Yes the sun has broken through again in the last half hour in the London area.

We should get these in the next few days starting later tonight.

Good post Dave.

20-21c 850Hpa temps and 25-26c 925Hpa temps always put today on a different pitch. Being one of the expectant 35c crew, even today has surpassed my calculations and expectations.

Thicknesses were never really discussed on this forum but 575dam air here in the SE is off the scale for SE England. Our usual annual peak sits between 566-569dam air normally..again, today we were on a different pitch.

EDIT

As a non alcoholic drinker these days I shall be celebrating with Whether Idle on the Cliffs at Capel with an ice cold orange juice and lemonade looking SSW'wards for some storm action. All members of the SE Kent posse are welcome to come along. 8pm at the Lighthouse.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/observation/gcvwr3zrw

Absolutely cracking the flags in edinburgh at a staggering 16.6c at 4pm

Only about 8c lower than the metoffice was predicting at 3pm... where do I go for a refund?

And lo and behold, Heathrow back up to 35C.

EDIT: And Northolt too.

The 1990 hot spell (2nd only to 2003) broke records with 850s barely above 15C! Really there are three main factors at play imho:

1) Airmass temperature

2) Wind speed (stagnation potential)

3) Moisture inc cloud cover

Today only 1) was exceptional, in fact the other two factors worked against us. Had they been working with us then I'm sure we could have seen 40C like the NAVGEM predicted (I also want to point out the NAVGEM 12Z yesterday actually was the closest!).

I think the main reason we saw such high temps today was the wind direction, unusually the absolute shortest possible track was taken, and this coupled with a warm continent gave a fairly high lapse rate (20C at 850hpa to 36C at 1010hpa)

Ot but is that ... er .... large lady from the West Midlands still at the Lighthouse? ;)

Not much let up on that for while Nick think those are absolute values

http://www.meteociel.fr/modeles/gfs/royaume-uni/humidite/15h.htm

OT but avoid A2 Darenth way, not moving at all & in this heat you dont wanna be stuck

Another big clearance coming over that's why. Last chance of the day. Let's get a nice clean 37C!

Impressive that these temperatures have been achieved with big lumps of cloud floating about too.

Max. 31.7c @ 16:48 31.4c now. still mostly sunny.

o/t is there something you would like to share with us Justin

On topic..days like today reinforce my believe that 40c (104f) is easily achievable in the UK if all the parameters come together.

Hi Tim.

My sensor outside says 32C. Not scientific, but perhaps not far off the mark as Bingley Samos has recorded 30.6C at 1600! It's usually a bit cooler there than here, so who knows?

Perhaps later this summer.  The cloud patch that traversed the maximum heat zone between 11am-3pm may have robbed us of something even more extreme.  Meanwhile here in Dover I'm ecstatic at another record achieved and this truly remarkable burst of warmth has rekindled my love of the Great British Weather.

On days like this, watch the 1800hrs  readings for the max!

little streamer trying to get into s/e England cape values look good over the coming hours

http://www.raintoday.co.uk/

Thanks Simon. Well Leeds Bradford with its cold bias has reached a perhaps unheard of rounded 30c at 17.20. Can't see a 30c in the historic records.  Leeds weather station could be 2-5c warmer than the airport under sunny conditions . Think record in the centre was 34.4c in 1990.  Given your reading perhaps 33c in the centre,same as Doncaster and Sheffield. 

33.9c here - warmest since 20th July 2006 and overall 6th warmest day ever (only July 2003, August 2003 and July 2006 have produced hotter days since my records began in 2003)

Well it's been ace here in Mytholmroyd today!!!! Too humid now to even pick up the guitar never mind pick it!!! ( feel a deliverance moment comin' on........)

Plenty of time for storms to pop up but I note the Fax chart has slowed up the cold front so we may face another day like this 2 moz???

If the front holds off 'till afternoon then hell! could be very interesting!!