Valentine’s Day has been the hottest day of the year, and of the winter, so far.

Temperatures hit 16.1C in Bala, Gwynedd, in Wales, which is twice the 8C that should be expected there in mid-February.

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: “Things certainly heated up on Valentine’s Day with temperatures reaching 16.1C in Bala which makes it not only the hottest day of the year but also of the winter, including December.

“It is the hottest day of the season and 2019 so far, with the potential that it could be broken tomorrow.”

High pressure just south of the UK has allowed hot air to be dragged up from the Azores, bathing the nation with fine weather.

This winter’s previous hottest day was 15.9C at Kew Gardens on December 2.

Winter weather Feb 14th 209
The sun rises behind Ely Cathedral in The Fens (Joe Giddens/PA)

It is set to be a cold and frosty start to Friday for some parts of the country, with higher temperatures expected later in the day.

The Met Office said it should be dry overnight with clear skies for most areas, allowing patchy mist and fog to form mainly across central and southern parts of England and Wales.