Hottest May day ever as London hits 34.8C in 2C leap from previous records
London recorded its hottest May day ever at 34.8C at Kew Gardens, surpassing the previous record of 32.8C set in 1922 and 1944, with 12 locations across the UK breaking monthly highs. The Met Office attributed the extreme heat to climate change, noting such records are now three times more likely than in a natural climate, while warning of further extreme temperatures and weather events ahead.
The United Kingdom experienced its hottest May day on record on Monday, with London’s Kew Gardens reaching 34.8C, breaking the previous high of 32.8C recorded in 1922 and 1944. The Met Office confirmed 12 locations—including Heathrow, Northolt, and Reading University—also set new May temperature records, ranging from 32.9C to 34.4C, while Wales saw its own provisional record at Hawarden Airport with 32.2C. The extreme heat follows a recent study by the Met Office, which found such temperature spikes are now three times more likely due to greenhouse gas emissions, transforming what was once a one-in-a-hundred-year event into a one-in-33 occurrence. Senior meteorologist Greg Dewhurst highlighted the rapid shift in weather patterns, noting heatwaves now develop quickly rather than gradually, with temperatures swinging dramatically. Forecasts predict further extreme heat, up to 36C in parts of England on Tuesday, alongside hotter, drier summers and wetter, windier winters as climate change intensifies. The heatwave caused disruptions, including water supply issues in the South East, where South East Water apologized for outages affecting 502 customers and distributed bottled water. Meanwhile, a fire spread across Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, while Lincolnshire Police reported the tragic recovery of 15-year-old Declan Sawyer’s body from Swanholme Lakes on Sunday. The Met Office emphasized the severity of the heat, calling it ‘exceptional’ even for mid-summer, and warned of continued extreme conditions. Dewhurst stated climate change is accelerating these shifts, with models predicting more frequent and intense heatwaves. The UK’s warmest May night was also recorded on Sunday, with temperatures at Kenley Airfield in Surrey failing to drop below 19.4C, surpassing the 1944 record of 18.9C.
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