An amber health warning has been extended by 24 hours for several regions in England as temperatures are expected to soar to 35C (95F) on Tuesday, on what could be the hottest May day since records began. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the alert for the south-west, south-east, London, East and West Midlands and the west of England would remain in place until 5pm on Thursday, with yellow alerts for the north-west and north-east.
Thunderstorm warnings have been issued for parts of the south-west, West Midlands, East Midlands and east of England between 3pm and 10pm on Tuesday. The Met Office predicted isolated thunderstorms with lightning, hail, gusty winds, and up to 30mm of rain in less than an hour.
On Monday, the UK provisionally recorded its hottest May day since Met Office data began, with Kew Gardens in south-west London reaching 34.8C, breaking the previous all-time May peak of 32.8C set in 1922 and 1944. The country also experienced a 'tropical night' as temperatures at Kenley airfield in south London did not fall below 21.3C, breaking the record for highest daily minimum temperature in May for the second consecutive day. The Met Office said 12 locations broke records on Monday, and 97 of its monitoring sites reached or surpassed 30C.
Firefighters worked through Monday night to tackle a grass fire near Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh as temperatures in the city hit 25C. Meanwhile, West Yorkshire police confirmed a 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in a reservoir, despite being pulled from the water and taken to hospital.
On Tuesday, highs of 35C were expected across large swathes of southern England and Wales, including the Midlands, East Anglia and south Wales. The Met Office said many places would reach the heatwave threshold, which requires temperatures to meet or surpass a specific level for three consecutive days. For London and areas north towards Cambridgeshire, the threshold is 28C. Eight parts of England had already met the conditions by Sunday evening.
Temperatures are forecast to gradually decline from midweek but will remain in the high 20s with dry, sunny spells. The Met Office warned that the climate crisis is boosting the heat, and further records are likely in Spain and France as the European heatwave continues.
