PEOPLE have enjoyed a hot start to September, triggering warnings for Brighton Marathon runners amid soaring temperatures.

Temperatures reached a scorching 28C in some parts of the country yesterday and the Met Office has said some areas are edging close to recording an official heatwave.

And the mercury could hit 20C in Brighton on Sunday, prompting marathon organisers to add more water and shower stations along the 26-mile route.

Runners are being advised to consider dropping their goal-times and run more slowly if they are feeling too hot and overwhelmed.

They are also being told to be alert to signs of heatstroke and participants who have suffered from it before are being told not to take part.

Advice published on the Brighton Marathon website reads: “If you feel yourself getting confused or too hot, or very weak during the event, this may be a sign of heat stroke and you must stop immediately and get help from one of the medical team or race marshalls.

“There are medical tents along the course and at the finish.

“It is also important to know that if you have ever collapsed due to heatstroke (rather than from exhaustion and recovered within minutes), we advise that you should not take part in the marathon on Sunday.”

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said some parts of the UK could record an official heatwave this week.

The UK heatwave threshold is period of at least three consecutive days of daily maximum temperature levels meeting or exceeding thresholds which vary across the country.

Greg said: “We often get a warmer spell particularly early on in September.

“August was particularly cool and cloudy, so this spell is the warmest spell of weather since July for the UK.”

September has already beaten this August’s highest temperature of 27.2C in the UK, which last happened in 2016.

The current warm weather follows the official end of summer, from a meteorological point of view, which is considered to be August 31.

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