Britain is enjoying one of its warmest winter days ever as the jet stream is pulling warm air from the Caribbean: Air temperatures to 18C, 65F.

A crocus field bursts into bloom in the UK 
Britain is enjoying one of its warmest winter days ever as the jet stream is pulling warm air from the Caribbean sending air temperatures to 18C, 65F.

Kew Gardens in London hits 65F (18.3C), making it the hottest February 20th on record

It is the seventh warmest winter day on record but most areas are beneath drizzly skies

The warm air has left the UK enjoying warmer weather than most Mediterranean countries.

The brief respite from winter is thanks to a bulge of high pressure pushing the jet stream further north than usual, but this will change to rain, wind and even snow flurries for northern areas the week goes on.

An unusually mild start saw 55F (13C) in Aberdeen at 3am today - far above the 32F (0F) that would be normal for the time of year, while Cranfield in Bedfordshire hit 63F (17C) and Rhyl in North Wales had 61F (16C) this morning.

Today is the hottest February 20 on record, with the previous high of 62.3F (17.1C) seen in 1998 at Prestatyn in Denbighshire, North Wales.

Only six dates between December 1 and February 28 have ever recorded more than 64.9F (18.3C) since records began 160 years ago.

Britain’s record winter temperature is 67.5F (19.7C), set on February 13, 1998, in Greenwich, South East London, reports The Daily Mail.

However the warm spring weather will be replaced by next week with 50mph winds and rain.

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