It’s hot. You may have noticed. Monday promises to be the warmest May day on record, with temperatures in some parts of the UK rising to 33C. Britons flocked to parks and beaches to make the most of the sunshine on Saturday as the bank holiday heatwave baked the nation. The hot weather prompted perennial comparisons to popular holiday destinations: some parts of the UK were hotter than Athens, Barbados and even the Seychelles.
After a cooler-than-average May, by lunchtime on Saturday temperatures had climbed to 28.3C in Kew Gardens, west London, and 25.8C in Cardiff. The Met Office said Scotland and Northern Ireland would be “a little fresher”, but warm, sunny spells are still expected there with temperatures in the low 20s. The Met Office said a “historic heatwave” was on the way at 1pm on Sunday; a high of 30 or even 31 was expected on Saturday, with the hot spell to become more widespread and temperatures in some parts of the country set to rise to 33 or more on Monday.
People bask in the sunshine beside the River Thames
The heatwave is expected to last until Thursday, when maximum temperatures will fall to 26C. Travellers on public transport were urged to carry bottles of water and breaks were introduced into football matches for players to hydrate.
The hotter weather has come at the right time for many families, since more people are choosing to stay in the UK this summer. New polling by National Rail indicates that nearly half of Britons (48%) have no plans to travel abroad this year. A third of those staying blame the squeeze on household finances.
The beach hots up in Weymouth
The survey of 2,000 Britons found that the rising cost of fuel, much of it due to foreign wars, had also been a factor in their decision. More than 19 million people were expected to be on the roads over the weekend, according to the RAC – a million more than during the late May bank holiday last year. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) upgraded its heat health alert to amber for the Midlands, eastern and south-east England.
An amber alert represents an increase in death, particularly among over-65s and those with pre-existing health conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. It also indicates that demands on power systems may outstrip supply and staffing shortages affect public services. A lesser yellow alert was announced for south-west England and across northern England. The alerts are in place from now until 5pm on Wednesday. The London Fire Brigade warned of the “very real” risk of wildfires and urged caution on the use of disposable barbecues.
Walking towards the lighthouse at Portland Bill
A forecaster for the Met Office said on Saturday: “We are expecting a high of 30 celsius today, with a small chance of it hitting 31. In the coming days the hot spell becomes more widespread and temperatures are set to rise even further.
“Currently the headline maximum on Sunday is 31 celsius, 33 celsius on Monday and Tuesday, 30 degrees on Wednesday, dropping to 26 celsius by Thursday. So a historic heatwave and probably the highest May temperature on record for the UK, to be exceeded on Monday or Tuesday.”
Enjoying an ice cream in Richmond
Photographs by Asadour Guzelian; Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images; Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images; Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
Newsletters
Choose the newsletters you want to receive
View more
For information about how The Observer protects your data, read our Privacy Policy