LONDON – Britain is experiencing a record-breaking period of hot September weather with Friday expected to be the fifth consecutive day of temperatures climbing above 30 deg C.

This week has already broken the record for the number of consecutive September days with the temperature topping 30 deg C, according to Britain’s Meteorological Office.

The previous record was three consecutive days, seen four times before, most recently in 2016.

“Many areas will remain very warm or hot until at least Saturday, with the heat becoming more confined to south-eastern areas on Sunday and Monday,” the Met Office said.

Temperatures could reach 32 deg C in south-eastern England on Saturday before easing off on Sunday and Monday, the Met Office added.

Thursday was provisionally the hottest day of the year so far, with 32.6 deg C recorded in Wisley, Surrey, in southern England.

The temperature surpassed the 32.2 deg C recorded on two days in June.

The hottest ever September day in Britain was recorded back in 1906 when the mercury hit 35.6 deg C in South Yorkshire, northern England.

Enjoying the late summer heatwave, Britons have crowded the beaches in the south of the country, including in the popular seaside town of Brighton.

“I’ve been in Brighton many times, but this is the first time I see the beach so crowded,” Ms Anastasia Nosko, 22, told AFP in the coastal town this week.

An amber health alert is in place until Sunday evening for most of England, with the authorities warning of increased risks to the more vulnerable.

The Met Office has said that “as our climate changes due to human influences, hot spells like this are becoming more frequent and severe”. AFP