UK weather: Temperatures to fall after days of sun, as forecasters warn of bank holiday weekend washout

Met Office says settled period of warm weather won't be back until September

Forecasters have dampened hopes of a warm and sunny bank holiday weekend, with rain expected to return ahead of the three-day break.

The current spell of muggy, humid weather will only last until Wednesday, when temperatures are set to plummet and blustery showers will come and go.

The Met Office is predicting the unsettled weather will continue throughout bank holiday Monday and last for the rest of the month.

“There’s a reasonably good chance we’ll get both rain and some sunshine over the bank holiday weekend, including bank holiday Monday,” Met Office meteorologist Martin Bowles told The Independent.

“It will be a little on the cool side over the bank holiday weekend – around 2C or 3C below average – and temperatures will remain around the high teens.

“There’s still a good chance of enjoying the weather outside, but it’s sensible to expect some rain too.”

The Met Office predicts a clear change for Wednesday, when the current muggy and humid conditions come to an end.

“A cold front is passing in on Wednesday and bringing cooler, below average temperatures on Thursday and Friday,” said Mr Bowles.

“It’s likely to be about 19C across the south and 16C across the north of the country. There will also blustery showers, which could occur anywhere across the country during those days.”

Despite hopes for a return of the heatwave before the end of August, meteorologists now say a more settled period of warm, sunny and dry weather won’t be back until the beginning of September.

“Another heatwave is looking less likely now,” said Mr Bowles. “We should get above average temperatures for a time in September, but it shouldn’t reach the temperatures we saw earlier in August.”

According to the Met Office, it still looks certain this summer will prove to be one of the hottest on record following prolonged periods of heat in June, July and August.

After the third warmest June and second warmest July since records began, 2018 is currently vying with the current record holder, 2006, as the warmest summer for mean temperature.

“On this measure it’s clear that the meteorological summer of 2018 is exceptional, simply for the consistent levels of warmth seen throughout the period so far,” said Dr Mark McCarthy, head of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre.