Hottest summer ever!
It tops 1976 – and we’re set for even more sun
‘High pressure will dominate’
AUGUST’S final hurrah saw crowds flock to the beach yesterday – as official figures show this summer is likely to be the hottest on record. Temperatures reached 21.5C (70.7F) in Iver, Buckinghamshire and were warm enough elsewhere to attract visitors to the seaside in many spots, particularly along the South Coast.
Despite cooler, damp weather in the past fortnight, 2018 should still beat the summers of 2006, 2003 and 1976.
That is because June and July saw such prolonged high temperatures across the UK.
Yesterday marked the end of the meteorological summer, but autumn is also starting on a high, with temperatures of 23C ( 73F) widespread today and up to 25C (77F) in the South East tomorrow.
The Meteorological Office released its provisional figures for summer, covering June, July and August up to Thursday.
With only yesterday to include the mean highest daytime temperature for the UK was 15.8C (60.44F).
That beats the record of 15.78C (60.4F) in 2006 and 15.77C (60.38F) in both 2003 and 1976.
The provisional hottest average for England this summer is 17.2C (62.96F), beating the record of 17C (62.6F) set in 1976.
A Met Office spokesman said: ‘With one day to go, it is clear that 2018 has been one of the hottest summers on record for the UK.
‘ however, the margin between the mean temperatures is so small that at this point it is impossible to say if 2018 will be an outright winner. Usually we will only quote statistics to the nearest 0.1C.’
The record average daily temperatures for Scotland, 14.1C (57.38F) in 2003, and Wales, 16.1C (60.98F) in 1995, will remain, however. This year, the mean summer tem- perature for Scotland was 13.1C (55.58F) and for Wales 16C (60.8F). The Northern Ireland average of 15.1C (59.18F) is also below the 15.5C (59.9F) set in 1995.
The Met Office added: ‘Summer 2018 was notably dry and sunny too. For the UK it is likely to finish in the top 15 driest summers, and top five driest for England. It is also in the top five sunniest for the UK.’
Rainfall was only 72 per cent of the UK summer average, at 174.7mm (6.87in).
The hottest spell was from June 24, when temperatures reached 28C (82.4F) or above somewhere in the UK for 16 consecutive days, just being shaded by the 18- day heatwave seen in 1976.
The highest temperature was 35.3C (95.54F) at Faversham, Kent, on July 26. The Met Office said: ‘ Looking ahead into the start of autumn, high pressure is likely once again to dominate, with plenty of warm, dry and sunny days through the first part of September.
‘More unsettled spells of weather are expected at times, particularly from mid-month.’
While central, southern and eastern parts of England are expected to be warm and sunny today and tomorrow, western areas are likely to be cloudier, with the chance of drizzle and maximum temperatures of 21C (70F). Next week will start fine and warm.
Although a weather front will cross the country late Monday into Tuesday, high pressure should build, heralding a potential Indian summer.