The UK is experiencing an extreme early-summer heatwave, with the Met Office reporting the country’s highest-ever May temperature. Provisional data show a temperature of 33.5C recorded at Heathrow near London on Monday, breaking the previous all-time May record. Further temperatures are expected to rise later on Monday and into Tuesday, with forecasts of highs up to around 35C. The record-breaking May conditions follow earlier temperature readings that set previous UK May benchmarks at locations such as Camden Square (1922) and later in Tunbridge Wells and Regent’s Park (1944).
Across Europe, parts of France also report unusually high temperatures, with more than 20 towns recording their highest-ever May readings. The heat extends beyond the UK and France, and some areas of Spain could see temperatures approach or reach 40C by the end of the week, according to reports cited alongside the UK weather updates. Overall, the episodes are presented as part of a broader, region-wide heat event affecting multiple countries and prompting record-setting measurements in May.
