THIS YEAR has continued to break temperature records as it sees the hottest September night in over 80 years.
Data from the University of Reading shows that the 24-hour minimum temperature for Wednesday, September 30 , was 18.8 °C, as of 4.39am.
This marked the warmest September night on the university’s records since 1949, and the second-highest on record for September, on records dating back to 1908.
Only once has a higher minimum temperature been recorded in September, when on September 5, 1949, the 24-hour minimum temperature was 20.3 °C.
It comes after this summer broke numerous meteorological records: May saw Reading experience its hottest May day on record when the maximum temperature reached 32.8 °C– more than fifteen degrees above the May average of 17.4 °C.
Tuesday, May 26, proved to be the third consecutive day in heatwave conditions (meaning a temperature of 28 °C or more).
April also saw our earliest ever day hitting 25 °C.
Dr Stephen Burt, of the University of Reading’s Department of Meteorology, said: “Today’s extreme is all the more remarkable for occurring on the last day of the month.
“In our entire near 120-year record, no other autumn night after mid-September has ever been warmer than 17 °C.
“The record brings to a close another remarkable month in this remarkable year for weather.
“September’s mean temperature of 17.3 °C, which is 2.5 degrees above the current 30-year average, ranks as the equal third-warmest September on record, alongside 1949.
“Only the Septembers of 2006 (mean 18.0 °C) and 2023 (17.8 °C) have been warmer.
He explained: “Even if the mean temperature of the remaining three months of this year is simply average, 2026 will surpass our previous warmest calendar year (2022) by a remarkable 0.6 degrees in mean temperature.
“In contrast, the previous four warmest years on our record are separated by just 0.11 degrees.
“Meanwhile, rainfall continues in short supply. To this morning we have received just 17 mm this month, far from a record but just one-third of the average, while the calendar year to date total amounts to just 360 mm, almost 20 per cent below average.
“Sunshine has been close to average this month, but as we surpassed our annual average over a month ago, every hour of sunshine to year-end is a bonus.”
