Tuesday is set to be even hotter than Monday's record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures soaring to 36°C. The Met Office has warned that sweltering conditions could reach up to 36°C in the south east of England by 2pm on Tuesday, just a day after Britain recorded its hottest ever May day.
Record-Breaking Heat
Up to nine counties saw record-breaking temperatures on Monday amid a 'historic' 35°C bank holiday heatwave in Britain. Tens of thousands of Britons flocked to the coast and beauty spots to bask in the blistering heat, despite official government guidance to stay out of the sun during the hottest times of the day.
A searing 34.8°C was recorded in Kew Gardens, south-west London, exceeding the previous hottest May day of 32.8°C in 1944, as well as the bank holiday record of 33.3°C in August 2019. The Met Office said the 34.8°C heat is 'exceptional in the UK even in mid summer, let alone in May'.
Wales saw its hottest ever temperature in May on Monday evening, with 32.2°C recorded at Hawarden Airport in Flinshire. The previous record of 30.6°C in Newport stood for 82 years.
Health Alerts and Tragedies
Amber and yellow health alerts remain in place across England, as temperatures continue to soar on what the Met Office has described as an 'unprecedented' heatwave for this time of year. The warnings came as a man died on the beach in Hastings, East Sussex, following a 'medical incident', and a 15-year-old boy drowned at Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln on Sunday.
Elsewhere, almost 60 people were treated for conditions including heat exhaustion at the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday, and around 500 properties supplied by South East Water, in Sussex and Kent, were hit with outages and low pressure.
Scorching Weekend and Forecast
On Monday, beaches across the country were full of sunseekers, while others descended on lidos and parks as they made the most of the final day of a scorching weekend. The record high temperature of 34.8°C was recorded in Kew Gardens at around 4pm, beating the previous records of 34°C at Heathrow Airport and Bushy Park, Teddington, earlier on Monday.
The previous hottest ever May day of 32.8°C was recorded in Camden Square, north London, on May 22, 1922, and in Horsham, Tunbridge Wells and Regent's Park on May 29, 1944. In a record-breaking spell of hot weather, temperatures soared to 30.9°C in Wales, 25.5°C in Scotland and 24.6°C in Northern Ireland.
Tomorrow is expected to be another extremely hot day, with a peak of 35°C expected in London, the Home Counties and Cambridgeshire. The blistering heat will continue through the week, with highs of 31°C forecast for Wednesday, 30°C on Thursday, 27°C on Friday and 28°C on Saturday.
Tom Morgan, a Met Office meteorologist, said: 'We rarely see temperatures above 35°C, even in the summer months, so to see temperatures getting close to 35°C in May is, as I say, pretty historic.'
Climate Crisis and 'Super El Niño'
The Met Office said the warm spell has been driven by the development of high pressure over the country that caused air to sink, compress and heat. Scientists say the record-breaking heat is a stark reminder of how the climate crisis is impacting lives in the UK. More heatwaves are expected across the summer due to the developing 'super El Niño', which supercharges weather events such as making heatwaves hotter. It is predicted to hit in 2027 but is expected to begin emerging this summer.
Mr Morgan said overnight temperatures could also lead to further records being broken, making it 'uncomfortable for sleeping'. With temperatures predicted to soar to a 'historic' 35°C, the UKHSA and the NHS warned Britons to keep out of the sun, especially at the hottest time of the day, between 11am and 3pm.
Overnight Records and Heatwave Conditions
Temperatures did not fall below 19.4°C at Kenley Airfield in south London overnight, provisionally breaking the previous May record of 18.9°C set back in 1944. Parts of the country were as hot as the Mediterranean on Sunday, with the UK enjoying its hottest May day for at least 79 years with a high of 32.3°C at Kew Gardens in south-west London.
The Met Office said eight regions officially entered heatwave conditions on Sunday after three days at or above the temperature threshold. They were Heathrow in Greater London, Benson in Oxfordshire, Brooms Barn in Suffolk, High Beech in Essex, Kew Gardens in London, Northolt in London, Santon Downham in Suffolk and Writtle in Essex.
Beaches and Festivals
On Monday, thousands of tourists descended on the famous beauty spot of Durdle Door after the beach reopened for the first time in three months. The iconic stone arch in Dorset can only be accessed by 143 wooden steps built into the steep 200ft cliff. Access was shut off for safety reasons in late February after winter storms destroyed the bottom 40 steps.
Sunseekers and families have been packing out beaches and parks across the Bank Holiday. Thousands were pictured luxuriating in the heat at seafronts including in Brighton, Bournemouth, Lyme Regis and Devon, while many more swarmed at local lidos and nearby rivers over the three-day weekend. Others braved the sweltering conditions to watch the annual cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. German YouTuber Tom Kopke won the first downhill men's race, while 11-year-old William, son of 23-time champion Chris Anderson, won the first children's uphill race.
Meanwhile, revellers did not let the heat stop them partying at Bank Holiday festivals over the weekend, including the BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend at Herrington Country Park, Sunderland, as well as star-studded events in Brockwell Park, south London.
