The September heatwave is at an end in Northern Ireland but not yet in England

By Luke O'Reilly
Published 10th Sep 2023, 23:13 BST
Updated 10th Sep 2023, 23:25 BST
General views of Newcastle, Co Down, on Friday as temperatures reached an all-time high for September in Northern Ireland. Photo by Phil Magowan / Press EyeGeneral views of Newcastle, Co Down, on Friday as temperatures reached an all-time high for September in Northern Ireland. Photo by Phil Magowan / Press Eye
General views of Newcastle, Co Down, on Friday as temperatures reached an all-time high for September in Northern Ireland. Photo by Phil Magowan / Press Eye
​Northern Ireland enjoyed its seventh day of warm sunny weather yesterday, but it is now expected to end.

Great Britain also had a seventh consecutive day of even hotter temperatures, above 30 Celsius, the Met Office said.

NI in the last week saw its hottest ever September day, on Friday, when the temperature reached 28 Celsius (82 Fahrenheit), breaking the 1906 record in Armagh of 27.6C (82F). On Thursday the record had almost been broken with 27.3 in Magilligan.

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On Saturday the hot weather continued with 27.1C at Ballywatticock in Co Down, and again today (Sunday) with 25.0C in Derrylin.

A view of a busy beach in Margate, Kent in hot weather on Sunday. Pic Gareth Fuller/PA WireA view of a busy beach in Margate, Kent in hot weather on Sunday. Pic Gareth Fuller/PA Wire
A view of a busy beach in Margate, Kent in hot weather on Sunday. Pic Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

However much cooler is expected on Monday, with a maximum in the province of high teens.

England has been consistently far hotter still during this September wave of sweltering weather. It reached a staggering 33.2C (92F) in Kew Gardens, London on Saturday – the hottest day of 2023, but not the hottest ever UK September day. And it was 32.5C (91F) in Cambridge today (Sunday).

While NI is due seasonable weather in the mid teens this week, southern England will be much warmer, reaching the low to mid 20sC.

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It came as a further weather warning has been issued, covering southern Scotland from midnight until 6am on Monday morning. This follows thunderstorm warnings already in place for parts of the UK on Sunday afternoon.

People use umbrellas to shelter from the sun whilst taking a punt tour along the River Cam in Cambridge, which was the hottest place in the UK on Sunday. Joe Giddens/PA WirePeople use umbrellas to shelter from the sun whilst taking a punt tour along the River Cam in Cambridge, which was the hottest place in the UK on Sunday. Joe Giddens/PA Wire
People use umbrellas to shelter from the sun whilst taking a punt tour along the River Cam in Cambridge, which was the hottest place in the UK on Sunday. Joe Giddens/PA Wire

This week's heatwave has already broken the record for the most consecutive days with temperatures above 30C in September, with Saharan dust generating vivid sunsets and sunrises in the clear conditions.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said that the heatwave is "unprecedented".

"We have never seen anything as long lived in terms of a heatwave in September before," he said.

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Amid the hot weather, a yellow thunderstorm warning spanning Northern Ireland, northern parts of England and Wales as well as southern and north-eastern Scotland has been issued by the Met Office from 2pm until 11.59pm on Sunday.

The warning means some people could be in store for flash flooding, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds - with possible interruptions to road access and public transport if such circumstances were to occur.

A similar weather weather warning will continue to cover southern Scotland from midnight until the early hours of Monday morning.

"We have a third thunderstorm warning overnight for southern Scotland," Mr Morgan said.

"That expires at 6am. And then once that's cleared, there will be a few thunderstorms tomorrow.

"But for the vast majority they will be a bit more scattered in nature than today."

Related topics:EnglandNorthern IrelandMet OfficeGreat BritainScotlandArmagh