Northern Ireland weather: Soaring temperatures break 120 year old record, says Met Office

He added: "If confirmed, this will make it Northern Ireland's hottest September day on record. So you can call it provisionally the highest temperature on record reached by Northern Ireland in September."

The previous record temperature for September was 27.6°C at Armagh in 1906.

While September sunshine coinciding with children going back to school is not uncommon, the temperatures have been abnormally high for the month so far.

The Met Office has said that the UK could have a record six days of 30C heat for the first time in the month of September.

Thursday was provisionally the hottest day of the year so far, with 32.6C recorded in Wisley, Surrey, the forecaster said.

The previous highest temperature for the year was set in June at 32.2C.

The 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.

Thursday was the fourth day above 30C, beating the record of three days seen on four previous occasions, most recently in 2016.

While Northern Ireland hasn’t been as hot as other parts of the UK temperatures should still hit the mid twenties over the weekend.

The forecast for Saturday is for overnight mist and low cloud to lift through the morning to leave sunny spells.

A few thundery showers could break out in an otherwise very warm day.

There’s a chance of a few showers on Sunday and Monday, but still some warm sunshine possible on Sunday. Tuesday looks set to be much cooler, dry and bright.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said: “If we do see 30C all the way through until Sunday, which it looks fairly sure it will be, that will be six days in a row that we have reached 30C. Previously in September we’ve only reached 30C three days in a row.

“So although it’s not the the hottest spell of weather we’ve had in September, in terms of prolonged hot weather it is twice as long as we have previously had.”

September’s highest daily temperature reading was 35.6C recorded on September 2 1906 in South Yorkshire, according to the Met Office.

But Mr Partridge told PA there was “no chance” that the September daily temperature record could be broken in the coming days.