Temperatures could top 20C in parts this week, as the UK looks set to enjoy some autumnal warmth.
After a cold and blustery weekend, the weather is expected to turn milder and wetter in the coming days.
Parts of the country could see a 10C bump in temperatures in the short period of fine weather, forecast to arrive in midweek.
But Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan dampened hopes of an Indian summer over the next seven days, predicting that the better weather would be replaced by wet and windy conditions by next weekend.The week started with some wet weather in the south, while northern parts of the country enjoyed bright sunshine.
BBC Weather’s Jennifer Bartram said: “Over the next few days, southerly winds will draw up warm air from the continent, but they will also bring plenty of rain, especially to western areas”.
Some thunderstorms may arrive on Tuesday, with top temperatures of around 17C.
But on Wednesday, East Anglia and the home counties are predicted to see warmth of up to 22C.
“If sunshine breaks through in eastern England, temperatures may climb into the low twenties on Wednesday,” said BBC Weather presenter Ms Bartram.
“Whilst temperatures will start to slide again towards the end of the week there is currently no sign of a return to cold northerly winds.”
Meanwhile the rain will gradually spread its way steadily north, with some areas along west-facing coasts possibly seeing as much as 50-70mm of rainfall.Met Office meteorologist Mr Morgan said: “”Temperatures are going to rise gradually, peaking probably on Wednesday in eastern areas, and we might well see in some spots 20C, and 22C is not out of question, probably in eastern England – so East Anglia down towards the south east.
“It’s possible we could exceed 20C in London but the peak temperatures might well be up towards the home counties and up to Cambridgeshire.”
Mr Morgan said there would be a “stark contrast” between Wednesday’s warmth and this past weekend’s more wintry feel – which even saw some frost.
“Some places will be 10C warmer because today (Sunday) is a very chilly day for early October, so the main theme for this week that it’s turning much milder for all,” he added.
Yet in the west and in Wales, midweek could bring rain, forecasters say.
‘Very heavy rain’
BBC Weather’s Louise Lear earlier added that the winds “will strengthen further and it’s Wednesday when we really could see some very heavy rain”.
Where exactly that rain will fall remains unclear, she said, “but at the moment, the heaviest looks likely across west-facing coasts, drifting their way steadily north, with Gale-force gusts… across the far north of Scotland”.
“But there is the potential that East Anglia and south east England will escape the rain during the day and see some sunshine,” she continued.
“If that happens, we could get temperatures peaking at 21C… way above where they should be for this stage of October.”
Thursday is not looking “too bad a day”, she added – suggesting it was likely to be dry with some sunny spells and a few scattered showers in the west.
The rest of the country is expected to see strong winds and a band of heavy rain pushing eastwards on Friday.
Next weekend is “looking pretty unsettled”, according to Mr Morgan, with the north west, including Scotland and Northern Ireland, being wet and windy, but possibly less so in the south east.
