Parts of Britain are set to experience unseasonably warm weather this afternoon, with temperatures reaching 27C before a powerful “weather bomb” arrives tomorrow.

Southern and eastern England are enjoying a late spell of summer-like warmth, almost a month after the season ended. Temperatures are expected to climb as much as 7C above the average for late September.

The warmth will continue overnight, with some areas facing the possibility of a “tropical night” — a term used when temperatures remain at or above 20C. Such conditions are highly unusual this late in September.

London is among the places where a tropical night could occur. Overnight temperatures there are typically between 7C and 11C at this time of year, making the expected warmth particularly striking.

However, conditions will become increasingly unsettled overnight as a weather front moves gradually from west to east. The system is expected to bring up to 1.5in (40mm) of rain and wind gusts reaching 50mph tomorrow.

Meteorologists are monitoring a deep area of low pressure over the Atlantic Ocean that is undergoing explosive cyclogenesis, a process commonly referred to as a “weather bomb”.

A weather bomb is officially defined as a low-pressure system whose central atmospheric pressure drops by at least 24 millibars within 24 hours.

Forecasters expect the system in the north-east Atlantic to deepen from 987mb to 955mb in a single day. That 32mb fall comfortably exceeds the threshold for a weather bomb.

The South began the morning under widespread cloud, although sunshine is expected to break through during the afternoon. In the North, a clear start will give way to increasingly cloudy skies.

Met Office chief forecaster Matthew Lehnert said: “A deep area of low pressure far into the Atlantic is the primary driver behind the UK’s weather over the next few days.

“Its first influence will help draw warmer air across much of the country on Tuesday, with temperatures likely to peak at 27C — notably high for this time of year.

“A warm night will follow across southern and eastern areas, with minimum temperatures of 19C in some locations.”

By this evening, western parts will become increasingly wet and windy as the weather front advances from west to east. Its passage will continue through the end of the day and into tomorrow.

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Met Office deputy chief forecaster Steven Keates said: “As this weather front moves slowly from west to east late on Tuesday and into Wednesday, many areas will receive around 10mm of rain. More than 40mm could fall in isolated spots on south-facing hills in the west.

“The unsettled conditions will also bring strong, gusty winds, with speeds above 50mph possible, particularly along exposed north-western coasts. Large waves could affect some western coastal areas as they coincide with high spring tides.”

Further rain and heavy showers are expected across many parts of the UK on Thursday and Friday, although some areas should see brighter, drier intervals.

High pressure is then forecast to build across much of the UK this weekend, reducing the likelihood of rain. Any lingering light showers are expected to remain largely confined to the far north-west.

Mr Keates added: “There is a good degree of confidence that high pressure will become more influential over the weekend, bringing plenty of dry and fine weather to many areas.

“Temperatures will generally be close to average for the time of year, and the area of high pressure is likely to remain in place at least into the start of next week.”

There had been speculation that the Met Office might name the first storm of autumn this week, but that now appears unlikely.

The first named storm of the 2026/27 season will be Storm Austen, in the partnership between the Met Office, Ireland’s Met Éireann and the Dutch service KNMI.

Met Éireann selected the name in honour of Austen Nagle, the Irish Meteorological Service’s first director; and for the fifth storm of the season, the weather service celebrated Evelyn Murphy, RTÉ’s first woman weather presenter.

In Ireland today, Met Éireann issued a series of yellow wind and rain warnings – but is also not expected to name the system as a storm, given there are no orange warnings in place.

It comes as much of England remains in drought after a very dry spring and summer that brought successive heatwaves, putting huge pressure on water supplies.

While the last month has finally brought some meaningful rain to parched areas, hosepipe bans remain in place with no prospect of being lifted soon.

Supercharged El Nino conditions in the Pacific – which affect weather across the world – are set to put the UK at greater risk of a wet and stormy autumn overall.

Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually abusing two children.

The 49-year-old was convicted of subjecting a primary school-aged girl and boy to “lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour”, including inappropriate touching and kissing.

The offences took place in the Glasgow area over separate periods: between 1993 and 1996 in the girl’s case, and from 2006 to 2010 in relation to the boy.

Dott inappropriately touched the girl, told her to take off her clothes and exposed himself to her.

In the separate case involving the boy, he made sexual comments, molested him and entered a bathroom while watching him shower.

Dott denied both charges, which stated that the incidents took place on “various occasions”.

He was found guilty of two charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour and sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh. Judge Lord Harrower told Dott that he had “robbed the complainers of a significant part of their childhood”.

The judge imposed a backdated seven-year prison sentence, describing Dott’s conduct as a “gross violation of trust”. 

Lord Harrower remanded Dott in custody, while his name was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

During sentencing, Lord Harrower said Dott’s actions bore “the hallmarks of grooming”.

Referring to the victims by the pseudonyms Jane and Kevin, the judge said: “In both cases the abuse included penetrative sexual activity and in the case of Jane behaviour that would now be classed as rape.”

