UK to be hotter than Thailand as African plume hits - with warm weather set to stay until October

4 September 2023, 09:08 | Updated: 4 September 2023, 09:12

A blast of heat from Africa is set to hit the UK, making it hotter than Thailand.

Temperatures are set to soar as high as 33C this week as the UK experiences a late summer heatwave.

The week is set to kick off at around 28C and gradually rise to above 30C by Wednesday, forecasters have said.

The return of scorching temperatures will mean Britain is hotter than Thailand, where it is only expected to peak at 30C in the popular resort of Phuket.

It would also beat the current UK record for the hottest day of the year, which was recorded as 32.2C in June.

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A Met Office forecaster said: "A late dose of summer is on the way. From Monday will be very warm or hot with sunshine.

"In the period to October 1, there is a greater chance than normal of temperatures being above average."

Meanwhile, the Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: "It looks like a staggering heatwave for September.

"Forecast models show 33C on Wednesday and Thursday, which would be the hottest days of the year. 30C is still shown at the weekend."

The dramatic turn in weather comes despite August being mostly cloudy and showery.

And the warmer conditions - blown towards Britain from North Africa - will be staying around well into the autumn, with the Met Office forecasting hot weather through to the end of September.

If parts of the UK do reach the predicted 33C in coming weeks, it will be the first time since 2016 that the hottest day of the year is in autumn instead of summer.

Meteorological summer runs from June 1 to August 31 before meteorological autumn begins on September 1 through to November 30.

The extended period of hot and sunny weather is also likely to mean an official heatwave will be on the cards.

According to the Met Office, a heatwave is "when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold".