I would actually be quite surprised if we didn’t break the record once the 18.00 data is in that will include more analogue maxima readings.

The Met Office don't seem to think there will be anything higher than 38.1C, based on their tweets.

---

 

I notice there was also a freakish late rise at Herstmonceux from 30.8C at 4pm to 34.2 at 5pm, the hottest of the day by some margin.

perhaps something to do with what Q mentioned earlier about the thunderstorms

One about to pass here but no rain yet,  feels hotter than it did minutes ago

---

 

Several are out of action, though. As well as Bedford, there is Monks Wood nearby, and Weybourne in Norfolk, both of which have been off line for days.

What a joke. They need to sort these things out

---

 

AFAIK the airport isn't an official station, so the 38.1C will have been from NIAB.

Do the official records have to be on hourly reports or can they be instantaneous values?

NIAB didn't get very close on the hours today according to this

---

 

Do the official records have to be on hourly reports or can they be instantaneous values?

NIAB didn't get very close on the hours today according to this

No, the record will be the max, which is usually higher than any of the hourly readings. Eg the max at Heathrow was reported as 37.9C earlier but the highest hourly was 37.2C. 

---

 

The Met Office don't seem to think there will be anything higher than 38.1C, based on their tweets.

I thought it was too hot today even for birds?

---

Records can be instantaneous readings. In fact, I’d say that it’s very rare that the maxima coincide with the hourly values.

 

Don't see your point here.  If air masses are altered over a large area then small village's will just an effecr to.

 

So you don't believe in Global Warming then it's all down to uhi effect, come on!

---

Booming Thunder and Lightening approaching Stratford. Sorry wrong threadp

---

 

No, the record will be the max, which is usually higher than any of the hourly readings. Eg the max at Heathrow was reported as 37.9C earlier but the highest hourly was 37.2C. 

At what time interval do the official stations actually report then?

Is there any way to access this data?

How do we know the highest value today was at NIAB?

---

 

At what time interval do the official stations actually report then?

Is there any way to access this data?

How do we know the highest value today was at NIAB?

AFAIK they only report the data hourly, but the Met have access to the running max - either they get a live feed, or the station reports the hourly max each hour to them.

The Met announced that the 38.1C was in Cambridge, and according to the station map the only official Met Office sites in Cambridge are NIAB and the Botanic Gardens, the latter of which is a manual site.

---

This discussion of the 2003 heatwave lists lots of other sites that we never see. I wonder if any of these are still in operation?

https://www.netweather.tv/forum/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=479942 

Aldenham School;
Eynsford;
Greenwich;
Hampstead;
Mickleham;
NW – Northwood

http://www.aldenham.com/weather/pw-h.htm 

If that is the same Met Office-approved one it hit 37.6C today.

---

Quite a few places today recorded their highest temps on record it would seem.
Writtle gave Essex its hottest ever day with 37.7C.
Wonder if we would have got to 40 anywhere without the cloud. Still wouldn’t have been a certainty. 39C yes.

Quite a few places today recorded their highest temps on record it would seem.
Writtle gave Essex its hottest ever day with 37.7C.
Wonder if we would have got to 40 anywhere without the cloud. Still wouldn’t have been a certainty. 39C yes.

It seem very hard to get a 40C here but it will happen one day and sooner than later.  All we need it right set-up without clouds inferring it.

 

It seem very hard to get a 40C here but it will happen one day and sooner than later.  All we need it right set-up without clouds inferring it.

The trouble is, the extreme hot air that we need to get 40C will by definition lead to instability. I think it would be very hard to get a perfectly clear sunny day with high enough  upper air temps to get 40C. You'd just have to get lucky with placement of the showers I think.

---

http://www.aldenham.com/weather/pw-h.htm 

If that is the same Met Office-approved one it hit 37.6C today.

I think Hampstead and Mickleham are still in operation. Not sure about the others.

 

AFAIK they only report the data hourly, but the Met have access to the running max - either they get a live feed, or the station reports the hourly max each hour to them.

The Met announced that the 38.1C was in Cambridge, and according to the station map the only official Met Office sites in Cambridge are NIAB and the Botanic Gardens, the latter of which is a manual site.

Thanks for that explanation. I'm particularly interested as NIAB is literally just down the road from me. NIAB had a visit from The Queen earlier this month to celebrate their 100th anniversary - possibly today's heat was partly the afterglow

It would be interesting to know if the Met do have a live feed from their stations.

---

My sensor was showing 36.1c earlier and went down to 33.4c now it’s back up to 34.2c.  

---

35.8C for me today. Not the highest on record but fairly close. Don’t have the data to hand at the moment but I think the highest was around 36.5C

Temp strangely rising again having dinner in the garden now back up from 27 to 28.3
Drove through a patch of 34.5 near Chichester about 3pm, just west of the bank of cloud
Highest recorded today was 36.8 in the shade here, remarkable for a coastal spot. I think hotter here than 2003 but not as humid