That’s all, folks! Summer’s over

BRITAIN basked in the last day of the Indian summer with parts of the country as hot as Rome – before the arrival of dramatically cooler weather today.

There were again highs of 24C (75F) in southern England yesterday, on a par with the Italian capital, and 20-21C (6870F) further north and west.

But the autumn equinox heralded the breakdown of the fine, sunny conditions. A cold front is moving south, with patchy rain accompanied by northerly winds bringing Arctic air.

By tomorrow, temperatures in southern England are only due to reach a high of 15C (59F), while a chilly 12C (54F) is forecast in the North.

Nicola Maxey, of the Met Office, said: ‘The weather front will push through bringing a northerly air flow and a marked drop in temperatures.

‘We will be back in the flow of Atlantic depressions.’

She said chillier conditions are due to continue for the rest of the month.