The United Kingdom has recorded its highest-ever May temperature for the second consecutive day, with thermometers hitting 35C (95F) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens in London, according to the Met Office.
Record-Breaking Heat
This latest high follows the country's provisional hottest meteorological spring temperature of 34.8C recorded at Kew Gardens in south-west London on Monday. The previous May peak of 32.8C had stood since 1922.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across England on Tuesday, forecasting isolated storms with lightning, hail, and gusty winds that could affect large parts of the country, from Bath and Reading to Lincoln and Sheffield. Many areas will remain hot and sunny, but there is potential for as much as 30mm of rainfall in an hour in some locations. The warning is in effect from 3pm to 10pm.
Health Warnings Extended
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) extended the amber health warning by 24 hours for several regions in England. Amber alerts for the south-west, south-east, London, East and West Midlands, and the west of England will remain in place until 5pm on Thursday, along with yellow alerts for the north-west and north-east. The alerts had previously been in place until 5pm on Wednesday, while the yellow alert for the south-west has been raised to amber.
Tragic Incidents
Police reported two deaths over the bank holiday weekend. A 13-year-old boy died on Monday after getting into difficulty in a West Yorkshire reservoir. He was pulled from the water and taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. South Yorkshire police confirmed that the body of a second boy was found in the early hours of Tuesday after he was last seen entering the water at a park in Rotherham the day before.
Tropical Night and Heatwave Conditions
The country experienced a 'tropical night' on Monday, defined as when temperatures do not fall below 20C. Kenley airfield in south London recorded an overnight temperature of 21.3C. Many places across England and Wales will reach the heatwave threshold on Tuesday, with some having experienced such conditions for five days by Wednesday, according to Met Office senior meteorologist Becky Mitchell.
To qualify as a heatwave, temperatures must meet or surpass a specific threshold for three consecutive days. The highest heatwave threshold in the UK at this time of year is 28C, which applies to London and areas north of the capital towards Cambridgeshire. Heatwave conditions were already met in eight parts of England by Sunday night: Heathrow, Kew Gardens, and Northolt in London; Benson in Oxfordshire; Brooms Barn and Santon Downham in Suffolk; and High Beech and Writtle in Essex. Mitchell said that number would increase after the bank holiday weather, but the data was yet to be released.
Record Temperature Range in May
Dr Stephen Burt from the University of Reading's department of meteorology noted that May has also seen a record range in temperatures. 'From the minimum of -0.1C (air frost) recorded on 12 May, to yesterday's maximum of 32.8C in Reading less than a fortnight later, a monthly range of 32.9C. The previous highest monthly range of any month was in May 1944, at 32.8C,' he said.
Forecast and Climate Context
Temperatures are forecast to start declining from the middle of the week, but it is still expected to be largely dry with sunny spells. Many areas are likely to continue experiencing temperatures in the high 20s. However, eastern areas are forecast to see temperatures about 10C lower due to a brisk easterly wind.
If validated, the latest May record means that highest-ever temperatures have been set for seven months of the year since 2003. A previous Met Office study found that breaking the May record was 'around three times more likely now in our current climate than it would have been in a natural climate not impacted by greenhouse gas emissions.' This means that something once judged a one-in-100-year event is now a one-in-33-year event.
In contrast, Scotland experienced lows of -5C last week when daytime temperatures peaked at about 14C to 15C. Amid the bank holiday heat, firefighters worked through the night to tackle a grass fire near Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh as temperatures in the city hit 25C. Clouds of smoke were seen rising from the area, and local residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut as a precaution.
