London to swelter in 31C heat, the hottest September day in 50 years

Londoners enjoy unseasonably warm weather in Hyde Park
Lucy Young
Georgia Diebelius13 September 2016

London is set to experience the hottest September day in 50 years today with temperatures expected to soar to a tropical 31C - hotter than the Bahamas.

Traders are cashing in on the Indian summer with businesses enjoying an extended high-season bounce as Londoners take advantage of the autumn heatwave.

Pubs and restaurants across the capital are enjoying a takings boost as diners and drinkers make the most of the unusually balmy evenings to eat and drink al fresco.

But the flash heatwave has also prompted warnings that young children and the elderly could succumb to heat exhaustion and dehydration.

Londoners sweltered through the hottest September night in a decade. At midnight, a temperature of 19C was recorded at Heathrow.

And commuters have been left struggling with the train delays and cancellations in sweltering carriages without air-conditioning.

The hot spell is expected to last to the end of the week as England basks in temperatures in the 20s until a change on Friday when fresher conditions are expected to take over.

Sherief Maki, manager of Soho cafe Bar San Valentino, said business had flourished in the heatwave.

He said: “We’ve definitely had a huge increase on sales, especially with takeaway, nobody wants to sit inside with a hot coffee when the temperature is like this.

“This weather is fantastic for the economy. There are more people outside because it is sunny, so we have more sales. People spend more when the weather is like this.”

Lawyer Killian Kote, 39, said: “The weather is beautiful, but I think it makes people work less.

“It’s not a bad thing though, the streets of London are full which is a lovely thing to see. It’s not bad for the economy either.”

Sales Assistant Kayley Grace, 31, said: “It’s like we have an extra piece of summer. When you think the sunshine has finished, it starts again.

“It makes people go out more, if it wasn’t like this I would be home watching TV, it’s nice to socialise.”

London Heatwave September 2016

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Chef Terry Wheeler, 36, said: “I was actually looking to book a weekend away but I am glad I didn’t now. It has probably been nicer weather here than abroad.

“It’s a shame it is a weekday but the local businesses are happy, the weather means shops and restaurants get busier - plus it makes you feel like you’re abroad.”

Marketing student Alex Smith, 23, said: “This weather is great, but I do feel like I am melting half the time. Makes a difference to the rain we normally have in England though.”

However, not all Londoners were left happy in the heat.

Valerie Shawcross, deputy mayor for transport, who was trapped on a Southern Rail train for almost two and a half hours yesterday evening as she travelled home from London Bridge to Norwood Junction.

She told the Standard: “As it pulled out of London Bridge at about 6.30pm it slowed almost to a crawl and basically halted between London Bridge and New Cross Gate.

“We eventually arrived in New Cross Gate at quarter to nine. I was feeling really flaky by then.

“After an hour of standing, sweating and having a numb foot, a man kindly let me have his seat and the woman next to me gave me her water, I was feeling so queasy and dizzy. Most people standing were.

“People wilted onto the platform when the train finally arrived.”

The Met Office issued a ‘level two’ heat warning yesterday across the capital, as the city was estimated to hit temperatures hotter than Mexico City.

The last time the mercury reached 30C in September was a decade ago, when temperatures hit 30.5C in Kew Gardens, on September 11, 2006.

If the temperature rises above 31.6C, which was reached at Gatwick on September 2, 1961, then it will be the hottest day for 55 years.

Dr Thomas Waite, from the extreme events team at Public Heath England, said: “Because the heat is going to arrive very soon, think today about what you can do, and for those around you, to stay cool during the daytime and particularly at night.

“To keep homes and sleeping areas cool at night remember to close curtains on windows that face the sun during the day, once the sun is off windows open them up to get a breeze and think about turning off electrical devices all over the home as they can generate unwanted heat too.”

A Met Office spokeswoman said: “Basically we’ve got air coming up from the south. The origins of this air is generally southern France and northern Spain, particularly in Seville, where things are fairly warm at this time of the year.

“This is an important stage for social and healthcare services who will be working to ensure readiness and swift action to reduce harm from a potential heatwave.

“Heatwaves can be dangerous, especially for the very young or very old or those with chronic disease.”

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