A lone individual braved central London on Monday, seeking respite with a cold drink as temperatures elsewhere in the capital soared to 34.8C. The UK experienced a 'tropical night' on Monday, breaking the record for the highest daily minimum temperature in May for the second consecutive day, according to the Met Office.
Record-Breaking Heat
Temperatures did not fall below 21.3C at Kenley airfield in south London overnight, following the UK's hottest May day since records began. The country also recorded its provisional all-time hottest meteorological spring temperature when Kew Gardens in south-west London hit 34.8C on Monday. The previous all-time May peak stood at 32.8C, reached in 1922 and 1944.
The Met Office listed 12 locations where the record was topped on Monday, spanning from Suffolk to Berkshire to Warwickshire, while 97 of its monitoring sites reached or surpassed 30C. The UK's previous warmest May night was Sunday, when temperatures did not fall below 19.4C at Kenley airfield.
Climate Change Impact
'We have provisionally broken the UK record for highest daily minimum temperature in May … again,' the forecaster said. 'Temperatures didn't fall below 21.3C overnight at Kenley airfield, making it a 'tropical night' (no lower than 20C). Remarkably, the record was also broken yesterday.'
Met Office senior forecaster Greg Dewhurst noted that heatwaves are developing more quickly now due to climate change. 'In the past, heatwaves built and built and built over days and days and days; these now just develop so quickly,' he said.
Forecast for Tuesday
On Tuesday, highs of 35C were expected for large swathes of southern England and Wales, potentially reaching near 36C, according to a Met Office meteorologist. These forecasts also spanned the Midlands, south-east and south-west England, East Anglia, and south Wales.
Many places across England and Wales will reach the heatwave threshold on Tuesday, with some having experienced it for five days by Wednesday, said Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell. However, there may be thunderstorms in the afternoon, affecting high temperatures.
A heatwave means temperatures must meet or surpass a specific threshold for three consecutive days. For this time of year, the highest heatwave threshold in the UK is 28C, applied to London and north of the capital towards Cambridgeshire.
In eight parts of England, these conditions were already met by Sunday evening, including in Heathrow, Kew Gardens, and Northolt London, as well as locations in Oxfordshire, Suffolk, and Essex. The figure was anticipated to be higher after the bank holiday weather, but data was yet to be released.
With nearly 100 sites having reached 30C on Monday, it 'goes to show how many places would have succeeded their heatwave threshold,' said Mitchell.
Cooling Down
While temperatures will gradually decline from midweek, largely dry with sunny spells are expected, with many still experiencing temperatures in the high 20Cs.
Fire in Edinburgh
On Monday, fire and smoke spread across a large patch of Holyrood Park in Edinburgh near Arthur's Seat. Emergency services responded when the alarm was raised at about 6.50pm. The fire started in an area of vegetation near the ruins of St Anthony's Chapel.
Two fire engines remained at the scene at 6.30am on Tuesday, with firefighters having worked through the night to tackle the blaze. Clouds of smoke could be seen rising from the area, and local residents were advised to keep their windows and doors shut as a precaution.
European Heatwave
In Spain and France, more new highs were likely to be set on Tuesday as the heatwave continued to sweep across Europe.
