Parts of the UK are officially in a heatwave as temperatures soared to within reach of May records.<\/p>\n
The first area of the UK to hit the threshold was Santon Downham in Suffolk<\/a>, which reached the criteria of recording temperatures of more than 27C for three consecutive days at 11.30am on Sunday.<\/p>\n The other areas now officially in heatwave conditions are: Heathrow, Kew Gardens and Northolt, all in London; Benson in Oxfordshire; Brooms Barn in Suffolk; and High Beach and Writtle, both in Essex.<\/p>\n Temperatures could rise again, with highs of 31C predicted in the south-east, and further on Monday, when peaks of between 33C and 34C are possible.<\/p>\n The climate crisis is increasing the likelihood of extreme heat. Large parts of western Europe are experiencing similar peaks, with M\u00e9t\u00e9o-France, the French national weather forecaster, warning periods of exceptional heat are expected to come \u201cmore and more often and more and more prematurely, and to be more and more intense\u201d.<\/p>\n Margate beach was packed with sunbathers as temperatures climbed over the bank holiday. Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe\/Reuters<\/p>\n A Met Office<\/a> spokesperson said: \u201cBreaking the 32.8C May record is around three times more likely now in our current climate than it would have been in natural climate conditions before the Industrial Revolution. \u201cWhat was around a one-in-100-year event is now around a one-in-33-year event.\u201d<\/p>\n The Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said there would be \u201cplentiful amounts of sunshine\u201d in many parts of the UK on Sunday, bringing temperatures upwards of 30C.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we hit that 33C, maybe even locally close towards 34C, that would bring us our hottest bank holiday day on record, as well as our hottest day in May on record,\u201d Vautrey said. \u201cSo it really is quite exceptional heat that is building for the time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n A map of UK heatwave thresholds<\/a><\/p>\n The criteria for a heatwave are set by the Met Office. One is declared when temperatures reach or exceed 28C in London and its surrounding counties on at least three consecutive days.<\/p>\n For many other areas of England<\/a>, as well as south-east Wales, it is 26C or 27C. The threshold is 25C for Scotland, Northern Ireland, much of Wales and northern England.<\/p>\n