Seven days of 30C heat in September is new UK record – but storms on the way

The week until Sunday was the first-ever time such a protracted heatwave had occurred in September, the Met Office said

The UK had an unprecedented seventh consecutive day of 30C heat on Sunday but it will be replaced, the Met Office said, by heavy, thundery showers and possible hailstones up to 2cm in diameter.

Forecasters said there had never been a September heatwave on record as long-lived as the one which lasted until the weekend. Sunday became the seventh consecutive day of 30 degree weather in the UK with 32.5C recorded in Cambridge.