THICK fog caused airport delays in London today before 19C BBQ weather is set to shine through for the rest of the weekend.

The Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for fog in parts of the south east and south west in the early hours today, causing air traffic travel disruption.

The warning covers parts of Essex, Hertfordshire, Wiltshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire and runs until 10.30am.

London City Airport has advised several passengers that weather conditions were causing delays and cancellations, and that they should check with airlines before travelling.

Air traffic information shows inbound flights to the airport being diverted to Birmingham, Norwich and Gatwick because of the fog.

Many departures from Gatwick have also been delayed this morning.

Commuters on the road could have additionally been advised they may face delays to their journeys until the fog clears.

Later this afternoon, however, an unseasonably warm February day is on the cards for many as highs of 19C are forecast.

This will make it hotter than holiday hotspots like 10C Corfu, Greece and 16C Alexandria, Egypt.

The peak temperature is around three-times the average temperatures of 6-7C in February.

It will still be warm in other parts of the UK, with temperatures in the lower double-figure range.

But it may not be sun-bathing weather in the north and west – where thick cloud and rain will sweep in early on Saturday.

The Met Office said: "Morning fog will slowly clear to leave bright day with sunny spells.

"However, a band of cloud and rain will move across Northern Ireland and western Scotland, reaching the far west of England and Wales by the afternoon. Feeling springlike."

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And forecasters at Meteogroup UK said: "It will be a clear start for many although there will be fog in central, southern and eastern England, which will clear in the late morning.

"Cloud and rain will affect western parts, especially Scotland and Northern Ireland, in the afternoon.

"Western England and Wales may become cloudy later."

Weekend daytrippers are set to jam coastal roads including the A23 to Brighton, A31 to Dorset, A30 to Cornwall and M55 to Blackpool.

The Met Office forecasts a sunny, warm weekend with temperatures staying around the 16-17C mark climbing to the "high teens" by mid-week.

Monday is due to beat the 16.6C February 25 record, with Met Office records stretching back to 1841.

February’s temperature record is 19.7C, set on February 13, 1998, at Greenwich, London.

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Tropical air has been blown 4,000 miles from the Caribbean to Britain, BBC Weather said.

Scotland's warm weather already broke records this week with temperatures in Aboyne reaching 18.3C – overtaking the previous 17.9C high set in Aberdeen in 1897.

The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: “It will be warm enough for some to break out the BBQs this weekend, with incredible winter temperatures and sunshine.

“Highs could challenge the 19.7C record in coming days.”

Bookmaker Coral cut the odds on 20C or higher being recorded in the UK this weekend into 5-4 (from 5-2) as temperatures continue to rise across the nation.

The firm is odds-on at 4-5 for this month to end as the hottest February ever in the UK, while they are 1-2 for 2019 to be the hottest year on record.

Coral's spokesperson John Hill said: "Temperatures have been in the high teens throughout the week and they could rise even further over the next couple of days therefore the odds have been cut on 20C or higher being recorded this weekend.

"We still remain on course for the hottest ever February, while it is odds-on for 2019 to end as the warmest year on record in the UK."

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But more unsettled weather is due to arrive in early March with gales in the north and the higher parts of the country, particularly Scotland could see the return of some snow.

The Met Office said: "By early March we are likely to see much more unsettled conditions as weather fronts bring stronger winds, gales and rain at times to all parts of the UK.

"It will also be a little colder than recently, with snow over some of the hills and mountains in the north."

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