Anyone who got caught in the rain yesterday would be forgiven for thinking summer was over.

But although autumn officially began yesterday, sunny spells with highs of 18 degrees Celsius are forecast for the rest of the week.

London and the South East can expect all showers to have cleared by Thursday morning, with sunshine coming through the clouds in the afternoon, the Met Office said.

Friday to Sunday is expected to be a period of dry weather feeling warm in the sunshine.

But the Met Office warned it could feel chilly at night with some patchy frost and fog.

The forecast comes after Londoners enjoyed unexpectedly warm temperatures last weekend, with highs of 21 degrees Celsius in the capital.