The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended an amber health warning for several regions in England until 5pm on Thursday, as temperatures are forecast to reach 35C on Tuesday, potentially breaking May records. The alert covers the south-west, south-east, London, East and West Midlands, and the west of England, with yellow alerts in place for the north-west and north-east.
Monday saw the UK experience a 'tropical night' as the record for the highest daily minimum temperature in May was broken for the second consecutive day. Temperatures did not fall below 21.3C at Kenley airfield in south London, following a provisional all-time hottest May day of 34.8C recorded at Kew Gardens. The Met Office confirmed that 12 locations broke records on Monday, with 97 monitoring sites reaching or surpassing 30C.
However, thunderstorms are expected to bring some relief, with warnings issued for parts of the south-west, West Midlands, East Midlands, and east of England between 3pm and 10pm on Tuesday. Isolated thunderstorms with lightning, hail, and gusty winds are predicted, along with up to 30mm of rain in less than an hour.
Firefighters tackled a grass fire near Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh as temperatures hit 25C, while a 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in a West Yorkshire reservoir. The Met Office noted that heatwaves are developing more quickly due to the climate crisis, with temperatures expected to gradually decline from midweek but remain in the high 20s.