He said both children had been vulnerable before telling Dott: “Your behaviour bore the hallmarks of grooming.”

Lord Harrower noted that the abuse involving Jane occurred when Dott was himself aged around 16 or 17. However, the offences against Kevin were committed when Dott was an adult.

“You robbed the complainers of a significant part of their childhood,” the judge said.

The court was told that Dott continues to deny the offences and maintains his innocence.

During the trial, one of the victims, a woman now in her 40s, told jurors that the former Scottish professional snooker player had sexually abused her repeatedly during her childhood.

She said the abuse began when Dott “caressed” her bottom over her clothing while carrying her on his back.

The woman also described an occasion when she said Dott suggested playing a ‘guessing game’ where she had to guess what he was doing.

She told the court she lay down and he exposed himself to her and then began touching her with different parts of his body, including his penis.

The woman told the court that Dott told her not to tell anyone he was sexually abusing her.

The second victim, a man who is now in his late 20s, said he was sexually abused by Dott on multiple occasions, with the snooker player touching him inappropriately, kissing him and performing sexual acts.

He told the court a lot of the abuse took place while he was in a shower, when Dott would come in either partly or completely undressed.

‘He would come into the shower and put soap on my body and wash me in the shower,’ the man said.

‘While he was washing me he would touch me in inappropriate places.’

He said looking back at it now, Dott was ‘clearly getting sexual gratification from it’, and he was ‘pleasuring himself’ while the abuse was taking place.

The victim said that because of his age at the time, he ‘did not know what was going on’, and it was only later he realised the interaction ‘wasn’t right’.

The witness also described abuse which took place in a car, where he said Dott would kiss him on the face, head and lips, and ‘push himself up against me’.

The trial heard Dott would buy him items such as Thai chilli crisps and Irn-Bru – which the victim said he can no longer eat to this day.

Dott also once gave the victim a £50 note then accused him of stealing it when his parents found out about the money.

The man told jurors the lead-up to being given the cash was ‘sexually motivated’ and that it was a ‘reward strategy’ for what had gone on.

Dott was also repeatedly inappropriate with him in a room while he played online poker games.

Other incidents occurred in a car after he parked up in an area ‘out of the public eye’, with the abuse taking place approximately five times.

Asked about any further recollections, the witness stated anything related to Dove soap gives him PTSD ‘flashbacks’ as Dott used it for a skin condition.

Dott faced a fresh investigation in 2024. He was later suspended by snooker’s governing body prior to the case first calling at the high court last year.

He testified himself at the trial and denied all accusations.

Dott described the then girl’s claims as ‘disgusting’ and also insisted he had never been alone with the boy.

He said: ‘I have never acted inappropriately with anyone.’

Giving evidence, Dott had said there was ‘absolutely no way’ he sexually abused two children – branding the allegations ‘nonsense’ and ‘lies’.

He had been on bail for the trial at the High Court in Glasgow, but was remanded in custody by Lord Harrower.

Under cross-examination by prosecutor Lindsey Dalziel, Dott denied being attracted to the girl when she was young, calling the idea ‘disgusting’.

When Ms Dalziel put it to Dott that he touched the first victim and told her what to do, he denied the allegation and called it ‘lies’.

Speaking about the second victim, Dott said he was ‘never in my company’ and denied all allegations of abuse.

In her closing speech, Ms Dalziel called on the jury to find Dott guilty of both charges.

She said: ‘The Crown’s case is that Graeme Dott subjected vulnerable children to the worst kind of abuse with a course of conduct which relied on opportunity, for his own gratification.’

Dott’s lawyer Euan Dow had invited jurors to clear his client of both charges.

But Dott was found guilty following the trial that began on August 18.

Dott, who had been living in Glasgow’s Dennistoun district, held his head in hands as the verdicts were delivered, but showed no emotion as he was led handcuffed to a cell.

Kirsty Aitken, NSPCC assistant director for Scotland, said after the verdict: ‘Graeme Dott sexually abused two young children between 1993 and 2010.

‘His victims, who were primary school aged at the time, have lived for many years with the impact of this abuse, knowing that Dott had not been held accountable and was able to continue with his snooker career.

‘Child sexual abuse can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on a person’s life, and these victims have shown immense courage in coming forward and helping to bring Dott to justice.

‘We hope this verdict supports their recovery, and it is vital they can access the help they need to move forward with their lives.

‘No matter who the perpetrator is, or how many years have passed, it is never too late for those who have experienced abuse to speak out and seek support.’

The Scottish former professional snooker player won his first world title and first ranking title at the 2006 World Championship.

In 2008 he was said to have begun experiencing ‘clinical depression’ which affected his performance, amid a string of defeats.

Dott was suspended from competing in April 2025 after he was charged with sexual abuse and he has since been removed from World Snooker’s Hall Of Fame.

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Former boxing world champion Billy Joe Saunders used beer bottles to attack rivals during a mass brawl at a baby shower, a court has heard.

