Spectacular autumn leaves expected after warm UK summer

Bright reds, orange and gold colours will gradually appear on our trees in the coming weeks.

The autumn tree display is expected to be even more vibrant this year according to Forestry England, external.

Very warm and sunny weather over the summer means that trees have produced more sugar in their leaves which will transform them into brighter colours.

Early displays are likely from mid-September and lasting well into November in some parts of the UK.

With the nights drawing in along with wetter, windier and cooler weather recently, you may have noticed it's starting to feel like autumn.

One of the more spectacular parts of the new season arriving is the leaves turning into a colourful display.

Forestry England experts think this autumn will be even more dramatic than usual.

"We've had a very warm and sunny summer, and that helps trees build up the sugars in their leaves that create those amazing autumn colours...and we're expecting a really beautiful display this year," said Andrew Smith, Director of Forestry England's Westonbirt, The National Arboretum.

Gradually the lower light levels into autumn reduces the production of the green pigment - chlorophyll - and the underlying colours of yellow, red and orange come through.

But with a record-breaking warm summer and sunshine amounts above average, trees produced more sugars in their leaves.

And with higher sugar concentrations, a pigment called anthocyanin is produced, making the leaves even redder.

Forestry England suggests that "if we continue to experience warm days and cool, dry nights in September, we could see one of the most flamboyant autumn displays in recent years".

However, as Kevin Martin, Head of Tree Collections at Kew Gardens points out "we may not see the spectacular display when all trees change colour at once, as some trees have already changed and shed their leaves".

Known as a 'false autumn' - the leaves on some trees such as horse chestnut have already turned brown and dropped in response to the stress of drought.

Although in response to the recent rainfall, some of these trees at Kew Gardens have started to regrow temporarily before the regular autumn change comes.

With varying weather and temperatures across the UK, the displays of autumn leaves may not all come at the same time.

And different trees will also react to the changing conditions at different times.

In southern England trees are expected to start changing from mid-September.

At Kew for example, Mr Martin suggests there will be a "good overlap when many of the trees will be changing colour from mid-to-late October".

"And one of the most spectacular displays of autumn colour is the American ash where the leaves will turn a golden yellow before changing into purples and deep red," he added.

In central parts of the UK peak colours are expected from late September to mid-October according to experts.

And in northern parts where temperatures are lower with rainfall likely to be higher, the vibrant colours are more likely to last into November.