Temperatures are expected to cool slightly across parts of the UK following several days of record-breaking heat, during which six people died after getting into trouble in open water.
Record-Breaking May Heat
The Met Office confirmed that Tuesday was the hottest day in May on record for both England and Wales. Kew Gardens provisionally reached 35.1C, while Cardiff Bute Park hit 32.9C.
However, the weather service noted that cloud cover and a developing easterly wind on Wednesday would lead to a reduction in temperature highs for many areas, though south-west England could still see 32C-33C.
On Thursday, highs of 32C are forecast for London and the East Midlands, with Friday potentially reaching 30C in London and East Anglia. By Sunday, the warmest air is expected to clear southwards, bringing temperatures closer to but mostly above the seasonal average across the UK.
Tragic Open Water Incidents
Several people have died after struggling in open water in recent days, with incidents reported in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Devon and Cornwall, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire.
Declan Sawyer, 15, died after getting into trouble at Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln on Sunday. A 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam near Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Monday. The body of a teenage girl was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire.
West Yorkshire Police reported that the teenage boy was pulled from the water and taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The same day, a man in his 60s died of cardiac arrest after entering the sea at Tregirls Beach, Padstow, to assist two family members in difficulty, according to Devon and Cornwall Police.
The body of a fourth teenager was recovered from Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham early Tuesday morning, South Yorkshire Police said. On Tuesday evening, Lancashire Police recovered a body from the River Ribble after a 12-year-old boy got into difficulty while swimming with friends at Ribchester.
In Ireland, Gardai reported that a teenage girl died in the sea at Burrow Beach near Howth on Sunday. Ireland also experienced record-breaking May temperatures, with 30.5C recorded provisionally on Tuesday, according to Met Eireann.
Safety Warnings
The RNLI has warned of the very real risk of swimming in open water during the heatwave. While air temperatures have hit record highs for May, water temperatures remain low, which can lead to cold water shock.
The National Fire Chiefs Council has also issued a water safety warning, urging families to speak to children about the risks of unsupervised swimming in rivers, lakes, quarries, canals, and reservoirs.
Transport Disruption and Tropical Night
Train services across Britain were disrupted as temperatures soared, with Network Rail imposing speed restrictions to keep trains safe on Tuesday.
The UK experienced a tropical night on Monday, as the record for the warmest minimum temperature in May was broken for the second consecutive day. Temperatures did not fall below 20C overnight in parts of the UK, with 21.3C recorded at Kenley Airfield in south London.
Exceptional Heat and Climate Change
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill described the exceedingly hot temperatures as exceptional, noting that for May, which is still meteorological spring, such heat is historic and worrying. He compared it to the first time the UK reached 40C.
The UK Health Security Agency confirmed that amber heat-health alerts remain in place for the South West, South East, London, East and West Midlands, and the East of England until 5pm on Thursday, with yellow alerts for the North West and North East.
The Met Office highlighted that a climate attribution study published last summer found that the chances of surpassing the May temperature record have been increasing due to human greenhouse gas emissions. The study concluded that breaking the previous 32.8C May record is now around three times more likely in the current climate than it would have been without human-induced climate change.
