At long last, this summer is finally hitting ‘scorchio’
IT HAS been a long wait but finally in the middle of next week the British summer is going to merit the ultimate accolade of “scorchio”. And fittingly, since we were bequeathed this resonant but non-technical term by Paula, the Spanish weather girl on The
Fast Show, played by the late Caroline Aherne, this “scorchio” is going to blow in on a southerly breeze from Spain, saving us the trouble of a flight to Majorca to catch the sun.
Today will see the mercury starting to rise, after a disappointing few days, notably in northern Scotland where night-time temperatures last week touched zero. London will manage 79F (26C), Liverpool 75F (24C) and Glasgow 68F (20C), but the sunshine is going to be a bit patchy while the breeze will still be fresh. Be patient, for Tuesday is going to be the hottest August day in these isles for 13 years, with 95F (35C) or better predicted in the South, topping the 92.3F (33.5C) high recorded in Oxfordshire last August, but falling short of the 101.3F (38.5C) enjoyed in Kent in August 2003.
Our good fortune is all down to that Spanish wind – not technically a Spanish plume, the Met Office has pointed out, after claims to the contrary. And it will hold off the cooler, wetter weather fronts way out in the Atlantic, as it extends right up into Scotland and Northern Ireland.
But enjoy it while you can. Some headlines last week were promising a fortnight of heat, but it now looks to be more like 48 hours.
By Thursday our Spanish friend will be fighting a losing battle, and those Atlantic systems will march over the UK, bringing thunderstorms in their wake. The “scorchio” will sadly be a flash in the pan-io.