Cooler temperatures with wet and windy weather forecast for UK this week

Summer officially ended as schools reopened, ushering back the UK's unpredictable weather patterns. Following a heatwave on Sunday, low pressure systems brought persistent wet and gusty conditions, particularly to northern regions at week's start. By Wednesday and Thursday, the weather was expected to calm down. England and Wales experienced cooler temperatures, especially after reaching 29C (84F) in the southeast on Sunday.

Although the weekend remained mostly dry for many, the Environment Agency reported last week as the wettest in England since early February. Spain saw a record-breaking 45.7C in Huelva last week, marking its highest temperature of the year so far. Pressure dropped on Monday, wind direction shifted, and a weather front moved south from the northwest, signaling a shift to cooler, fresher weather.

The front, primarily a cloud band with occasional showers, swept across England and Wales, giving way to sunny intervals. Temperatures peaked at 25C in the southeast. Cooler, drier air followed the cloud band. Another region of heavy rain developed in Northern Ireland on Monday morning, spreading to Scotland and Cumbria in the afternoon, accompanied by strong, gusty southwesterly winds.

This reduced temperatures to around 17C in Scotland and Northern Ireland. A deep low pressure system remained northwest of Scotland on Tuesday. Northern UK areas would face considerable wind, with 50-60mph gusts possible in northern and western Scotland. These regions are accustomed to such winds at this time but could face some disruption if they moved into central lowlands.

The windy weather in the north would be accompanied by frequent showers. Farther south, England and Wales would see a lingering rain spell overnight Tuesday morning, clearing up by morning. This rain would not be heavy, and most of England and Wales were still in drought. The low pressure system would move into the North Sea on Wednesday, causing wind along the east coast.

Otherwise, rising pressure would bring a dry midweek for most, with some sunshine and lighter winds. Showers would return to the UK's western parts on Thursday but die out on Friday as they moved east. Midweek temperatures would be near seasonal averages, with the highest in the southeast at 22C.