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Will it rain today? A useful rainfall rain radar map for the UK. You can easily pan and zoom on the map to view the exact local rainfall.

May 27, 2026Nature groups urge people to avoid unauthorised areas to protect birds during nesting season Nature groups have pleaded with swimmers to give wildlife a wide berth after dozens of people swam in a nature pond on Hampstead Heath among nests of baby birds. Swans and their 12-day-old cygnets were disturbed by hordes of splashing revellers in the north London park on Monday as London reached record 35C temperatures. In one video, a swan was seen poking an unhatched egg with its beak after it fell into the water during the chaos. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 27, 2026Simon Stiell said burning fossil fuels was driving intense heatwaves as UK and France broke temperature records on consecutive days The UN climate chief has said an extreme early heat event sweeping parts of western Europe was “a brutal reminder of the spiralling impacts of the climate crisis”, after France and the UK set new temperature records for May on two consecutive days. Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said on Wednesday the “main culprit” was humanity’s burning of coal, oil and gas – known to be the primary driver of climate change. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 27, 2026At least seven people have died in recent days as people have tried to cool off in Britain’s waterways Water safety experts have warned about the dangers of outdoor swimming after a spike in drownings as people try to escape soaring temperatures by cooling off in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other bodies of water. In recent days, emergency services have reported at least seven deaths because of water-related incidents, with six involving young people, as Britain’s heatwave sends crowds of people to the seaside and other swimming spots. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 27, 2026Scientists warn of ‘new reality’ of heat extremes that claim three times more lives than car crashes and 16 times as many as murderers Malcolm Mistry knew it was going to get “very warm, very quickly” on Monday morning but a slow start out of bed delayed his plans for an early game of cricket with his son. It was already 10am by the time the pair arrived at the sun-soaked nets of their local club in south-west London, and to the embarrassment of the 48-year-old scientist, who played cricket in his youth, his body was struggling after just half an hour of bowling. Had he continued for another hour, Mistry reckons he would have probably suffered from heatstroke. Had he and his son stayed until noon, they would have found themselves straining their bodies in direct sunlight while a nearby weather station logged the UK’s hottest May temperature since records began. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 27, 2026In today’s newsletter: As heatwaves intensify, ​B​ritain must confront the limits of a society built for cool​er weather, forcing policymakers, communities and households to rethink how ​w​e live, work and stay cool The UK swelters once again. On Tuesday, temperatures surged to 35C, condemning millions of people to another sticky night in homes ill-prepared for such warm conditions. The heat is record-breaking: we are still in spring, yet temperatures are close to extremes we once never expected even in high summer. Yorkshire experienced its first ever “tropical night” in spring on Monday, when the evening temperature failed to fall below 20C. Health alerts remain in effect across large parts of the country due to the increased likelihood of deaths, particularly among vulnerable and elderly people. Yet, experts warn, this may just be the road to a new normal. UK politics | Tony Blair has accused Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting of putting Labour’s future at risk by abandoning the centre ground, warning that the party’s “almost infinite capacity for self-delusion” means it is likely to lose the next election. UK news | One out of every five people arrested after their participation in the 2024 summer riots has since been reported to the police for domestic abuse, the Guardian can disclose. Middle East | The continuing US-Israel war on Iran has compounded other global disasters to drive record numbers of people into hunger at a time when funding to combat famine has fallen dramatically, the head of the UN World Food Programme has said. UK news | The court of appeal will review the non-custodial sentences given to three teenage boys for the rape of two girls, Keir Starmer has announced. US politics | Alabama cannot use a new Republican-friendly map in this year’s midterm elections because it intentionally discriminates against Black voters, a panel of three federal judges have ruled. