UK set for unexpected September warm-up

Temperatures are expected to rise into the mid to high 20s Celsius in parts of the country, particularly in southern England, the Met Office said.

A ridge of high pressure is forecast to build across the UK after a few remaining showers early in the week, bringing increasingly dry, sunny and warm conditions. The highest temperatures are expected in southern areas, while much of the country is likely to experience warmer-than-average weather.

The Met Office said temperatures could reach the upper 20s by the end of next week. The warm spell is expected to be more pronounced in southern and central parts of the UK. Northwestern Scotland is likely to remain more unsettled, with Atlantic weather fronts bringing periods of rain and stronger winds.

The latest longer-range forecast for September 20 to 29 indicates that high pressure should bring plenty of dry and increasingly warm, and potentially humid, weather to much of the UK. Rain and stronger winds are more likely to remain concentrated in northern and northwestern areas.

The spell comes after an exceptionally warm summer for the UK. The Met Office said the average summer temperature in 2026 reached 16.5°C, 1.9°C above the long-term average. The country also recorded 33 days with temperatures above 30°C, while temperatures reached 35°C in each of May, June, July and August for the first time on record.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a heat dome brought record heat to the south-central US in mid-September.