1 Oct 2011

October record broken as heatwave continues

Temperatures reach a new record high for October as Britain’s unseasonal heatwave continues.

Britain's autumn heatwave continues (Reuters)

RAF Finningley in Yorkshire recorded a sweltering 30C (86F) at 3pm and Gravesend in Kent was not far behind at 29.6C (85.3F), topping the previous October record of 29.4C (85F) was set in March, Cambridgeshire in 1985.

Wales also broke its October record, which had stood since 1985, when Hawarden reached 28.2C (80.6F) shortly after 2pm.

While much of central and southern England basked in warm sunshine, parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland missed out and faced rain and temperatures struggling to get into the mid-teens.

Rachel Vince, senior meteorologist with MeteoGroup, said the fine weather was expected to last until the middle of next week in the south east corner of the UK, then drop to a fresher 18-20C.

The warm front meant the UK pipped Madrid at 26C (78.8F) as well as Ibiza and Majorca which were both reading 27C (80.6F) at 3pm.

“It’s very unusual. Normally this time of year we see temperatures in the high teens, perhaps just knocking on the door of 20C,” Miss Vince said.

Other parts of the UK could expect more rain in coming days but “nothing particularly stormy or horrendous”, she added.

‘Welcome fillip’

Trafficlink communications manager Andrea Day said roads in the north were very busy, particularly the A64 between Yorkshire and Scarborough and the M55 heading towards Blackpool.

“Normally we would see this kind of traffic on a bank holiday weekend or a sunny weekend during the summer, so to see it at this time of year is really quite unusual,” she said.

Queues stretched for 15 miles towards the seaside resort of Southend, Essex and sunbathers packed beaches along the south coast.

With warm weather boosting visitor numbers in Brighton, local councillor Geoffrey Bowden called it a “welcome fillip” at the end of the summer season and one helping to support the town’s 13,500 jobs dependent on tourism.

Meanwhile, the Royal Horticultural Society reported plants flowering out of season due to the unseasonably warm weather. The society said strawberries and rhododendrons were among the plants seen blooming at its flagship garden at Wisley, Surrey when they were not expected to flower again until next spring.

The UK’s hottest day of 2011 was June 27 when a temperature of 33.3C (91.9F) was recorded at the Olympic Park in London.