Autumn put on hold as South-East basks in sun

WEATHER experts said today London was basking in the hottest October temperatures for years.

Forecasters said tropical air from the south had taken temperatures in the capital to a summer-style 23.2C yesterday, about 7C above the normal average for the month. Today temperatures up to 22C are predicted.

Jeremy Plester, from PA WeatherCentre, said: "These temperatures are quite unusual for this time of year.

We are still early in the month but the average is already several degrees higher than could be expected.

"Overnight temperatures are like summertime as well.

At 10pm last night, it was 19C, which is very warm indeed. It is as though the autumn has been put on hold."

Forecasters warned that the South-East could see some rain tomorrow but the overall forecast for the rest of the week was fine - although not as hot as today or yesterday.

London still has some way to go to reach its highest recorded October temperatures. The top temperature recorded for 10 October was 25.6C in Kensington back in 1921, while the hottest recorded temperature for any day in the month was in 1985 when it hit 26.5C.

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