Mid Wales is set to be hotter than holiday destinations across Europe over the Easter weekend, weather forecasters have said.

According to the Met Office, Powys will hit temperatures of up to 20C on Friday and Saturday, and could hit 18C on Easter Sunday.

Friday is expected to be the sunniest of the three days, with blue skies forecast throughout, while Saturday and Sunday are expected to be cloudier with outbreaks of sunshine.

However, the glorious weather will not extend to Bank Holiday Monday, where rain is forecast and temperatures dipping to 13C in the afternoon.

Forecasters say the UK could be hotter than St Tropez in the south of France, Corfu, Bodrum in southern Turkey and the Spanish island of Majorca which is to be cloudy on Saturday and Sunday.

However if you're still set on using the break to jet off to sunnier skies, Rome, Italy is a better bet - with the Italian capital expected to be in the mid 30's at around the same time.

"Easter weekend is likely to start off warm or very warm for most areas with a good deal of dry sunny weather," said a Met Office forecaster.

"As we head towards the end of the weekend, there is increasing uncertainty so please keep up to date with the latest forecast if you are making plans. It does look as if it will turn more changeable and cooler from the northwest from Sunday.

"However there remains the chance that south-eastern areas could remain warm and settled until Monday."

For the rest of April, they say the weather looks changeable and perhaps windy at times with showers or longer spells of rain, but still with some drier, brighter, spells.

Forecaster Simon Partridge added: "After there was a chilly spell this weekend, we are going to see temperatures gradually increase through the week.

"By the weekend we could see in parts of the country temperatures of around 20C (68F), or just above."