Tomorrow will be the warmest day of the bank holiday and could break the record for the hottest day of the year so far, which was 20.8C (69.4F) - recorded in London on 23 March.

Most of England will be dry and sunny, with the South East due to be the hottest.

Some showers could fall in parts of the North West, but temperatures will be well above average - 12C (53.6F) - across the whole country.

Read more: Drivers expected to face long delays as millions plan Easter getaways

Wales is expecting maximum temperatures of 17C (62.6F) and Scotland 15C (59F).

Sky News weather producer Dr Chris England said: "The UK will see sunny spells developing widely on Friday morning, but exposed northeastern and southwestern coasts will stay rather grey.

"Elsewhere, inland parts of Ireland will see fog, low cloud and patchy drizzle giving way to brighter skies and a scattering of showers, but Northern Ireland will stay quite dull.

"It will be warm for many, with 23C (73.4F) possible in the sunniest parts of the South East, but it will be cool near exposed coasts.

"Northern Ireland and northwest England can expect a few showers during the afternoon, but there will be little change elsewhere."

He added that Saturday "will be mostly dry and sunny, but northwest Scotland will be rather grey and damp, while the west of Ireland will see rain later".

"It will be fairly warm, but probably not as warm as Friday.

"Central, southern and eastern England will be fine on Easter Sunday, but rain moving across Ireland and Northern Ireland in the morning will clear to Scotland, Wales and western England later. It will be a touch cooler."

Read more: See the forecast in your area

Amid the first Easter holidays without any COVID restrictions, drivers are bracing themselves for big queues, particularly around Dover, where ferry disruption has been causing huge tailbacks in recent days.

However, the weather is expected to change on Monday, Met Office meteorologist Neil Armstrong warned.

He said: "A low-pressure system will affect the north-west of the UK later on Sunday, bringing unsettled weather to the North with some strong winds and rain in the North West, which could impact driving conditions for some.

"But further south it will be drier, especially in the South East."