Get set for hottest October day in 7 years

AFTER such a glorious summer, it might seem a little greedy to wish for a final blast of balmy heat as autumn sets in.

But sun-loving Britons are set to bask in the hottest October for seven years.

A high of more than 24C (7 . F) in the south-east on Wednesday is predicted to be Britain’s hottest October day since 2011. Gravesend in Kent enjoyed a peak of 30C (8 .8F) on the first of the month, Met Office records showed.

Peak temperatures of up to 2C (77F) are expected in London on Wednesday, while much of central and southern England could reach up to 23C (73F). Areas as far north as Manchester could even enjoy a pleasant 21C (70F).

However, heavy rain and galeforce winds are set to batter the north-west today.

Forecasters also warned that storms will blow in towards the end of the week – with 7 mph winds set to batter the northwest coast.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: ‘There will be a good deal of fine and sunny weather around.

‘We will have low pressure towards the west and that will drag in warmer air from the south than we have got at the moment.

‘There is a fairly good chance of something pretty unsettled at the end of the week, definitely we can expect some fairly stormy weather and some rain.’

The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: ‘Don’t put the BBQ away. It’s summer’s last hurrah, with Indian Summer-style weather through mid-October shown on computer models, with 77F highs possible in midweek.

‘But the clash with Atlantic disturbances means very strong gusts around 7 mph are likely in parts of the north.’