Parts of the UK will be hotter than Mykonos as an “unusual” blast of warm October weather hits this weekend, with London reaching a high of 24C.
Highs could reach 26C in England and Wales on Sunday according to the Met Office, far higher than the country’s average of 13C for the month, making for an “unseasonable” occurance.
In comparison, Greek island Mykonos is expected to reach a high of 23C over the weekend.
Warm air that has scorched Europe in recent days is going to “drift across” the UK from Friday, forecaster Greg Dewhurst said.
In the capital, sunshine is forecast for both Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures of 23C and 24C respectively. Temperatures remain in the mid-to-early 20s the following week.
With the warm weather looming, any keen swimmers have been warned that some beaches do not have lifeguards now that the summer season has ended.
RNLI National Water Safety Partner, Samantha Hughes, said: “Remember to float to live. Tilt your head back with your ears submerged, try to relax and breathe normally, move your hands to help you stay afloat.
“When it is safe, then swim to safety or call for help. If you see someone else in danger at the coast, please call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.”
Scotland has been dealt the worst hand, with heavy rain set from Friday and over the weekend.
Mr Dewhurst, of the Met Office, 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.
“Temperatures on Friday should reach highs of around 22C, Saturday around about 25C and then Sunday around 26C, which we last saw in October in 2018.”
He added: “It’s not unheard of, but it’s on the unusual side.”
The hottest temperature recorded in the UK in October was in 2011 in Gravesend, Kent, where temperatures reached 29.9C.
It comes after the UK’s joint warmest September on record last month, which saw a 15.2C average mean temperature, equalling the previous record set in 2006.
A heatwave affected much of the country early in the month, with temperatures peaking at 33.2C at Kew Gardens in London on September 9 – the hottest day of the year.
