While Britain basks in unseasonably warm temperatures that make it hotter than cities including Madrid and Barcelona this week - the Met Office says the glorious spring sunshine may stick around for a while yet.

Highs of between 18C and 20C are forecast over the next two days as the country enjoys a particularly lengthy spell of settled conditions.

Saturday saw the hottest day of the year so far for many areas - but conditions over Tuesday and Wednesday could be even better with some predicting that the mercury will creep higher than current temperatures in some holiday hotspots including Madrid - where it's a cooler 11C to 12 degrees - and Barcelona where partly cloudy skies mean temperatures hover around 14C.

In comparison, the south east of England and parts of the Midlands could see a possible 21C in the warmest spots over the next 48 hours. The average for this time of year is about 12C.

But with families thinking ahead to the impending school holidays, there could be further good weather news on the horizon.

Alongside confirming the warm weather will hang around for the rest of this week and possibly into as far as Saturday and maybe even Sunday's Mother's Day, The Met Office's longer range forecast for the first few days of next month suggests there could be further spells of above-average weather for the time of year.

According to forecasters - an ongoing area of high pressure will continue to dominate up until at least April 4, which will bring dry and settled conditions for most.

And while there may be some localised mist and fog possible overnight, daytime temperatures could remain above average, says the Met Office prediction, making it 'feel warm in the prolonged spring sunshine'.

But anyone planning an Easter getaway much further north may not be in line for the same positive forecast, with areas in the 'far north' likely to experience more windy conditions than other parts of the UK during the first week of April.