'African plume' could hit the UK ahead of Halloween

Weather predictions have revealed we may have warmer weather ahead in the run up to Halloween because of an 'African plume'.

Put your winter coats back in the cupboard for a few more weeks because a surge of warmer weather could be coming to the UK.

While the last few weeks have felt like we've skipped autumn and been plunged straight into the deep depths of winter, not all hope is completely lost.

There might be time to claw onto the last of the summer sun and feel it's rays on your face because an 'African plume' of hot air is heading this way ahead of Halloween.

So, this year, you might be in for a treat rather than trick.

Washington Imaging/ Alamy Stock Photo

An 'African plume' is a hot mass of air which is predicted as potentially travelling up towards the UK in the forthcoming weeks.

The arrival of the hot mass of air could result in temperatures reaching the low twenties by early next week.

It may not meet the minimum temperature most of us need to be encouraged to whack on a pair of shorts, grab a towel and head to the nearest park to try and catch a tan, but the 'African plume' may see the period of warmer weather classified as an Indian Summer.

PeskyMonkey/ Alamy Stock Photo

An Indian Summer is 'a warm, calm spell of weather occurring in autumn, especially in October and November,' according to the Met Office's definition written in 1916.

Net Weather explains: "The potential for warm weather next week is thanks to an increasingly amplifying upper flow pattern upstream over North Atlantic, leading to an upper trough to disrupt to form a cut-off upper low to the west of Europe. This upper low to the west combined a strong upper ridge building north over Europe looks to pump a plume of very warm air north from Northwest Africa across western Europe next week, reaching southern Britain by Wednesday.

"[...] So, there is potential next week, particularly Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, for temperatures to reach the low twenties Celsius across southern Britain with sunshine, most likely across SE England and East Anglia."

However, whether we are treated to a warmer period of weather and 'Indian Summer' depends on the potential for showers, the strength of the wind and the amount of cloud coverage there is.

Net Weather

Although, a spokesperson for the Met Office told LADbible the change in temperature may not be quite as dramatic as we hope.

They said: "Southerly winds will bring a mild spell across the UK next week, particularly in the southeast where temperatures could reach around 20 or 21 Celsius. Southerly winds will draw up warm air from the continent. This air will have originated over Africa.

"Temperatures at this stage don’t look to be exceptional (for context, average temperatures in the south at this time of year are 16 Celsius. Also, the UK’s highest October temperature on record is 29.9C in October 2011 at Gravesend in Kent).

 "Halloween is a bit too far away to give an exact temperature forecast, but at this stage temperatures look likely to be around average for the time of year, which is around 15 Celsius."