Quite the most ridiculous article in the Telegraph, which was originally published on Friday
By Paul Homewood
Northern England and Scotland will be hotter than Morocco and Mexico City today as Britain roasts on the record hottest May day for 176 years.
Grahame Madge from the Met Office said: “It is very, very clear today. There are clear skies virtually across the UK.”
The warmest place in the country today and Saturday is likely to be Scotland.
“Whether we’ll see that magic 30 we’re not sure, it might just get there,” said Mr Madge.
Yet, as the report further down notes, there was only a slim likelihood of the record actually occurring:
Thunderstorms will wash out Bank Holiday Monday, forecasters say, but the mercury is set to hit the “low 30s” as a tropical blast moves in today and Saturday leaving a “chance” of smashing the 32.8C May temperature record.
That was set on on May 22, 1922 at Camden Square, London, and May 29, 1944, at Horsham, West Sussex, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and Regent’s Park, London. Met Office records began in 176 years ago in 1841.
But the Met Office said showers will hit parts of the the west on Saturday and, after a dry 28C Sunday, thunderstorms threaten much of England into a 25C Bank Holiday Monday.
Met Office forecaster Emma Sharples said: “There is a chance of a 32.8C May record temperature, with the low 30s possible on Friday and, most likely, Saturday.
After around 26C on Thursday, Friday sees the highs 20s or low 30s, with a good chance of over 30C on Saturday, with the London area around 31C.”
The reality was that temperatures came in well below the Met Office forecast. The highest recorded was 29.4C at Lossiemouth on Saturday, which also set the high on Friday. This, of course, was more than 3c cooler than the 1944 record.
(As this is in NE Scotland, there may be some sort of fohn effect there, as it is surrounded by mountains to the west and south).
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/observation
As far as the more representative Central England Temperature series is concerned, temperatures peaked at 26.4C on Friday, well below the record of 29.0C set 29th May 1944.
Indeed there were five days in the 1940s and 50s, when May temperatures topped 27C, something that has not been repeated since.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/data/download.html
So, no records, and nothing unusual at all.
We await a retraction from the Telegraph!
Ref.: https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2017/05/28/telegraph-peddle-hottest-may-day-lie/
