It is the hottest May day on record, breaking the record set on Monday.

"Today is now the hottest day in May on record with Heathrow and Kew Gardens provisionally reaching 35.0C," the Met Office says.

"Until yesterday the highest temperature in May was 32.8C, but we've now exceeded that record on consecutive days by a full two degrees Celsius."

Yesterday, temperatures reached 34.8C at Kew Gardens.

Damian Grammaticas
Political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Downing Street has said that the idea of setting a maximum legal temperature for workplaces "is not something [they] are looking at".

Some countries do have such limits.

In Spain, for instance, the maximum legal working temperature indoors is 27C for sedentary work and 25C for light physical work.

Amid the heatwave, a Downing Street spokesperson says that "the government would always encourage people to follow health advice from the UK Health Security Agency in order to keep cool in these temperatures".

Asked whether the prime minister would encourage people to consider working from home, the spokesperson says that is "a matter for individual employers".

Image source, Weather Watchers/TweeterofWit

The Met Office is warning of the potential for "cold shock", as sea and other open water temperatures are much lower than the highs being felt during this heatwave.

The forecaster has shared a map which shows that even in the south-east of England, sea temperatures are around 14C.

What is cold water shock?

When our bodies enter cold water abruptly, it can lead to cold shock. This shock causes the blood vessels in the skin to close, increasing the resistance of blood flow, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) explains.

It also increases heart rate, meaning the heart has to work harder and your blood pressure goes up, the RNLI says, warning that cold water shock can cause heart attacks even in those who are young and healthy.

"The sudden cooling of the skin by cold water also causes an involuntary gasp for breath. Breathing rates can change uncontrollably, sometimes increasing as much as tenfold. All these responses contribute to a feeling of panic, increasing the chance of inhaling water directly into the lungs," the RNLI adds.

Image source, Met Office

Image source, Andy F/Geograph

A man in his 60s has died after running into the sea to help two relatives who had got into difficulty on a beach in Cornwall, according to police.

The incident happened at about 15:50 BST on bank holiday Monday on Tregirls Beach near Padstow.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the man, who lived locally, suffered a cardiac arrest after reportedly entering the water to assist two family members, who were brought to safety by other people at the beach.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. His death follows news of three others at swimming sites across England:

• A body was recovered from the water at Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire in the early hours of Tuesday morning after a teenage boy went missing on Monday
• The body of a teenage girl was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire on Monday evening
• A 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty while in a reservoir in Halifax, Yorkshire, on Monday afternoon

Dozens of homes in Kent have been left with little or no water for the third day as the hot weather continues.

The outages began on Saturday and peaked on Sunday when about 800 properties in the villages of Charing, Challock and Molash were unable to get water.

South East Water (SEW) says teams are working hard to restore drinking water supplies across the region following "high demand during the exceptionally hot weather", which led to "storage reservoirs running low in parts of Kent".

The company says it is having to pump more water than usual to higher ground due to this demand, and customers in these areas may experience low pressure or supply interruptions, especially at peak use times.

A SEW spokesperson adds:

• Around 64 properties in the Radfall area of Whitstable are experiencing low pressure or no water as a pump has failed
• Fewer than 20 properties on higher ground in the Ulcombe area of Kent are also experiencing ongoing water supply problems
• Repairs have also been carried out on a burst water main in the Decoy Drive area of Eastbourne, where water should now be returning to 168 properties

With Kenley in London experiencing the warmest May night on record - at 21.3C - and similarly balmy conditions felt more widely across the UK, we've compiled some handy tips to make sleeping a little more bearable.

Cameron Angus-Mackay
Reporting from Shetland

People in Shetland are pleased to see a brighter day after a run of cold and cloudy weather.

It's only 11C in Lerwick, but the sun is bringing people out for lunch around the harbour.

The town feels quite busy this afternoon because of two large cruise ships. Tourists are stopping to photograph island scenery and popping into local shops.

Belgian couple Claudia and Thierry are on a 12-day cruise. "We have 30C back home, but when we set off on the boat it was raining, raining, raining," they say.

Joe Coughlan
Live reporter

Image source, Eanna Hermbusche

Staff at the Grantley Arms pub in Wonersh are offering free sunscreen for those in their garden.

Eanna Hermbusche, the Surrey pub's general manager, tells me that the initiative started last year after management ordered a bulk amount of sunscreen for the staff - before deciding to offer the surplus to patrons.

