Put away your woolly jumpers and bring out the sunscreen – as an Indian summer heatwave is set to make parts of Britain warmer than the Bahamas.
Temperatures in southern England could reach 29C (83F) today and rise as high as 31C (88F) by tomorrow.
Meanwhile the mercury in the West Midlands will top 28C (82F), while 24C or 25C (75-77F) is expected in northern England.
It compares to a seasonal average daytime temperature of 18C (64F) for England and Wales in September. The Bahamas is currently recording temperatures of 31C (88F).
Met Office spokeswoman Bonnie Diamond said the heatwave is being caused by warm air being drawn north from Spain and Portugal by an area of high pressure.
She said: ‘The warm weather is being drawn north from the Iberian peninsula.’
Beachgoers and September staycationers soak up the sun on the beach at the seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset
By lunchtime today crowds had filled most of Bournemouth beach, but there was still room to adhere to two-metre distancing
Groups gathered in Warleigh Way in the River Avon near Bath, Somerset, on Monday afternoon, as temperatures soared across the country
While the new Rule of Six Covid-19 rule came into effect today, the unseasonable sunshine couldn’t stop groups gathering on Brighton beach
Sunbathers enjoy the start of a week of sunshine forecast for most of England, with crowds gathering on Brighton beach today
Miss Diamond added the weekend is due to be fine and dry across England and Wales, with temperatures on the rise.
A maximum of 22C (72F) is expected in southern areas and 18-19C (64-66F) further north.
She said: ‘For the start of next week, we are looking at warm air arriving from the continent bringing temperatures into the high 20s, with the highest figures in the south and east but it will be warm, too, for much of the UK.
‘Maximum temperatures of 29C are expected on Monday and on Tuesday we could see, 29, 30 or even 31C.
Most groups in Brighton appear to be sticking to the new Rule of Six, which was announced by Boris Johnson last week
Londoners are getting out in the open on the banks of the River Thames this afternoon – as temperatures could reach record-breaking levels tomorrow
Families have flocked to Bournemouth beach as temperatures top 80F today, with warm weather expected to stick around this week
Relaxing on the beach was the order of the day in Brighton, with some tucking into some food while they lounged into the sun
Visitors are enjoying cloudless skies above Tower Bridge in London, as they sit near the edge of the River Thames today
A sunseeker in St James Park strips down to enjoy the rays in London during the Indian summer spell, which could pause on Wednesday, before continuing for the rest of the week
‘Further north, Birmingham could reach 28C’.
The figures compare with 29C (83F) forecast for the Bahamas on Monday and Tuesday.
Should temperatures reach 31C (88F) tomorrow, it will be the hottest September 15 on record – the previous record was 30.6C, set in 2016.
Warm temperatures are 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.
A 1,500 mile ‘Saharan spurt’ of hot air has spread across the UK, with similar heat across Europe, bringing a mid-September heatwave
Horse riders took a walk along the shore at Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire on Monday morning, as a September heatwave gets underway
The new Rule of Six Covid-19 restriction comes into effect today, with members of the public still allowed to gather outside, there was plenty of room left for social distancing at Potters Field Park near City Hall in London
There were similar scenes along Bournemouth’s seafront, as Brits made the most of the unseasonable September sun
Ziplining is still open for the public to take part in on Bournemouth Pier, as the South coast town basks in September sunshine
Sunbathers are out in St James Park, London, at the start of this week’s mid-September heatwave, amid predictions tomorrow could be the hottest September 15 on record
Luna Eddy, two, and her family headed to the water feature at Centenary Square, in Birmingham, to cool off during Monday’s heat. The Met Office said warm weather could last until Wednesday, when thunderstorms may roll in
Miss 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.
Battersea Park in South London was a popular destination today as the hot weather treated families to a warm September blast
The south east of the UK looks to be set for glorious sunshine for the next week, while the north is predicted rain
Clear skies and sunshine have been forecast across England today, even in North Yorkshire, where couple took a chance to dip in the sea
Groups are keeping well apart on Bournemouth beach in Dorset today, with groups appearing to adhere to the new Rule of Six guideline, which prevents seven or more people gathering indoors or outdoors
A swimmer thought it was so warm this morning she hit the waves in the River Mersey off New Britain in Merseyside
A balloon rises out of early morning mist on a day when an Indian summer hits the UK for the next week at least
A group of ladies finish their swim in The Channel as the sun rises in St Margaret’s Bay near Dover in Kent earlier today
‘Conditions may remain more settled across eastern and in particular north-eastern areas, albeit with temperatures falling closer to average here.’
The fine and sunny forecast follows an unsettled end to the summer with two named storms, Ellen and Francis, and one of the coldest August bank holiday weekends on record.
The hot weather comes as rules on socialising are tightened across England in a bid to halt the growing numbers of coronavirus cases.
From Monday, it will be illegal to meet in groups of more than six people with the threat of fines for anyone found flouting the law.
The new rules apply both inside and outside, meaning that large groups in parks will be banned from meeting together in the heat.
The September heat follows on from an August heatwave which saw temperatures top out at 34C for six days running last month.