Holiday makers keen to get the most out of the remaining days of the summer break could be disheartened by the weather this week, which is forecast to be overcast and damp.
However the conditions will be good for gardeners who have been praying for a continuation of the milder weather, which has given scorched and wilted plants a chance to recover from the sustained period of searing sunshine.
Although it is still a way off, there is some hope on the horizon for people planning to take a holiday late next month with a “warmer and drier” than average autumn predicted by forecasters.
For this week though, Jim Bacon, forecaster at Weatherquest, said there would be a few light showers at certain points, but nothing like the deluges we saw last week.
“I think this is going to be the week that produces weak weather fronts across the south of the country,” he said. “
Up to the middle of the week it will be cloudy and mainly dry, warm and humid.
“Then on Wednesday night through to Thursday morning, a band of cloud and patchy rain will be coming through, enough to wet things a little.
“On the whole it will be cooler and more changeable and I think holiday makers will be disappointed with the amount of cloudiness. But it will be good for gardeners as I don’t the plants will start drying out again.”
There will be a more “active weather front” coming through next weekend with another band of rain. We are also unlikely to see a return of the extremely hot conditions we experienced earlier this month.
But Mr Bacon added: “Although it is too early to say for sure, autumn is looking like it will probably favour warmer and drier than average conditions.”
Despite the amount of rainfall the UK usually experiences, the most common cause of plant death in the country is still lack of water, according to the Royal Horticultural Society.
The recent heatwave and resultant lack of water has caused leaves and lawns to wilt and turn yellow, flowers to shrivel in the heat and many plants have stopped active growth
However, since the recent downpour, plant life has pepped up and everything has started to look green again, with some plants seeing a later than usual burst of flowers.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here