Met Office reveals how long ‘unseasonal’ October heat will last

Highs of around 26C or even 27C in isolated spots are possible, weather forecaster says

The UK is gearing up for “unusually” warm weather this weekend that will see parts of the country get hotter than Ibiza.

This weekend will bring temperatures as high as 27 degrees Celsius in parts of the UK even as northern areas remain cloudy, according to the latest forecast from the Met Office.

This period of heat will follow several days of yellow weather warnings and heavy rains lashing Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England.

A yellow warning for rain is in place on Sunday for western, northern and central areas of Scotland, cautioning residents about the possibility of heavy downpours.

The warning will remain in effect from Saturday midnight until Sunday 6am, with the forecaster predicting more than 100mm of rain for high-ground areas and around 50mm for broader regions.

Britons in the south of the country, however, can look forward to an unanticipated warm spell over the upcoming weekend amid rainy spells, as the trend of hotter-than-usual temperatures in the UK continues.

The spell comes after September was confirmed to be the hottest month since records began in 1884.

This warm weather is a result of air originating from the south, which is set to engulf the southern regions of the UK amid the autumn chill.

The week rolls on and Thursday fast approaches

Get ahead of the weather for tomorrow with the #4cast below 👇 pic.twitter.com/DBPTXfaTlT

— Met Office (@metoffice) October 4, 2023

“The jet stream is going to push its way northwards ahead of the weekend, allowing for some very warm air to come in from the south,” meteorologist Alex Burkill of the Met Office said.

“As we go into the weekend frontal systems will remain trailing across Scotland as this warm air moves into the south.”

Saturday is expected to be a relatively “dry and fine day” for much of the southern UK, with temperatures soaring to “unusually high levels for this time of the year”, reaching around 25C, Mr Burkill said.

As Sunday unfolds, the entire nation can anticipate widely dry and sunny weather, with temperatures reaching even higher than the previous day.

“By Sunday, it’ll be a more widely dry and sunny day for many. Highs of around 26C or even 27C in isolated spots are possible,” Mr Burkill said.

Parts of Europe have seen unprecedented heat to start the month 🌡️

Several national temperature records for October have provisionally been broken

The UK will tap into the heat this week, though our October record (29.9°C at Gravesend in 2011) is not expected to be challenged pic.twitter.com/8cVmcSwoYS

— Met Office (@metoffice) October 4, 2023

The Algarve, Cyprus and Ibiza will be as hot as parts of the UK this weekend as the Met Office said weather changes in the UK are set to continue “due to the effects of human-induced climate change”.

The Met Office previously clarified that the temperature over the weekend will not meet the threshold for a heatwave.

The spell of warm weather will only last two days as the mercury is forecast to dip again on Monday as warmer air is pushed away.