UK Breaks May Heat Record for Second Day

The UK recorded its hottest May day for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, with temperatures in parts of London climbing above 35°C.

Kew Gardens in south-west London registered a provisional temperature of 35.1°C, surpassing Monday’s record of 34.8°C set at the same location. According to the Met Office, the previous highest May temperature in the UK was 32.8°C, recorded in 1922 and 1944.

Wales also experienced record-breaking heat for a second day, with Cardiff’s Bute Park reaching a provisional 32.3°C, narrowly exceeding Monday’s Welsh record of 32.2°C recorded at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire.

The Met Office noted that May temperature records had now been exceeded by more than two degrees on consecutive days. Much of England and Wales officially entered a heatwave on Tuesday, meeting the required threshold of three consecutive days above 25°C in northern and western regions and 28°C in London and the Home Counties.

Six amber heat-health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) remain in effect across much of England until Thursday. Officials warned that prolonged high temperatures could place considerable strain on health and social care services due to rising demand.

Meteorologists said the unusual early-season heat was caused by warm air trapped beneath a high-pressure system near the UK. Met Office chief operational meteorologist Dan Suri added that the conditions also align with the broader pattern of rising temperatures linked to human-caused climate change.

The heatwave has caused widespread disruption across transport networks. Network Rail imposed speed restrictions to reduce the risk of rails buckling and overhead power lines sagging in extreme temperatures. South Western Railway warned passengers of possible delays of up to an hour, cancellations, and revised services across its network.

High track temperatures also disrupted LNER services between Peterborough and London King’s Cross, while Great Northern, Thameslink, and Southern rail services faced significant delays.

In Kent, dozens of households continued to experience water shortages for a third consecutive day. South East Water said exceptionally high demand during the hot weather had caused storage reservoirs in parts of the county to run low. At the peak of the disruption, around 800 properties in Charing, Challock, and Molash were affected.

The warm Bank Holiday weather also coincided with several fatal water incidents across England. Four people died at swimming locations during the long weekend.

A 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in a reservoir in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Authorities later recovered the body of a teenage girl from Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire and another teenage boy from Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire. In Cornwall, a man in his 60s died after entering the sea near Padstow to help two relatives in distress.

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) urged the public to remain cautious, warning that warmer weather often leads to a rise in accidental drownings. Despite high air temperatures, water temperatures remain dangerously cold.

The Met Office also warned of the risk of “cold shock,” noting that sea temperatures in south-east England remain around 14°C.

Meanwhile, a yellow thunderstorm warning was issued for parts of England between 3pm and 10pm on Tuesday. Forecasters said isolated storms could bring local disruption across areas including the East Midlands, East of England, London, the South East, North West, South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and Humber, although the likelihood of severe impacts remains low.