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Britain is set to be hotter than Athens next week as 26C 'middle of summer' temperatures return for a final September surge

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026 · last updated 20 September 2026.

Pressure systems over Europe and the North Atlantic, where a heat dome building over the continent is forecast to drag temperatures toward 25C across southern England — and possibly into the upper 20s — by next week.
Pressure systems over Europe and the North Atlantic, where a heat dome building over the continent is forecast to drag temperatures toward 25C across southern England — and possibly into the upper 20s — by next week.

Southern England is forecast to reach 26C on Tuesday, with the Met Office expecting a ten-day run of warm, dry sunshine across much of the country beginning this weekend. High pressure building over the south will pull warmer air northward from the continent and the subtropical Atlantic, lifting temperatures well above the seasonal norm. London's warmest days are expected on Monday and Tuesday, with overnight lows barely falling beneath 20C.

Tuesday looks likely to be the peak day for heat, with south-east England surpassing Athens, which will struggle to reach 24C.

Cardiff could climb to 23C and Manchester to 22C, though Glasgow and Belfast will remain cooler at 18-19C.

The warm spell is forecast to turn 'changeable' from Wednesday, as a colder front arriving from the west brings a shift in conditions, with the possibility of overnight frost later in the week.

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