Britain set for an Indian summer

A RECORD scorching summer is likely to give way to an autumn of “above-average” temperatures, the Met Office has said.

The three-month forecast to the end of October shows “an increased chance of high-pressure patterns close to the UK”.

Sea-surface temperatures at “near-record levels” following the hot weather also make warmer conditions more likely, according to the long-range prediction system.

The report said: “This would result in more settled UK weather conditions overall.”

Although the likelihood of aboveaverage temperatures is greater than normal, “the chances of belowaverage temperatures remain a realistic possibility” it added.

While a weather warning is not looking likely, thunder and hail storms could hit our shores on Friday, a Met Office spokeswoman said yesterday.

“On Thursday we are looking at some heavy showers for the northern half of England. There’s some potential for thunder and hail.

“On Friday that becomes a little bit more widespread with a chance across much of the country.”

Temperatures are forecast to be in the 60Fs and low 70Fs towards the weekend.

Summer 2018 was the hottest on record for England and jointhottest for the UK as a whole, the Met Office confirmed.

Temperatures for June to August puts 2018 at the top of the league table in records dating back to 1910, along with 2006, 2003 and 1976 – all of which are within 0.03C of each other. This summer was notably dry and sunny, although the conditions seen in much of the country in June and July gave way to a more average August.

To the nearest 0.1C, the years 2018, 2006, 2003 and 1976 all saw an average UK summer temperature of 60.4F (15.8C).

In the Central England Temperature series, which covers central England back to 1659, 2018 slips behind 1976 and 1826 for the hottest June to August.

Only 10 summers in the series have recorded average temperatures above 62.6F, six of which have occurred since 1976 and only two of which were pre-20th century.

This is consistent with the general picture of global warming, the Met Office said.