"In the outside areas we have got cutlery stations, so we put a few bottles on those and people can help themselves," Eanna adds.

He says the offering has spread locally through word of mouth, with parents appreciating the extra protection for their children during school holidays.

"It's been received very positively. People are very gracious of the fact it's being given out for free as everything costs money these days," Eanna says.

Kieran Kelly and Maddie Lake
Reporting from Regent's Park

In Regent's Park, we bumped into three people who are all too familiar with stifling heat.

Autumn Cook, 21, and Jayda Masina, 23, are from Utah, while Alyssa McCave, 19, is from Texas in the United States.

Both states experience intense heat, but Jayda and Autumn tell us that the current UK heatwave is "way worse".

Autumn says the "lack of air conditioning" is a "big" problem, while Jayda adds that more air conditioning would make the heatwave more "tolerable".

While they described the heat as "inconvenient", they told us they had still enjoyed their time in London.

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Poynting
Climate reporter

It can be easy to forget just how quickly the UK’s climate is changing.

Days exceeding 30C (86F) - known as “very hot” days by the Met Office - might feel normal, but they used to be much rarer.

During the last decade, the number of these “very hot” days more than trebled compared with the 1961-1990 average, according to the Met Office.

These temperatures are especially rare in May.

The Met Office says that 30C has been reached in May in only a handful of years since 1900.

And yesterday's provisional high of 34.8C is simply unprecedented in May since records began, smashing the previous high by a full 2C.

The UK’s weather varies a lot naturally, so new records won’t fall every year.

But this early season heat is consistent with the long-term trend of rising temperatures because of human-caused climate change.

Simon King
Lead weather presenter, BBC Weather

For an official heatwave to be declared, a location has to reach a threshold temperature for three days in a row. That's 25C for northern and western areas of the UK up to 28C in London and the Home Counties.

Greater London, Surrey, East and West Sussex and parts of Essex and Suffolk are now up to their fourth or fifth consecutive day.

Elsewhere, with temperatures this afternoon now exceeding the threshold for the third day in a row, we can now confirm that much of England and Wales is in an official heatwave.

Malu Cursino
Live reporter

Image source, Ron Fassbender

An NHS urgent care doctor tells the BBC she's seen an increase in the number of patients being admitted to her east London hospital during the current heatwave.

Dr Lorna Powell, who is also co-director of climate action group Mothers Rise Up, says she and her colleagues are seeing more older patients with complex health needs requiring treatment. These patients can struggle to regulate their body temperatures - making it difficult to stay cool during heatwaves.

Even without other health issues, extreme heat takes a toll on all of us. That's because "your body has to work overtime to keep you cool and maintain a stable core temperature", Powell explains.

We also become dehydrated more easily in high temperatures, and our blood vessels dilate putting an additional strain on the heart.

Higher-than-normal temperatures are becoming more frequent due to human-induced climate change. To mitigate the health impacts, Dr Powell says we should adapt our homes to extreme heat and educate people about how they can stay safe.

Elsewhere, Stuart Crichton, director of 999 operations at London Ambulance Service, told BBC London yesterday was the service's "busiest day in the last 12 months as we get into the amber heat warning".

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers / Jojo

The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber heat health alert for south-west England, bringing the number of amber alerts during the heatwave to six.

Amber alerts were earlier issued for much of England, including the West Midlands, East Midlands, east of England, south east and London regions, all scheduled to expire at 17:00 on Thursday.

The alert indicates an increase in the likelihood of deaths, particularly among people over 65. It also warns of an increased demand on health and social care services, and demand for power exceeding capacity.

Yellow alerts are also in place for the north east, north west and Yorkshire and the Humber until Thursday.

Elizabeth Rizzini
Lead weather presenter

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers / silverloon

As the intense May heat ramps up again today, we have the latest temperatures in from 12:00.

In Heathrow in London, the temperature has risen to 32.2C.

Meanwhile the weather station at Camborne in Cornwall has just recorded 28.8C, passing not just its May record, but its June highest temperature record too.

It's significant that the June record has been broken, as it is typically warmer in June than in May.

Here are some of the previous records set in Camborne:

• The previous May record was 24.5C in 1990 - but it's been broken for three days straight as of today
• June's previous highest temperature record was 27.7C, set in 2017
• Camborne's all-time maximum temperature is 30.4C

Mark Poynting
Climate reporter

It’s well established that human-caused climate change is making hot weather more likely and more intense.

