September sets dry record

We are heading for the driest September in 44 years, forecasters have revealed.

Only 2.3mm of rain fell in the first two weeks - 94 per cent less than average - and, so far, it is the seventh hottest September since records began.

Michael Dukes of the PA Weathercentre said: "If it continues as it is now it will be the driest September since 1959."

Monday was the hottest day of the month at 26.6C (80F) in places and today could be as hot but light winds and cloud should cool things down by the weekend.

Dry weather has caused sporting chaos across the capital as matches are cancelled because pitches are too hard. Hundreds of our trees are also believed to be suffering. But the news is not all bad.

Butterflies are flocking to Britain, with increased numbers and new species being spotted. Ice cream sellers are reporting record sales and, thankfully, water shortages are unlikely.

Chris Shipway of Thames Water said reservoirs were 70 per cent full, five per cent lower than what would be expected. He said: "We don't have any plans for restrictions on hosepipes but we never say never."

Margaret Donovan, who runs a fleet of 10 vans for Donovan's Ice Cream Vans in London, said profits were 25 per cent up. She said: "We've had a really good September,

especially this last week now the sun has come out again."

But Meg Game, an ecologist at Hampstead Heath, said many trees in its 800 acres were suffering.

She said: "A lot look quite stressed. There are some very old, important trees that may usually hold beetles in damp hollows, so those could be suffering."

Ross Beckett, the second master at Harrow School, said although rugby was the major game pupils chose to play this term matches have had to be cancelled. He said: "We're not using some grounds. We have had to cancel matches and we're not an exception at all, some places are not playing any games."

But while drivers and cyclists may be gasping at least there's the prospect of a delicious slurp from English vineyards, which expect to produce their best vintages yet.