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| UK set for driest September since records began | UK set for driest September since records began |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The UK is on course to have its driest September since records began, according to provisional figures released on Tuesday by the Met Office. | The UK is on course to have its driest September since records began, according to provisional figures released on Tuesday by the Met Office. |
| The country received just 19.4mm of rain up to 28 September, about a fifth of the normal level. | The country received just 19.4mm of rain up to 28 September, about a fifth of the normal level. |
| It has also been one of the warmest Septembers in the past century. | It has also been one of the warmest Septembers in the past century. |
| But forecasters say the UK is set for a return to more normal conditions in early October - with cooler, wetter, and windier weather expected. | But forecasters say the UK is set for a return to more normal conditions in early October - with cooler, wetter, and windier weather expected. |
| The Met Office holds rainfall records going back to 1910. Before this year, the driest September was in 1959, when 23.8 mm of rain fell. | The Met Office holds rainfall records going back to 1910. Before this year, the driest September was in 1959, when 23.8 mm of rain fell. |
| Northern Ireland was the driest part of the UK with just 6.5mm of rain, a mere 7% of its average level. | Northern Ireland was the driest part of the UK with just 6.5mm of rain, a mere 7% of its average level. |
| Scotland was the wettest, experiencing 33.3mm of rain. Even that is the second driest Scottish September in the record books. | Scotland was the wettest, experiencing 33.3mm of rain. Even that is the second driest Scottish September in the record books. |
| Forecaster Peter Sloss from the BBC Weather Centre said there was a probability of rain at the end of the month, but that it would be unlikely to stop the record being broken. | Forecaster Peter Sloss from the BBC Weather Centre said there was a probability of rain at the end of the month, but that it would be unlikely to stop the record being broken. |
| "There is some rain expected on Tuesday, which may alter the headline figures," he said. "But it will only have a marginal impact." | "There is some rain expected on Tuesday, which may alter the headline figures," he said. "But it will only have a marginal impact." |
| He said the dry spell had been caused by an area of high pressure which had dominated the UK's weather throughout September. | He said the dry spell had been caused by an area of high pressure which had dominated the UK's weather throughout September. |
| "It built up at the end of August and it just stayed put," he explained. | "It built up at the end of August and it just stayed put," he explained. |
| "The reason it stayed there was the jet stream, which diverted the areas of low pressure and the wetter weather towards Iceland." | "The reason it stayed there was the jet stream, which diverted the areas of low pressure and the wetter weather towards Iceland." |
| Forecaster Peter Sloss from the BBC Weather Centre said there was a probability of rain at the end of the month, but that it would be unlikely to stop the record being broken. | Forecaster Peter Sloss from the BBC Weather Centre said there was a probability of rain at the end of the month, but that it would be unlikely to stop the record being broken. |
| "There is some rain expected on Tuesday, which may alter the headline figures," he said. "But it will only have a marginal impact." | "There is some rain expected on Tuesday, which may alter the headline figures," he said. "But it will only have a marginal impact." |
| He said the dry spell had been caused by an area of high pressure which had dominated the UK's weather throughout September. | He said the dry spell had been caused by an area of high pressure which had dominated the UK's weather throughout September. |
| "It built up at the end of August and it just stayed put," he explained. | "It built up at the end of August and it just stayed put," he explained. |
| "The reason it stayed there was the jet stream, which diverted the areas of low pressure and the wetter weather towards Iceland." | "The reason it stayed there was the jet stream, which diverted the areas of low pressure and the wetter weather towards Iceland." |
| The provisional figures from the Met Office also show that it has been hotter than normal this September with a mean temperature of 13.9C (1.2C above the long-term average). | The provisional figures from the Met Office also show that it has been hotter than normal this September with a mean temperature of 13.9C (1.2C above the long-term average). |
| That puts it joint fourth in the list of warmest Septembers since records began in 1910. | That puts it joint fourth in the list of warmest Septembers since records began in 1910. |
| But the outlook for October does not look so settled. | But the outlook for October does not look so settled. |
| Rainfall patterns | Rainfall patterns |
| "The first few days will see mainly dry, warm weather," said Peter Sloss. "But a front will bring a spell of wet and windy weather to Scotland and Northern Ireland on Friday, crossing England and Wales overnight. | "The first few days will see mainly dry, warm weather," said Peter Sloss. "But a front will bring a spell of wet and windy weather to Scotland and Northern Ireland on Friday, crossing England and Wales overnight. |
| "Temperatures will fall away and we will be back to more normal mid-autumn weather." | "Temperatures will fall away and we will be back to more normal mid-autumn weather." |
| The record low rainfall this month follows an exceptionally wet year so far, including torrential rain at the end of August and the wettest winter on record. | The record low rainfall this month follows an exceptionally wet year so far, including torrential rain at the end of August and the wettest winter on record. |
| Trevor Bishop, the Environment Agency's deputy director of water resources, said that means there's no danger of a dry September leading to water shortages. | Trevor Bishop, the Environment Agency's deputy director of water resources, said that means there's no danger of a dry September leading to water shortages. |
| "We look ahead by modelling how rivers and groundwater may respond to different future rainfall patterns," he said. | "We look ahead by modelling how rivers and groundwater may respond to different future rainfall patterns," he said. |
| "The results show a broadly positive picture and even if rainfall is below average this autumn the country will not go into drought." | "The results show a broadly positive picture and even if rainfall is below average this autumn the country will not go into drought." |