Europe has been gripped by an exceptional May heatwave, with record temperatures recorded across multiple countries under a persistent high-pressure system known as a 'heat dome'. The UK broke its May maximum temperature record on Tuesday, reaching 35.1C at Kew Gardens, London, surpassing the previous record of 34.8C set just a day earlier. The prior May record of 32.8C had stood since 1922.
Ireland also recorded its hottest May day, with 28.8C at Killarney and Clonmel. Night-time temperatures have been unusually high, with Camborne in south-west England dropping only to 21.4C overnight on Tuesday, marking another tropical night above 20C. France saw temperatures hit 36C on Monday and Tuesday, the hottest May days on record, with a government spokesperson attributing seven deaths directly or indirectly to the heat.
Temperatures across parts of Europe are 10-15C above average for this time of year. While they will remain 5-10C above average through the rest of the week, they are expected to moderate for the UK into next week.
Meanwhile, severe thunderstorms have struck south-eastern and eastern Australia, with warnings continuing into Friday. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned of damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and hail, with flash flood alerts in place. Dayboro in Queensland recorded 50mm of rain in 30 minutes on Wednesday, while Narrabi in New South Wales recorded a wind gust of 65mph (104kph). Six-hourly rainfall totals could reach 40-70mm, with locally up to 100mm in parts of New South Wales.
