UK weather: Summer to return ahead of bank holiday weekend as temperatures forecast to soar

Temperatures of 26C possible as warmer weather predicted across country

Hot weather is predicted to return to parts of the UK in time for the August bank holiday weekend after a wet and windy start to the month.

Parts of the southeast could see high temperatures of 26C, particularly in London where many people will be preparing for the Notting Hill Carnival.

Forecasters have said they are expecting “gradual improvements” in the weather elsewhere next week with less frequent showers and warm air coming to the UK from continental Europe.

However, the Met Office has downplayed hopes of a late summer heatwave, warning there is “no indication of anything exceptional” in the current forecast.

Some forecasters have suggested temperatures in the UK could return to just below 30C by the end of the month.

But Becky Mitchell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said high temperatures in the mid-20s were most likely by the bank holiday weekend.

Before then, the UK will see blustery showers over the next few days with sunny spells and maximum temperatures of about 21C in the south and 19C in the north.

In relation to the upcoming week, Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: “We can't get much worse, can we? We've had such wet and windy weather so far this month.

"It's likely that Saturday right through to Wednesday, at least, will be summarised by sunny spells and showers.

"And hopefully from Thursday through the rest of the week those showers should start to become less, but a bit of uncertainty with exactly how less they will become as we head towards the bank holiday weekend.”

However, both Mr Dewhurst and Ms Mitchell said it was too early to say with any certainty how hot the bank holiday weekend would be.

On Friday, bookmaker Coral said it had suspended betting on this August being the wettest on record after the Met Office issued a severe yellow weather warning for rain.

The unsettled weather this month followed the extreme heatwave that hit the country in July, which saw the UK record its highest ever temperature of 38.7C.