Unseasonably Warm Temperatures Expected Across UK
Highs of up to 26C (79F) are forecast for early next week as the country experiences unusually warm weather following a record-breaking summer.
Britain is set to experience a continuation of warm weather this weekend and into early next week, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 26C (79F).
The Met Office forecasts that temperatures will remain above average for this time of year, with Tuesday potentially seeing highs of 26C in London. Eastern parts of the country could reach 24C (75F) on Sunday.
This late summer warmth follows a summer that was the nation's warmest on record. The prolonged period of high pressure has been cited as the cause for the current mild conditions. Despite the warmth, some areas in the west could see wet weather and bursts of rainfall on Sunday and again on Tuesday.
Monday is expected to be largely dry with sunny spells after the weekend's rain clears. However, Wednesday is predicted to be fresher with scattered showers.
This year's extended warm spell follows a summer marked by five heatwaves and prolonged dry weather that placed significant strain on water supplies. By late July, Britain had already recorded more days above 30C (86F) than in the entirety of the summer of 1976. The total number of days exceeding 30C by the end of the summer reached 33, with temperatures also hitting 35C (95F) across May, June, July, and August for the first time on record.
The average summer temperature in Britain was 16.5C (61.7F), nearly 2C above the long-term average, surpassing the previous record set in 2025. England and Wales experienced their warmest summers by mean temperature, accompanied by exceptionally dry conditions. Officials have indicated that above-average rainfall over the next seven months will be necessary for all areas to recover from drought conditions by spring.
The unusual warmth may also be influenced by a developing Super El Niño, a stronger version of the natural El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean that tends to boost global temperatures. This event has been ongoing since June and is projected to continue into next year.