Image: Heatwave in London — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.- The Met Office says Heathrow and Kew Gardens provisionally reached 35.0°C.
- That breaks the UK’s May record for the second day in a row after Kew hit 34.8°C on Monday.
- Heat-health alerts, thunderstorm warnings and travel disruption are running alongside the record heat.
The UK has again recorded its hottest May day ever, with Heathrow and Kew Gardens in London provisionally reaching 35.0°C, according to the Met Office.
The new reading beats Monday’s provisional record of 34.8°C at Kew Gardens, meaning the UK has broken its May heat record on consecutive days.
What the Met Office said
The Met Office said on X that “today is now the hottest day in May on record,” with Heathrow and Kew Gardens provisionally reaching 35.0°C. It added that until Monday, the highest UK May temperature had been 32.8°C.
That means the previous long-standing May record has now been exceeded by roughly two full degrees Celsius in two days.
Why it matters
This is not just an unusually warm late-spring afternoon. It is a national monthly record and part of a broader heat episode that has triggered health alerts, disruption and safety warnings.
The UK Health Security Agency extended amber heat-health alerts for several English regions, including London, the South East, the South West, the Midlands and the East of England. Yellow alerts remain in place for parts of northern England.
Image: Palm House, Kew Gardens — Wikimedia Commons.What else is happening
The Independent reported that the heat coincided with thunderstorm warnings, open-water fatalities and rail disruption. Network Rail imposed speed restrictions on some tracks as temperatures rose.
The UK also recorded a “tropical night,” with temperatures not falling below 20°C in parts of the country overnight. The Met Office said Kenley Airfield in south London provisionally reached a minimum of 21.3°C.
What to watch next
The record is still provisional, so it may be confirmed or adjusted after quality checks. Forecasters also expect the hottest conditions to shift westwards on Wednesday before temperatures move closer to normal by Sunday.
The key signal is clear, though: the UK’s May temperature ceiling has been pushed higher again, and public-health systems are now responding to late-spring heat as a material risk.
NoDechev rating: verified provisional record. The 35.0°C figure is sourced to Met Office reporting via multiple UK outlets; final confirmation depends on official quality control.
Why provisional records still matter
Weather records are often reported before final quality control is complete, but that does not make them meaningless. A provisional Met Office record is still a strong public signal when it comes from official observing sites and is repeated through established weather reporting. The caveat is that final confirmation can adjust the number after checks.
For readers, the practical point is immediate: extreme heat affects health alerts, transport operations, school planning, outdoor work and energy demand even before the final archive value is confirmed. The public-risk signal arrives in real time.