Get set for a sizzler!

Temperatures soar to 82F on hottest August Bank Holiday ever

WE’VE become all too used to summer Bank Holidays being a washout.

But today’s should get you smiling – as well as firing up the barbecue – as it is set to be the hottest August Bank Holiday on record.

Temperatures should rise as high as 28C (82F) in the South East, with a 20 per cent chance of the mercury hitting 30C (86F), forecasters say.

That would make it the hottest August Bank Holiday, which dates back to 1965.

The current record is from 2009, when Santon Downham, Suffolk, sweltered in 27C (81F).

And it will round off what has been a glorious weekend of sunshine around the country, which warmed festival crowds in Reading and revellers at the notting Hill Carnival in London.

It’s a welcome change from previous August Bank Holidays, which have sometimes endured ‘Don’t pack T-shirts or shorts, you said, it always rains on a Bank Holiday’ disappointing downpours. The famous three-month heatwave of 1976 came to a dramatic end on the August Bank Holiday, when thunderstorms hit the South.

This year saw the wettest July in five years and while August saw an improvement, there have been several downpours. Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna warned that the sun is very strong at this time of year so it does not take much for the heat to build up, particularly in urban areas.

However, it will be cooler in Scotland and northern Ireland with up to 20C (68F) predicted, while those in central and southern England along with South Wales may enjoy temperatures in the mid-20s. Meanwhile, the outlook for the rest of the week remains uncertain, as the movement of warm air could determine whether the South East is hit by thunderstorms tomorrow and on Wednesday night.

Met forecaster Sophie Yeomans said: ‘It is a bit of an uncertain week ahead. It really depends on what happens with these warm air plumes.’ The all-time highest temperature recorded in August was 39C (102F) in Faversham, Kent, on August 10, 2003. However, if you are encouraged to leave your windows open, beware.

After last week’s warning of an invasion of spiders comes an alert of more than 200 billion daddy long-legs preparing to get tangled in your curtains and hair.

As with the spiders, this summer’s unpredictable weather has proved ideal for crane flies.

Though they are harmless, the bugs can cause a nuisance when they fly indoors, attracted by the glare from lights as dusk falls.

Richard Lamb, manager at Stratford Butterfly Farm in Warwickshire, said the warm wet weather had ‘provided optimal growing conditions’ for a population explosion.

And this summer has had just the right amount of rain to keep the earth moist, which has helped them thrive.

now, with a burst of hot weather, they are ready to emerge as adults and start flitting into buildings through open doors and windows.