UK Weather – Crowds pull on fancy dress for famous pub crawl as temperatures reach 33.2C on hottest day of year
CROWDS pulled on their fancy dress for a famous pub crawl as temperatures reached 33.2C on the hottest day of the year.
Cowgirls, priests and superheroes were among those out for the 16-venue event in Leeds, West Yorkshire, as the September heatwave continued.
Saturday was provisionally the hottest day of the year so far, with 33,2C recorded in Kew Gardens, the Met Office said.
Temperatures on Thursday hit a high of 32.6C.
The historic Otley Run starts at Woodies pub in Far Headingley and finishes at The Dry Dock at the edge of the city centre.
The aim of the game is to have a drink in each of the 16 pubs along the way – even if it is hot outside.
It comes as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms from 2pm today with central England and large parts of Wales affected.
The warning, which is in place until 9pm, stretches across from Hull to Manchester, taking in the Midlands while covering most of central and eastern Wales, right over to East Anglia.
Brits are warned to expect heavy showers and thunderstorms with 30-50mm of rain likely to fall in just one or two hours in the affected areas.
Forecasters are predicting the heatwave will continue into the weekend for most of southern England and Wales.
While it will be sweltering once again in the south, temperatures will be significantly down in northwest Scotland.
Temperatures are due to remain high again on Sunday and the Met Office has another yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in place for tomorrow.
This one, which kicks off at 2pm tomorrow and lasts until midnight, covers most of Northern Ireland, across southern Scotland and then as far south as Anglesey, parts of north Wales and Manchester.
Looking further ahead though, the Met Office says temperatures will cool in the coming days bringing with it an increased chance of more thundery downpours and the possibility of more warnings being issued.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “Although much of the UK will see high temperatures and sunny skies continue on Saturday, in what has a possibility of being the hottest day of the year so far, there’s also the potential for some thunderstorms, which has resulted in a yellow warning being issued for much of central England and parts of east Wales.
“Temperatures will begin to trend downwards from Saturday in the far northwest of Scotland, with a cold front gradually moving south through the weekend, bringing with it the risk of some heavy and thundery downpours on Sunday as well.
“However, the southeast will hold on to the high temperatures the longest and could still reach 32C on Sunday.”
Chris Wilding, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Significant surface water flooding is possible but not expected across parts of England on Saturday afternoon and evening due to isolated intense downpours.
“We urge people not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.”
Air Pollution levels through the weekend will also be moderate or high for much of England and Wales.
The high daytime temperatures over the weekend will make things uncomfortably warm overnight, especially in the south, with temperatures in some parts remaining over 20C.
The highest UK overnight minimum temperature for September on record is 21.7C, and this record could be threatened in the coming nights, the Met Office has warned.
