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For the second consecutive day, the UK has experienced record-breaking May temperatures, with London seeing highs surpassing 35C. At Kew Gardens in south-west London, a provisional temperature of 35.1C was recorded on Tuesday, exceeding Monday’s previous record of 34.8C at the same location. Similarly, Wales reported new May heat records when Cardiff’s Bute Park reached 32.3C, surpassing Monday’s 32.2C recorded at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire.
The extreme heat led to operational challenges across the country, including delays to train services as speed restrictions were enforced to maintain safety. These restrictions were necessary because high temperatures can cause overhead power lines to sag and rails to buckle. South Western Railway (SWR) warned that its services might face cancellations, delays of up to an hour, or revisions due to these heat-related precautions. Meanwhile, disruptions were reported on LNER routes between Peterborough and London Kings Cross, as well as on the Great Northern, Thameslink, and Southern networks.
Health concerns have accompanied the soaring temperatures, prompting the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to issue six amber heat health alerts across much of England, effective until Thursday. These alerts caution of significant impacts on health and social care services due to increased demand caused by the heat. Much of England and Wales entered an official heatwave from Tuesday, a status triggered when temperatures exceed 25C in northern and western regions or 28C in London and the Home Counties for three consecutive days. The Met Office linked the sweltering conditions to “warmth building under an area of high pressure near the UK,” consistent with the longer-term trend of rising temperatures driven by human-induced climate change.
In addition to transport and health-related impacts, the heatwave led to water supply issues in Kent, where several villages experienced water outages for three days. Around 800 homes in Charing, Challock, and Molash were affected by low reservoir levels caused by unprecedented demand. South East Water confirmed that their teams were striving to restore supplies amid the ongoing hot weather. Tragically, as people sought relief in lakes and reservoirs during the bank holiday weekend, four fatalities occurred at swimming locations across England. The Royal Life Saving Society emphasized that warmer air does not equate to warm water temperatures, warning of risks like “cold shock” since water remains significantly colder than the surrounding air, with sea temperatures in parts of southeast England around 14C. Alongside the heat, the Met Office also issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for parts of England, predicting isolated storms with potential localized disruption until late Tuesday evening
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