Friday 18th September
Thursday gave us a bright sunny morning with a little more cloud in the afternoon, which was why the maximum of 20.3C was logged in the very early afternoon at 13.09, being 1.3C above average. It was a dry day with the UV level peaking at a Moderate level. Under a clear sky and calm conditions for much of the early hours the thermometer fell to a minimum of 8.9C at 06.00, being 0.6C below average.
Friday arrived with muted sunshine to greet the new day but by 08.00 thin cloud had begun to mask the sun indicating the advancing weather front that at that time was approaching Cornwall. The cloud will continue to thicken as the day progresses, however, the rain bearing area of the front will be just to the north of Wiltshire, so probably a dry day and following night. At 08.40 the rain radar indicted the front of the rain band approaching Cornwall and West Wales with low cloud producing drizzle over the higher ground of Exmoor.
Recently the jet stream has meandered across the Atlantic pushing the low-pressure areas towards the north of the UK. The forecast charts of the jet steam indicate that later on Sunday the track of the jet stream will begin to arch around the north of the UK that will allow high pressure to build and warm air to push from the south, northwards across the UK. The barometric pressure continues to build slowly with a reading of 1014.9mb at 08.00.The lack of strong early morning sunshine meant that the thermometer only recovered to 10.9C by 08.00, the coolest start to a new day, at that time, since the 10th.
If the forecast is accurate we could see several dry and warm days from Monday with maximum temperatures a degree or two above the late September average.
Often the press headlines flash that exceptional weather might be ahead. The Met office have just released the article. Part 2 will be tomorrow.
“30°C surge?” “Brutal chill?”: Weather headline review
Author: Met Office
Thu, 17 Sep 2026
Recent weather headlines have focused on everything from a late September “heat bomb” and temperatures approaching 30°C to a “brutal” chill and dozens of areas being soaked.
But, how do these claims compare with the latest Met Office forecast?
Headlines often draw attention to the most striking outcome shown by an individual weather map or forecast model run. While the temperatures or rainfall shown may be possible, they do not always represent the most likely outcome or reflect the uncertainty and regional variation within a longer-range forecast.
In this review, we take a closer look at some of the most prominent headlines and compare them with the current outlook for the latter part of September and into October.
Is a 29°C “heat bomb” on the way?
The headline “UK weather maps turn volcanic red in up to 29°C heat bomb – 16 hottest counties” suggests that an exceptional burst of heat is about to affect parts of the country.
The latest Met Office outlook does indicate that temperatures are likely to rise. From Wednesday to Friday next week, conditions are expected to be warm for many areas, with parts of the south perhaps becoming very warm and humid.
However, the forecast does not confirm a temperature of 29°C or identify 16 counties as being certain to experience the highest values. Terms such as “volcanic red” refer to the colours used on some temperature maps, rather than indicating that the weather itself will be extreme.
While a notably warm spell is probable, particularly in the south, an explosive or exceptional”heat bomb” is not the central message of the forecast and there is still uncertainty surrounding the longevity of this warm period.