UK weather: Scotland hit with amber flood warnings while England and Wales set to bask in heatwave

While sunseekers will be celebrating in southern parts of the UK over news that they will be launched into a mini heatwave this weekend, the weather outlook is much more bleak north of the border.

The Met Office has confirmed that temperatures in parts of England and Wales could reach 26C. The country could top temperatures expected in much sunnier climates such as Mykonos and Los Angeles.

It comes as it was confirmed by the Met Office that last month ranked as the joint warmest September on record, match that of the September of 2006. Average temperatures last month reached 15.2C. However, it's not good news further north...

Oli Claydon, spokesman for the Met Office, said: “For the south of the UK, we’ve got slightly ridged conditions and higher pressure bringing a more settled day with a fair amount of sunshine around. (It will be) dry for pretty much everyone in the southern half of the country and unseasonably warm temperatures as well.

“As we get into the very far north of England and into Scotland that’s where the difference starts, with some persistent and heavy rain across Scotland and mostly notably in western Scotland, where we’re likely to see the highest totals.”

Amber flood warnings in Scotland

The Met Office has issued a yellow flood warning for most of Scotland, stretching from Kelso up the country to Inverness, with cities such as Edinburgh and Dundee set to be hit by heavy rain this weekend. A more severe amber warning has been implemented for Central Scotland, Tayside and Fife. The Met Office said this area could see as much as 150-180mm of rainfall in the worst-hit spots.

According to the Met Office, the amber weather warning - which is in place overnight from 3am on Saturday 7 October until 6am - may see rain cause "flooding and disruption" across these areas. The affects of flooding may also potentially include:

• possible damage to homes and businesses
• Fast flowing or deep floodwater
• Delays or cancellations to train and bus services
• difficult driving conditions due to flooding and spray
• some road closures
• communities possibly cut off by flooded roads
• Possible power cuts

Scotland’s Transport Minister, Fiona Hyslop, said: “It’s important people plan their journeys before they set off. Motorists should make sure their routes are available, follow the travel advice from Police Scotland and drive in accordance with the conditions. If you are planning to travel by train, ferry or plane, please check with your operators to see if the conditions are having any impact on your services.”

Where will it be warm this weekend?

The heatwave will hit mostly around the majority of England and Wales from Saturday 7 October to Sunday 8 October.

According to the Met Office forecast, the highest temperatures are expected in south-east England, as well as the sunniest conditions. On Saturday afternoon, London is expecting temperatures of around 23C with other locations including Southampton and Dover likely to reach into the 20s.

Into the south-west, Exeter and Bristol will hit a high of 21C on Saturday afternoon. The Midlands is expected to reach into the 20s also, with areas such as Birmingham, Coventry and Nottingham set to bask in the sunshine.

While cloudier than the south, northern England will still experience temperatures between 21C in Manchester and Sheffield to 18C in Newcastle.

The warm weather will stretch into Wales, with highs of around 20C expected to hit Powys. Other areas of Wales will still experience temperatures into the high teens.

Likewise, Northern Ireland will have cloudier conditions but still benefit from temperatures in the high teens. Belfast is expected to reach up to 17C.