UK weather: Summer heat set to continue with temperatures remaining above 30 degrees

First time in four years mercury has soared past 30 degrees after start of autumn

Unseasonally high temperatures are set to continue for several more days, with the mercury breaking into the 30s on Tuesday once again.  

After a weekend of fine summery conditions, most places across the south east of England will see the mercury soar to as high as 31 degrees and remaining in the high 20s into Wednesday too.  

“It will be staying quite warm across the south east and fine, dry and sunny for many as we go through the rest of the week, although temperatures not quite as warm away from the south east, but still fairly pleasant,” said Nicola Maxey, from the Met Office.  

In the north of England, the highs will be instead in around 25 degrees, and from tomorrow will start dropping.  

“Isolated pockets might reach a little higher, but certainly we will start seeing those temperatures cooling and getting back to what you’d expect for this time of year,” Ms Maxey said.  

Scotland and Northern Ireland will see slightly less fine conditions, with some scattered rain and clouds, which could move towards the north of England on Wednesday, but “for most of the country its staying fairly warm and dry over the next few days,” the forecaster reported.  

Data suggested the late burst of warm weather experienced so far this month will make it the hottest September since 2016, the last year temperatures reached 30 degrees or higher after autumn had begun.  

“It’s not something that happens every year, but it’s not unheard of or that unusual,” Ms Maxey commented. “We do occasionally see it but not every year.”

Going into the weekend, the weather will remain warm and dry for most people, although there is a band of cloud and drizzle which could affect parts of central England.  

“On Sunday it’s dry, variable amounts of cloud, sunny spells again for much of the country. Fairly pleasant end to the week but the main thing is those temperatures will start easing up, but for most people it will be a fairly fine, dry week,” Ms Maxey said.

Although the forecast is remaining mostly fine for next week, temperatures will begin to drop back to more normal levels for late September, she added.  

“As we go into next week, it looks as though we are likely to see more unsettled conditions coming, with more of an influence coming in from the Atlantic. Because of the setup in the Atlantic at the moment, the confidence is quite low on where we’re going to see these conditions, but the overall view is that it will be more unsettled.  

“There will still be some good, dry sunny spells around but you’re more likely to see some outbreaks of rain and showers, and some more unsettled conditions after that.”