Indeed.

Of course weather records only go back 300 years so only a tiny time scale earth wise.

Cambridge recorded 32C yesterday, but honestly with the humidity and lack of wind it actually felt even hotter than that!

So I believe the date recorded for the 13th September was smashed yesterday, and it was the warmest day in September since 1911. If the temps reach over 30C today I presume the date record for the 14th September will also fall?

Big question now is the possibility of a warm up again toward the end of this month? I believe there's everything to play for with the regard to the CET record for September, set in 2006 with a temp of 16.8C. But even if we don't break that record, it is highly likely this September CET will be over 16C, which is amazing in itself. And to think that the first and second ranked Septembers have all occurred in a period of ten years is amazing!

I seem to remember we missed out by 0.1C that year (2011), and the official record was 29.9C.

BTW the Gravesend max was as reported, 34.4C, on the synop, despite no hourly figures above 32.0C. Must have been an unusual short burst of heat at some point.

Data here: http://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=03784&lang=en&decoded=yes&ndays=2&ano=2016&mes=09&day=13&hora=18

Here's a comparison of the length of day and sun's altitude above horizon between 2 and 13 Sep, the date of the 1905 and 2016 heat peaks respectively. (Note, figures below all based on Gravesend)

Length of day:

2 Sep: 13:29

13 Sep: 12:47 (c. 42 minutes shorter)

Sun height:

2 Sep: 46.24 degrees

13 Sep: 42.15 degrees  (c. 4 degrees lower in the sky)

So it does make you wonder whether if the same synoptics had taken place 11 days earlier, it may have had a chance at matching or beating the all-time record?

And what if same Synoptics occur on 22nd June? Would be 38-40C being reached? Could be with shorter night and night temps would be 22-24C minimums.

Marham and Lakenheath both 31c at 1 pm

Some 2 pm temps

Bedford 32c 

Writtle 31c 

Cambridge 31c

Thanks for this sensible analysis Twister.  We are months away from breaking the 40c barrier. June is the great sleeping giant.  A 1976 type event will happen again, eventually, and that the conditions now in the 21st century have the capacity to smash records should now be obvious.

Was it last year we came close? Last July? I forget the date but we recorded a 37c I thought, despite it being cloudy for a couple of hours in the afternoon. It was high uppers 20c ish 850s in a southerly feed peaking at exactly the right time of day... then a random band of cloud blew over. In the end it didn't break any records, but 40c really did feel within reach then.

It was the only warm spell of the summer too iirc

It was a one-day wonder, July 1 last year. 36.7C at Heathrow. I believe that made it the equal third hottest day ever recorded in the UK (with Aug 9 1911), after 38.5C on Aug 10 2003 and 37.1C on Aug 3 1990. 

31.1C at Marham today

30.5C at Santon Downham but that is an hourly reading. Maximum could be higher than the figure for Marham.

Looks like those 2pm temps I posted were from yesterday, they were posted for today on Look East twitter feed. Doh!

Still incredible temps for mid September 

Meanwhile at work in Faversham it was a good 6 degrees or so cooler than yesterday.  I've never been so relieved to have had a max of 28c.  Not looking forward to 30c or so tomorrow.

:D

No. It happened in 1911:

July: 36.1C at Greenwich (revised from 38.5C) and Tonbridge

August: 36.7C at Raunds

September: 34.6C at Raunds again

1911 sounds like it was a stonker of a summer. The good weather started in May and lingered on into mid-October.

Arpege model has downgraded the heat somewhat for today. 22-24C for most central and eastern areas. Highest figure shown is 29C towards the west of Suffolk and perhaps into Essex. So could just squeeze 30C if we are lucky. 

Today's hotspots likely to be in the area around Writtle and Cavendish.

http://www.meteociel.fr/modeles/arpege.php?ech=18&mode=31&map=330

A remarkable spell of weather

from BBC Weather Twitter 

'Writtle, Santon Downham & Gravesend have all reached 30C today. The last time we had 3 consecutive Sept days reaching 30C was in 1929'.

Cavendish 30.6c the hotspot yesterday probably at least 9 months until we see such temps again. Shame