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 26, 2026Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 26, 2026With many homes poorly designed for extreme heat, retailers report high demand for air conditioning and outdoor shade Fans are selling at a rate of three a minute and sales of ice cubes have tripled, retailers have said, as shoppers search for everything from ice baths to cooling eye masks to combat May’s record temperatures. The UK experienced a “tropical night” on Monday after temperatures earlier in the day had hit a provisional all-time meteorological spring record of 34.8C (94.6F) at Kew Gardens in south-west London. The record was broken again on Tuesday when temperatures provisionally reached 35C (95F) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 26, 2026From South Carolina to Dorset, Australia to the Costa del Sol, beachgoers are complaining that oversized canopies, parasols and gazebos are spoiling their day out. And they’re not going to take it lying down Name: Shade wars. Age: In this instance, quite new. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 26, 2026Temperature reaches 35C at Heathrow on Tuesday after 34.8C high at Kew Gardens in London on Monday Tell us: how are you coping in the UK heatwave? The UK has recorded its highest-ever May temperature for the second consecutive day, as thermometers hit 35C (95F) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens in London, the Met Office said. The latest high was recorded the day after the country’s provisional hottest meteorological spring temperature of 34.8C in Kew Gardens in south-west London. The previous May peak of 32.8C had stood since 1922. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 26, 2026We want to hear how people are dealing with the hottest May temperatures on record The UK recorded its hottest ever day in May on Monday, with an all-time high of 34.8C recorded at London’s Kew Gardens. Temperatures above 33C were recorded across the south-east of England, while Wales also provisionally broke its May temperature record. The heat is expected to persist through the week, with a 35C peak forecast on Tuesday. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 26, 2026Temperatures did not fall below 21.3C on Monday night at Kenley airfield in south London The UK experienced a “tropical night” on Monday as the record for highest daily minimum temperature in May was broken for the second consecutive day. Temperatures did not fall below 21.3C on Monday at Kenley airfield in south London after the UK recorded its hottest May day since Met Office data began, the forecaster said. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 26, 2026Like so many Britons, I usually consult a weather app before venturing out of the house – and often cancel plans if I don’t like what I see. Here’s what happened when I went cold turkey for a week When I heard on the radio that more than half of British people would consider cancelling an outing if they saw a 40% chance of rain all day on their weather app, I felt seen. I, too, am a slave to my app. Not that I would ever make a decision based on one whole-day percentage. I pore over three-hourly breakdowns for chances of rain versus minutes of sunshine. If rain is on the cards, I check the probable millimetres. Less than one? I may well throw caution to the wind. Speaking of which, wind speed and direction must also be considered, along with overall and “feels like” temperatures. For the cherry on top, I’ll compare notes with a loved one’s app if they use a different one, quietly mistrusting theirs, and simmering in silent rage if theirs wins. I’ll admit, though, that my compulsion to check my app (I long ago chose WeatherPro, which I knew nothing about, but liked its layout and name) is borderline neurotic; I fret over probabilities and outfit appropriateness, when I could simply step outside for real-time hyper-local accuracy. I can lose procrastinatory hours consulting long-range forecasts, or checking the weather in Melbourne (where my sister lives) and holiday destinations I have no immediate plans to visit. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 25, 2026Speaking at Hay festival as UK breaks May heat record, author says optimism is a ‘moral duty’ Pessimism is probably “a bigger problem than climate change”, said the novelist Ian McEwan on Monday afternoon, as temperatures broke May records in the UK. McEwan “constantly” hears people say that they don’t “expect their children to have as good a life as they did”, but suggested that optimism is a “moral duty”. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 25, 2026The UK is experiencing record-breaking temperatures in an unprecedented May heatwave, while large parts of Europe are also facing blistering conditions. As the climate crisis makes extreme heat more likely, are we prepared? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian reporter Helena Horton. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 25, 2026The UK is experiencing record-breaking temperatures in an unprecedented May heatwave, while large parts of Europe are also facing blistering conditions. As the climate crisis makes extreme heat more likely, are we prepared? