Britain basked in its hottest summer since records began 234 years ago, the Met Office confirmed yesterday.
All parts of Britain recorded their highest ever average temperatures for the summer months.
The record was confirmed as September smashed previous records.
The average temperature last month was 15.4°C (59.7F), breaking the previous record of 14.7°C (58.6F) set in 1949.
The news came as a tornado passed over the South Coast yesterday.
The black cloud with a powerful wind funnel underneath blew itself out when it reached cliffs near Brighton.
There were no reports of injuries.
The Met Office said the sizzling summer was the result of the hottest July on record. Wisley in Surrey recorded Britain’s highest ever temperature for the month of 36.5°C (97.7).
While August was a bit of a damp squib, September’s Indian summer saw average temperatures 3.1°C higher than usual for the time of year.
They were the result of southerly winds and cloudy nights which stopped heat escaping.
The Met Office tipped the warm weather to continue in the South although the far North is already having its first cold snap.
The Met Office said it was not yet clear whether 2006 would be the hottest year on record.
But it warned that this winter could be altered by the return of El Niño, a weather system which heats up the whole globe.
Forecasters said it could bring either a warm or a wet winter to Britain.