England, Wales and Northern Ireland recorded their highest temperatures of the year on Sunday, marking the UK's hottest May day in at least 79 years. Kew Gardens in west London reached 32.3C (90.1F), while Cardiff hit 27.4C and Armagh 23.4C. Scotland narrowly missed its May record, with Edinburgh reaching 23.5C, just 0.1C below the previous high.
The first area to officially enter heatwave conditions was Santon Downham in Suffolk, meeting the threshold of three consecutive days above 27C. Other areas including Heathrow, Kew Gardens, Northolt, Benson, Brooms Barn, High Beach and Writtle also qualified. Temperatures could rise further on Monday, with possible highs of 33-34C.
The Met Office confirmed that breaking the existing May record of 32.8C is now around three times more likely due to climate change, with what was a one-in-100-year event now estimated to occur every 33 years. The climate crisis is driving more frequent and intense heatwaves, with similar conditions affecting much of western Europe.
The UK Health Security Agency issued amber heat alerts for parts of England, including London, the East and West Midlands, east of England and the south-east, in place until Wednesday. These warn of increased health risks for vulnerable individuals. Meanwhile, three villages in Kent experienced water supply problems for a second day, with South East Water attributing issues to pumping station faults.
Experts urged caution near open water, warning that many drownings occur among people not intending to swim. The National Water Safety Forum reported that 61% of accidental water-related deaths in 2024 happened in inland waterways. Professor Mike Tipton advised anyone in trouble to 'float to live' and to call emergency services rather than attempting a rescue.
