'Summer-like' weather finally set to arrive in Somerset this week

A spell of generally settled weather will bring "more summer-like" conditions to much of the country, particularly towards the end of this week. The Met Office said temperatures could reach as high as 24C in south-east England and 20C in Scotland by Friday.

Temperatures in Somerset are set to rise into the 20Cs as the week goes on. Highs of around 22C are forecasted in parts of the county for Thursday.

It comes after temperatures so far this month have been a few degrees below their seasonal average, affecting small businesses which rely on tourism or high street foot traffic at the start of summer. The UK experienced its coolest first 10 days of June since 2020, in contrast to the hottest June on record, seen this time last year, where the mercury rose as high as 32.2C in Lincolnshire and Surrey.

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Oli Claydon, spokesman for the Met Office, said: "As we progress through June, obviously the temperatures are going to generally increase on average anyway, but it will feel more summer-like, especially in the sunshine. The absence of wind over the next couple of days will help as well."

Brighter conditions will cover southern England for much of Monday and Tuesday where it will feel "much warmer than it did over the weekend", while showers will still be possible across northern parts of the country and in Scotland and Northern Ireland. A ridge of high pressure will initially bring cloud on Wednesday before thinning out for further brighter spells across the country, which will continue into Thursday for southern areas with light showers again likely further north, the forecaster said.

Mr Claydon said: "It's not unusual to have cooler interludes or cooler starts to some months but this was a below-average start to June for sure, and temperatures (are) starting to return back towards what people would expect for this time of year."

Conditions will currently "remain fairly consistent" heading into the weekend, with any showers on Saturday likely to be insignificant, the forecaster added.

SOUTH WEST FORECAST

Today:

Any mist and fog patches clearing quickly as the sun rises, leaving a bright start to Monday. Overall a dry day with plenty of sunny spells. A chance of the odd shower and feeling pleasant where you catch the sunshine. Maximum temperature 18 °C.

Tonight:

Some late evening sunshine before a dry night with some long clear spells. Under starry skies it will be feeling cooler, with some mist and fog patches developing. Minimum temperature 9 °C.

Tuesday:

A dry and fine day for most with plenty of sunny spells. Fair weather cloud bubbling up through the day and feeling warm in light winds. Maximum temperature 20 °C.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

Largely dry for the remainder of the week, though cloudier at times. Feeling warm in the sunnier interludes and winds light throughout.