Summer temperatures are soon to plummet

Record October temperatures sent sun-worshippers in Staffordshire and the West Midlands rushing to get their hands on barbecues, sun cream and ice-creams over the weekend. But weather experts have warned that cooler temperatures are on the way.

With the mercury hitting 29C (84F) at the height of the heatwave at around 3pm on Saturday, supermarkets were cashing in as customers filled their trolleys with reintroduced summer stock.

But the mini-heatwave will come to a halt this week with temperatures set to plunge by double figures in a matter of days. Highs of 28C (82F) are expected today but weather experts said temperatures would peak at a much cooler 14C (57F) at the end of the week.

John Perry, store manager at Asda Wolverhampton, said: "We have been able to clear a lot of our residual hot weather stock. Barbecue charcoal has been flying out of the shop. Meat and salads have been selling really well and there has been some uplift in sun cream sales too."

The Shugborough estate saw more than 2,000 people go through the gates on Saturday while the new play area at Stafford's Victoria Park was packed out. The splash pad which shoots six different jets of water was in great demand as youngsters looked to cool down. Families queued along Castle Hill for Dudley Zoo, while Drayton Manor Park, Tamworth, stayed open an extra hour on Saturday.