YORK and North Yorkshire are set to enjoy two or three more days of warm sunshine before the weather breaks and autumn arrives.

Forecasters expect temperatures to rise to 21C both tomorrow and on Saturday, with further long sunny periods after early mist and fog patches clear.

Sunday should start sunny and warm but there could be showery and thundery rain later as high pressure slips away towards the Continent.

Showers or longer spells of rain are expected to become more frequent through next week, with strong winds, as low pressure arrives.

Recent dry weather has led to the North York Moors National Park Authority issuing a fire alert, warning that ground vegetation such as heather and bracken is very dry and could easily catch fire.

Authority staff have been putting up fire risk warning signs, advising people how they can help to reduce the risk.

Senior Ranger Bernie McLinden said: “People are asked to avoid lighting fires and BBQs and not to discard cigarettes, matches or glass bottles, including throwing cigarette ends out of car windows."