LONDON — Britons ditched their brollies and flung open their windows yesterday, reveling in a scorcher that smashed records for the hottest start to May ever recorded in the UK. The mercury at Kew Gardens hit a sizzling 28.0°C, climbing higher as the day wore on, toppling a mark set 35 years ago when Lossiemouth, Scotland, reached 27.4°C on May 1, 1990. From Brighton’s pebbled beaches to Manchester’s bustling parks, the nation soaked up the sun like it was July.
The Met Office, the country’s weather authority, confirmed the milestone in an announcement that had meteorologists buzzing. A sprawling high-pressure system parked over the UK was the culprit, dragging warm air from the continent and baking the south in particular. By Thursday, southern England was forecast to nudge 29°C in spots, with clear skies and relentless sunshine pushing the heat even higher. The Met’s data, rooted in decades of meticulous records, showed this wasn’t just a warm day—it was historic.
Cities hummed with life as people seized the moment. In London, office workers swapped ties for T-shirts, spilling onto pub patios along the Thames. Bristol’s harbourside saw families picnicking, kids darting through sprinklers, while in Cardiff, locals flocked to Bute Park, ice creams in hand. Even northern towns like Leeds, often cloaked in drizzle, shimmered under a rare cloudless sky. The warmth wasn’t universal—Orkney caught gusts and grey—but for most, it was a day to savor.
Behind the balmy bliss, the Met Office pointed to a weather pattern locked in place since late April. High pressure, they explained, forces air downward, warming it as it sinks. Add in long hours of sunshine, and you’ve got a recipe for record-breaking heat. Their April 29 forecast had warned of the coming spike, and by May 1, the numbers proved them right. Southern areas, especially around London, bore the brunt of the heat, though East Anglia and the Midlands weren’t far behind.
This wasn’t the first time the UK’s weather made headlines. Last year, on June 3, the Met Office declared 2024’s May and spring the warmest since records began in 1884, driven by a mix of mild nights and blazing days. Early figures from May 31, 2024, had hinted at it, with East Anglia clocking unprecedented averages. This year’s May 1 heatwave, though, was a bolt from the blue—a single day rewriting the books.
As Britons basked, the forecast promised more of the same. The Met Office projected warm, settled weather through the weekend for most regions, with the south likely to stay toasty. Northern areas might see a few showers by Sunday, but nothing to dampen the mood. For now, the UK’s flipping the script on its rainy reputation, and nobody’s complaining.
The temperature at Kew Gardens reached 28.0°C on May 1, 2025, surpassing the previous May 1 record of 27.4°C set in 1990. Southern England was expected to hit 29°C in some areas by Thursday. The Met Office recorded the warmest May and spring in 2024, with 2025’s May 1 now holding the record for the hottest start to the month.