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UK records its hottest ever day in May as temperature hits 34.8C

In May 2026, the UK recorded its hottest ever May day with a temperature of 34.8C at London's Kew Gardens, breaking prior May temperature records set in 1922 and 1944, while concurrent heatwaves impacted other parts of western Europe including France and Spain. Scientists and UK climate officials attribute the unseasonably extreme heat to anthropogenic climate change, warn of elevated public health risks for vulnerable groups, and call for both accelerated net zero emissions reductions and mandatory heat adaptation measures for public buildings such as hospitals, care homes and schools.