Sunshine to return to parts of UK with warmer and drier weather on way

Don't pack away your summer clothes just yet as warmer and drier weather could be set to return to the UK next week.

Temperatures could reach as high as 25C in parts of England and Wales - several degrees above the average for the time of year.

Forecasts for early next week show an area of high pressure building near the UK. This will largely block Atlantic weather systems, which often bring wind and rain, from reaching the country.

North-west Scotland will see some rain but these systems are not expected to push across the rest of the UK, so this would mean drier weather with lighter winds and higher daytime temperatures for most.

The last few weeks have been very changeable with rain and strong winds in most parts of the UK.

Despite this, the whole of Wales and most of England are still in drought.

After stronger south-westerly winds are due to blow cloud and outbreaks of rain across from the west on Friday, the weather will start to settle down over the weekend.

The northern half of the UK will see a return to sunshine and blustery showers on Saturday, with most of the showers being in Scotland.

The southern half of the UK is likely to be more cloudy and have a muggy feel with the chance of light rain and drizzle.

This rain will clear to the south on Sunday and most places will then be dry with sunny spells. West to north-west winds will still be strong in Scotland.

Temperatures will peak around 22C in southern England on Sunday - nothing out of the ordinary for the time of year.

But as we go into the working week, an area of high pressure will arrive, bringing drier weather, lighter winds, and some sunshine, which for much of the country could last throughout the week.

While there will still be the chance of catching the odd shower, most places will be dry. Rain-bearing bands of cloud coming in from the Atlantic will be restricted to north-west Scotland.

The past week has felt quite chilly but temperatures next week are forecast to reach 20C in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and as high as 25C in England and Wales.

This is some way off the UK's September temperature record, though, which stands at 35.6C, set in 1906 at Bawtry in South Yorkshire.

Autumn is often a time of wild swings in the weather.

This upcoming quieter spell in the UK is not influenced by the record-breaking Pacific Ocean warming from El Niño, but there could be impacts later in the autumn.

The Met Office long range forecast shows a higher degree of confidence that deeper areas of low pressure will affect the UK in November, potentially bringing stormy weather. This is consistent with weather patterns during El Niño events at this time of year.

But no two El Niños are the same - so, while it may increase the chance of certain types of weather occurring, this is not guaranteed.

Keep up to date with the forecast where you are on the BBC Weather website and app.