After weeks of soggy weather, temperatures are expected to soar in parts of the UK next week. The south-east is predicted to experience the hottest weather, with the mercury rising to 28C thanks to warm air sweeping in from the Mediterranean after a grey and cooler August. Alex Burkill, a Met Office forecaster, said: “It does look like hot temperatures will start to arrive in the south-east after a disappointing end to the summer. August had been particularly grey and dull with cooler temperatures, however it looks like there will be a little blast of summer weather. “The week will start with temperatures reaching 27C on Monday. It’s likely to be dry and sunny for most but this will only be the beginning. Tuesday is likely to be the hottest day, with temperatures probably reaching highs of 28C or even higher before dropping slightly on Wednesday. “There is some uncertainty about how hot it will be, and it won’t be the case for the whole country.” Cloudy and wet conditions in Northern Ireland and Scotland over the weekend would give way to temperatures climbing to the mid-20s, Burkill said. Meanwhile, most of England and Wales would be warm and dry, with the mercury reaching 24C by Sunday. “Recently we’ve had an area of high pressure blocking above the UK, which has made the weather rather stagnant,” he said. “This high pressure will start to drift south into Europe and influence our weather by changing the direction of the wind. Before it was coming from the north-east but from Monday it will start to come from the south of the continent. “While this is not the Indian summer that usually comes in towards the end of September, we haven’t seen the last of the hot and sunny weather for the moment.”