Parts of England expected to hit 35C in unprecedented' May heatwave

Temperatures are expected to reach 35C in parts of England on Monday, marking an unprecedented May heatwave. The Met Office predicts record highs will be broken, with the current May record at 32.8C. Records are typically surpassed by tenths of a degree, making the expected jump of 2.2C especially significant. An overnight record was set on Sunday night at 19.4C in Kenley, narrowly avoiding a tropical night where temperatures stay above 20C. Two tropical nights are forecast for Monday night and Tuesday night, followed by easing temperatures on Wednesday. Several locations across England are already officially in heatwave conditions. A super El Nino is expected to intensify heatwaves and raise the likelihood of global heat record breaks, with effects building toward 2027 and beginning to emerge this summer.

"Today will be the hottest day in May in the UK in our temperature records, with highs of 35C expected. The current May record is 32.8C. Records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree, making this heatwave unprecedented for the time of year. The last time a monthly maximum record was broken was in January 2024, by 1.6C."

"Much of England will have faced disturbed sleep on Sunday night, as a new overnight record for temperature was hit, at 19.4C at Kenley in Greater London. This means London residents narrowly avoided a tropical night, which is when temperatures overnight do not drop below 20C. This has not happened before in May. There are two tropical nights forecast for Monday night and Tuesday night, before temperatures ease off on Wednesday."

"Sunday was the UK's hottest May day for at least 79 years, and Kew Gardens in west London recorded 32.3C (90.1F). Many areas of England are officially in a heatwave, with the first to meet the criteria being Santon Downham in Suffolk on Sunday. The other areas officially in heatwave conditions are Heathrow, Kew Gardens and Northolt in London, Benson in Oxfordshire, Brooms Barn in Suffolk, and High Beach and Writtle in Essex."

"More heatwaves are likely this summer as a super El Nino is due to hit. This phenomenon supercharges weather events and makes them more extreme, for example by making heatwaves hotter. The effects are due to build up to hit in 2027, making it likely to break global heat records, but it is expected to begin emerging this summer. El Nino is characterised by warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean."

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