More hot weather records have been broken on Tuesday, after London reached an unprecedented May temperature of 35C.
Severe travel disruption has been caused in London as services struggle to cope with the heat.
It comes just one day after the previous all-time high was set in Kew Gardens on Monday afternoon, smashing the previous May peak which stood at 32.8C reached in 1922 and 1944.
The expected high for large swathes of southern England and Wales on Tuesday could creep up to 36C, senior Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said.
Those forecasts span the Midlands, the south-east and south-west England, East Anglia, and South Wales.
A yellow weather warning has been issued for thunderstorms across much of England on Tuesday, the Met Office said.
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Firefighters at scene of grass fire near Arthur’s Seat 24 hours on
Firefighters remain at the scene tackling a grass fire which broke out near Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh on Monday.
The alarm was raised at about 6.50pm on May 25 when the fire started in an area of vegetation near the ruins of St Anthony’s Chapel.
Two fire engines remained at the scene at 2pm on Tuesday.
Clouds of smoke could be seen rising from the area as firefighters tackled the blaze and local residents were advised to keep their windows and doors shut as a precaution.
There were no reports of any injuries.
London hotter than Majorca
Parts of the UK including London “remain exceptionally hot” - even hotter than island of Majorca, where temperatures reached 29C, the Met Office said on Tuesday.
In a post on social media, it said: “Unusually hot weather for the time of year is affecting much of Western Europe, with parts of France 10C above average for May.
“Coastal areas will be a little cooler but inland areas will remain exceptionally hot.
“Some areas of the UK will be hotter than Majorca.”
Temperatures hit 32C in London
Temperatures have reached 32C in London this lunchtime as the capital soaks up the heatwave.
An amber health warning has been extended by 24 hours for several regions in England as temperatures are expected to soar to 35C on what could be the hottest May day since records began.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said amber alerts for the South West, South East, London, East and West Midlands and the East of England will remain in place until 5pm on Thursday May 28, along with yellow alerts for the North West and North East.
The alerts had previously been in place until 5pm on Wednesday May 27, while the yellow alert issued for the South West has also been escalated to amber.
On Monday, the UK experienced its provisional all-time hottest meteorological spring temperature on record when Kew Gardens in south-west London hit 34.8C.
The record could be broken again today if temperatures continue to rise.
Brits soak up the sunshine
People across the UK are soaking up the May sunshine as temperatures reach the low to mid-30s once again.
Many have taken to beaches and lidos to make the most of the record-breaking weather.
Delays on LNER trains
LNER said two speed restrictions on its routes are causing delays.
Its services are limited to 20mph on 125mph lines at St Neots, Cambridgeshire, and Tollerton, North Yorkshire.
The operator said there is also some alterations to services because it is running more Azuma trains rather than InterCity225 trains, as the former have better air conditioning.
Breakdowns soar amid heatwave
The AA said the number of breakdowns it attended between Friday and Monday was up 15 per cent on the same period last year.
It said “heatwave conditions put extra strain on vehicles”.
The company was called out to 34,124 over the four days, compared with 29,602 during the same bank holiday period in 2025.
Sunday and Monday had the biggest year-on-year increases with callouts up 21 per cent on both days, while on Saturday and Friday there were rises of 17 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.
Heat health alerts extended - full map
First bins alert for the Home Counties
Homeowners in Buckinghamshire are being warned that their bins may not be collected as usual due to the heatwave.
Buckinghamshire Council put out a message explaining that refuse collections may be delayed.
“Due to the hot weather and our commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our collection crews, waste and recycling collections may be delayed today as our operatives will need to take more frequent breaks to prevent heat stress and exhaustion,” it posted on X.
UK could see 30mm of rain in less than an hour
Despite the record-breaking temperatures and dry weather, the UK could see bursts of torrential rainfall later today.
A yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued for parts of the South West, West Midlands, East Midlands and East of England between 3pm and 10pm on Tuesday.
Isolated thunderstorms with lightning, hail and gusty winds are expected, the Met Office said, while there is potential for 30mm of rain in less than an hour.
Meanwhile, the hottest May temperature could be broken again on Tuesday with highs of 35C forecast across large swathes of southern England and Wales – which could even creep up to 36C, the Met Office said, although this could be reduced by the storms.
Amber heat health alert extended
An amber heat health alert in place in several regions in England has been extended by 24 hours, health officials have said.
The yellow alert issued for the South West has also been escalated to amber.
The UK Health Security Agency said amber alerts for the South West, South East, London, East and West Midlands and the East of England will remain in place until 5pm on Thursday May 28, along with yellow alerts for the North West and North East.
The alerts had previously been in place until 5pm on Wednesday May 27.