Pumpkins Will Be Bigger This Fall Due to Record-Setting Summer Weather

Pumpkins in the United Kingdom are expected to be bigger this fall ahead of Halloween due to this year’s rainy summer. 

Various types of pumpkins are expected to be larger than they usually would, according to Sky News.

Steve Whitworth, a manager at Oakley Farms, told the news outlet that the wet weather in July and August was “perfect” for growing pumpkins.

"We had a pretty good growing season for pumpkins this summer with a really hot June, which really helped the plants along,” said Whitworth. “The rainy July and August may not have been great for sun lovers or barbecue fans but from a growing point of view for pumpkins, it was perfect.”

This summer, the United Kingdom has its sixth wettest July on record and the wettest ever in Northern Ireland, according to National World, which cited Met Office data. 

The UK saw an average rainfall of 140.1 mm in July. The damp and windy weather made it feel sometimes like it was fall rather than summer.

Still, Whitworth pointed out that the damp summer months made it favorable for pumpkin growth.

"The weather gave us the right amount of rain with sunny intervals especially compared with the challenging conditions we encountered during last year's heatwave, which was officially the hottest UK year on record,” he said. 

The UK recorded its hottest day of 2023 in September with temperatures rising as high as 91.8 degrees at London’s Kew Gardens, according to Reuters.