The United Kingdom experienced a sweltering bank holiday weekend, with the all-time hottest May temperature of 33.5 degrees Celsius recorded in London on Monday. The Met Office confirmed that heatwave conditions were met in eight parts of England on Sunday, including Heathrow in Greater London, Benson in Oxfordshire, Brooms Barn in Suffolk, High Beech in Essex, Kew Gardens in London, Northolt in London, Santon Downham in Suffolk, and Writtle in Essex.
Beach and Park Crowds Enjoy the Sun
Across the country, sunbathers and swimmers made the most of the warm weather. On Bournemouth beach, a patchwork of bright umbrellas and sunshades covered the sand as a land train drove past the promenade. In south London, a person swam in the sky pool near the US Embassy in Nine Elms. Meanwhile, at Newcastle beach in County Down, Kara, Conor, and Katie McLaughlin enjoyed a splash in the water.
Cheese Rolling and Sporting Events
In Gloucestershire, dozens of daredevils braved sunburn and broken bones at Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth for the annual cheese-rolling race on Monday. Participants threw themselves down a steep slope in the first men’s downhill race, while spectators found shade on the side of the course. At Wembley Stadium, a knotted hanky protected a Notts County fan’s head during the Sky Bet League Two play-off final.
Record-Breaking Temperatures
Sunday saw a record-breaking high of 32.3C at Kew Gardens in south-west London, with London parks packed with people seeking green oases. One dog at Battersea Park refused to leave the water. Saturday marked the hottest day of the year at the time, with the village of Frittenden in Kent reaching 30.3C, though this was surpassed as the weekend progressed.
Travel Disruption
On Saturday, new EU border checks were suspended at Dover as motorists queued for hours in climbing temperatures at the start of half-term. At the Euro Tunnel site in Folkestone, Kent, people waited in hot vehicles, while paddleboarders at nearby Sunny Sands beach opted for a cooler form of transport. The Kent beach was packed with revellers across the long weekend.
