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Unseasonably warm weather on the way

Barra Best
BBC News NI weather presenter
Pacemaker A man and a woman walk through a tunnel of trees, with the canopy overhead. There is a body of water behind the path they are on. Both are wearing T-shirts and it is very bright.Pacemaker
It was T-shirt weather in Antrim Castle Gardens on 10 April

A spell of warmer than normal weather is forecast for Northern Ireland next week as fine, settled conditions move in.

By mid-week, temperatures could rise close to the record for April which is 24.5C (76.1F), set in Londonderry in 1984.

Although Monday is expected to have a fair amount of cloud, we will still see thermometers climb to the high teens, especially inland and to the west.

That would be well above average for the time of year, with normal daytime temperatures in April closer to 12C.

BBC Weather Watcher Belfast Camino The grounds of Belfast Castle with a blue sky in the background. BBC Weather Watcher Belfast Camino
More of the same? Belfast Castle basking in sunshine and highs of 20C on 11 April
BBC Weather Watcher A-Lo Two goats, standing in a field behind chicken wire. BBC Weather Watcher A-Lo
Goats enjoying the 20C sunshine in Cultra, County Down, on 10 April

High pressure is expected overhead on Tuesday, bringing a fine, sunny day with just a light breeze as temperatures climb into the low 20s in the west.

Coastal areas will be several degrees cooler, but still pleasant.

At the minute, Wednesday is the day when temperatures are most likely to climb close to the April record.

Given its history, Castlederg in County Tyrone is the most likely spot for the highest temperatures.

The town holds both records for Northern Ireland's highest (31.3C in 2021) and lowest (-18.7C in 2010) temperatures.

Above average temperatures are expected to continue into the end of the week.

Although temperatures are forecast at times to be around 10C above average for the time of year, this will not qualify as a heatwave for Northern Ireland.

According to the Met Office, for that to happen temperatures must reach 25C for at least three consecutive days.