would expect to see below average temperatures at the start of the month and above average at the end because you are moving your way through the year from one season to another.

"You would expect temperatures to get warmer as you go. The average temperature for April for the whole UK is 11c, so we are quite a bit above average for the time of year."