The temperature at Kew Gardens, southwest London, provisionally reached 34.8C on Monday, “exceeding the previous highest May temperature in the UK by a full 2 degrees Celsius”, the Met Office has said.
Temperature records are usually broken by tenths of a degree, not several degrees.
Parts of the South and South East are forecast to reach 35C on Monday and Tuesday as heatwaves continue.
Last week there were lows of minus 5C in Scotland and daytime temperatures more widely peaked at about 14C to 15C. Wales and Northern Ireland also reached 2026 record temperatures of 27.4C in Cardiff and 23.4C in Armagh on Sunday.
Saturday was the first time this year that the UK had passed 30C and Sunday saw the hottest recorded May temperature since 1947.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued its first amber health alert of 2026 on Friday, warning that there is a risk of a significant impact across health and social care services. The alert will remain in place until Wednesday.
The heat is considered to be dangerous for some vulnerable groups including older adults as their bodies struggle to regulate temperature. Age UK recommends staying inside during the hottest hours of the day, between 11am and 3pm, and having regular cold baths or showers.
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