The United Kingdom has shattered its hottest May day record for the second consecutive day as temperatures climbed above 35C in parts of London during an intense early summer heatwave.
Kew Gardens in south-west London recorded a provisional temperature of 35.1C on Tuesday, surpassing Monday’s previous record of 34.8C, which was also set at the same location.
Wales also experienced record-breaking heat, with Cardiff’s Bute Park reaching a provisional 32.3C, narrowly exceeding Monday’s Welsh May temperature record of 32.2C recorded at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire.
The extreme temperatures have triggered health and safety concerns across the country, with authorities warning people to avoid dangerous swimming conditions after a series of drowning incidents linked to the hot weather.
Police confirmed that six people, including several teenagers and a man in his 60s, have died in separate water-related incidents over the past few days.
In Lancashire, emergency services recovered a body from the River Ribble after a 12-year-old boy reportedly got into difficulty while swimming with friends.
Another body was discovered in South Yorkshire’s Rother Valley Country Park after a teenage boy went missing in the water overnight.
A 13-year-old boy also died Monday after entering a reservoir in Halifax, West Yorkshire, while the body of a teenage girl was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire.
In Cornwall, a man in his 60s lost his life after rushing into the sea near Padstow to help two relatives who were struggling in the water.
Police in Lincolnshire also confirmed that 15-year-old Declan Sawyer died at a lake on Sunday.
The Royal Life Saving Society warned that warmer weather often leads to a rise in accidental drownings and urged people to remain cautious around open water.
Experts emphasized that although air temperatures are extremely high, rivers, lakes, and seas remain dangerously cold, increasing the risk of cold shock.
The Met Office noted that before this week, the UK’s hottest May temperature stood at 32.8C, a record set in both 1922 and 1944.
“Until yesterday, the highest temperature in May was 32.8C, but we’ve now exceeded that record on consecutive days by a full two degrees Celsius,” the Met Office posted on social media.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued six amber heat-health alerts covering much of England until Thursday, warning that the heatwave could place significant pressure on healthcare and social care services.
Large parts of England and Wales are now officially in a heatwave, which occurs when temperatures exceed regional thresholds for at least three consecutive days.
Meteorologists said the unusual heat is linked to a strong area of high pressure combined with the long-term effects of human-caused climate change, which continues to drive rising temperatures globally.