UK could have hottest September day for 55 years

Britain could have its hottest September day in more than 50 years on Tuesday.

Temperatures are expected to peak between 30C and 32C (86-90F) in the south-east, while Scots can expect an above average 20C-21C, the Met Office said.

It means that Britain could be as warm as Bangkok and hotter than Madrid and Los Angeles.

However, gale-force winds are forecast to hit Northern Ireland and the west coast of Scotland by the end of Sunday, ahead of the warmer air arriving.

The last time temperatures soared above 30C in September was in 2006 in Kew Gardens, which hit 30.5C on 11 September.

If the mercury rises above 31.6C, the temperature was reached at Gatwick on 2 September 1961, it will be the hottest September day for 55 years.

The Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: “Basically, we’ve got air coming up from the south. The origins of this air is generally southern France and northern Spain, where things are fairly warm at this time of the year. So we’ll start to see things warming up.”

The highest September temperature recorded was in 1906, when a temperature of 35.6C was taken in Bawtry, South Yorkshire. Most of England will bask in temperatures in the high 20s, but it is likely to rain in western Scotland and Northern Ireland, which could also spread to south-west England and western Wales.

Britons can expect above average temperatures across the UK for the rest of the week, the Met Office said.

Conditions will become more unsettled on Thursday and Friday, when a band of rain will sweep east, bringing scattered showers.

The week after next will split the UK, with the north-west experiencing bands of rain interspersed with dry spells, while higher pressure over Europe will hold on close to the south-east, bringing drier, warmer and more settled conditions.