WORCESTER will be hotter than Milan and Istanbul this weekend.

Temperatures will soar to 15C, handing the city a toasty climate to the envy of holiday destinations across Europe.

But it won’t quite be time to reach for the sun cream and sunglasses.

Conditions will be more “pleasant” rather than roasting and a south-westerly breeze will add a chill.

People across the county however are expected to head to their gardens on what has been dubbed “the weekend of a million lawnmowers”.

Weatherman Ian Michaelwaite, of Pershore-based netweather.tv, said: “It is going to be very pleasant, particularly compared to what we have been used to recently.

“This will be a big change and it will be a lovely weekend.

“Temperatures will hit the mid-teens, which is five or six degrees warmer than March averages for the region.

“It is not going to be roasting but it will be pleasantly mild and if you find a sun trap you are going to feel quite warm.”

He added however that a chilly wind and cloud cover will persist “just to annoy us”, with slight variations in conditions throughout the weekend.

“Saturday is looking the warmer of the two days but the wind will drop on Sunday”, said Mr Michaelwaite.

“On either day it is predicted people will get out into their gardens and cut the grass for the first time this year on what some are calling the ‘weekend of a million lawnmowers’.

“In terms of the longer-term forecast it is not looking too bad and the warmer weather could linger well into next week.”