Weather forecaster warns of blustery showers heading to Aylesbury Vale

September so far has been a refreshing change from the previously lacklustre and rainy summer.

High pressure positioned to the South East of the UK brought a period of settled weather, marked by plenty of sunshine and unseasonably high temperatures for the early days of autumn. This warm weather was attributed to the northward shift of the jet stream, which allowed warm air to flow in from the south. In contrast, during July and August, the UK was often positioned to the west of the jet, allowing numerous areas of low pressure to move in from the Atlantic.

Last Monday (11 September) broke a streak of seven consecutive days where temperatures exceeded 30 Celsius in the UK, which is a record heatwave for September. The first part of the week saw temperatures fall back towards what is normal for the time of year, with some outbreaks of rain and showers on Tuesday.

During the middle to end of the week, high pressure built back across the south of the UK while the north of England and Scotland saw persistent spells of rain. Dry and sunny conditions prevailed for the end of the week, elevating temperatures back above the seasonal average. On Friday and Saturday, maximum temperatures of 26 Celsius and 27 Celsius were recorded respectively. There were also some warm and muggy nights during the week, whereas parts of Scotland saw temperatures drop below freezing at times. On Sunday, heavy spells of rain and thunderstorms swept in from the south, resulting in heavy downpours across the south-west and central southern England, leading to some localised flooding.

The weather for the rest of this week is set to remain rather unsettled with frequent bouts of heavy rain and showers approaching from the west, accompanied by some strong winds at times. A glimmer of hope emerges for drier and calmer conditions on Saturday as a transient ridge of high pressure moves in from the west. Nonetheless, the weekend is expected to conclude on a damp note, with further heavy and blustery showers expected into Sunday.