Hottest September day since 1911 (try telling them in North)
IT WAS one of those crazy days of extremes that the great British weather can sometimes produce.
But never in living memory has a September day been so dramatic.
Glorious sunshine sent records tumbling, with a peak of 34.4C (93.9F) in Gravesend, Kent, making it the hottest day of the year and hottest September day since 1911, more than a century ago.
But if you weren’t baking in sizzling conditions then the chances are you witnessed a downpour of almost biblical proportions with torrential rain, thunder and lightning and relatively normal temperatures to go with it.
It was both hotter and wetter than the forecasters predicted, with an East West split dividing the nation.
Most of England did enjoy a memorable afternoon of temperatures in the high 20s or low 30s. Sadly with schools back and the holiday season over few families were able to make the most of the unusual Indian summer conditions.
Those that could popped out to the park for a spot of sunbathing or headed to the beach after school was out.
The late heatwave is set to continue for two more days before more ‘changeable’ and ‘average’ conditions return on Friday and the rest of September.
Yet in western areas of both England and Wales the story was not about sizzling heat but torrential rain. The Met Office warned of flash flooding and an inch of rain in an hour in the worst spots and their warnings proved well-founded.
While in areas of Scotland and Northern Ireland temperatures never topped a chilly 14C (57.2F)
However, for a majority 13 September 2016 will be remembered for its late season heat and splendour. Areas in and around the capital topped the 30C mark and it was the first time the hottest day of the year was recorded in September for 25 years.
The last time a higher temperature was recorded in the UK in September was in 1911, when Raunds, in Northamptonshire, reached 34.6C. The highest September temperature ever recorded was 35.6C in Bawtry, South Yorkshire, in 1906.
In Brighton the beach was the place to be yesterday.
For Oscar Fintner, nine, and his sister Emily, seven, the sunshine meant an unexpected seaside trip after school with mother, Jayne, 41, and their grandmother Judith, 66. Jayne Fintner said: ‘It seemed a
shame to waste an afternoon like this so when the children came out of school we picked up my mother and headed down to the beach for a bit of a splash around.
‘It is absolutely scorching and we can never remember it this hot after they have gone back to school but the whole week sounds like it might be good.’ Beth Dean, 42, and her partner Michael, 53, took the day off work to enjoy the heat and both agreed they had never seen temperatures like it.
Miss Dean, a clerk, said: ‘We may take the rest of the week off if our bosses don’t mind.’
But at Radyr Comprehensive School in Cardiff it wasn’t such a happy picture as hundreds of children were soaked to the skin after being forced to evacuate by a fire alarm.
They were not allowed to put up umbrellas or shelter under trees due to concerns about lightning in the middle of a downpour. A message to parents from the school apologised for the inconvenience caused by a ‘health and safety issue’.
The Met Office said the storms should abate and temperatures were likely to drop slightly today and tomorrow, making yesterday the year’s highlight. A spokesman said: ‘It is unusual to have the hottest day of the year in September and it doesn’t look like we will beat today’s figure.’
The heavy rain caused flash flooding across Greater Manchester and the surrounding area, with 32.4mm of rain recorded in an hour in Prestbury, Cheshire, yesterday afternoon.
The rainfall at Prestbury is almost half the monthly average of 70mm (almost three inches).
Manchester City’s Champions League home clash with Borussia Monchengladbach last night was postponed due to water logging.