A woman in Worthing, West Sussex, was astonished to discover that her banana plant had begun to produce fruit during the UK's unprecedented June heatwave, which saw temperatures soar to 37.3C in Cavendish, Suffolk, on Thursday, according to provisional Met Office figures.
Record-Breaking Heatwave
The extreme heat prompted a rare red warning for danger to life, extended across London and parts of south-east England until 21:00 BST on Friday. Schools closed, rail services were disrupted, and a hosepipe ban was introduced in Kent as millions sweltered for a third consecutive day.
Banana Plant Surprise
Gemma, a TikTok user from Worthing, shared a video of her towering banana plant, which had sprouted several small green bunches of bananas. In the overlay text, she wrote: "So hot in the UK right now that my banana tree is actually attempting to grow bananas." The footage showed the plant's large green leaves, revealing the tiny banana bunches.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, banana plants in the UK typically serve as ornamental foliage and rarely flower or fruit outdoors without sustained heat. While hardier varieties may survive in milder regions with protection, the UK climate usually lacks the intense heat needed for edible bananas. Thus, Gemma's bananas are unlikely to taste like supermarket varieties.
Public Reaction
Viewers were amazed, with one commenting: "This s*** is bananas." Another said: "I thought we couldn't grow these. That's so cool - I hope you get bananas." Others shared similar experiences, such as a viewer whose olive tree was attempting to grow olives, and another whose mother had harvested a pineapple in the UK last year.
