LONDON: Britain broke its record on Monday for the hottest day in May, according to the national weather agency, with the mercury rising to 33.5C near London as the country baked in a sweltering heatwave.
The previous hottest May day saw 32.8C heat, first registered in 1922 and again in 1944.
It is just the latest temperature record to tumble in the UK, which saw its hottest year on the books in 2025, with scientists warning that the country is unprepared for the ever-more frequent heatwaves driven by man-made climate change.
The Met Office had earlier forecast highs of 35C, after heatwave conditions spread to parts of southeast England and London by Sunday night.
“Temperatures at Heathrow have recently reached 33.5C, provisionally beating the all-time May record,” the Met Office wrote on social media.
