Record May heat in Europe. London at +33°C and it's not the limit

People relaxing in the Luxembourg Garden in Paris. Photo: Adnan Farzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The British meteorological service Met Office reported that on Monday, a temperature of 33.5°C was recorded at London's Heathrow Airport — a new absolute record for May in the country.

The previous record of 32.8°C was recorded in London's Camden on May 22, 1922, and such a temperature was also registered in Horsham, Tunbridge Wells in the southeast of the country, and in London's Regent's Park on May 29, 1944.

Forecasters warn that temperatures in the UK could reach 35°C on Tuesday.

Last night, London also set a preliminary record for the highest nighttime temperature in May — 19.4°C.

Hundreds of new May records are predicted to be set in the UK, France, and Spain in the coming days.

In many regions, temperatures are exceeding the climatic norm by 12-15 degrees.

The French service Météo France describes what is happening as a "premature, exceptional and prolonged" heatwave, which is expected to continue for several more days.

Life on pause

In Gloucestershire on Monday, the famous annual Cheese Rolling races were almost canceled due to the heat.

This traditional competition in the UK takes place on the last Monday of May on the steep Cooper's Hill near Gloucester. The essence of the competition is that participants run, tumble and fall down a 200-meter slope chasing a Double Gloucester cheese, trying to catch it.

BBC correspondent Andy Howard, who has covered the competitions for many years, says that these races have taken place in drizzle, downpours and cold weather, but never — at such high temperatures.

Local authorities feared that the slope would be very hard and dangerous for participants in such heat, and that spectators would not have enough shade to sit for a long time without the risk of heatstroke.

According to some reports, the organizers still need to explain why they decided to hold the event despite safety concerns.

However, the traditional donkey races, which are held annually in Surrey during the long bank holiday weekend at the end of May, were canceled this year due to extreme heat.

The Leatherhead Lions Club announced that the donkey competitions and dog show would not take place for reasons of "animal welfare and comfort."

Meanwhile, the remaining events — rides, fair, and music program — will proceed as planned.

Forecasters warn that temperatures in some parts of the country could rise to 34°C, and in Leatherhead itself, where the races are held, about 33°C is expected.

Due to a sharp jump in consumption, about 500 homes in Sussex and Kent were left without water today or faced serious supply disruptions.

South East Water apologized for the situation, explaining the problems as a "sharp increase in demand" across the network amid the abnormal heat.

Due to water supply disruptions, a bottled water distribution point was opened in several localities in Kent.

What about Europe?

Historic heat has not only hit the UK — May temperature records have been massively broken across Europe in recent days.

In Spain, 38°C was recorded on Sunday.

In France and Germany, temperatures rose to the mid-30s, and hundreds of localities reported new May records.

In France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and northern Italy, temperatures are currently exceeding the climatic norm for the end of May by 10-15 degrees.

Forecasters warn that the unprecedented heatwave is likely to persist for almost the entire week, meaning new records are still ahead.

What is causing the anomaly?

According to forecasts, the current cycle could be one of the most intense ever recorded.

According to one theory, this could be related to El Niño — a natural climatic phenomenon associated with the warming of water in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

El Niño occurs when sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific rise more than 0.5°C above normal. This affects weather worldwide and usually leads to an increase in average global temperature.

Amid the heat in the UK and Europe, many have begun to wonder: is the current heat related to the developing El Niño?

According to forecasters, the short answer is no.

Although the tropical Pacific is indeed warming unusually fast right now, El Niño will likely only be officially declared in a month. And its main consequences will manifest later — in the second half of summer and throughout 2027.

So what explains the natural anomaly in Britain and other European countries?

According to the latest report by the European Union on the state of the climate, Europe is the fastest-warming continent, and heatwaves are engulfing it more and more frequently and intensely.

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