Britain will be warmer than Malibu this week as Storm Austen delivers a 27C blast of heat – and could also bring flooding.
The 500-mile-wide storm is racing across the Atlantic to hit the UK on Monday. But it won't initially bring the grim weather associated with most fearsome fronts. Instead it will suck up hot air from the tropics and Spain, with the mercury reaching as high as 27C on Monday and remaining high until Wednesday. Highs will be 10C above average, making the UK hotter than the 25C expected in the US seaside resort of Malibu, California.
Warmest in the south east
Though the south east will be warmest, the north can expect 23C. The last time the UK experienced such autumn temperatures was 2011, when thermometers hit 29.9C on October 1.
But the sun fun will not last. The storm will also bring 60mph winds and heavy downpours, with the Environment Agency warning of floods.
Storm naming and warnings
The Met Office said it may be so powerful it could be named. It will be called Austen if it produces amber warnings for wind and rain.
A Met Office forecaster said: “Temperatures are set to rise once again with warmth driven north on Tuesday and Wednesday and highs potentially reaching the mid to high 20s. A low-pressure system will draw in warm, moist Atlantic air, bringing periods of rain and strengthening winds. The most persistent rainfall is expected in western areas. Whether the storm will be named will become clearer.”
The Environment Agency said: “Local flooding is possible from surface water on Monday and Tuesday.”
