Image source, Reuters

With the news that today is the hottest May day on record, you might be wondering when the current heatwave is expected to come to an end.

As our lead weather presenter Simon King explained earlier today, an official heatwave is declared when a location reaches a threshold temperature for three days in a row.

In northern and western areas of the UK, that threshold is 25C, while it is up to 28C in London and the Home Counties.

Later tonight, parts of the UK could experience isolated thunderstorms, with a yellow weather warning in place until 22:00 BST.

While temperatures are expected to drop from the record-breaking levels we've seen today, the Met Office is still predicting highs of 33C in south-western England tomorrow and 32C around London and the East Midlands on Thursday.

Temperatures will likely drop again slightly on Friday, where London and East Anglia could experience highs of 30C, the Met Office adds.

Highs of 29C are forecast around London and Kent on Saturday before temperatures return closer to average on Sunday.

That means the ongoing heatwave could last into the weekend in some areas, particularly in south England.

Image source, Jeff Overs

As households swelter through record temperatures, the government's climate advisory body warns UK homes "have been built for a climate that no longer exists".

"We typically think about colder winter planning, and our planning for that remains important, but we're seeing hotter summers and hotter heatwaves," the Climate Change Committee's director of adaptation Dr Richard Millar tells the BBC.

The statutory body cites figures in its report published earlier this month that say that more than half UK homes are at risk of overheating, a figure that is projected to rise to 92% by 2050. Those figures are from engineering firm Arup.

Dr Miller says external shuttering, natural shading, and more appropriate building fabrics could be incorporated into new home designs to manage hotter periods. But the report says more than a fifth of housing stock will need air conditioning to cope with overheating when global warming hits 2C.

"Cooling will be needed in critical settings such as hospitals, schools, prisons, and care homes in many parts of the country to protect wellbeing and often lives," it says.

Faarea Masud
Business reporter

Image source, Getty Images

If internet searches are anything to go by, interest in air-conditioning has soared during the heatwave.

Air conditioners can come fully installed or portable, and consumer group Which? advises you should consider initial costs, running costs, how much maintenance a unit needs, as well as noise levels, when thinking about buying one.

The average portable air conditioner, which can be wheeled out during hot summer days and stored away during winter, uses 22p per hour on their highest setting, Which? says, adding that’s about as much energy as a typical fridge freezer uses in one day.

You may need one for each room in your home.

The cheapest Which? tested cost about 17p per hour to run, and the priciest 31p per hour. It adds that the most energy-efficient models cool quickly, so you don't have to have the air-con on for as long.

“Split-unit” air conditioners tend to be more energy efficient, but are more expensive and have to be permanently installed by a professional. Which? doesn’t test those as they’re not so popular in the UK.

Ali Totten
BBC News NI weather presenter

Temperatures have risen further in the Republic of Ireland - which had recorded its hottest May day earlier today.

In Met Éireann's latest update, the mercury hit 30C at Shannon Airport in County Clare - beating Monday's record of 28.6 degrees at the same location.

That makes Tuesday the warmest May day on record across the island of Ireland and the warmest day of the year so far. The previous May record had stood at 28.4C, set in County Kerry in 1997.

Met Éireann has also issued a yellow warning for high temperatures in counties Clare, Galway, Kerry, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Offaly, and Tipperary for Tuesday at Tuesday 12:00 BST until Wednesday at 18:00 BST.

• We've more on the picture on the island of Ireland in our news story

Ellie Price
Correspondent

Here at Godstone Farm, just a few miles down the road from Kenley which set a new record for overnight temperatures last night, the llamas have sprinklers and the pigs have extra mud to wallow in to keep cool.

Normally there would be around 1,800 visitors here on a single day in half term, but today the farm says only around 600 people have braved the heat.

People we spoke to were chomping on ice creams, finding the shady bits and heading home early to the paddling pool.

Image source, RZSS

You've been sending us some pictures of how your furry friends are keeping cool during the hot weather. But what about those of the feathered variety?

Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo have pulled out all the stops for their king, gentoo and northern rockhopper penguins with a bumper ice delivery - although it has already triggered some hot headed responses.

"Our penguins are having a great time claiming their spot on their ice piles, with a few light arguments over who gets the best spot," Darren McGarry, head of animal care says.

He adds that "they also have water sprinklers, sunshades and of course their cold pool to cool off in."

Other animals including the zoo’s red river hogs, Visayan warty pigs, sloth bears and Jai the greater one-horned rhino have also been helping themselves to a frozen feast.

Image source, RZSS

Image source, RZSS

Dan Johnson
West of England correspondent

Bal Padda runs Vicarage Nurseries, a strawberry farm in Worcestershire that delivers fruit to Wimbledon. The farm is now however finding it harder as the berries ripen faster.

"They're ripening too quick, we can't get round them fast enough. It's very hot but we have to struggle and get on with it because if we leave it it will just get more ripe and won't be edible," he tells the BBC.

He says the biggest issue he's facing is not just the warm temperatures during the day, but in the evening too.

To get the deliveries and picking done, the team are coming in as early as 05:00 to meet their targets. He says they taking more breaks than usual due to the heat.

"There comes a point where it's too hot to work, which happened last year, meaning they pushed their work out earlier to get the work done," he explains.

Padda says although the weather can be great for families, working on a farm means they need "consistent seasons not the peaks and troughs" which can make it difficult to sell their fruit.

Tinshui Yeung
Live reporter

Image source, Jon Forshaw

Jon Forshaw, who grows cereals and vegetables in Tarleton, Lancashire, tells me that the unusually hot weather is having an impact on his farm.

"The leaves of cauliflower are very big, so they wilt a bit in the hot weather," he says.

He's currently irrigating his crops, but says "there's a cost with that".

"It's not too bad at the moment, but if it carries on like this, it will obviously have an effect on crop size and yield," he adds.

To adapt to changing weather patterns, Forshaw says he's moving some crops closer to water to help reduce these irrigation costs. He's also thinking about growing different types of crops.

The heat is affecting his work schedule too - he started at 05:30 BST today to get ahead before it became too hot.

"It saps your energy," he says. "It's not good for you working out in this."

There have been calls for restrictions on outdoor work in extreme heat, but Forshaw says sometimes crops just have to be harvested.

Joe Coughlan
Live reporter

Image source, Professor Richard Allan

This month has seen the greatest monthly temperature range in Reading in almost 120 years of records, according to data from the Berkshire town's university.

The University of Reading's atmospheric observatory recorded its hottest ever May day on Tuesday as temperatures provisionally hit 33.1C.

It follows a low of -0.1C on 12 May earlier this month - equalling a total range of 33.2C.

While the recordings still need to be verified by manual observations, both the May day record and temperature range record were also broken on Monday after the mercury rose to 32.8C, which gave an overall monthly range of 32.9C.

The previous highest monthly range of 32.8C in Reading was in May 1944, when the previous hottest May day was also recorded at 31.9C.

Professor Richard Allan, who works at the university's meteorology department, tells me: "What is quite disturbing is the fact we have not only broken the weather record from May, we have smashed it out the park."

The professor of climate science says hot days can increase in temperature more rapidly than in mild weather due to warmer atmospheres being "thirstier", thus being capable of sapping more moisture from the ground.

Tuesday also saw the university recording its third consecutive day in heatwave conditions, the first time this has happened since May 1922.

Temperatures have risen further in both England and Wales - which both recorded their hottest May days on record earlier.

In its latest update, the Met Office says that the temperature recorded in Kew Gardens has now provisionally reached 35.1C. The UK record was broken earlier today, when it reached 35.0C there.

In Cardiff Bute Park, it says temperatures have now reached 32.9C - after breaking the all-time temperature record for May earlier at 32.3C.

Passengers travelling on trains up and down the country are facing delays and cancellations because of the hot weather. As we enter rush hour, let's take a look at some of the disruption.