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian reporter Helena Horton – watch on YouTube Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 25, 2026Government should fit solar panels to power air con units where vulnerable people live, say green advocates As the country baked in record May temperatures, climate campaigners have said the UK government needs to urgently start installing air conditioning units in schools, care homes and places where vulnerable people live. In 2022, when temperatures spiked above 40C (104F), about 3,000 people in Britain died of causes associated with heat. Studies show air conditioning can cut heat related deaths by 75%. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 25, 2026Scientists say record-breaking heat is a reminder of how climate crisis is affecting lives The fierce heat sweeping Europe over the bank holiday weekend has beaten the UK’s all-time temperature record for May, with highs of up to 35C still to come on Monday afternoon. A temperature of 33.5C was recorded at London’s Heathrow on Monday lunchtime, according to provisional data from the Met Offfice, beating the previous May record that was set in Camden Square in 1922 and reached again in Tunbridge Wells and Regent’s Park in 1944. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 25, 2026Monday predicted to be hottest May day on record by large margin, as UK braces for ‘super El Niño’ summer Temperatures are expected to hit 35C in parts of England on Monday, in an “unprecedented” May heatwave. The Met Office is already predicting that records will be broken. A spokesperson said: “Today will be the hottest day in May in the UK in our temperature records, with highs of 35C expected. The current May record is 32.8C. Records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree, making this heatwave unprecedented for the time of year.” Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 24, 2026Forecasters say temperatures could hit 34C on Monday, with amber health alerts in place across much of England A heatwave is expected to be declared in parts of the UK on Sunday, with temperatures nearing May records. The Met Office said readings at Heathrow at midday on Sunday showed temperatures had reached 28C (82F) across three consecutive days – the threshold for declaring a heatwave. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 23, 2026Temperature reaches 30.5C in Kent as amber health alerts issued before bank holiday temperatures rise The UK has recorded its hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures reaching 30.5C in Kent as forecasters warned more extreme heat could follow over the bank holiday weekend. The temperature in Frittenden also marked the first time since 2012 the UK has reached 30C in May, according to the Met Office. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 22, 2026Temperatures expected to reach as high as 33C in southern England or Midlands on Monday Amber heat health alerts have been issued for the bank holiday weekend as record-breaking May temperatures as high as 33C (91F) are expected in parts of the UK. The alerts – which indicate a possible risk to life as well as potential damage to properties, significant travel delays and power cuts – were announced for the East Midlands, West Midlands, the east of England, London and the south-east, and will be in effect from 2pm on Friday until 5pm on Wednesday. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 22, 2026Portugal, Spain, France and UK expected to exceed 30C on Friday and into next week, with new May records predicted Europe live – latest updates A large swathe of western Europe is bracing for the first significant heat event of the summer, with temperatures forecast to rise to more than 10C above the norm and new monthly records for May expected to be set in possibly hundreds of places. Temperatures across Portugal, Spain, France and the UK were expected to exceed 30C (86F) on Friday and into next week, reaching 32C in Paris and London and 35C in south-west France, with highs of up to 38C in the Guadiana and Guadalquivir regions of Spain. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 22, 2026Almost 19m drivers expected to hit roads over long weekend, with heaviest traffic likely to be on Friday and Saturday An especially hot late May bank holiday weekend is expected to bring even more traffic to the roads than usual at the start of the half-term break taking place in parts of the UK, motoring organisations have warned. With temperatures forecast to pass 30C in places by Monday, coastal roads are predicted to be among the busiest, with long queues expected towards seaside resorts and the Port of Dover, where delays in border checks are compounding the holiday rush. