October heat record set at 29.9C

1 October 2011 Last updated at 10:54 ET

Sunseekers packing out the beach in Brighton on Saturday afternoon

The record has been broken for the highest temperature recorded in October – now at 29.9C (85.8F).

It was set at 14:42 BST in Gravesend, Kent, beating the previous record of 29.4C (85.9F) recorded on 1 October 1985, in the town of March, Cambridge.

In Wales, a new October record was set at 28.2C (82.7F) in Hawarden, Flintshire, at 14:12 BST, the Met Office confirmed.

Temperatures in England topped those in Athens, Los Angeles and Barcelona.

But it was a different story in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland with outbreaks of rain and temperatures tipping just 17C (62.6f).

In Edinburgh on Wednesday the high was 24.7C (76.4F) – the warmest day in Scotland for the time of year for more than 50 years.

Met Office forecaster Andrew Sibley said: “We have had southerly wind for several days which has brought very warm air up from the south.”

Cooler temperatures

Lauren Cherry, manageress of The Rum Puncheon Public House, Gravesend, said it had been a busy day so far.

“We’ve been rushed off our feet because we have a patio overlooking the Thames.

“Everyone’s been quite shocked about the weather but pleased. I’m surprised we broke the record.”

But fellow publican Paul Drake, landlord of the Jolly Drayman, said it had been a quiet afternoon – blaming the economy.

“Everyone’s at home cooking on their barbecues and drinking their beer from Tesco,” he added.

Meanwhile thousands of people headed to beaches across the south of England.

In Brighton alone, Visit Brighton predicted that 300,000 sunseekers would flock to the seafront over the weekend.

Charlotte Wilford, Hannah ng and Laura Allen enjoy the warm weather in a fountain in the centre of Sheffield

Officials reported a 30% increase in people clicking on to the city’s official tourist web and calls to its visitor information centre rose by more than half.

Tourism councillor Geoffrey Bowden called the visitor boost a “welcome fillip” at the end of the summer season, which helped to support the 13,500 jobs dependent on tourism there.

Tom Tobler, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, predicted it would get a bit cooler from Tuesday.

“Cloud could keep the temperatures down, but they (temperatures) will be highest in eastern England,” he said.

“It’s not going to be quite as hot on Sunday. Northern England will see some cloud and rain moving in.

“The highest temperatures will be more concentrated in southern England, and they will still be in the mid to high 20s in London and the surrounding areas.”

Meanwhile, experts at the Royal Horticulture Society (RHS) said confused plants started to flower again due to the unseasonably warm weather.

Strawberries and rhododendrons were among the plants seen blooming at its flagship garden in Surrey when they were not expected to flower again until next spring.

— ’re ’s , . : A ‘Malign Intellectual Subculture’ – George Monbiot Smears Chomsky, Herman, Peterson, Pilger And Media Lens.