Weather maps show the mercury dropping after a hot spell next week in an early sign that autumn is just around the corner. Maps generated by WX Charts today (August 23) show some southern and eastern counties with top temperatures in the mid-20Cs on Tuesday and Wednesday (August 26-27), before falling to the high-to-mid teens by the following weekend.
Top temperatures of 13C in Southampton, 14C in Manchester and 10C in Edinburgh are currently expected at 6am on Saturday, August 30, according to WX Charts. Plymouth looks set for 13C, Hunstanton 14C, 12C in Birmingham and 11C in Belfast on the same date. If the weather maps prove to be accurate this far ahead, it also looks like it will be a damp weekend, with rain across large parts of the country.
Autumn starts in September, according to the meteorological calendar, with the autumn equinox usually on or around September 22.
Marked by nights drawing in and falling temperatures, it signals the end of a summer which has seen four heatwaves and below average rainfall, according to the Met Office.
In its long range weather forecast for August 27 to September 5, the Met Office expects low pressure to dominate, bringing rain and showers.
Between spells of rain and showers, there will be “a good deal” of dry weather about, though winds “could” be strong at times.
However, the national forecaster cautions that confidence in the details is lower than average thanks in part to conditions in the tropical Atlantic.
Temperatures should be about average for the time of year though, “feeling pleasant enough” during drier spells, according to the Met Office.
Met Office UK five day weather forecast
Saturday, August 23 – Wednesday, August 27
Today will be mainly cloudy with showers or outbreaks of rain in the north and west, especially in Northern Ireland. It will become brighter in the southwest with a few warm, sunny spells. However temperatures near or below average under the cloud.
Patchy rain will continue to affect Northern Ireland and western Scotland at times tonight. It will be mainly dry elsewhere with clear spells, but rather chilly where the skies are clear.
Sunday brings variable amounts of cloud, with the best of the sunshine in the south. It will be mostly dry, but cloud may be thick enough to result in some light rain in the north.
The outlook for Monday to Wednesday is dry and mostly settled on Monday, with some warm sunshine in the south.
It turns cloudier from the west with an increasing chance of heavy and potentially thundery showers from Tuesday.
