Warm muggy weather awaits runners at the London Marathon this weekend as the country gears up for the hottest temperatures of the year so far, forecasters predict.
In the South East and in London, which hosts the race on Sunday, the mercury is expected to touch 21C.
Conditions are likely to be humid at the start of the marathon, but there are chances of an odd shower later in the day.
Elsewhere across the country the weather will be pleasant, with Scotland experiencing temperatures between 9C and 12C, northern England and Wales around 14C to 17C and the South between 16C and 19C.
Matt Dobson, forecaster at MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “It will be a very pleasant day in England and Wales on Saturday. On Sunday the outlook is more unsettled as a band of cloud and showers moves in from the West, bringing longer spells of rain.
“On Sunday, hazy sunshine could lift temperatures to a humid 21C. There is a chance of showers, particularly later in the day when some of the slower runners will be coming in.”
By Tuesday the rainy spell will give way to bright sunshine, with forecasters predicting a warm start to next week.
