England and Wales set to be hotter than Greece this weekend with highs of 26C

  • Weather

Tourist boards said the unusual warm spell is set to give them a welcome boost before the less profitable winter months arrive, ITV News' Ellie Pitt reports from Margate

Parts of England and Wales will be hotter than Los Angeles and Greece this weekend, with temperatures expected to be far above the October average.

The mercury should reach highs of around 22C on Friday, Saturday will be around about 25C and then Sunday around 26C.

The October average is 13C although the hottest temperature recorded in the UK for that month was in 2011 in Gravesend, Kent, where temperatures reached 29.9C.

Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: "It’s been very hot in Europe over recent days and that warm air is going to drift in across quite a bit of the country on Friday and the weekend.

"There is heavy rain across parts of Scotland so it’s not everywhere that will see the warm spells of sunshine."

Get ready for another blast of heat - just don't call it an Indian summer
A woman enjoys the hot weather on Deal beach in Kent, in September. Credit: PA

Tourist boards said the “unusual” warm spell is set to give them a welcome boost before the less profitable winter months arrive.

But the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) urged people to take precautions in the sea as many beaches are not patrolled out of season.

A spokesperson for the Seafront Office, which operates on behalf of Brighton & Hove City Council, said its officers are looking at adding more beach patrols over the weekend.

While the water is still “perfect for getting in and swimming,” at 17-18C, the air temperature outside is colder and people must be wary, they added,

People enjoy the sun on the River Cam in Cambridge, during record-breaking September heatwave. Credit: PA

Visit Cornwall chair Malcolm Bell said: “It’s great to have a weekend of good weather, albeit unexpected in October.“

"It will be a much-needed boost for outdoor venues with lots of local people taking the opportunity to enjoy their wonderful county.“

He added: “It’s not unheard of, but it’s on the unusual side.”

It comes after the UK’s joint warmest September on record last month, which saw a 15.2C (59.36F) average mean temperature, equaling the previous record set in 2006.

A heatwave affected much of the country early in the month, with temperatures peaking at 33.2C (91.76F) at Kew Gardens in London on September 9 – the hottest day of the year.

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