UK temperatures break May records for second day in a row

The UK has registered a new record for the hottest May day for the second consecutive day, with parts of London exceeding 35°C on Tuesday.

Kew Gardens in south-west London recorded a preliminary temperature of 35.1°C, eclipsing the previous day's record of 34.8°C, also observed at the same location.

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

Wales also observed record-breaking temperatures for May on the second consecutive day, with provisional readings reaching 32.3°C at Cardiff's Bute Park, surpassing Monday's record of 32.2°C at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire.

Prior to the records set on Monday and Tuesday, the warmest day recorded in May in the UK was 32.8°C in 1922 and again in 1944.

Health Impacts

Six amber heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) affect a significant portion of England and will remain in effect until Thursday.

These alerts signal that considerable impacts on health and social care services are anticipated due to the extreme temperatures, leading to increased demand across all health and social care sectors.

As of Tuesday, much of England and Wales has been officially classified as experiencing a heatwave. A specific location must meet a threshold temperature—25°C for northern and western regions and 28°C for London and the Home Counties—for three consecutive days to qualify as a heatwave.

Causes and Infrastructure Disruption

This early-season heat aligns with the long-term trend of rising temperatures attributed to anthropogenic climate change.

According to the Met Office's Chief Operational Meteorologist, Dan Suri, the high temperatures are primarily due to "the influence of warmth accumulating under an area of high pressure near the UK."

The extreme heat has also disrupted train services across the country, resulting in Network Rail implementing speed restrictions on tracks to ensure passenger safety.

National Rail has noted that elevated temperatures can lead to the expansion and sagging of overhead lines, as well as increase the likelihood of line-side fires and rail buckling.

South Western Railway (SWR) has advised that train services throughout its network may be canceled, delayed by up to 60 minutes, or revised due to the implementation of heat-related speed restrictions.

High track temperatures have led to service interruptions on LNER routes between Peterborough and London Kings Cross, along with significant disruptions to Great Northern, Thameslink, and Southern networks.

Water Supply Issues

In Kent, many homes have been experiencing little or no water supply for the past three days.

The outages began on Saturday and reached a peak on Sunday, affecting approximately 800 properties in the villages of Charing, Challock, and Molash.

South East Water (SEW) has stated that teams are diligently working to restore drinking water supplies across the region, which have been impacted by "high demand during the exceptionally hot weather," leading to "low storage levels in some parts of Kent."

Water Safety Concerns

During this warm spring period, four individuals have tragically lost their lives at swimming spots in England.

On Monday, a 13-year-old boy lost his life after encountering difficulties in a reservoir in Halifax, West Yorkshire. A teenage girl's body was recovered at Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire later that evening.

Additionally, a body was retrieved from Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire in the early hours of Tuesday after a teenage boy went missing. In Cornwall, a man in his 60s died after entering the sea to assist two relatives in distress at Tregirls Beach near Padstow, as reported by police.

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) has urged the public to prioritize safety, emphasizing that "warmer weather unfortunately leads to an increase in accidental drownings" and warning that although air temperatures are high, water temperatures remain significantly colder.

The Met Office has also cautioned about potential "cold shock" incidents, as the temperatures of seas and other open bodies of water are substantially lower than those experienced during the heatwave. A map provided by the forecaster indicates that even in the south-east of England, sea temperatures are approximately 14°C.

Weather Warnings

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across England, in effect from 15:00 BST to 22:00 on Tuesday.

However, these thunderstorms are expected to be quite isolated and "could result in disruption to a few locations," as noted by a Met Office forecaster.

The weather service indicated that the warning applies to the East Midlands, East of England, parts of London and south-east England, north-west England, south-west England, the West Midlands, and Yorkshire and Humber regions. It added that the warning carries a "very low likelihood and a medium impact."