Warmest September night in 75 years at Reading Observatory

Reading residents may have been sleeping without duvets last night after the town recorded its warmest September night for 75 years. 

 

Temperatures remained above 18 °C throughout the night, following 29 °C reached the previous afternoon. Monday September 2nd became the 29th warmest night recorded at the Reading University Atmospheric Observatory, based at Whiteknights campus, since daily records began there in 1968. All but one of these previous very warm nights occurred in July or August. 

 

Dr Stephen Burt, of the University of Reading’s Department of Meteorology, said: “The minimum screen temperature this morning at the Whiteknights site was 18.4 °C, making last night (2 September) the warmest September night on our Whiteknights records. The previous September highest was 18.0 °C on 5 September 2006. 

 

“The only warmer September night recorded – including measurements taken at the London Road campus, where records extend back to 1908 - was 20.3 °C, on 5 September 1949.  

 

“The warmest night yet recorded - including London Road recordings since 1908 - was 20.8 °C, on 2 August 1995.”