Temperatures have hit 23C across England before overnight frost brought the autumn chill

Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick warned the brief warm spell was short-lived, with a band of heavy rain already sweeping south through northern England and Wales. Eastern England saw temperatures as much as 8C above the mid-October average, driven by deep low pressure passing close to Iceland. Rural frost arrived overnight, with fog patches also likely as colder northerly air sweeps the country.

The South East and South West have already endured their driest April to September for more than a century, with severe drought declared across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and both Sussex counties.

Scotland and Northern Ireland are already experiencing the colder conditions heading south, with highs of just 12-15C and blustery showers making the autumnal feel stark by comparison.

Rain or showers have returned to parts of England and Wales, with southern areas most exposed.