The UK is expected to experience a prolonged period of warm weather known as an Indian Summer in October. Temperatures could soar above 21C later in the month, particularly early next week. The country has been enjoying an abnormally dry summer and autumn, leading to a Mediterranean-like climate nationwide, as confirmed by a meteorologist.
Most parts of the UK are anticipated to see temperatures ranging between 18C and 21C this month, which is unusually high for this time of year, according to senior meteorologist Jim Dale from British Weather Services. He mentioned that such temperature spikes are becoming more frequent and are likely to persist due to climate change.
Dale pointed out that a stretch of around 10 to 12 days of dry weather is still expected, with temperatures fluctuating between 18C and 21C. He projected that by mid-October, the warmer weather associated with an Indian Summer would become more prominent, reaching the 18s and 19s, potentially even hitting 20 to 21 degrees.
The likelihood of temperatures reaching 21C is highest around Wiltshire next Tuesday, according to the latest Ventusky weather maps. Other regions such as Taunton, Bristol, Gloucester, London, the south-east, Birmingham, Doncaster, and Cambridgeshire are expected to reach around 20C at the same time. The rest of the UK, including Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, is forecasted to experience temperatures between 18C and 19C.
Although “Indian Summer” is not an official meteorological term, it is commonly used to describe a warm and calm weather period that occurs in autumn, especially during October and November, as defined by the Met Office. While warm spells later in the year are not uncommon in the UK, the warmest October day on record was in 2011 when Gravesend, Kent recorded 29.9C. In November 2015, Ceredigion, Wales also experienced a high of 22.4C.
Following the passage of Storm Amy over the weekend, which brought strong winds up to 100mph in Northern Ireland and Scotland, leading to unfortunate incidents like the death of Paul Whitehead due to a falling tree branch in West Yorkshire, the UK is now set to enjoy a period of warmer weather as an Indian Summer unfolds.
