Northern Ireland weather: Today NI reaches 18 °C, the same temperature as Barcelona, Monaco, Palermo, Italy and Lisbon, Portugal

Met Office spokesman Kathryn Chalk said that after a ‘chilly start to the day across the UK with some mist and fog patches which will soon lift, showing blue skies’.

She said that today will be a ‘fine and settled day to come, feeling warm in the sunshine’.

And Met Office Press Officer, Georgie Myers, said that ‘after a cold start with a frost it will be a fine dry day with unbroken sunshine and little to no cloud’ and ‘a little warmer again’ with a maximum temperature 18 °C.

And today Northern Ireland is the same temperature as Barcelona at 18°C, Monaco at 18°C, Palermo, Italy at 18°C and Lisbon, Portugal at 18°C.

Tonight, some ‘late sunshine through the evening will lead to a dry and clear night’ and ‘some frost may develop overnight’.

He added that ‘the odd mist or fog patch will form in prone spots’ and there will be a minimum temperature of -1 °C.

Meanwhile tomorrow, Tuesday, ‘after some early fog or frost patches, it will be another dry, mild day with unbroken sunshine nearly everywhere’.

Again there will be a maximum temperature of 18 °C.

Whilst, the outlook for Wednesday to Friday is that it will ‘remain dry and sunny day across all parts’ but ‘becoming warm, especially across western counties’ and ‘chilly overnight with a few fog patches’.

It adds that there will be ‘light winds’ with ‘sunshine turning hazier on Friday’.

Meanwhile, the long-range forecast for Friday 11 Apr - Sunday 20 Apr is: ‘Most areas will be dry and sunny with light winds at first as high pressure extends across much of the UK.

‘However, it will be cloudier and breezier in parts of the far north with some light rain or drizzle at times.

‘Temperatures will be above normal away from windward coasts.

‘A gradual change to a more unsettled weather regime is likely thereafter, with Atlantic frontal systems from the west or showers from the south making inroads across the UK.

‘This is expected to herald a wetter period through the middle of April with showers or longer spells of rain at times, which could be heavy and thundery in places.

‘Strong winds could develop in some areas, particularly the south and west. Temperatures are likely to return closer to normal’.

And looking further ahead, forecast for Tuesday 22 Apr - Tuesday 6 May is: ‘Some unsettled weather is possible at this start of this period with showers or longer spells of rain in places.

‘However, a change to more settled conditions is most likely during the latter part of April with high pressure becoming more dominant.

‘This settled theme continues into early May, although some spells of wetter, unsettled weather remain possible, especially in the south.

‘Temperatures are expected to be above average overall.’