As humans burn coal, oil and gas and cut down forests, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.

These gases act like a blanket, causing the planet to heat up.

And even a small increase in average temperatures makes a big difference to heat extremes.

As the range of daily temperatures shifts to warmer levels, hotter days become more likely and more intense.

Since the 1980s, the UK has been warming at about 0.25C per decade – and 2025 was the UK’s hottest year ever recorded, the Met Office says.

Dan Woodland
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It's set to be another exceptionally hot day across much of England and Wales, with forecasts of up to 35C in the south-east, which if reached would beat Monday's May temperature record of 34.8C. Here's what you need to know:

• Five amber heat health alerts covering much of England remain active until Wednesday after being issued by the UK Health Security Agency last week
• The Met Office has also issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in England from 15:00 BST to 22:00 today, however the BBC's lead weather presenter Simon King says most people will likely be unaffected
• Today could also be the hottest May day on record across the island of Ireland, as temperatures rise towards 30C in Munster and south Leinster
• Want to stay cool? Check out our tips here, and our other post has advice on whether or not you should be wearing shorts in the office
• It won't be as hot for everyone - the north of England and much of Scotland will see slightly lower temperatures today, hovering around 20C.
• A liefsaving charity has issued a warning after three teenagers died in separate incidents after getting into trouble swimming in the UK on Monday. The body of a teenage girl was recovered from a water park in Warwickshire, a 13-year-old boy died in a reservoir in West Yorkshire and another boy died in South Yorkshire
• Meanwhile, in France, seven deaths have been linked to the record warm weather, either directly or indirectly, according to French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon

We'll continue to bring you the latest as the temperature continues to rise.

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) has urged people to stay safe after three teenagers died in separate incidents after getting into trouble at swimming spots in Yorkshire and Warwickshire.

It warned that "warmer weather unfortunately sees an increase in accidental drownings" and while air temperatures are hot, water temperatures remain very cold.

People should stop and think before getting into water as cold water shock can make swimming difficult and increase the difficulty in getting out of the water, RLSS adds.

If you do decide to get in the water, people should follow the Water Safety Code to keep safe and always stay together, the RLSS says.

If you see a person in an emergency you should:

• Call 999 immediately
• Stay out of the water yourself
• Tell them to keep calm and throw something that floats, such as a plastic bottle or football, for them to hold onto and stay afloat while help is on the way

Image source, Getty

Firefighters have worked through the night to tackle a fire in Holyrood Park near Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) says as of 09:00 this morning, two fire appliances remained in attendance to dampen down hot spots.

The fire started in an area of vegetation near the ruins of St Anthony's Chapel on Monday, with the alarm being raised at 18:50 BST.

A fire service spokesperson adds that there are no reported casualties.

It comes as temperatures of 23.5C were recorded in Edinburgh on Monday, but the cause of the blaze is yet to be confirmed.

During hot weather, it’s easy to overheat, which can sometimes lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

Heat exhaustion isn’t usually serious as long as you can cool down. But heatstroke is a medical emergency and needs immediate treatment.

Older adults, young children and people with long-term health conditions are especially at risk.

Here are the symptoms to watch out for:

Charlotte Hadfield
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

As many people head back to the office after the bank holiday, you may have struggled to choose what to wear to keep cool in the warm weather.

When deciding whether it's appropriate to wear shorts to work, personal stylist Sian Clarke, known as Styled by Sian, says people should consider two things - how important comfort is to them and whether they are someone who overheats easily.

"With the emotional and comfort side I would fully support it," Sian tells the BBC.

However, in more traditional workplaces where "you don't want to raise eyebrows" or run the risk of being asked to change, Sian says employees may want to stick to the dress code.

"It comes down to the person and place of work, but I think it's a really modern approach."

Image source, Getty Images

By law, employers have a "duty of care" to make sure working temperatures are reasonable for their staff, according to workplace conciliation service Acas.

While employers are not under any obligation to relax their dress code during hot weather, Acas says "where possible it may be advisable to for employers to relax the rules for wearing ties or suits".

If you want to keep cool at work without wearing shorts, Sian recommends opting for natural fibres, including organic materials which are more breathable, along with loser fitting clothes.

Are you braving bare legs at work? Get in touch at yourvoice@bbc.co.uk, external, external