Hi can anyone clarify what the hottest officially recorded temperature in the UK actually was. My query follows a recent visit to Brogdale Faversham -which is shown on the Met office site as the record. I queried the validity of the weather station there with some of the locals (it does not seem to be well sited) and was told a very strange story! Apparantly, the area was developed into a farmer`s market/tourist attraction a few years before and wanted some free publicity. Pallets of block paving setts on the site were found to significantly heat up the area where they were stored so they were deliberately moved around the weather station to see what would happen.
Consequently an abnormally high temperature was recorded which was not verified until almost a week later by which time the setts had conveniently disappeared. Were these locals spinning me a yarn or not? I notice some sites show Gravesend as the official figure @38.1 c with Faversham @38.5 as unofficial and not conforming to the immediate area. Any insights please?