Brits had high hopes that August would see the return of widespread scorching temperatures this summer - but most were left disappointed when the month drew to a close.
After much of the UK basked in temperatures as high as 30C earlier this year, sun-seekers have had their fingers crossed that another heatwave could be on the way.
While the last week of August turned out to be cooler than many had predicted, forecasters have now suggested that the last burst of sunshine could be on its way next week.
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It may still be too early to tell whether a heatwave could be on the cards, but temperatures in the mid to high 20s could hit UK shores from Monday.
Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said we can expect a "pleasant spell" of weather towards the start of next week.
He told the Manchester Evening News: "In the early part of next week - Tuesday and Wednesday and perhaps Monday and Thursday - there will be parts that will see much warmer temperatures than we have in the last couple of weeks."
Mr Madge explained that for a heatwave to occur, high temperatures need to be recorded for a period of three consecutive days.
In Greater Manchester, the temperature threshold for a heatwave is 25C, whereas in London and other southern areas it is as high as 28C.
Although it is too early to say whether that threshold could be reached next week, the Met Office spokesperson predicted that parts of northern England are likely to record temperatures in the low to mid-20s, and perhaps reaching as high as 26C.
"We might see temperatures of around 25 or 26C," Mr Madge said. "It's not completely impossible."
But he said people should not be disheartened if we don't see the sustained temperatures needed to record a heatwave.
"To get these values in autumn is very welcome, but not unexpected," he told the MEN. "It's a bonus for people who still want to make the most of the nice weather at the end of the holiday season."
The long-range weather forecast from the Met Office for Monday, September 6, to Wednesday, September 15, says: "Conditions are expected to become less settled through this period, though confidence is low at this time.
"Showers or longer spells of rain are likely, the focus of these perhaps across western areas, while some parts of the east may well hang on to largely dry conditions for much of this period. It will also be windy at times, this particularly so around some southern and western coasts and over the hills. There is the potential for some of the rain to be heavy at times, with the risk of some thunderstorms mixed in.
"Temperatures are likely to trend warmer than average across all parts, perhaps becoming very warm at times across sunnier parts of the east."
The heatwave temperature threshold varies in different areas of the UK to reflect differences in climate across the country.
A location meets the UK heatwave threshold when it records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold.
Last week, one small village in Scotland officially experience a heatwave when it recorded temperatures above 25C for three days in a row.
Tyndrum, which lies in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park about 60 miles north of Glasgow, reached 25.6C on Tuesday, 27.2C on Wednesday and 25.2C on Thursday.
