Britain has experienced its hottest May day on record on Monday, as temperatures reached 33.5C.
The spring bank holiday’s unseasonable weather marks the hottest day of the year so far, and could reach as high as 35C by the afternoon, forecasters say.
Monday’s scorching weather also smashes the record for the hottest bank holiday ever recorded after temperatures exceeded the 33.3C recorded in August 2019.
“Today will be the hottest day in May in the UK in our temperature records, with highs of 35C expected,” a Met Office spokesperson said. “Records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree, making this heatwave unprecedented for the time of year.”
The highest temperature is expected in an area covering Lincolnshire, the Midlands, western parts of East Anglia, and southwards into the London area.
open image in galleryToday’s high of 33.5C was recorded in Heathrow, west London, and exceeded the previous May temperature record of 32.8C, which was recorded in 1944.
Parts of northern England, Wales, the Midlands, east England, and south east England have all been experiencing weather around 30C on Monday.
Britons have flocked to beaches across the country to soak up the sun over the long weekend.
A heatwave was officially declared in eight locations in southeast England, which met the threshold of 27C for three consecutive days of hot weather.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “We rarely see temperatures above 35C, even in the summer months, so to see temperatures getting close to 35 in May is, as I say, pretty historic.”
On Sunday, temperatures reached a high of 32.3C at Kew Gardens, in southwest London, while parts of southeast England exceeded 30C.
Tuesday is set to be another scorching day for the country, with a peak of 35C again expected in London and the surrounding counties.
Swathes of England and eastern Wales will see temperatures exceed 30C on Tuesday.
A series of amber heat health alerts have been issued for the east Midlands, west Midlands, eastern England,London, and the South East.
Officials warned that the hot weather could cause significant impacts across health and social care services, as well as a rise in deaths, with alerts in place until 5pm on 27 May.
open image in galleryHere’s what the Met Office has forecast over the coming days:
Today
Temperatures will quickly rise across England and Wales today, turning very hot for many with strong sunshine and light winds. Cloudier and fresher across northern Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland with patchy light rain at times.
Tonight
Staying dry and warm into the evening. Clear skies holding on across England and Wales with a warm night to come. Fresher in Northern Ireland and Scotland with patchy cloud.
Tuesday
Another sunny and mostly dry day across England and Wales as the heatwave continues. A small chance of a few heavy, thundery showers in the afternoon. Fresher in northern Scotland.
Outlook for Wednesday to Friday
Turning fresher in the east with an onshore breeze, but staying very warm elsewhere. Largely dry, although a few showers are possible at times.