Why we should enjoy this week's sunshine - we reveal gloomy weather for Easter holidays in West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire

Warm and dry weather is expected to continue across the country for the whole of this week.

Settled conditions are leading to above-average temperatures.

But the high pressure that had given us wall-to-wall sunshine is on the way out by the weekend.

And that means more unsettled conditions - just in time for the school Easter holidays.

The mini heatwave has brought summer temperatures. Friday saw 23.7C recorded in Otterbourne, Hampshire, the hottest day of the year so far and the West Midlands enjoyed a high of around 21C (70F). Our region also saw its sunniest March on record.

Craig Snell, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “The sunshine is getting stronger every day. If you’re not exposed to that wind, it will still be pleasantly warm during the days as we go through the week.

“There’s hints maybe it turns again a little bit warmer towards the end of the week. It’s probably a little bit too early to say exactly how warm, but I’d say probably at least above average for most.

“Night time is still quite chilly, still be prone to some frost from time to time.”

More unsettled conditions are likely from Sunday as a band of low pressure moves in from the Atlantic. That means cloudier skies, with temperatures dipping to around 13C (55F), which is nearer to the average for this time of year. There may be some rain, but there is unlikely to be heavy downpours.

The meteorologist said having a prolonged spell of dry weather at this time of year was “not uncommon”.

He said: “During the first lockdown of 2020, we entered quite a dry, sunny spell through most of late March, early April, and I think that continued into May as well.

“So it doesn’t happen every year, but it’s certainly something we’ve we’ve had not in the far past.”

Severn Trent reservoirs are still topped up after a wet winter, with all above 90 per cent capacity.

The warning continues to be careful of not risking fires in open spaces. It comes after Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service responded to a “significantly large fire” on Gentleshaw Common in Burntwood on Friday.

Two children have also suffered water-related deaths in the UK during the ongoing dry spell.

The Metropolitan Police said a 15-year-old boy died after he “got into difficulty” in a lake in Lewisham, south-east London, while a 16-year-old boy also got into difficulty while swimming in a lake in Cambridgeshire.

A third child, 11-year-old Kaliyah Coa, is still missing after she entered the River Thames close to London City Airport in east London.