Brits are set for several more days of scorching temperatures with highs of 25C but they will be mixed with heavy showers and strong winds by the end of the week.
For northern parts of the UK the outlook is for sunshine and showers but for the drier areas in the south that badly need the rain, it is unlikely to come until the weekend or even next week.
Weather maps from the BBC show over next few days there are large areas still without rain expected.
BBC weather forecaster Matt Taylor said: “As we see out summer and head into the meteorological autumn there is a very familiar story particularly as far as rainfall is concerned.
"This chart shows the amount of rainfall expected over the next five days and notice there are huge swathes of the UK where there is no blue, it stays dry, but there could be a few changes later in the week and into the weekend.
“Notice this dip in the jet stream just to the south of Iceland, within that we are going to start to see a developing area of low pressure which will sink its way southwards and eastwards, combine forces with low pressure developing across France and Iberia and it’s this which into the weekend could at last, in the south and the west, bring a bit more in the way of significant rain.”
Before that though and the outlook is for more dry weather on Tuesday although there will be some rain and wind in the east and north of the country. There will also be sunshine, possibly more than Monday and highs of 24C.
It is a similar situation for Wednesday and Thursday where it will be a touch warmer with highs of 25C, along with some isolated showers and winds.
The change starts to come, though, on Thursday night with low pressure from the south and west moving in.
“We should have some warmer air, a few showers breaking out in the west in particular but more significant rain arriving in towards Ireland late in the day, temperatures more widely into the low and mid 20Cs," continued Mr Taylor.
"Then as we head into the weekend the area of low pressure starts to become more of a feature. Strong winds on the northern edge of it.
"So after a week of fairly quiet winds across Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England, the breeze will pick up here and we will see some outbreaks of rain, heavy and thundery in places, fairly showery so fairly hit and miss to begin with, more likely across western areas.”
He added: That will rain will start to affect more of England and Wales especially as we go into the start of next week.
UK forecast for the next five days
Most areas fine and dry.
Today:
Most areas fine and dry with warm sunny periods. Cloudier with a few showers for parts of western Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far east and southeast of England though.
Tonight:
Mostly dry with clear spells or long clear periods. A few showers lingering in the east. Chilly across northeast of Scotland.
Wednesday:
Most areas fine and dry with warm sunny spells. Cloudier across central areas with a few showers possible.
Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:
Mostly dry with sunny spells on Thursday. Cloudier on Friday with scattered showers. Showers or longer spells of rain on Saturday, heavy and thundery at times. Temperatures around average.
