Indeed. It's raining lightly here. 

Excellent, that brings the heatwave score up from 35.5 to 37.0.

Well I never! (back garden near to cliff falling down to the sea).

Thank you for the link. I learn something every day! It's almost next to the old Roman temple.

Yesterday with the NE wind, being on the coast it will be one of the warmer places in the UK. In the winter, one of the places where snow is now as rare as hens teeth.

State of Ground

Extremely dry with cracks

(An understatement)

Everything gone very wrong today, i am in doubt about high SST's as if this was high we would not get those horrible clouds around.   Dirty humid skies now and not much sun.

Needless to say cloudless and hot IMBY. 

It's ironic that the hottest part of the country early this afternoon (with a rounded 29) is Southend! It was meant to be much cooler there (25 max on the MetO raw), but much hotter further west. Not a good day for the models so far...

A teaching colleague in the '70s told me he nearly gelded himself abseiling at Lulworth Cove. I think he was one of the last National Service trainees. 1963 I'd say.

What was National Service?

https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/what-was-national-service 

Currently around 29 about 1 mile south of the weather station 

None of the nearby official stations have updated. Fleetlands was 27C at 1pm and Thorney same at 2pm

Traditionally, farmers begin harvesting their crops towards the end of August and in early September. [BBC Countryfile]

https://www.countryfile.com/how-to/food-recipes/british-harvest-how-long-does-the-season-last-when-is-harvest-day-plus-history-and-traditions 

In some cool and wet years (remember those?) I've seen harvest (in East Anglia) as late as early September

Started about a week ago here  farmers want about 15 percent moisture not much less because of weight per Ton ie heavier than with less moisture.

So this year can go early.

They get paid per Ton think it’s about £150 but has been as low as £60.

Some hold for better price but risky storage costs etc.

Other thing of importance around here is that water tankers are pulled into the field that is currently being harvested because of risk of machinery getting hot and starting a fire in open cereal fields a good first line defence.

29.5c Writtle 

More widespread 29s than yesterday so I think we'll make it again just about 

Might still scrape 31C

I heard that on Farming Today, but the farmer who I saw combining obviously hadn't heard!

A fair number of crop fires around here this year.

Five stations within 0.5C of 30 but no official 30s yet as far as I can see.

Yes , London has had a late burst. 

Kew 29.8c

Teddington 29.7c

HEATHROW 29.6c.

Not sure if the Netweather feed has minute-by-minute data for all stations, but it has't picked up any 30s yet. Might have to rely on a manual station (and most of those in the southeast don't provide data on WOW any more)

Temp is still climbing here, 28.6 is the highest of the day.

And there it is, good old Heathrow with 30.0C at 1620Z.

Or perhaps not. Weatherobs said 30 but Ogimet says the 1620 reading is 29.0.