Britons are set to bathe in late September warmth this week, before rain and wind return as the transition to autumn kicks into gear.
A large area of low pressure over the Atlantic is expected to swamp the UK at the start of this week, pulling warm air northwards on southerly and south-easterly winds.
Tuesday is expected to be the warmest day of the week, with temperatures in the high teens in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and between 20 and 26C for England and Wales, although temperatures will ease back towards more typical levels for this time of year.
The latter part of the week will bring a period of increasingly unsettled weather to many parts of the UK, with Scotland, Northern Ireland and western areas of England and Wales likely to experience the strongest winds and most persistent rain.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Dan Holley said: “A particularly deep area of low pressure could pass close to the UK during the first half of the week.
“This may bring some wet and windy weather for some, which coupled with high spring tides could bring impacts to some coastal areas in the west.”
The picture could be rather different across central, southern and eastern England, where drought conditions have persisted and rainfall may be considerably more limited.
With the autumn equinox having taken place last week, the lengthening nights are also becoming increasingly noticeable. Although sunshine can still feel warm during the day, clearer skies overnight are allowing temperatures to fall sharply.
Monday morning begins on a chilly note, with some areas potentially seeing patches of fog that could affect the morning commute.
After the fog lifts, conditions should brighten across much of the country. High pressure will encourage sunny spells, although a handful of isolated showers could develop.
Parts of south-east England may finally receive some useful rainfall during Monday afternoon and into the evening, although there remains considerable uncertainty over how much rain will actually fall.
Daytime temperatures should reach the mid to high teens in many areas, with some southern locations potentially touching 20C.
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A noticeable change arrives on Tuesday as strengthening southerly winds draw much warmer air across the country. Scotland and Northern Ireland could reach the high teens, while England and Wales are expected to see temperatures between 20 and 26C.
Although, the warmer conditions will be accompanied by an advancing band of rain. Northern Ireland is likely to see the rain arrive during Tuesday afternoon, before it gradually spreads eastwards through the evening and overnight period.
At times the rain could become persistent and heavy, while strengthening winds may produce gales across exposed coastal areas and higher ground.
Eastern parts of the country could escape the worst of the weather initially, retaining drier and brighter conditions before the rain eventually reaches them on Wednesday. Some areas may continue to see rain into Wednesday night.
The weather should settle down further on Thursday as high pressure builds across the UK. This is expected to bring calmer, drier conditions to much of the country.
By Friday, the north-west is likely to become the main area for showers, while much of the rest of the UK remains comparatively settled.
The changing weather comes after the UK’s hottest summer on record, with September continuing what has been an unusually warm period for many parts of the country.
However, rainfall patterns this month have been far less consistent, exposing a distinct divide between the north-west and south-east.
Scotland and other western areas have repeatedly been affected by Atlantic weather, bringing periods of rain and strong winds. In contrast, large parts of central, southern and eastern England have experienced predominantly dry and sunny conditions.
While some areas affected by drought have recorded very little rain, parts of north-west Scotland have experienced exceptionally wet conditions.
Several locations, including Kirkwall and Prestwick, have already recorded almost one-and-a-half times their normal September rainfall. At Achnagart in the Highlands, measurable rain has been recorded on every day for the past 27 days.
Elsewhere, Northern Ireland and Wales have generally received around their average rainfall, while north-east England has recorded some of the lowest totals so far this month.
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