UK Breaks May Heat Records for Second Day

The UK recorded its highest-ever May temperature for the second consecutive day, with thermometers hitting 35°C (95°F) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens in London on Tuesday. This surpasses Monday's record of 34.8°C, according to provisional data from the Met Office.

The intense heat persisted through much of this week, with temperatures predicted to remain high before starting to decline mid-week. Overnight temperatures also broke records, with Kenley airfield recording a low of 21.3°C (70.3°F), the highest minimum temperature for May.

The record-breaking heat is exceptional even in mid-summer, according to the Met Office. This week's weather means more than half of the monthly record highs have been set since 2003. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) extended amber health warnings for several regions in England until Thursday evening, with yellow alerts also in place for other areas.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across England on Tuesday, forecasting isolated storms with lightning, hail, and gusty winds. Many areas are expected to stay hot and sunny, but there is potential for significant rainfall in some parts. The warning was in effect from 3pm to 10pm.

Tragically, four deaths were reported over the bank holiday weekend due to water-related incidents. A 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in a West Yorkshire reservoir on Monday, and the body of another boy was found in Rotherham early Tuesday after he entered the water at a park. Additionally, a teenage girl's body was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire, and a man in his 60s died while helping relatives who got into difficulty at Tregirls Beach near Padstow, Cornwall.

Several European countries also experienced record-breaking May temperatures. Spain recorded 38°C on Sunday, while France and Germany saw temperatures climb into the mid-30s, with hundreds of localities breaking May records. Temperatures across France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and northern Italy were 10 to 15°C above average for late May.

The heatwave conditions were met in eight parts of England on Sunday, including Heathrow in Greater London, Benson in Oxfordshire, Brooms Barn in Suffolk, High Beech in Essex, Kew Gardens and Northolt in London, Santon Downham in Suffolk, and Writtle in Essex. The Met Office noted that breaking temperature records is now around three times more likely in the current climate compared to pre-Industrial Revolution conditions.