Britain is on track to record its hottest May day on Monday, May 25, 2026, as an intense and unusually early heatwave pushes temperatures toward 35 degrees Celsius, the UK’s national weather agency, the Met Office, has said.
Forecasters said the projected peak would surpass the current May record of 32.8C, first set in 1922 and matched again in 1944.
The agency noted that such a jump is highly unusual in UK climate records, where new extremes are typically broken by only small margins.
The heatwave has already driven exceptional temperatures across parts of southeast England and London since the weekend, with conditions intensifying into Sunday night and spreading more widely ahead of Monday’s peak.
Officials also warned that the bank holiday is likely to become the hottest on record in the country.
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The Met Office said temperatures above 35C are rare even in mid-summer, making such readings in May historically significant and far outside seasonal norms. Meteorologists described the event as exceptional for the time of year.
Health authorities have issued warnings over heat-related risks, urging people to remain hydrated, avoid prolonged exposure during peak hours, and take precautions for vulnerable groups as temperatures remain elevated.
Scientists continue to link the growing frequency and intensity of extreme heat events to human-driven climate change, warning that such conditions are becoming more common across Europe.
They also caution that much of the UK’s infrastructure was designed for a cooler climate and may struggle to cope with increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat.
The heatwave is expected to ease after Monday, though temperatures are still likely to remain above average in several regions for the start of the week.