THE hottest September day in more than 50 years could come this week.

Temperatures tomorrow are expected to peak between 30C and a potentially record-breaking 32C in the South East, the Met Office said.

It means Britain could be as warm as Bangkok in Thailand, and hotter than predictions for Madrid and Los Angeles.

In Chippenham the temperature tomorrow is expected to peak at 26C, followed by highs of 26C and 24C on Wednesday and Thursday.

Trowbridge is likely to see temperatures of 26C, 25C and 24C in the next three days, with the highs in Devizes forecast to be 26C, 25C and 23C. 

Meanwhile Madrid only has temperatures of 24C, 19 and 20 forecast for the next three days.

The last time temperatures soared above 30C in September was in 2006 in Kew Gardens, which hit 30.5C on September 11.

If the mercury rises above 31.6C - reached at Gatwick on September 2, 1961 - then it will be the hottest September day for 55 years.

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: "Basically we've got air coming up from the south. The origins of this air is generally southern France and northern Spain, where things are fairly warm at this time of the year.

"So we'll start to see things warming up."

The highest September temperature recorded was in 1906 when the mercury hit 35.6C in Bawtry, South Yorkshire.

Most of England will bask in temperatures in the high 20s, but it is likely to rain in western Scotland and Northern Ireland, which could also spread to south-west England and western Wales.

Britons can expect to bake in above-average temperatures across the UK for the rest of the week, the Met Office said.

Conditions will become more unsettled on Thursday and Friday when a band of rain will sweep east, bringing scattered showers.