Summerlike warmth to give way to autumn chill this week

This week is set to bring a change in the feel of the weather with above-average temperatures set to give way to cooler conditions spreading from the north.

After an unseasonably warm start to Monday, afternoon highs are expected to peak at 23C in south-east England.

However, wet and blustery weather will move across some northern parts of the UK and as that sinks southwards later in the week it will introduce chillier air.

Maximum temperatures on Wednesday are expected to be around 11-16C, near or a little below the average for early October.

The week begins with south-westerly winds and mild air across the UK.

In southern England, the Midlands and East Anglia, any early mist and fog should lift to leave a mostly dry day with sunny spells.

However Wales and northern England will see rather cloudy conditions and some outbreaks of mostly light and patchy rain.

A weather front will bring outbreaks of rain south-eastwards across Scotland and Northern Ireland with sunnier conditions following into northern Scotland - although here it will be windy, with possible gusts of 50-60mph (80-100km/h) across the Northern Isles.

Maximum temperatures will reach 14-19C in much of Northern Ireland and Scotland, a few degrees above the seasonal norm in many locations.

Meanwhile, forecast highs of 18-23C in England and Wales are closer to typical August temperatures than the values that would be expected in early October.

The band of rain in the north of the UK will move erratically south-eastwards during Tuesday and Wednesday in association with a weather front.

That will bring pulses of showery rain on Tuesday, perhaps turning heavier in some southern parts on Wednesday.

Behind the weather front conditions will turn chillier and by Wednesday temperatures in all areas will be around or below the seasonal norm.

If the thermometer fails to reach 20C anywhere in the UK, it will be the first day when that has happened since 11 June.

Cool, fresh but sunny conditions will develop in many areas on Wednesday and Thursday albeit with some showers, especially in the east.

Brisk northerly winds will make it feel even chillier than the actual temperatures would suggest - especially around eastern coasts of Scotland and England.

Another change is expected by the weekend with westerly winds set to bring the return of rain-bearing Atlantic weather systems - and perhaps some slightly higher temperatures.

Unsettled weather looks likely to continue beyond that with spells of rain interspersed with drier, brighter interludes.

Long-range forecasts for the autumn overall suggest an increased likelihood of wetter and warmer-than-average weather, partly due to the strong El Niño that continues to develop across the Pacific.

However, long-range forecasting is fraught with uncertainty and while the season as a whole may be mild, some chilly interludes are also anticipated.

You can check your local weather forecast, including the expected feels-like temperatures, on the BBC Weather website and app.