UK enjoys historic bank holiday with record high temperatures of 34.8C - as high pressure set to stay on Tuesday

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Kew Gardens in south-west London has reached 34.8C, exceeding the highest May temperature recorded before the bank holiday by 2C.

"This heat would be exceptional in the UK even in mid-summer, let alone in May", the Met Office said.

Police also confirmed a man died on Sunday after a medical incident on the beach in Hastings, east Sussex, amid the record-breaking conditions.

According to the Met Office, parts of the south east can also expect highs of 35C on Tuesday.

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Emergency services also responded to the emergency Sunday morning on the beach near Warrior Square, St Leonards, following concerns for a man’s welfare, Sussex police said.

The man was declared dead at the scene and there were no suspicious circumstances, the force added.

Temperature records are usually broken by tenths of a degree, not several degrees, marking a notable shift in temperature.

Parts of the South and South East are forecast to hit 34C or 35C on Monday and Tuesday as heatwaves continue.

Last week there were lows of minus 5C in Scotland and daytime temperatures more widely peaked at about 14C to 15C.

If you've had trouble sleeping over the past couple of nights, today's bank holiday is set to be the hottest on record, with temperatures of 34C predicted in London and the South East of England.

This comes after the UK saw its hottest May day in 79 years on Sunday, with a high of 32.3C in the capital.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “We rarely see temperatures above 35C, even in the summer months, so to see temperatures getting close to 35C in May is, as I say, pretty historic.”

Saturday was the first time temperatures had passed 30C this year.

This bank holiday also broke the UK’s highest daily minimum for May on record as temperatures didn't fall below 19.4C overnight.

This comes after UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued its first amber health alert of 2026 on Friday, warning that there is a risk of a significant impact across health and social care services. The alert will remain in place until Wednesday.

The heat is considered to be dangerous for some vulnerable groups including older adults as their bodies struggle to regulate temperature.

Age UK recommends staying inside during the hottest hours of the day, between 11am and 3pm, and having regular cold baths or showers.

The charity director Caroline Abrahams said: “We can all help older people stay safe during periods of hot weather by checking in on older relatives, friends and neighbours to see if they need anything or are struggling with the heat.

“Offering to pick up shopping or medication, or even lending a fan, can make a real difference.”

The Met Office also confirmed a new record for Wales, with Hawarden Airport reaching 32.2 Celsius, topping the previous record being 30.6 Celsius at Newport in 1944.

About 500 properties supplied by South East Water have been hit by issues including outages and low pressure as temperatures soar.

South East Water apologised after it had to hand out bottled water to some of its customers in Kent and Sussex. A total of 250 properties in three Kent villages were suffering intermittent water outages or low pressure on Monday.

A burst water main in Eastbourne, East Sussex, affected 168 properties, while 64 customers suffered from issues with booster pumps at Radfall near Broomfield Gate in Whitstable, Kent.

There were also "ongoing water supply problems" for fewer than 20 properties on higher ground in the Ulcombe area of Kent.

South East Water incident manager Steve Benton said in a statement on Monday: "We’re sorry to all impacted customers for the disruption caused.

"We know water supply issues during hot weather are deeply frustrating and incredibly inconvenient and we are working as quickly and safely as possible to resolve them."

He added: "As a result of the recent hot weather, we’re seeing increased demand across our network and we’re having to pump far more drinking water than usual.

"We’re working hard to maintain supplies to customers across our network as the hot weather and increased demand for drinking water continues.

"Some customers on higher ground may, however, experience low water pressure or intermittent supply at peak times."