UK weather: temperatures to rise this weekend - how hot will it get, how long will the warmer weather last?

The UK will see warmer weather this weekend with highs of up to 21C expected before more autumnal weather is due to set in.

The Met Office said temperatures will rise to at least the high teens today (Saturday 23 September) for most of the country with “plenty of dry weather” during the day “with sunny spells”.

However, the forecaster warns that a few showers are expected in the morning mainly across northeast Scotland, northern and eastern with rain and strong winds  reaching Northern Ireland later in the day.

Forecaster Craig Snell said: "Most of us will get off to a bright start - there will be a few showers in the east, but they should generally move away as the day goes on.

"It is going to be a bit of a chilly start out there, especially across Scotland and Northern Ireland."

He added that even where temperatures are colder, sunshine will remain for most of the country across the whole day.

Today is the autumn equinox when summer officially ends and autumn begins.

The Met Office said conditions will turn “wet and windy” across Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of England and Wales tonight. It is expected to remain dry and bright in the Midlands, southeast England and East Anglia.

The dry and bright weather is not forecast to last for long as tomorrow (Sunday 24 September) will see rain and strong winds.

Heavy and persistent outbreaks of rain will affect the north and west.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain tomorrow which is in place from 4am until 23:59pm.

The affected regions include Central, Tayside & Fife, Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders and Strathclyde.

The Met Office warned that it will also become increasingly windy through Sunday, with gusts of 50-60mph on coasts and over high ground which could exacerbate flooding.

Despite the wind and rain in the north tomorrow, it is expected that much of central, southern and eastern England will remain dry with some warm sunshine.

Temperatures could possibly climb to 21C in the South East and even 18C in the North.

Looking towards next week and whether any warm weather will be here to stay, the outlook is not looking positive.

The Met Office has forecast sunny spells on Monday (25 September) but there will be “blustery showers” in the north which will become more widespread on Tuesday (26 September).

The forecaster added that on Wednesday (27 September) conditions will turn “very wet and windy”.