The UK is set to swelter under a 35°C heatwave this bank holiday weekend, as thousands flock to beaches for what has been dubbed 'May's fiery flip-flop'. After days of near-freezing temperatures, the mercury is expected to soar, potentially breaking records for the late May bank holiday.
According to British Weather Services' senior meteorologist Jim Dale, the sudden heat blast returns 'with a vengeance', sparked by an African plume just days after an Arctic polar front. 'We're probably overdue this heat,' Dale told the Mirror. 'It's coming back with vengeance. It is going to heat up quite a lot, to say the least.'
Bank Holiday Monday is forecast to be the warmest day, with London potentially reaching 35°C—nearly 3°C warmer than the previous May record. Other counties including Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Northamptonshire, and Lincolnshire could also see 35°C. Further north, north-west England and parts of Scotland may see up to 29°C.
The Met Office confirmed that high pressure is expected across most of the UK, making it feel 'more like mid-summer than late May'. It warned that temperatures could challenge or exceed existing late-May records, with the peak of the heat on Monday. An amber heat health alert has been issued for the East of England, indicating a risk of significant impact on health and social care services.
