Record-Breaking May Heatwave Grips UK and Western Europe

Records broken twice in two days

A record-breaking heatwave gripped the United Kingdom and much of Western Europe, with the UK's hottest-ever May day record broken twice in quick succession. Temperatures reached 34.8 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in London on May 25, then climbed to 35.1 C at the same site on May 26.

The extreme heat pushed measurements far beyond seasonal norms across the region, with the records falling on consecutive days at the same London site.

A "tropical night"

The UK recorded a "tropical night" on May 26, meaning the minimum temperature did not fall below 20 C. Kenley Airfield registered 21.3 C, a record-high minimum May temperature for the country. Wales also set a record during the heatwave, reaching 32.9 C in Bute Park.

The unusually warm overnight conditions compounded the daytime heat, offering little relief from the high temperatures even after dark.

France and the wider toll

Across the Channel, France's weather service, Meteo-France, reported its hottest May day on record, with temperatures reaching 35 C. More than 1,350 heat records were broken across the French network during the heatwave, a measure of how widespread the extreme conditions were.

Parts of Europe ran 10 to 15 C above normal during the peak of the heatwave. Deaths were reported at amateur sporting events, underscoring the human cost of an extreme weather event whose record-setting figures resonate well beyond the United Kingdom, France and the other affected countries.