‘Hardcore winter lockdown will be much worse than the last’: Indian summer is set to end from tomorrow as autumn equinox brings plunging temperatures while Britain braces for tough new Covid rules
- Warm weather will continue today as the south is hit by glorious 77F (25C) temperatures after hot weekend
- Arctic air set to bring ‘wintry’ conditions to the UK by Thursday after heavy rain hits the North West tomorrow
- Forecasters have warned of a ‘marked change’ in temperatures this week as the UK leaves summer behind
Britain’s Indian summer heatwave is set to come to an end this week as the threat of a new lockdown looms over the UK – with temperatures set to plummet from tomorrow after heavy rain sweeps in from the north.
Those in southern England will continue to bask in glorious 77F (25C) temperatures following a misty start today, before ‘wintry’ Arctic conditions are expected to sweep across the nation alongside potential 65mph winds by Thursday.
Cloudy conditions and heavy rain will cause temperatures to drop in the North West of England and parts of Scotland tomorrow, with a ‘marked change’ in weather expected elsewhere throughout the rest of the week.
In London, the mercury is set to fall from 75F (24C) on Tuesday to 59F (15C) on Thursday as forecasters warn there are ‘big changes’ incoming as the UK leaves summer behind following the Autumn Equinox.
The impending gloomy weather comes as Boris Johnson looks set to make an announcement on any new Covid-19 restrictions tomorrow, as pressure builds for the Prime Minister to plunge Britain into a second lockdown.
Sir Patrick Vallance today warned the UK faces 50,000 new daily cases of coronavirus by the middle of October and more than 200 deaths everyday by November if the disease is not brought under control.
The Chief Scientific Adviser gave the warning as Professor Chris Whitty warned the UK has ‘in a bad sense literally turned a corner’ with rising rates of infection and that the nation needs to view the fight against the disease as a ‘six month problem’ before science eventually can ‘ride to our rescue’.
Mist seen over Glastonbury Tor in Somerset ahead of the autumnal equinox which will see the end of Britain’s Indian summer
Those in southern England will continue to bask in glorious 77F (25C) temperatures following a misty start today. Pictured: Derwentwater and Keswick in the Lake District
Cloud and heavy rain will cause temperatures to plummet in the North West of England and parts of Scotland tomorrow, with a ‘marked change’ in weather expected throughout the rest of the week. Pictured: Derwentwater and Keswick in the Lake District
Pictured: Visitors make the most of the hot autumn sunshine as they walk along the busy seafront in Lyme Regis, Dorset as the weather is due to become more unsettled from tomorrow
Dozens of beachgoers sit in groups on the seafront in Lyme Regis, Dorset today before temperatures plummet later this week
In London, the mercury is set to fall from 75F (24C) on Tuesday to 59F (15C) on Thursday as forecasters warn there are ‘big changes’ incoming as the UK leaves summer behind following the Autumn Equinox
Ahead of the unsettled weather, Britons took to social media to warn ‘a hardcore winter lockdown will be much worse than the last’ – as people will have less opportunity to head outside.
One Twitter user said: ‘People won’t stay at home without an extension of the furlough scheme and bad weather will restrict opportunities to get outside and exercise causing a deterioration in mental health.
‘We need an alternative.’
Another said: ‘Lockdown Number 2 incoming. But with people in a much worse frame of mind and the weather being much s*****r.’
A third user added: ‘The “advantage” of the lockdown was that it was spring/summer and lovely weather.
‘Six months indoors during the winter isn’t appealing for many! More people will just say “f*** this”.’
Forecasters have warned amber weather alerts could be put in place later this week as what is expected to be the first named storm of the season pushes heavy rain and winds of up to 65mph across the UK.
The change in weather, which comes after the Autumn Equinox, could see washouts hit the North West from Tuesday and the south from Wednesday. In western parts of the UK, Storm Aiden will bring 65mph gusts.
Forecasters have warned amber weather alerts could be in place this week as what could be the first named storm of the season pushes heavy rain and winds of up to 65mph across the UK. Pictured: Views over Somerset today
The change in weather, which comes after the Autumn Equinox, could see washouts hit the North West from Tuesday and the south from Wednesday. Pictured: Glastonbury Tor
Polar air is also expected to follow, with temperatures plummeting to 59F (15C) on Thursday and just 57F (13C) on Friday, which will also see parts of the north hit with temperatures between 51 and 53F (10C and 11C)
Pictured: Misty views over Somerset this morning taken from a hot air balloon before the clouds gave way to a bright day
Ahead of the unsettled weather, Britons took to social media to warn ‘a hardcore winter lockdown will be much worse than the last’ – as people will have less opportunity to head outside
Polar air is also expected to follow, with temperatures plummeting to 59F (15C) on Thursday and just 57F (13C) on Friday, which will also see parts of the north hit with temperatures between 51 and 53F (10C and 11C).
