On May 24 (UK time), according to The Guardian, the UK recorded the hottest May day in at least 79 years as temperatures in many areas skyrocketed, amid Europe experiencing an unusual heat wave.
According to the British Met Office, the Kew Gardens area in western London recorded a temperature of 32.3 degrees Celsius. This is the highest temperature recorded in the UK in 2026 to date.
In Wales, the temperature in Cardiff reached 27.4 degrees Celsius, while the city of Armagh in Northern Ireland recorded 23.4 degrees Celsius. In Scotland, Edinburgh reached 23.5 degrees Celsius, only 0.1 degrees Celsius lower than the record level recorded in early May.
Many localities in the UK have also officially entered a heatwave according to Met Office standards. Among them, Santon Downham in Suffolk County is the first place to reach this threshold after temperatures exceeded 27 degrees Celsius for three consecutive days.
Other areas such as Heathrow, Kew Gardens and Northolt in London, along with some localities in Oxfordshire, Suffolk and Essex have also been confirmed to be experiencing hot weather.
Weather forecasts show that temperatures on May 25 may continue to rise, with the highest level from 33 to 34 degrees Celsius in some areas.
According to the Met Office, climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme heat waves. The agency said the possibility of breaking the May temperature record is currently about 3 times higher than in the pre-Industrial Revolution period.
Phenomena that were once considered to occur once every 100 years can now appear with a frequency of about once every 33 years," a Met Office representative said.
Not only England, many areas in Western Europe are also experiencing a similar heat wave. The French meteorological agency Météo-France warns that unusual heat waves will appear more frequently, come earlier and be stronger in the future.
Previously, May 23rd became the first day in 2026 that the temperature in the UK exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, and also the earliest time in the year to record this temperature level since 1952.
The heat has caused beaches across England to be crowded with people and tourists. Some sports events also had to adjust their schedules or add breaks to ensure safety for athletes and spectators.
Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber-colored health warnings for many areas, and at the same time advised the elderly and people with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases to be especially careful in the coming days.
