Could there be another Autumn heatwave on the way?

We've already had a record breaking September with an unseasonable prolonged heatwave to start the month and temperatures exceeding 30C for a week.

It remains mild for the time of year both by day and night this week.

And don't let the stormy conditions forecast for some of us this week (strongest winds expected in the north and west) dupe you - temperatures will remain well above average for the time of year with highs of 23C or more on Monday and Tuesday.Why is this September so warm?

The pattern of weather systems which have dominated us over the past three weeks have drawn warmer air in from western and central Europe keeping temperatures much higher than you'd expect this month - not only by day, but by night too.

Currently this September is looking to be the warmest on record - and is warmer than July and August - highly unusual and never seen before in our lifetime. 

When was the last time we saw temperatures like this?

Previously the warmest September on record was 2006 - that year September was also warmer than August but for it to be warmer than the majority of the summer (July and August), like this year, is extraordinary. 

Is this the new normal? 

We're seeing new temperature records at a frequency we've never seen before. 

Last year was the hottest the country has ever seen and will be considered cool by the standards of 2100, according to future Met Office projections.

This shows the direction of travel for Britain's climate over the coming decades, the organisation added.

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