Tragedies and Water Safety
However, tragedy struck when a man died on a packed beach in Hastings. Emergency services including an air ambulance scrambled to the scene after a 'medical incident'. The man tragically passed away at the scene, on the beach near Warrior Square in St Leonards. A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: 'Emergency services responded to a medical incident on the beach near Warrior Square, St Leonards, following concerns for a man's welfare. Officers assisted with the emergency response after the incident was reported at 11am on 24 May. Sadly, despite the best efforts of paramedics, the man was declared deceased at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. There were no suspicious circumstances and a report will be prepared for HM Coroner.'
Elsewhere, in Lincoln, the body of 15-year-old Declan Sawyer was recovered at Swanholme Lakes after he disappeared while swimming with a group of friends during the heatwave. A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: 'We can update that our dive team have sadly found a body in the water at Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln. With agreement from the family, we can share that the boy who died is 15-year-old Declan Sawyer. Our thoughts are with his family, and we send our condolences at this incredibly difficult time. This is such a sad incident that will no doubt also affect many of Declan's friends and the local community as well.' Authorities have warned about the dangers of swimming in reservoirs and lakes over the weekend.
Water Supply Issues
About 500 properties supplied by South East Water have been hit by issues including outages and low pressure as temperatures soar. The water firm apologised after it had to hand out bottled water to some of its customers in Kent and Sussex. A total of 250 properties in three Kent villages were suffering intermittent water outages or low pressure on Monday. A burst water main in Eastbourne, East Sussex, affected 168 properties, while 64 customers suffered from issues with booster pumps at Radfall near Broomfield Gate in Whitstable, Kent. There were also 'ongoing water supply problems' for fewer than 20 properties on higher ground in the Ulcombe area of Kent.
South East Water incident manager Steve Benton said in a statement: 'We're sorry to all impacted customers for the disruption caused. We know water supply issues during hot weather are deeply frustrating and incredibly inconvenient and we are working as quickly and safely as possible to resolve them.' He added: 'As a result of the recent hot weather, we're seeing increased demand across our network and we're having to pump far more drinking water than usual. We're working hard to maintain supplies to customers across our network as the hot weather and increased demand for drinking water continues. Some customers on higher ground may, however, experience low water pressure or intermittent supply at peak times.'
Heat Exhaustion at Edinburgh Marathon
In Scotland, almost 60 people were treated for heat exhaustion and other afflictions during the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday, due to temperatures which topped 23°C. Thousands braved the sweltering Edinburgh sun in pursuit of a place among the exalted group of runners to have completed a full marathon, but more than a dozen ended up in hospital because of the exertion. The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) said that 16 people in total were transported to hospital on Sunday, with dozens more, including members of the public, receiving medical assistance. A spokesperson for SAS said that people were treated for 'a range of conditions', including heat exhaustion, along the route, which ran from Potterrow, through Aberlady, and concluded in Musselburgh. SAS personnel were able to 'proactively' identify people suffering and offer assistance. In a statement, they said: 'Due to the higher temperatures experienced over the weekend, we responded to and treated an increased number of runners presenting with a range of conditions, including heat exhaustion throughout the route. We attended to 59 patients with 14 patients transported to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and 2 patients transported to Western General Hospital. We had staff based at the marathon and placed along the route as part of the event plan who worked proactively to identify and manage anyone needing medical assistance.'
Police Incidents and Health Advice
Elsewhere, there were scenes of chaos on Saturday as youths were pictured inhaling so-called 'hippy crack' on Bournemouth beach while a girl was carried away on a stretcher. Later, six officers went onto the beach and apprehended a young man for unknown reasons before escorting him away. He apparently resisted arrest all the way to the promenade before being placed in a police van as bystanders watched on. Police also had to intervene when a group of girls brawled near the Red Arrows simulator.
Although Monday is set to be hot for many parts of England, north-west Scotland will be breezier and damper with thicker clouds. Saturday was the first time this year that the UK had passed 30°C, and Sunday saw the hottest recorded May temperature since 1947.
The UKHSA issued its first amber health alert of 2026 on Friday, warning that there is a risk of a significant impact across health and social care services. The alert will remain in place until Wednesday. The heat is considered to be dangerous for some vulnerable groups, including older adults, as their bodies struggle to regulate temperature.
Dr Anya Gopfert, Consultant in Health Protection at UKHSA, said: 'We know that even moderate heat can lead to serious health problems, especially for older people and those with certain health conditions, so it's important that everyone takes simple precautions while enjoying the warm weather over the coming days. If you have friends, family or neighbours who are more vulnerable, it is important to check in on them and ensure they are aware of the forecasts and are following the necessary advice.'
Age UK recommends staying inside during the hottest hours of the day, between 11am and 3pm, and having regular cold baths or showers. Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams said: 'We can all help older people stay safe during periods of hot weather by checking in on older relatives, friends and neighbours to see if they need anything or are struggling with the heat. Offering to pick up shopping or medication, or even lending a fan, can make a real difference.'
