The UK has experienced its hottest May day ever recorded, with a temperature of 34.8C provisionally logged at Kew Gardens in London on Monday. The previous national record for May, 33.5C, had stood since 1922 and was equalled in 1944. The Met Office confirmed that Heathrow Airport saw 33.5C at lunchtime, while other areas in the south-east also exceeded 33C, including Teddington (34C), Benson (33.6C) and Wisley (33.3C).
Wales also provisionally broke its May record, with Hawarden airport near the English border reaching 32.2C, surpassing the 1944 high of 30.6C in Newport. Scotland and Northern Ireland saw cooler but still notable temperatures of 25.5C and 24.6C respectively, marking their warmest days of the year so far. The heat is forecast to persist, with 35C possible on Tuesday before easing to 31C on Wednesday and 30C on Thursday.
The hot weather has had immediate effects, including a large grass fire in Holyrood Park near Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh and water supply interruptions for about 500 properties in Sussex and Kent due to increased demand. Overnight temperatures also broke the UK's highest minimum for May, with Kenley airfield recording a low of 19.4C on Sunday night. Health warnings have been issued, with amber heat alerts in place and experts highlighting risks to vulnerable people.
Dr Chloe Brimicombe, a climate researcher at the University of Oxford, said the record-breaking heat was "a reminder of how climate change is impacting our lives in the UK". The Climate Change Committee recently advised installing air conditioning in care homes, hospitals and schools, and setting maximum working temperatures. Across Europe, heatwave alerts have been issued in eight areas, with France and Spain expecting temperatures of up to 37C. Scientists attribute the increased frequency of such extremes to rising global temperatures driven by carbon emissions.
