Ben Lowry: The gloom of September and the rapid move away from summer has been banished by this stunning weather - but only briefly, so we need to enjoy it
The temperature recorded yesterday in Northern Ireland of 27.2 Celsius is highly unusual.
As we report at the front of the newspaper, click here to read it online, the temperature forecast for Barcelona tomorrow is typically fantastic for Catalonia, but even so it is only due to hit 25C.
Today is set to be fine again in NI. Enjoy it, because September is the month in which NI weather changes markedly for the worse. The average daily maximum temperature – around 17C – and daily minimum – 9C – is lower than in June. September and June sit on either side of the two summer months yet September is cooler. This makes sense when you realise that the autumnal equinox is only a fortnight away, that sad point after which there is more darkness than light.
For most of the year the difference in weather between NI and southern England is little different. I have spent many years in both, and both are mostly grey, cool and not infrequently damp. But for four months a year, the area from London to the south coast has markedly better weather. Summer in NI tends to end in late August, southern England in late September. And this year became miserable here in mid August while England was still hot. One day last week southern England hit 30C, NI only 17C. One night Katesbridge was a mere 3C. But now the south is wet and cool and here is hot and dazzlingly sunny. A joy!
• Ben Lowry (@BenLowry2) is News Letter editor