UK experiences ‘tropical night’ after hottest ever May day
The UK experienced a record-breaking 'tropical night' on Monday, with temperatures not falling below 21.3C. This followed the hottest May day on record, with Kew Gardens reaching 34.8C. The Met Office reported that many areas across England and Wales are expected to experience continued high temperatures, with a heatwave threshold being met in several locations.
- ▪Temperatures did not fall below 21.3C at Kenley airfield on Monday night.
- ▪Kew Gardens recorded a temperature of 34.8C, marking the hottest May day since records began.
- ▪The Met Office reported that 97 monitoring sites reached or surpassed 30C on Monday.
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One man brave enough to head into central London on Monday tried to cool down with a cold drink. Temperatures elsewhere in the capital hit 34.8C. Photograph: James Manning/PAView image in fullscreenOne man brave enough to head into central London on Monday tried to cool down with a cold drink. Temperatures elsewhere in the capital hit 34.8C. Photograph: James Manning/PAUK weatherUK experiences ‘tropical night’ after hottest ever May dayTemperatures did not fall below 21.3C on Monday night at Kenley airfield in south LondonGeneva AbdulTue 26 May 2026 03.28 EDTLast modified on Tue 26 May 2026 03.29 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleThe UK experienced a “tropical night” on Monday as the record for highest daily minimum temperature in May was broken for the second consecutive…
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