SPRING has arrived in Dorset as temperatures climbed to a yearly high today.

Bournemouth, Northampton and Kew Gardens are the hottest places to be in the UK right now, with the mercury reaching a balmy 16 degrees.

And the good weather shows no sign of changing for the foreseeable future, forecasters are saying.

From 1pm tomorrow, there should be beaming sunshine and cloudless skies, while Sunday is predicted to be even sunnier.

However, it will be slightly cooler than today, with temperatures peaking at around 11 degrees.

Locals will be overjoyed to hear the good news after suffering through one of the wettest Februarys in more than 100 years.

Bournemouth Metrological Registrar Charles Thomas said the contrast of wetter than average conditions, combined with unusually sunny intervals, were greater than in any previous winter month since January 1906.

Most of the month’s rain fell in the first fortnight, with Bournemouth seeing a total of 151.3mm rainfall overall.

Gales were recorded on nine days of the month, with gusts reaching 68mph at Hurn Airport on February 14.