The UK has recorded its highest ever May temperature for the second consecutive day, with thermometers hitting 35.1C at Heathrow and Kew Gardens in London, according to the Met Office. This follows Monday's provisional hottest meteorological spring temperature of 34.8C at Kew Gardens, surpassing the previous May peak of 32.8C set in 1922.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across England on Tuesday, warning of isolated storms with lightning, hail and gusty winds affecting areas from Bath and Reading to Lincoln and Sheffield. Forecasters said up to 30mm of rain could fall in an hour in some places, with the warning in effect from 3pm to 10pm.
The UK Health Security Agency extended amber heat health alerts for the south-west, south-east, London, East and West Midlands, and west of England until 5pm on Thursday, with yellow alerts for the north-west and north-east. Monday saw a 'tropical night' in parts, with Kenley airfield in south London recording an overnight low of 21.3C.
Tragically, the bank holiday weekend saw several water-related deaths, including four teenagers. A 13-year-old boy died in a West Yorkshire reservoir, a boy's body was found in Rotherham, 15-year-old Declan Sawyer was recovered from Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln, and a teenage girl's body was found at Kingsbury water park in Warwickshire. In Cornwall, a man in his 60s died after trying to save family members at Tregirls beach. Police in Lancashire also found the body of a 12-year-old boy who got into difficulty in the Ribble Valley.
Dr Stephen Burt from the University of Reading noted that May has seen a record temperature range, from -0.1C on 12 May to 32.8C less than a fortnight later, a range of 32.9C. The previous highest monthly range was 32.8C in May 1944. Climate scientists warned of the UK's unpreparedness for such extremes, with Friederike Otto of Imperial College London stating that 'this record-breaking heat has the fingerprints of climate change all over it.'
Temperatures are forecast to decline from midweek, but many areas will continue to experience warm, dry conditions with sunny spells.
