LONDON – A powerful heat dome has settled over parts of the UK and northwestern Europe, pushing temperatures in London to levels more typical of mid-summer and raising the strong possibility of breaking the UK’s all-time May temperature record.
The British Met Office forecast temperatures to reach 31°C (87.8°F) on Sunday, May 24, with some areas in the southeast exceeding this. On Bank Holiday Monday, May 25, temperatures could climb as high as 33–34°C (91.4–93.2°F) in parts of Greater London and southern England.
Such extremes are exceptionally rare for May. The current UK May temperature record stands at 32.8°C, set in 1922 and 1944. Forecasters say this mark is at serious risk of being broken on Monday.
On Sunday, Kew Gardens in southwest London recorded 32.3°C, marking the hottest day of the year so far and the warmest May day in at least 79 years.
Climate Change Concerns
Residents and experts have linked the unusual heat to broader climate patterns. One Londoner told Reuters: “It’s getting hotter and hotter and that’s going to raise important issues about climate change and the impacts that climate change is having not only on the civilian population here in London, but overall on the farmers, on the wildlife, on how the animals are surviving. Because it’s changing an entire ecosystem.”
Another added: “Listening to the radio yesterday they said that this looks like it’s going to be one of the hottest Mays on record. And, yeah, climate change does make a difference.”
Impacts and Warnings
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber heat-health alerts across London, the South East, East of England, East Midlands, and West Midlands. Authorities are urging vulnerable groups – including the elderly, young children, and those with pre-existing conditions – to take precautions against heat-related illness.
The Met Office has warned of “full-on summer heat” arriving unusually early, with high UV levels and the risk of disrupted sleep in homes without air conditioning.
The heat dome is part of a wider European pattern, with above-average temperatures also affecting France, Spain, and Portugal.
As Londoners seek shade in parks and fountains on the Bank Holiday, many are wondering whether this early heat is a sign of what future Mays may increasingly look like.
Source: Reuters
