Despite summer coming to an end, Brighton and Sussex could be set for a mini heatwave with scorching temperatures on the way.

The city is set to reach 27C next week according to the Met Office as a plume of warmer air heads north from Spain.

As Hurricane Franklin crosses the Atlantic it is expected to help build an area of high pressure over the UK, bringing with it drier and warmer conditions.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: “By early next week, the remnants of Franklin will probably be absorbed into another area of low pressure, swirling to the west of Iberia.

“This too will help to push warm air northwards towards the UK and with high pressure remaining close by, probably just to the east of the UK by this time, further warm and often sunny weather looks probably, at least through the first part of next week.”

Eastbourne, Chichester and Worthing will all also see temperatures climb in the coming days, peaking on Wednesday or Thursday.

Day-by-day forecast for Brighton and Hove

  • Friday, September 1: 20C, cloudy changing to sunny intervals in the afternoon
  • Saturday, September 2: 21C, sunny intervals
  • Sunday, September 3: 24C, mist changing to cloudy by late morning
  • Monday, September 4: 26C, mist changing to sunny by late morning
  • Tuesday, September 5: 26C, sunny
  • Wednesday, September 6: 27C, sunny
  • Thursday, September 7: 27C, sunny

The phenomenon has been described as a “Spanish plume” by the Met Office, which sees warm air pushing north from Iberia, cooler air advancing from the west and strong summer sunshine heating the air near the surface across France and the UK.

The Met Office said: “Spanish plumes most often affect southern areas of the UK, with south eastern and southern England most at risk.

“These areas are closest to the source of the warm plume of air and so it is here that the contrast between warm and cool air masses is greatest.”