Met Office and BBC speak out over Indian Summer scorching UK in October

Met Office and BBC speak out over Indian Summer scorching UK in October
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The Met Office and BBC Weather teams have issued an update over a possible Indian Summer sweeping the UK. Met Office meteorologists and BBC forecasters have had their say on speculation a roasting Indian Summer could hit the UK.

The forecasters say there are no signs of any more warm spells coming up. “A UK heatwave threshold is met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold,” the Met Office said.

“Heatwaves are most common in summer when high pressure develops across an area. High-pressure systems are slow moving and can persist over an area for a prolonged period of time, such as days or weeks.” And “Indian summer’ is not a formal meteorological phrase, the Met Office says.

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“The Met Office Meteorological Glossary first published in 1916, defines it as 'a warm, calm spell of weather occurring in autumn, especially in October and November’,” it added. Its early October forecast says: “Typical autumn weather will probably affect the UK with a mix of weather types through the first half of October.

“Periods of wet, unsettled weather will likely be broken up by the odd short spell of more settled, drier weather. Overall, wetter than average conditions are expected during this period, especially for the south. Temperatures are most likely to be close to or slightly above average.”

The Beeb says: "Long-range weather forecast models continue to show very similar synoptic conditions into the second week of October. Given this trend we can continue to expect rather changeable and windy conditions, albeit with some drier and quieter spells in between. Nevertheless, temperatures could remain slightly higher than average with a brisk south-west to westerly flow.

"There are indications that a high pressure ridge from south-west or western continental Europe could attempt to extend into the UK later in the week. The latter conditions are consistent with the developing trend of warmer and calmer weather.

"By the third week of October there is some consensus among weather models that the high pressure could extend over parts of the UK or into the eastern North Atlantic. Temperatures could be at least slightly above average across much of the UK, with the slightly drier and calmer conditions developing or continuing."