LAST BLAST OF SUMMER SUN
Hottest September day in more than fifty years is on the way
BRITAIN is about to swelter in a mini autumn heatwave with tomorrow set to be one of the hottest September days on record.
Swathes of the country will be hotter than Hawaii, Los Angeles or Turkey as temperatures hit 88F (31C).
That would make it the hottest autumn day for 55 years, when 89F was recorded at Gatwick airport on September 2, 1961. But the hot spell will not last long. Forecasters say thundery showers will spread from the West by Thursday.
In the meantime hot air pushing in from the Continent will bring high humidity and temperatures 20 degrees higher than normal for the time of year.
Highs of between 80F and 88F are forecast across southern England with 73F
in Scotland and the North. Temperatures will start to rise today with 80F predicted for the South and 64F to 68F elsewhere.
The Indian Summer will be bolstered by the remains of Hurricane Hermine which unleashed havoc in the US last week.
Although it has fizzled out, tropical air associated with the storm will get swept up into our weather system, bringing hot and muggy conditions.
Temperatures are likely to fall well short of the 96F record for September reached at Hesley Hall, South Yorkshire, in 1906. But forecasters Netweather said the high humidity could make it feel as hot as 95F tomorrow in some parts of the South-east and 90F as far north as Newcastle upon Tyne.
Forecaster Matt Hugo said: “There has and continues to be some emphasis on the return of some very warm and humid conditions for some areas of the UK.
“That trend continues at the moment with a likely short and sharp period of warmth and humidity between Monday and Wednesday. The warmer weather returns due to an area of low pressure to the south and south-west of the UK allowing much warmer southerly or south-easterly winds to develop, as was the case last week.
“However, unlike last week, this week is likely to be influenced more by lower pressure, so the combination of high temperatures, humidity and low pressure may lead to the risk of some heavy and thundery downpours.”
The Met Office said today will be dry and sunny for most as the weather gears up for a repeat of last week’s hot spell, which saw temperatures hit 85F in Gravesend, Kent.
The weekend brought heavy rain, wind and cooler temperatures to parts of Britain.
More than an inch of rain fall across the central belt of the country on Saturday.
James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said: “Monday onwards will see temperatures climbing to well above average for the time of year.
“This will see temperatures exceeding 86F in parts of the South by Tuesday and into Wednesday and parts further north will also see highs in the high-70s at the very least.
“This hot spell could be broken up by some thundery showers in places by midweek.”
Bookies Coral are offering odds of 10-1 that temperatures will hit 86F or higher before the end of the month with evens on September being the hottest on record.
Spokeswoman Nicola McGeady said: “With bets pouring in we could be facing a costly payout come the end of the month.”