The United Kingdom is set to experience a historic heatwave over the upcoming bank holiday weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach 33C on Monday, potentially breaking a century-old national record.
The Met Office predicts the hottest conditions will be concentrated in southern England and the Midlands.
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The UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow heat health alerts from Friday morning through next Wednesday.
Temperatures are expected to hit 28C in parts of south-east England on Friday before climbing above 30C across large areas of England and Wales over the weekend.
The current May temperature record stands at 32.8C, recorded at Camden Square, London, in 1922.
The highest temperature recorded so far in 2026 was 26.6C at Kew Gardens in April.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster Steve Kocher said it is likely that the May and spring UK temperature records will be broken over the bank holiday weekend, with forecast temperatures surpassing the existing record of 32.8C.
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The extreme weather will push British temperatures past popular European holiday destinations such as Mykonos, Marbella, and Benidorm.
Scotland and Northern Ireland will see more moderate highs in the mid-20s by next week.
Health officials warned that the prolonged heat could cause minor disruptions to local health and social care services, particularly for vulnerable people facing elevated indoor temperatures.
The spike in temperatures prompted safety warnings from national medical charities regarding UV exposure and long-term health risks.
Cancer Research UK reported that its latest annual data from 2022 confirmed 20,980 new cases of melanoma, the highest number of diagnoses the charity has ever recorded.
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Projections from the organization indicate that annual melanoma diagnoses will climb to 26,500 by 2040, representing an estimated 23 percent increase in men and a 26 percent increase in women.
