Key Points
- The UK has recorded its highest ever May temperature, with 33.5C measured at London Heathrow on Monday lunchtime, according to provisional Met Office data.
- The new reading beat the previous May record, which was set in Camden Square in 1922 and matched in Tunbridge Wells and Regent’s Park in 1944.
- Forecasters said temperatures could still climb to 35C later on Monday afternoon, with a second 35C peak expected on Tuesday.
- The Met Office forecast 31C for Wednesday and 30C for Thursday, indicating the heatwave is likely to persist through the week.
- Overnight temperatures on Sunday also broke the UK’s highest minimum temperature for May, with Kenley airfield recording 19.4C.
- Scientists say the record-breaking heat is a reminder of how the climate crisis is affecting lives.
London (Britain Today News) May 25, 2026 – The United Kingdom has broken its all-time May temperature record after provisional Met Office data showed 33.5C at London Heathrow on Monday lunchtime, surpassing a benchmark that had stood for more than a century. The scorching conditions are part of a wider heatwave sweeping Europe over the bank holiday weekend, with forecasters warning that even higher temperatures may still be reached later in the day and again on Tuesday.
What has been recorded?
The Met Office said the 33.5C reading at Heathrow is the highest May temperature ever recorded in the UK, overtaking the previous record set at Camden Square in 1922 and equalled in Tunbridge Wells and Regent’s Park in 1944. The reading is provisional, but it is already being treated as a major weather milestone because it breaks a record that had survived for 104 years. Overnight temperatures also proved unusually high, with Kenley airfield recording 19.4C on Sunday, which the Met Office said was the UK’s highest minimum temperature for May.
Why is this significant?
The scale of the heat has made this more than just a weather story, with scientists saying the record is a warning about the growing impact of climate change on daily life. Britain is not usually associated with extreme May heat of this kind, so a reading above 33C at the end of spring stands out as both unusual and potentially disruptive. The combination of daytime highs and warm nights can increase strain on health services, transport systems and vulnerable groups, especially older people and those with existing medical conditions.
How hot could it get?
Forecasters said the heat has not yet peaked, with temperatures still expected to rise to 35C on Monday afternoon in some areas. Another 35C peak is forecast for Tuesday, while Wednesday is expected to reach 31C and Thursday around 30C. That means the country is likely to remain under pressure from sustained hot weather rather than a brief burst of sunshine.
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What do the forecasters say?
According to the Met Office, the current spell is being driven by exceptionally warm air moving across Europe during the bank holiday weekend. The agency’s provisional figures suggest the heat is broad-based rather than confined to one isolated location, although London Heathrow is the site where the May record was officially broken. The forecast pattern suggests the hottest conditions may continue into the early part of the week before easing slightly later.
What does the record mean for the climate?
Scientists have linked the broader trend of record-breaking heat to the climate crisis, saying these events are reminders that warming is already affecting lives. While one hot day does not on its own prove climate change, repeated extremes of temperature are consistent with a warming atmosphere and the increased frequency of unusual weather. That makes this record not only a meteorological event but also part of a wider public debate about resilience, preparedness and adaptation.
How are people likely to be affected?
Extended heat can affect travel, outdoor work, public events and everyday routines, especially when high temperatures continue into the evening and overnight. Warm nights matter because bodies have less chance to recover from daytime heat, and that can increase fatigue and health risks. The fact that the UK has already seen a record minimum temperature for May suggests the warmth is persistent rather than fleeting.
What comes next?
The immediate focus will be on whether the 35C forecast is reached again on Tuesday and whether any further May records fall before the week is over. Even if temperatures ease later in the week, the current spell is likely to be remembered as one of the most remarkable late-spring heat events ever experienced in the UK. For now, the record at Heathrow stands as the clearest sign that Britain is entering another period of exceptional heat.
The UK’s highest ever May temperature is 33.5C at London Heathrow, according to provisional Met Office data, beating the long-standing record from 1922. Scientists say the event underlines how the climate crisis is already reshaping weather extremes and daily life in Britain.
