The United Kingdom experienced a 'tropical night' on Monday as the record for the highest daily minimum temperature in May was broken for the second consecutive day. Temperatures did not fall below 21.3C at Kenley airfield in south London, following the hottest May day since Met Office records began.
Record-Breaking Heat
On Monday, Kew Gardens in south-west London recorded a provisional all-time hottest meteorological spring temperature of 34.8C, surpassing the previous May peak of 32.8C set in 1922 and 1944. The Met Office listed 12 locations where this record was topped, spanning from Suffolk to Berkshire to Warwickshire, while 97 monitoring sites reached or exceeded 30C.
The previous warmest May night was on Sunday, when temperatures did not fall below 19.4C at Kenley airfield. The Met Office stated, 'We have provisionally broken the UK record for highest daily minimum temperature in May ... again.' They added that temperatures did not fall below 21.3C overnight, making it a 'tropical night' (defined as no lower than 20C).
Climate Change Impact
Senior forecaster Greg Dewhurst noted that heatwaves now develop much more quickly than in the past, attributing this to climate change. 'In the past, heatwaves built and built over days and days, these now just develop so quickly,' he said on Monday.
On Tuesday, highs of 35C were expected across large parts of southern England and Wales, potentially nearing 36C, according to a Met Office meteorologist. These forecasts also covered the Midlands, south-east and south-west England, East Anglia, and south Wales. Many locations will reach the heatwave threshold on Tuesday, with some having experienced it for five days by Wednesday. However, thunderstorms may develop in the afternoon, affecting high temperatures.
Heatwave Definition
A heatwave requires temperatures to meet or exceed a specific threshold for three consecutive days. For this time of year, the highest threshold in the UK is 28C, applied to London and north of the capital towards Cambridgeshire. By Sunday evening, eight parts of England had already met these conditions, including Heathrow, Kew Gardens, and Northolt in London, as well as locations in Oxfordshire, Suffolk, and Essex. The number was expected to rise after the bank holiday, though data was still pending.
Mitchell noted that with nearly 100 sites reaching 30C on Monday, it 'goes to show how many places would have succeeded their heatwave threshold.'
Fire Incident in Edinburgh
On Monday evening, fire and smoke spread across a large area of Holyrood Park in Edinburgh near Arthur's Seat. Emergency services responded around 6:50 PM, with the fire starting in vegetation near the ruins of St Anthony's Chapel. Two fire engines remained at the scene by 6:30 AM Tuesday, with firefighters working through the night to control the blaze. Residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut as a precaution.
European Heatwave
In Spain and France, new high temperatures were likely to be set on Tuesday as the heatwave continued across Europe.