A Met Office spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Today will be warm in the sunshine with low 20C being reached quite widely. The highest temperatures will be in the southern UK where around 23 – 24C will be seen here, 25C may also be possible in isolated spots.
‘Tomorrow will be another warm day across the bulk of the UK with temperatures widely 16 – 18C in Scotland, 20-23C in England and Wales, and locally 25-26C in parts of South East.
‘Temperatures will be lower in the North West with some cloud and rain bringing temperatures down although it will still be mid to high teens.
‘There will be a marked change in temperatures as we go through the rest of the week with many seeing a 4 – 5C temperature drop as we see a change to cooler and more unsettled conditions.’
Autumn colours are reflected in the water at Buttermere in the Lake District, Cumbria today
Pictured: Rowers on Derwentwater and Keswick in the Lake District ahead of the first day of astronomical autumn on Tuesday
Forecasters added from Wednesday temperatures will turn ‘much colder than recently and unsettled with showers and occasional longer spells of rain’. Pictured: Buttermere in the Lake District, Cumbria
Pictured: Mist over Derwentwater and Keswick in the Lake District today ahead of colder weather later this week
Forecasters added from Wednesday temperatures will turn ‘much colder than recently and unsettled with showers and occasional longer spells of rain.’
Forecasters added from Wednesday temperatures will turn ‘much colder than recently and unsettled with showers and occasional longer spells of rain.’
Met Office meteorologist Matthew Box told the Daily Star: ‘Unsettled weather is possibly on the cards towards the end of September.
‘While it is still early, a number of these cyclones in the Atlantic could have some influence on our weather as we head towards the final part of September.’
Meteorologist Susan Powell told the Mirror there are ‘big changes to come in our weather in the next five days.’
People enjoy the warm weather on Brighton Beach on Sunday as Britain sees a 80F Indian Summer arrive to the country
People enjoy the weather on Sunday as 100,000 weekend visitors rushed to Brighton with highs hotter than the Algarve
Cyclists enjoy the empty country lanes on Sunday as autumn begins to make its way to the country and brings in an Atlantic storm
‘By mid-week it will be much cooler, much windier, and for many, wetter as well,’ she said. ‘The reason for the change – we lose the persistent area of high pressure.
‘That will still be with us for Monday and Tuesday, [but] areas of low pressure will take over from the Atlantic, eventually dragging in Arctic air.’
The sudden turn in the weather comes after more than 100,000 sunseekers rushed to Brighton on Sunday as temperatures across the UK rose higher than 73F in the Algarve, nudging 80F (26C).
Daytrippers clogged up coastal routes including the A23 to Brighton, A31 to Dorset and A30 to Cornwall on Sunday as Spain’s Subtropical Storm Alpha pushed warm air towards the UK.
Elsewhere, hordes of Britons were spotted enjoying the warm weather on Brighton Beach while others were seen riding their bikes through a sunny Oxfordshire.
Durdle Door was looking busy on Sunday as tourists made the most of the warm weather and paid a visit to the Dorset coast
Visitors turned out at Durdle Door on the Dorset coast on Sunday to enjoy the sunshine before autumn arrives next week
Hundreds of people sit at the tables outside restaurants in Soho, central London, as the Government warns Britain is at a ‘tipping point’
On the Dorset coast, Durdle Door was bustling with people this afternoon and some visitors even swam through the tourist attraction’s famed arch while Brighton is estimated to have seen 100,000 daily visitors and Bournemouth 50,000.
Hundreds of others flocked to tables outside restaurants in Soho, central London, to enjoy the last moments of Britain’s Indian Summer.
Supermarkets also witnessed a rush in buyers, with Tesco set to have sold 300,000 sausage packs, 250,000 ice creams and lollies and two million cans or bottles of beer, sales trends showed.
The scenes came just a day after hundreds of tourists flocked to Blackpool to enjoy the town’s famous Illuminations which are on display until January.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Deputy Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary Terry Woods said: ‘Going to Blackpool, if you’re not from Blackpool, this weekend and mingling in any large crowds, that is not looking after my family and it wouldn’t be looking after your family.
‘What we need to do is focus in on protecting yourself and your family. Make sensible decisions to protect yourselves, going to Blackpool in mass numbers is quite the opposite of protecting yourselves.’
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