The 37-year-old assaulted people with a bottle on three occasions after violence erupted at the celebration.

Saunders was among nine men caught up in the “very violent” confrontation, during which one man was stabbed in the hand with a flick knife, Warwick Crown Court was told.

The court also heard that another man was reportedly seen carrying a gun.

Everyone involved had been invited by Audie Knowles, 38, to the event at Poppy’s Club in Bulkington, Warwickshire, on November 27, 2021, which was held to celebrate his wife’s pregnancy.

One witness described Saunders as “drunk, drinking a lot” and said he had been “being derogatory towards Irish people”.

Earlier in the evening, two members of the group had fought, but the situation appeared to have settled down.

However, shortly after midnight on November 28, the violence suddenly reignited for reasons that remain unclear.

CCTV footage shown to the court captured a confrontation inside the venue before one of the five defendants, John-Leon Porter, now 27, punched another suspect.

The fight then moved into the buffet area, where food and other items were thrown during the chaotic melee.

Knowles, who was also on trial, allegedly hit Porter on the back and head with a bottle around 13 times before striking another man with it approximately 15 times.

Prosecutor Patrick Sullivan said a witness saw former Olympian Saunders empty a beer bottle near the bar so he could use it as a weapon.

He was then seen grappling with a man while attempting to hit him with the bottle.

The court was also told that bottles smashed after Saunders threw them across the room.

Saunders later delivered six punches in four seconds to four men, including Porter, who was sitting beside him in the dock on Thursday, September 17.

He struck one of those men again a short time later.

Saunders was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. The judge said: “You were a boxer of some skill and repute at the Olympics and as a professional.

“You were involved in this brawl at a more serious level than three of those with you today in the dock, as you used a bottle and were considerably involved in this offence. However, I bear in mind that you did not dive in at the outset and became involved a little later.”

One of two unknown brawlers pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed one of those involved, Mr Sullivan said.

Defending Saunders, Sebastian Gardiner told how his client’s life had spiralled just months before the melee, when he lost to Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez in May 2021, which took place in front of a record 73,126 people at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Saunders’ eye socket was broken during the super-middleweight unification fight, which had four world titles on the line.

It was his first career loss and the injury forced him into retirement, said Mr Gardiner.

He piled on the pounds and started boozing for the first time in his life, the court heard, before finding himself in the middle of the vicious pub brawl just six months later.

His Honour Judge Thomas Rochford said that as a pro boxer Saunders ‘should be able to manage his feelings in a way others can’t’.

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Mr Gardiner said: ‘It was an incident that took place at a time where he was extremely low, he had been drinking for the first time in his adult life. He’d trained to be a boxer from being a child.

‘He got to a very high level with lots of attention and expectation on him.

‘His world came tumbling down in May that year when he was defeated.

‘It was a fight which led to a fractured eye socket and which, in effect, ended his career.

‘He’s a finely tuned athlete, his whole world revolved around being a boxer.

‘He had put on a huge amount of weight between May and November as he was drinking a lot and had come off the rails.

‘He was devastated to see himself behave like that.

‘It acted as a catalyst for him to recognise that he had behaved inappropriately and that he was mismanaging his life.’

In September last year Saunders was sentenced to a community order and fined after pleading guilty to illegally using dogs to hunt and kill hares, but that offence was not taken into consideration during Thursday’s sentencing as it post-dated the brawl.

Mr Gardiner said Saunders had shed four stone and given up booze since the 2021 scrap and is now back in training with a view to having a professional bout in December.

The court heard how Saunders had been training amateur and professional fighters and a string of character references were sent to the judge.

They included a letter sent from a member of the Lib Dems and also ‘a party on the right,’ the judge said, as well as several boxing clubs.

He said he noted his intention to return to the ring, adding: ‘I know a custodial sentence would affect that.’

The court heard how Saunders was ‘a man of some means’ financially and was happy to pay whatever fine or costs were imposed upon him.

He was ordered to pay £1,000 in costs and a £1,000 fine, and he will carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months.

Burly Knowles was jailed for 15-months, with the judge telling him: ‘It was a disgraceful brawl in a bar in which you were heavily involved and used a bottle repeatedly.’

A witness said that another defendant, David Draper, 40, who was on bail at the time, had retrieved a gun during the fight and hid it under a white top or cloth.

The white item could be seen in the CCTV as rotund Draper returned from out of shot, but the firearm claim could not be substantiated.

He was given 12-months, suspended for 18-months, along with 140 hours unpaid work.

He was slapped with a fine of £500 and costs of £500.

Martin Fury, 37, had ‘slight’ involvement and was given a nine-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with 120 hours of unpaid work, and a £500 fine.

Porter, 27, got 33 weeks, suspended for 18 months as well as 120 hours of unpaid work and a £500 fine.

He threw just one punch before being ‘battered by people with bottles’, his barrister Lee Masters said.

All five defendants pleaded guilty to violent disorder earlier this year.

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