The mercury peaked at almost 30C on October 1, 2011, the warmest temperature ever recorded in the UK in October – part of that year’s sizzling Indian Summer – and it’s getting hotter this year
Temperatures in the UK are getting warmer – but an Indian Summer is unlikely, according to a weather forecaster.
Nick Finnis, a meteorologist with NetWeather, alluded to the hottest Indian Summer on record in his latest forecast, in which he notes the mercury is set to rise in the coming days. It is expected to peak at 19C in several regions, such as the East of England and the Midlands, on Thursday.
But this is around 10C cooler than the October 2011 peak when the 29.9C was recorded in Gravesend, Kent, during the sizzling Indian Summer. So, Mr Finnis said he reckoned an Indian Summer is not on the cards this balmy autumn. The next pattern does not, Mr Finnis says, meet the Met Office’s definition of “a warm, calm spell of weather occurring in autumn, especially in October and November”.
It will be a pleasant and sunny week, though, with 18C and 19C widely expected on Thursday. It will be warm across the East of England, the Midlands and the Southeast of England. Northern Ireland, though, will experience showers throughout Thursday and into Friday.
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Writing on NetWeather’s blog, Mr Finnis said: “The highest recorded temperature in the UK in October was 29.9C on October 1, 2011, in Gravesend, Kent – amidst a record-breaking hot spell in late September and the start of October that year. This was, at the time, defined as an Indian Summer.
“This coming week will see temperatures generally a good 10C lower than the 2011 Indian Summer, so not really looking like a true Indian summer on the way. Just warmer than it has been this past week, certainly feeling pleasant in the sun. It looks to turn cooler next weekend though, as unsettled conditions return from the Atlantic.”
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It was warm on Sunday, particularly across the Midlands. A balmy 20C was recorded in Pershore, Worcestershire and it was 18.5C in Coton-in-the-Elms, Derbyshire. It was also a rather dry day too, with just parts of the North West of England – including Greater Manchester – seeing showers. The coming days this week will follow a similar pattern, as no significant rain is forecast until Friday for the majority. Friday’s deluge will be the strongest across the Midlands, weather maps indicate.
And so there are now no flood warnings in place, following a series of alerts issued after rain last weekend. Lancashire, Greater Manchester and other parts of the North West of England experienced flooding, which led to damage to homes and businesses.