• Avanti West Coast says services running to and from London Euston may be delayed or cancelled due to a points failure
• South Western Railway (SWR) has cancelled some afternoon and early evening services between London Waterloo and Weymouth, Southampton and Bournemouth, and London Waterloo and Aldershot - it earlierwarned passengers that services across its entire network "may be revised" because of the hot weather
• Meanwhile, LNER says two speed restrictions on its routes are causing delays on journeys passing through St Neots, Cambridgeshire, Tollerton, and North Yorkshire
• Great Northern says damage to overhead electric wires mean it cannot run services between Cambridge and Kings Lynn

Why does hot weather affect train journeys?

Overhead electric lines can expand and sag in hot weather, forcing trains to travel more slowly to avoid damage.

Steel rails also expand as temperatures increase, slowing down trains and increasing the chance of delays and cancellations.

Image source, Fiddlesticks

Norwich-based clog dancing group, the Fiddlesticks, says it had to adapt its bank holiday Monday displays along the Thames Valley as temperatures soared to 34.8C (96.4F) in parts of London.

The genre is similar to Morris dancing, but the dancers wear wooden clogs. On very hot days, routines can be sweaty, stamina-testing challenges.

Julie Brown, from Fiddlesticks, says: "We've been modifying our dances a little bit, putting our most energetic dances at the start of our sets."

For the Fiddlesticks' members - who range in age from 20-somethings to people in their 80s - Browns says performing has "been really, really hot for both our band and our dancers... it's been tough."

Image source, Fiddlesticks

Madeleine Lake
Reporting from Regent's Park

There's not a cloud in sight or sign of any rain, yet I'm seeing an abundance of umbrellas.

Across parks in London and even on the busiest streets, they are everywhere.

Akiko Bird, 67, is from Tokyo and has lived in London for over 25 years.

She says a Japanese umbrella is a common way to protect yourself from the heat.

"The heat in Japan especially in the north can reach 40C, in the summer and the ladies don't like getting tanned so they use this. You can use it for the rain but it blocks the light as well", she says.

Akiko says it's an essential for her to have in hot weather, "I do prefer London summer here, Tokyo can be unpleasant because it's so humid, you just sweat constantly."

She's faced many spells of hot weather before and tells me she remembers resorting to putting wet towels around her neck during the 2020 UK heatwave.

Derek Brockway
BBC Meteorologist

Image source, BBC WEATHER WATCHERS/Shropshire Liam

It’s been the hottest May day ever recorded across Wales.

A temperature of 32.3C was recorded at Bute Park in Cardiff today.

That breaks yesterday’s new record of 32.2C at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire.

The previous May record had stood at 30.6C, set in Newport on 29 May 1944.

Freya Scott-Turner
Live reporter

Image source, EDD MOORE

For some, headlines on this week's record-breaking heat could cause "eco-anxiety".

The government defines this as , external"the distress and worry that people may feel due to the threat of climate change" and says that young people are thought to be most at risk.

Heat, long dry spells and extreme weather have made young people more aware of climate change, says Edd Moore, a climate education consultant who works with schools and young people.

"For many children, that growing awareness can bring real anxiety about what their future world will look like", he tells the BBC.

Moore recommends that people with this anxiety spend more time in nature, focus on small practical actions within their local communities, or connect with others who share their concerns. This can "restore a sense of control, hope and resilience", he says.

Barra Best
BBC News NI weather presenter

It’s been the warmest May day ever recorded across the island of Ireland.

A temperature of 29.7C was recorded at Oak Park in County Carlow today.

That breaks yesterday’s new record of 28.6C at Shannon Airport in County Clare.

The previous May record had stood at 28.4C, set in County Kerry in 1997.

The final figures could be higher when they come in later.

Lancashire Police is investigating reports that a child has got into difficulty in a river in Ribchester.

In a statement, the police force says its officers were called at around 14:00 today "to a concern for the welfare of a child who had gone into the river at Ribchester".

"The child, a boy, had got into difficulty while swimming with friends," it says, adding that emergency services are at the scene and "searches are ongoing".

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