EASTER may be over but the sun is staying out for a few more days yet in South Wales, with temperatures likely to remain above average until the weekend.

A band of high pressure will keep conditions settled until late on Friday, according to forecaster MeteoGroup, when the more familiar April showers could make a return.

Usk was Wales' hottest place yesterday with temperatures reaching 20C.

South Wales and the South West will enjoy prolonged sunny spells while the mercury could rise as high as 20C in parts of the South East, some nine degrees higher than what is normally forecast for the month.

But Sally Webb, a forecaster at MeteoGroup, said reports of possible thunderstorms due to incoming warm air from the continent, through a phenomenon known as the Spanish Plume, were probably premature.

She said: "High pressure is dominating the weather at the moment and will do for the majority of the week, until Friday when it will start to move away.

"Friday will be the warmest day, particularly in the South East, but there may be some drizzle in parts of the North West and it will feel substantially cooler in Scotland and the North going into Saturday and Sunday, as temperatures could fall into the single digits.

"It is a bit early in the season to be considering something like the Spanish Plume and we will just see a continuation of the weather from the weekend."

Drivers are warned fog patches could form overnight and may linger into the early mornings.

In Scotland, the north east will see the warmest weather, following on from the Easter Sunday high of 20.7C (69F) in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, while most of Northern Ireland, particularly the east coast will enjoy the sunshine.

The average UK temperature for April is 11.4C (52F) and for England is 12.4C (54F), according to the Met Office.