'Unpredictable' weather to hit UK as 'peak Atlantic hurricane' season arrives bringing an end to 10-day heatwave

29 August 2023, 17:59

'Unpredictable' weather conditions are set to hit the UK as the 'peak Atlantic hurricane' season arrives next month.

The UK is set to experience a final warm spell in coming weeks, with a 10-day heatwave on the way.

But the Met Office has warned that the impacts of hurricane season in the North Atlantic could stir things up, with the peak set to fall around September 10.

Forecasters have predicted more changeable weather patterns as a result.

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Despite waters around the UK not being warm enough for full-blown hurricanes, weather systems in the Atlantic are expected to have a downstream impact on Britain.

The impact can be unpredictable and “only become apparent at shorter timescales”, the Met Office warned.

During that period temperatures are expected to remain around the average range, the forecaster added.

The first of the 2023 season has been confirmed as hurricane Franklin, with tropical storm Idalia also expected to strengthen into a major hurricane.

It comes as weather maps produced by WXCharts show that the UK could be hotter than Barcelona between September 2 and September 6, kicking off a mini heatwave.

Temperatures are expected to remain near average during the first 10 days of the month, increasing slightly as sunshine increases.

But between Sunday, September 10 and September 24, the Met Office's long-range forecast says: "There are presently no strong signals for any particular weather type to dominate during this period, but slowly evolving weather patterns seem most likely.

"However, the start of the period may see the most unsettled conditions trend towards the south, with drier conditions further north.

"As we head further through the month, there is slightly increased potential for high pressure to be centred close to the UK.

"This would bring an increased chance of generally more settled conditions developing, with more widespread drier spells.

"However, confidence in this is limited by the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane season, which can cause downstream effects on UK weather that only become apparent at shorter timescales.

"On balance, temperatures are more likely to trend above the seasonal average."