Met Office declares hottest start to May on record as temperature continues to climb

Thursday is officially the hottest start to May on record in the UK, the Met Office has confirmed.

It comes after a temperature reading of 28C was recorded at Kew Gardens in south-west London, beating the previous record of 27.4C in Lossiemouth, Moray, on 1 May 1990.

The Met Office said in a post on X: “With the temperature at Kew Gardens reaching 28C and still climbing, it is now officially the warmest start to May on record for the UK.

“The previous May 1st record high temperature was 27.4C at Lossiemouth in Scotland in 1990.”

Despite the soaring temperatures, the Met Office has ruled out a heatwave this week.

Mr Silverstone said it looks “unlikely” the UK will reach a heatwave – which is defined as three consecutive days of temperatures exceeding the “heatwave threshold”, which varies across the country.

The threshold is 25C for most of the UK, rising to 28C in London.

“Admittedly, it could be close for a few places in the South, though, with temperatures either today or Friday only just failing to exceed the required threshold,” Mr Silverstone said.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has urged caution around open-water swimming after a 32% increase in water-related incidents last month compared with the same period last year.

Craig Carter, LFB assistant commissioner for prevention and protection, said: “Even when the sun is shining, water temperatures can be dangerously cold. Cold water shock can affect anyone, no matter how fit or experienced they are.

“It can lead to water inhalation and, in the worst cases, drowning. Be particularly careful near the water’s edge, it’s easy to slip and fall unexpectedly. And think twice before jumping into open water.”

The body of a 16-year-old boy has been found in a lake in Nottingham after emergency services were called to Colwick Country Park at around 5.20pm on Wednesday.

Temperatures are expected to ease by Friday, and Saturday will bring cooler conditions of 14C to 18C across the UK.

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