VIBRANT autumn colours can be seen earlier than usual this year, says Forestry Commission England.

This year's rain twinned with plenty of sunshine is a promising recipe for a spectacular show of seasonal colour in England’s woods and forests.

Andrew Smith, the Forestry Commission’s director at Westonbirt Arboretum said: “The abundance of rain we experienced in spring, coupled with above average sunshine has meant a great growing season for trees as it allows them to build up plenty of sugars in their leaves.

"It is these sugars that produce the rich autumnal colours when they are absorbed back into the tree to help them survive winter.

"Autumn’s foliage displays are certainly affected by the weather and this year we have our fingers crossed that it should be good for producing a great autumnal colour display. It will depend a bit on the weather in September but the ground work has been laid for a good show.”

Colour change starts to occur as the days become shorter and the evening temperatures are cooler. At this time the green chlorophyll in the leaves starts to disappear, exposing the yellow and orange hues. Sunny weather concentrates the sugar in the leaf which speeds up the appearance of red hues.

The Forestry Commission is predicting autumn colours from mid-September onwards and if the weather remains fairly dry then they will be at their best from mid to late October with prolonged colour way into November if we experience a mild autumn.

“It is always entertaining trying to predict when autumn will fall," said Mr Smith.

"It is something we indulge in every year at Westonbirt using past records and our experience built up over many years. However, we can never give a totally accurate prediction as nature has a habit of doing the unexpected.

"A harsh storm or a severe frost can easily put an end to a great autumn show.”

For more information about Westonbirt Arboretum visit www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt-autumn