UK weather: Beaches packed as seventh day of ‘unprecedented’ heatwave hits Kent coast
The UK has had its seventh day of consecutive 30C heat in September, according to Met Office readings.
It comes after Saturday was provisionally the hottest day of the year so far – with highs of 33.2C (92F) recorded at London’s Kew Bridge.
Various areas in the East and South East of England such as Cambridge, Rochester and Canterbury reached 31C at around 3pm on Sunday afternoon, according to the Met Office, while the area near London’s Heathrow Airport hit 30C around 1pm.
Find out the weather forecast where you are
Beaches along the Kent coast, such as Margate, Broadstairs and Deal, were also extremely busy with sunbathers keen to soak up what might be the last of this year’s warmer weather.
Punters in Cambridge
The heatwave has already broken the record for the most consecutive days with 30C-plus temperature weather in September, with Saharan dust generating vivid sunsets and sunrises in the clear conditions.
The conditions were called “unprecedented” by Tom Morgan, a meteorologist at the Met Office.
Broadstairs in Kent
“We have never seen anything as long-lived in terms of a heatwave in September before,” he said.
Further north, the Met Office is warning that thunderstorms could bring disruption and a risk of sudden flooding in some areas.
Deal beach in Kent
Yellow thunderstorm warnings are in force from 2pm until 11.59pm today – covering much of northern England and Northern Ireland, alongside parts of Scotland and Wales.
Read more:
This heatwave was very unusual – here’s why
Thunderstorm warnings. Pic: Met Office
The Met Office said a line of “severe thunderstorms” will push northeast across the East Midlands and northern East Anglia, with a small chance that homes and businesses could be damaged by lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.
A similar warning will continue to cover southern Scotland from midnight until the early hours of Monday morning.
Sunday seemingly marks the last day of the heatwave for England, as showers and longer spells of rain will begin to sweep in on Monday – and it’s shaping up to be rather unsettled in the South on Tuesday.
Sky’s weather producer Chris England said: “It will be cooler and fresher for many, still quite muggy in the South East, although not as hot as recently.”
Martin Lewis says motorists who were mis-sold car finance are likely to receive “hundreds, not thousands of pounds” – with regulators launching a consultation on a new compensation scheme.
The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com believes it is “very likely” that about 40% of Britons who entered personal contact purchase or hire purchase agreements between 2007 and 2021 will be eligible for payouts.
“Discretionary commission arrangements” saw brokers and dealers charge higher levels of interest so they could receive more commission, without telling consumers.
Pics: PA
Speaking to Sky News Radio’s Faye Rowlands, Lewis said: “Very rarely will it be thousands of pounds unless you have more than one car finance deal.
“So up to about a maximum of £950 per car finance deal where you are due compensation.”
Lewis explained that consumers who believe they may have been affected should check whether they had a discretionary commission arrangement by writing to their car finance company.
However, the personal finance guru warned against using a claims firm.
“They’re hardly going to do anything for you and you might get the money paid to you automatically anyway, in which case you’re giving them 30% for nothing,” he added.
Read more: How to tell if you’ve been mis-sold car finance
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Who’s eligible for payout after car finance scandal?
Yesterday, the Financial Conduct Authority said its review of the past use of motor finance “has shown that many firms were not complying with the law or our disclosure rules that were in force when they sold loans to consumers”.
The FCA’s statement added that those affected “should be appropriately compensated in an orderly, consistent and efficient way”.
Lewis told Sky News that the consultation will launch in October – and will take six weeks.
“We expect payouts to come in 2026, assuming this will happen and it’s very likely to happen,” he said.
“As for exactly how will work, it hasn’t decided yet. Firms will have to contact people, although there is an issue about them having destroyed some of the data for older claims.”
He believes claims will either be paid automatically – or affected consumers will need to opt in and apply to get compensation back.
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The FCA estimates the cost of any scheme – including compensation and administrative costs – to be no lower than £9bn.
But in a video on X, Lewis said that millions of people are likely to be due a share of up to £18bn.
The regulator’s announcement comes after the Supreme Court ruled on a separate, but similar, case on Friday.
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