UK records hottest September in 139 years

The United Kingdom (UK) has recorded the hottest September in 139 years since records began in 1884, as per preliminary data revealed by the National Weather Service on Monday.

The mean temperature in September was 15.2 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit), equalling the 2006 record, with the Met Office saying the figures were "substantially influenced" by the impact of climate change.

"This September´s temperature records are heavily driven by how significantly warm the first half of the month was," said Met Offices scientific manager Mark McCarthy.

The UK had a cool and wet summer, with the hottest day of the year occurring in September for only the fifth day in recorded history.

September also had seven consecutive days where temperatures were above 30 Celsius somewhere in the UK, another record.

"The significantly warm start to September was influenced by high pressure across Europe," McCarthy said.

The weather service added that a September mean temperature of 15.2 Celsius for the UK would be "practically impossible" without climate change.

"September 2023´s temperature was substantially influenced by climate change and our attribution study shows how this figure would have been practically impossible in a climate without human-induced greenhouse gas emissions," said Met Office senior scientist Jennifer Pirret.