Britain Faces Unprecedented May Heat Wave

Large areas of Britain experienced their first heat wave of the year on Monday. Forecasters cautioned that temperatures might reach unprecedented levels for May, soaring to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of England.

The heat wave threatens to break the May temperature record of 32.8 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit), set in 1944, according to the Met Office, the national weather service. The agency described the situation as ‘unprecedented,’ stressing that temperature records are often surpassed only by small margins.

These extreme conditions developed over the week, with temperatures peaking prominently over the weekend, especially in England and Wales. On Saturday, southeast England recorded temperatures of 30.5 degrees Celsius (86.9 degrees Fahrenheit). Temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius in May are rare in Britain; the last instance occurred in 2012.

By Sunday, eight locations in southeast England satisfied the official heat wave criteria, having recorded three consecutive days above local temperature thresholds. Britain’s definition of a heat wave differs from the United States, where it is typically a period of abnormally hot weather lasting more than two days. In Britain, the Met Office requires three consecutive days of temperatures meeting or exceeding local thresholds to declare an official heat wave.

The forecast for Monday anticipated unusually high temperatures, degrees above seasonal averages, highlighting the unusual weather pattern.