TEMPERATURES could rise to as high as 20C over the weekend before plummeting next week.

Areas including Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne and Worthing have recorded highs of around 15C on Saturday – with temperatures expected to rise further.

The warm spells and sunny conditions are set to continue throughout the weekend.

However, the Met Office has warned that temperatures are set to drop next week.

Across the south east, a maximum temperature of 20C is expected, with expected lengthy sunny periods and a cooling breeze in coastal districts.

By the evening, low cloud and fog is likely to spread westwards from coastal districts. Some western areas should stay clearer, with patchy frost and fog possible.

On Sunday, sunny spells should eventually breakthrough for most areas with a maximum temperature of 17C.

And Monday to Wednesday, a gradual transition to less settled and colder conditions is expected, with increasing cloud amounts and perhaps eventually a little rain, this mainly from midweek.

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “Although the UK has had a good deal of fine and settled March weather in recent days, a change is on the way from the middle of next week with colder air spreading down from the north and the increasing likelihood of rain for most areas.

“On the hills in the north, there’s a chance of this falling as snow, although we’ll gain more certainty on that in the coming days.

“With the influence of some unsettled weather, we’ll be seeing a marked drop in temperatures for most with colder air arriving from the north.

This will see maximum temperatures drop into single figures for many areas, and below freezing overnight.”

While Monday will see some dry and fine weather, increasing cloud will hinder high temperatures, with the west holding onto the warmest of the weather through the day.

“Coupled with this is the risk of a few showers across some central and southern areas of the UK,” Mr Gundersen added.

“By Tuesday, a cold air mass will attempt to push into the north of the UK and slowly sink southwards, although the exact way this occurs is still very uncertain.

“However this happens, we are likely to see a change to a more unsettled and cooler weather picture from the middle of next week. Showers will be possible for much of the UK, although most frequent in the north and east, some of which are likely to be wintry in nature.”