Third day in a row of record-breaking temperatures in the south of England

By Heidi Blake
2 October 2011
The north of England is no stranger to grim weather. As the south enjoyed the hottest October 2nd for more than 100 years, northerners were forced to wrap up warm and put up their umbrellas. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, they were last night warned to brace themselves for the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia, which is set to sweep in from the US bringing lashing wind and rain. The tail-end of the hurricane currently battering North America will hit Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North West of England by mid-week. But southerners can expect to enjoy a few more days of sunshine, with the mini-heatwave set to continue into the week with highs of around 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25C). The mercury peaked at 85F (29.3C) in Santon Donwham, Norfolk yesterday – breaking the previous October 2nd high of 83F (28.1), which was recorded in Whitby in 1908. It was the third day in a row that high temperature records have been broken. Millions of sun-seekers flocked to Britain’s beaches over the weekend, with councils having to bring thousands of deck chairs sun-loungers out of storage to meet the demand. Bed and Breakfasts were booked solid in seaside resorts up and down the coast, and ice-cream makers warned of a shortage as demand shot up by 75 per cent in some areas. Manufacturers said they were stepping up production in a bid to keep shopkeepers supplied with enough lollies to meet demand until the heatwave ends. But as millions of southerners basked in the brilliant sunshine, rain fell across the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland with temperatures hovering around 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15C). The Met Office said that temperatures will have fallen below average for the time of year by the end of the week, and the rain currently lashing the north will move southwards. […]

North braced for Hurricane Ophelia as south basks in record-breaking heat