South East basks in 81F heat before cooler September weather arrives this weekend

Britons are revelling in a ‘second summer’ hot spell of weather – with temperatures in the south expected to hit 81F (27C) before cooling off at the weekend.

After a cloudy start for most this morning, greys skies across England and Wales lifted to give the uninterrupted sunshine seen on Monday and Tuesday.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have seen more cloud cover and potentially the odd spot of rain but are benefitting from mid to high-teen temperatures. 

But blasts of hot air from southern France and northern Italy, which have driven record-breaking temperatures on the continent, have given the south ‘exceptionally warm temperatures’ – with Bournemouth recording 80F (26.8C) already.

The current hot spell, which comes after rain washed out the end of the school holiday, is expected to stay into the middle of next week.

Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell told MailOnline: ‘We’ve had some very warm air across the continent in the last few days, some record-breaking temperatures. With high pressure across the UK, it’s allowed that warm and humid air to come across us.’

A cold front pushing down from the north is expected to lower temperatures, but high pressure will keep most people fine and dry.

‘For most places this week it is going to be largely dry and sunny, and temperature-wise we will be looking at a maximum of 23/24C, which is still above average,’ Becky added.

This week saw the hottest September day in four years after rain washed out the end of the school holidays.

Yesterday nudged the hottest September 15 for almost 200 years, with the village of Frittenden in Kent recording 88.3F (31.3C). However it is some way off the record set by Bawtry, South Yorkshire of 96.1F (35.6C) during the 1906 heatwave. 

Some southern parts of Britain were hotter than 29C Antigua, in the Caribbean. Even the parts of the north saw 25C.     

Warm temperatures are also expected in Wales, where parts of Snowdonia are predicted to hit 25C (77F), and North East England, where 23C (73F) is forecast for Newcastle-upon-Tyne on Monday. 

Met Office spokeswoman Bonnie Diamond said the heatwave may break down with thunderstorms on Wednesday as cooler air attempts to move in from the west.

But she added: ‘Warmer weather could stay around for the rest of the week in the southern and eastern half of the country – although what happens further north and west is less certain.’ Miss Diamond said the fine and settled weather in England and Wales contrasted sharply with Scotland, where a washout weekend is expected.

‘It’s going to be nice everywhere except Scotland, where we are expecting up to a month’s rain to fall,’ she said. 

In its longer-range forecast for the rest of the week and into the following week, the Met Office said: ‘Beyond midweek it is uncertain how long this spell of settled conditions will continue for.

‘There is a broad signal for the potential return of more unsettled and changeable conditions to extend across western and in particular south-western areas.’