London is waking up to an October day that feels more like late summer, with temperatures expected to reach 21C under long sunny spells and barely any rain across the capital.
The Met Office forecast for Saturday, 3 October shows the day starting clear, with plenty of sunshine developing through the morning. Temperatures will climb steadily from around 13C first thing to 21C during the afternoon — a remarkable high for the first weekend of autumn.
Across London and the wider South East, the picture is similarly settled: partly cloudy and dry, with a regional maximum of 22C. Early risers may encounter patches of mist or fog, and cloud is expected to build gradually through the day. Forecasters say some patchy light rain cannot be ruled out later on, but the chances stay very low — for most Londoners, the umbrella can stay at home.
Hour-by-hour: how Saturday unfolds
- 5am – 7am: Clear skies giving way to sunshine; 13C to 14C. Rain risk below 5 per cent.
- 8am – 10am: Sunny intervals; 14C rising to 16C. Rain risk below 5 per cent.
- 11am – 1pm: Sunny intervals; 18C rising to 20C. Rain risk below 5 per cent.
- 2pm – 6pm: The warmest part of the day, holding at 21C. Sunny intervals turning partly cloudy by early evening. Rain risk below 5 per cent, nudging to 10 per cent around 5pm and 6pm.
- 7pm – 11pm: Partly cloudy; 20C easing to 17C. Rain risk below 5 per cent for most of the night, briefly 10 per cent at 8pm and 9pm.
Central London looks driest of all, with the rain risk staying below 5 per cent for almost the entire day. Winds will be barely a whisper — generally from the west or south-west at only 2 to 3mph. Sunrise was at around 7.05am, and the sun sets at approximately 6.34pm, giving Londoners nearly eleven and a half hours of daylight to enjoy.
Making the most of the weekend
The sunshine could hardly arrive at a better moment for getting outdoors. London’s parks are turning gold and red as autumn colour peaks across the capital, and today’s warmth makes it an ideal day for a long walk, a riverside stroll or a final picnic of the season before the leaves really start to fall.
It caps a remarkable run of warm weather. September ranked among the warmest on record after temperatures in the capital hit 28.1C, and only days ago London basked in a 27C September scorcher. Today’s 21C may be a few degrees cooler, but for early October it remains well above the seasonal norm — more typical of late August than the first weekend of autumn.
Mornings will still feel fresh at 13C, so layers are the order of the day: a light jacket for the early dog walk that can be shed by lunchtime.
Sunday looks even warmer — and no cold snap in sight
The mild spell is set to continue into Sunday, when the Met Office expects temperatures to climb to around 23C in London. There could be some mist first thing, but sunshine is forecast to develop through the day.
There is no sign yet of autumn’s chill returning. The mild, settled weather is expected to hold through the weekend, so Londoners can plan outdoor activities with confidence — though it is always worth checking the latest forecast before heading out, as autumn weather can turn quickly.
Anyone driving this weekend should note that several M25 slip roads and carriageways are closing overnight around London, so allow extra time for journeys however warm and dry it stays.
