The United Kingdom has recorded its highest-ever May temperature for the second consecutive day, as thermometers hit 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) at Heathrow Airport and Kew Gardens in London, according to the Met Office.
Record-Breaking Heat
This latest high was recorded just one day after the country experienced its provisional hottest meteorological spring temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in southwest London. The previous May peak of 32.8 degrees Celsius had stood since 1922, making this a significant milestone in the UK's climate history.
Weather Warnings and Alerts
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across England on Tuesday. Forecasters warned that isolated storms with lightning, hail, and gusty winds could affect large parts of the country, from Bath and Reading to Lincoln and Sheffield. Many areas are expected to remain hot and sunny, but there is potential for as much as 30 millimeters of rainfall within an hour in some locations. The warning is in effect from 3 PM to 10 PM.
Earlier on Tuesday, the amber health warning was extended by 24 hours for several regions in England. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stated that amber alerts for the South West, South East, London, East and West Midlands, and the West of England will remain in place until 5 PM on Thursday. Yellow alerts are active for the North West and North East. Previously, these alerts were set to expire at 5 PM on Wednesday. Additionally, the yellow alert for the South West has been raised to amber.
Heat-Related 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 also 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.
The country experienced a "tropical night" on Monday, defined as when temperatures do not fall below 20 degrees Celsius. Kenley airfield in south London recorded an overnight low of 21.3 degrees Celsius.
Heatwave Conditions
Many places across England and Wales will reach the heatwave threshold on Tuesday, and some will have experienced such conditions for five days by Wednesday, according to Becky Mitchell, a senior meteorologist at the Met Office. To qualify as a heatwave, temperatures must meet or exceed a specific threshold for three consecutive days. The highest heatwave threshold in the UK at this time of year is 28 degrees Celsius, which applies to London and areas north of the capital towards Cambridgeshire.
By Sunday night, heatwave conditions had already been met in eight parts of England: 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 noted that this number would increase after the bank holiday weather, but the data has yet to be released.
Record Temperature Range
May has also seen a record range in temperatures, according to Dr. Stephen Burt from the University of Reading's Department of Meteorology. "From the minimum of -0.1 degrees Celsius (air frost) recorded on 12 May, to yesterday's maximum of 32.8 degrees Celsius in Reading less than a fortnight later, a monthly range of 32.9 degrees Celsius. The previous highest monthly range of any month was in May 1944, at 32.8 degrees Celsius," he said.
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, temperatures in eastern areas are forecast to be about 10 degrees Celsius lower due to a brisk easterly wind.
Climate Context
If validated, this 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 an event once considered a one-in-100-year occurrence is now a one-in-33-year event.
In contrast, there were lows of -5 degrees Celsius in Scotland last week when daytime temperatures more widely peaked at about 14 to 15 degrees Celsius.
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 25 degrees Celsius. Clouds of smoke were seen rising from the area around the natural landmark, and local residents were advised to keep their windows and doors shut as a precaution.
