By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-07 07:55:42 | Updated at 2026-09-07 11:23:09
3 hours ago
Britain's hot, long summer is officially over as Autumn is already set for a wet and windy start.
This year's summer was provisionally declared at the start of the month as the UK's hottest on record, said the Met Office.
The UK experienced five separate heatwaves pushing average temperatures to 16.5C across June, July and August - beating the previous record only set last year.
This weekend also saw a continuation of the summer, with temperatures approaching 29C in the south east of England yesterday.
However, low pressure systems have begun pushing wet and windy conditions across much of the UK today, particularly in the north.
Conditions are expected to remain largely dry and bright across southern and central areas of the UK today, with warm and sunny spells continuing in the south.
Further north, the weather will turn increasingly unsettled, with blustery rain and gales developing in places, as well as crisper air.
Overnight, a band of rain is forecast to sweep across England and Wales, turning heavy at times.
Summer is officially over as wet weather is set to return this week
PA
Northern areas continue to see blustery showers accompanied by strong winds, with the summer's sunny spells seeming like a distant memory.
Five separate heatwaves swept the country between May and August, pushing temperatures repeatedly into the high 20s and low 30s with comparisons drawn to the famously scorching summer of 1976.
Since records began in 1884, the six warmest summers on record have all occurred this century, with three falling within this decade alone.
England went on to record its driest July since records began, with just 7mm of rain falling — only around 10 per cent of the long-term average.
The parched grass in Blackheath, London during the July heatwave
PA
A further heatwave in mid-August saw temperatures climb to 38.1C at Kew Gardens on August 13, marking the hottest day of the year and making 2026 the first year on record to see three separate days exceed 37C.
Despite a largely dry weekend for many, last week was officially the wettest in England since early February, said the Environment Agency.
Most of England and all of Wales remain in drought, meaning this week's rainfall is unlikely to significantly ease the ongoing dry conditions.
Reservoir storage in England currently stands at 60 per cent, 18 percentage points below the average for this time of year, with nine reservoirs classed by the Environment Agency as having exceptionally low levels.
Pressure will continue to fall, with the wind direction shifting as a weather front moves in from the north west, bringing in cooler, fresher conditions.
A band of heavier rain is expected to develop across Northern Ireland this morning, spreading into Scotland and Cumbria by the afternoon.
This will be accompanied by strong, gusty south westerly winds.
A deep area of low pressure tomorrow will bring particularly windy conditions to the north, with gusts of 50 to 60mph possible across northern and western Scotland.
Further south, a spell of overnight rain is expected to linger across the south east tomorrow morning, before eventually clearing.
Conditions are expected to become more settled from midweek, with rising pressure bringing a drier, brighter outlook for most, as well as lighter winds.
Showers are expected to return to western parts of the UK on Thursday, before easing by Friday as they head east.
Temperatures from midweek onwards are expected to settle closer to the seasonal average, with the warmest conditions in the south east reaching around 22C.
