UK's hottest May day record broken for second day in a row

The United Kingdom has recorded its hottest May day for the second consecutive day, with temperatures in parts of London exceeding 35°C on Tuesday.

Kew Gardens in southwest London reported a provisional temperature of 35.1°C, surpassing Monday's prior record of 34.8°C set at the same location.

Wales also experienced record-breaking temperatures for the second day running, with provisional readings reaching 32.3°C at Bute Park in Cardiff, marginally exceeding Monday's 32.2°C recorded at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire.

The soaring temperatures have caused delays in train services due to speed restrictions imposed for safety reasons.

Prior to the recent heatwave, the highest recorded temperature for May in the UK was 32.8°C, which had stood since 1922 and 1944.

"Until yesterday, the highest temperature in May was 32.8°C, but we have now exceeded that record on consecutive days by a full two degrees Celsius," stated the Met Office on X.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued six amber heat health alerts, which are applicable across much of England and will remain in effect until Thursday. These alerts indicate that significant impacts may arise in health and social care services due to heightened demand driven by elevated temperatures.

As of Tuesday, a substantial portion of England and Wales is officially classified as experiencing a heatwave. For a location to be considered under a heatwave, it must meet a temperature threshold—25°C for northern and western areas, and 28°C in London and surrounding counties—over three consecutive days.

The current early season heat aligns with long-term trends of rising temperatures attributable to human-induced climate change.

Dan Suri, the chief operational meteorologist at the Met Office, indicated that the elevated temperatures stem from "the influence of warmth building under an area of high pressure near the UK."

In response to the extreme heat, Network Rail has enacted a series of speed restrictions on rail tracks to ensure safe travel. National Rail has warned that high temperatures may cause overhead lines to expand and sag, potentially leading to rail buckling.

South Western Railway (SWR) cautioned that train services across its network might face cancellations, delays of up to 60 minutes, or schedule alterations due to heat-related speed restrictions.

High track temperatures have also led to disruptions in LNER services running between Peterborough and London Kings Cross, along with significant issues affecting Great Northern, Thameslink, and Southern networks.

Meanwhile, in Kent, numerous homes have been without water for the third consecutive day. The outages began on Saturday, peaking on Sunday, when around 800 properties in Charing, Challock, and Molash lost access to water.

South East Water has reported that its teams are diligently working to restore drinking water supplies throughout the region after the "high demand during the exceptionally hot weather" resulted in "storage reservoirs running low in parts of Kent."

As exceptionally high spring temperatures have coincided with the bank holiday long weekend, four individuals have tragically lost their lives at various swimming locations across England.

On Monday, a 13-year-old boy drowned in a reservoir in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and later that evening, the body of a teenage girl was recovered at Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire.

Additionally, the body of a teenage boy was recovered from Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire in the early hours of Tuesday after he went missing.

At Tregirls Beach near Padstow, Cornwall, a man in his 60s also died on Monday after entering the sea to assist two relatives who were in distress, according to police reports.

The Royal Life Saving Society has emphasized the importance of safety, warning that "warmer weather unfortunately leads to an increase in accidental drownings." They noted that while air temperatures are warm, water temperatures can still be quite cold.

The Met Office further cautioned the public about the risk of "cold shock," highlighting that sea and other open water temperatures are significantly lower than the high air temperatures recorded during the heatwave. Their map showed that even in southeast England, sea temperatures hover around 14°C.

In addition, the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in England until 22:00 on Tuesday. Although these storms are expected to be highly localized, they could bring potential disruptions to certain areas. The warning encompasses the East Midlands, parts of London, the southeast, the northwestern and southwestern regions of England, the West Midlands, and Yorkshire and Humber, indicating a "very low likelihood and a medium impact."