Parts of the UK are set to enjoy the warmest temperatures of the year so far in the wake of Storm Dave, which caused widespread damage and disruption over the Easter weekend.

London and south-east England could reach temperatures of 21C or 22C on Tuesday, rising to 24C on Wednesday, while Manchester could hit 20C, say forecasters, as a short period of settled weather replaces the rain and 70mph winds that battered parts of northern England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Thursday, however, is expected to bring another big change, with temperatures predicted to drop between 10C and 13C.

It will be mostly dry on Wednesday, with spells of warm sunshine, turning fresher for all from Thursday, with showers or longer spells of rain and potentiality very windy in the north-west come Friday, the Met Office said.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “As Storm Dave has now moved away, and this high pressure is building behind it, we’re now dragging up warmer air from the continent. It’s one of the seasons where it can change really quickly, day on day.”

“It’s all purely down to wind direction at this time of year,” they said.

“For the next couple of days, we’re dragging in that warm southerly wind, which will allow us to see temperatures reach the mid-20s.

“As we go into Thursday, we’ll see temperatures return to normal for the time of year as we see the weather turn more changeable, with advances of rain and showers.”

Temperatures are forecast to hover around 10C in the north and 14C in the south over the weekend.

This week’s warmer conditions have arrived earlier than expected, the Met Office said, though the high temperatures are not unusual for this time of year.

The joint hottest days of the year so far were 20.9C in Gogerddan near Aberystwyth on 18 March, and in Pershore, Worcestershire on 31 March. The UK recorded highs of 25C in early April in 2011 and 2020.

It comes after Storm Dave brought snow and strong winds over Easter weekend, causing travel chaos and leaving homes without power as it swept across northern parts of the UK.

Gusts reached 93mph at Capel Curig in north Wales, while winds of 75mph were recorded at Emley Moor in West Yorkshire and St Bees Head in Cumbria, and 73mph at Buchan in Aberdeenshire, the Met Office said.