Hottest September day since 2016 as London basks in 32C heatwave

Sizzling temperatures are forecast to last into the weekend and will likely peak on Saturday
Autumn weather September 7th 2023
1/44
Miriam Burrell6 September 2023

The UK has experienced its hottest September day in seven years as the capital sizzled in temperatures reaching 32C, the Met Office has said.

The country reached its warmest day for the month since 2016 on Wednesday, forecasters said, with the high recorded in Kew Gardens, west London.

The heatwave is forecast to last into the weekend and will likely peak on Saturday in London. Temperatures of at least 30C are forecast for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

It has not been this hot since June, and while it is unusual for September to see temperatures exceed 30C, it is not unheard of.

September’s hottest day ever recorded was in 1906 when a temperature of 35.6C was recorded in South Yorkshire.

Climate change is bringing hotter and longer heatwaves with meteorologists projecting that by 2070, 30C on two or more days will become more likely, with southern parts of the UK experiencing this 16 times more frequently than today.

US-based researchers Climate Central have calculated that this month’s late heatwave was made five times more likely because of climate change.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber warning for heat lasting until Sunday at 9pm, meaning extra stress will be placed on the health service because of the weather, with a greater risk to those over 65 or with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

There is also a chance of tropical nights in southern parts of the UK, which are when the temperature does not dip below 20C overnight.

Councillor David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, has warned people to take care in the heat, especially older people, those with children and those who spend a lot of time outside.

He said: “No one is immune to the power of the sun and we know that there is growing evidence to suggest that extreme heat has an adverse effect on our health.

“It may sound like common sense, but drinking plenty of water, keeping our homes cool, avoiding direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day and using sunscreen are sensible precautions we all need to remember.”

He also said there may be some changes to council services such as waste collection being earlier in the day and extra support for those receiving adult social care.

Around half of councils have also prepared to treat roads to stop them from melting, Mr Fothergill added.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in