The signs of an early autumn are all around us this year - from blackberries in hedgerows at the start of August, to leaves falling brown and withered onto the roads and pavements.
The extreme heat has undoubtedly caused trees to shed leaves, but autumn is certainly early this year.
Instead of green, many gardens, parks and woods are now a sea of orange, yellow, red and brown, with thick carpets of leaves on the ground. The early leaf fall, dubbed a "false autumn", is a sign of stress, as trees shed their leaves to try to retain moisture.
It is also not surprising considering that July was one of the three warmest Julys on record. Globally temperatures in July were around 0.4C above the 1991-2020 reference period.
Many regions throughout the world experienced record temperatures whilst drought persisted in the US and parts of Europe.
