Dawn patrol

Serene and majestic, family of swans cruising at sunrise as Britain bids a glowing farewell to the heatwave

AS the sun rises through the mist, a pair of swans and their seven cygnets glide majestically along in a scene that evokes the end of the hottest summer on record.

The stunning photograph was taken by James MacDonald on his smartphone when he spotted the birds’ stately, single file procession during a morning run in Bushy Park, south-west London.

Mr MacDonald, 40, a mapmaker for DK Travel guides who lives near the park, said: ‘They were on the move along an inlet from a small pond to a larger lake. I’d seen swans with their young in the park earlier in the year, when the parents are still very protective and won’t let you get near, so it was nice to be able to get close enough to take a picture of these now they are bigger.’

But before the summer finally fades and the leaves fall from the trees, a brief spell of warm weather to help us through September is on the way – at least for those living in the South.

Balmy conditions will return on Tuesday, particularly in London and the South East, when temperatures will hit 25C (77F).

Richard Martin-Barton, of forecasters MeteoGroup, said: ‘It will feel a little bit Mediterranean, thanks to slightly warmer air moving in from Northern Spain. But it’s going to be a case of enjoy it while you can if you live in south-east England because – by the middle of next week – they will see the cooler, wetter conditions the rest of the country will be having.’

Before then, today is forecast to be wet for many places, with tomorrow seeing a mixture of bright spells with occasional showers – except south of the M4 where it should remain dry.

By Monday, temperatures in the South East will have crept up to 22C (72F). The wet and windy start to next week in the North will make its way south through Tuesday and Wednesday and leave the scorching summer nothing more than a memory.