WARM weekend weather will see temperatures rise to near record levels for February, the Met Office has said.

The warm, sunny weather across most of the UK will contrast with the same time last year, when Britain was braced for the arrival of the Beast from the East, which hit at the start of March.

This year, temperatures could be as high as 18C on Saturday in some places, and most will see a lot of sunshine.

Read more: Man runs barefoot through flooded Dumbarton street to save car

Dumbarton and the Vale is set to see the mercury rise as high as 12C Thursday through to Monday.

The warmest February since records began was in 1998 when temperatures hit 19.7C, and the Met Office said there is the “potential to get close” to those readings.