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 21, 2026Community assets | Jeremy Beecham’s letters success | Top-deck traveller | Bank holiday weather | Domestic workers’ rights In Kings Heath we faced a problem similar to the one that concerns Janie Toy (Letters, 19 May). The solution was for the community to band together and buy the shop, so we did. Our beloved York Supplies remains, as a successful community co-op still selling you an array of hardware, amazing plants, and one nail if that’s all you want. Members of the buyout committee are happy to have their brains picked by others wanting to retain small businesses important to their communities.Naomi StandenKings Heath, Birmingham • I wrote to you a few years ago, explaining that, as a fellow member of Newcastle Labour party, I was a bit miffed that Jeremy Beecham had more success than I did in getting letters published (Letters, 19 May). In my unpublished letter, I wrote: “The letters ed’s a busy chap, / I’ve found it hard to reach ’im. / I think I’ll have to change my name to ‘Lord Jeremy Beecham’.”Christine HartasMickleton, County Durham Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 21, 2026British Trust for Ornithology says 2025 breeding season was especially disastrous for warbler species After a mild, wet and stormy winter in the UK, spring 2025 was one of the warmest and driest ever, while the summer was the hottest since records began, most particularly in England and Wales. Good news, you might think, for migratory birds – especially for eight species of warblers that travel here from their winter quarters in Africa. Yet according to data from bird ringers, collated by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), last year’s breeding season was pretty disastrous. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 18, 2026How the RMetS Legacies Fund Enabled My Attendance at the EGU General Assembly 2026 in Vienna Aminat.Olasunk… 18 May 2026 Zarmina Zahoor shares how the member exclusive RMetS Legacies Fund enabled her to attend  the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2026 in Vienna, enabling her to present two of her studies as an early career researcher in climate science and network with a diverse and international audience I am immensely  grateful to the Royal Meteorological Society’s Legacies Fund for supporting my attendance at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2026 in Vienna. This support was instrumental in enabling me to present my research on wildfire risk in South Asia at an international platform and engage with a global community of researchers and opportunities that would not have been possible without this funding. As an early career researcher in climate science, I presented two studies focusing on wildfire dynamics in South Asia, a region where wildfire risk is rapidly emerging under climate change. My poster presentation explored projected changes in fire weather using CMIP6 Earth System Models under multiple emissions scenarios. This work demonstrates that both seasonal mean and extreme fire‑weather conditions are likely to intensify by up to 10% by the end of the century, with as many as 20 additional days of extreme fire weather projected annually under high‑emissions scenarios. In addition, I delivered an oral presentation examining observed changes in wildfire characteristics across South Asia between 2001 and 2023 using satellite‑derived data from NASA Fire Information for Resource Management system (FIRMS). This research identified significant increases in fire frequency and intensity, alongside shifts in seasonal timing of fire activity, highlighting growing vulnerability across diverse landscapes. Presenting my work at EGU provided a valuable opportunity to engage with a diverse and international audience, receive constructive feedback, and discuss my findings with experts in fire meteorology, climate modelling, and remote sensing. The discussions and insights gained will directly contribute to strengthening my ongoing research and future publications. The conference also offered excellent networking opportunities, allowing me to establish new professional connections and explore potential collaborations. Attending a wide range of sessions broadened my understanding of climate extremes and the latest methodological developments in the field. Overall, attending EGU 2026 has been a highly rewarding experience that has significantly contributed to my professional development. I am sincerely grateful to the Royal Meteorological Society for providing this opportunity through the Legacies Fund. Find out more about the RMetS Legacies Fund   18 May 2026 RMetS – General [...] Read more...
May 14, 2026A warm spell mitigated some of the effects of the strike but colder weather would have taken their own toll May 1926 is remembered in Britain for the general strike, when the TUC called out millions of workers in support of miners who had been locked out while fighting a pay cut. The strike, which lasted from 3 May to 12 May, took place during a spell of relatively mild weather with little rain. Transport was disrupted but fine conditions allowed many people to walk or cycle to work. There was a shortage of coal but this was mitigated because there was less need for heating. The TUC, fearing legal action and doubting the strike could be sustained, called it off after nine days. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 13, 2026The programme for the 2026 RMetS Early Career and Student Conference 2026 is now live Aminat.Olasunk… 13 May 2026 Taking place from 6–8 July 2026 at the University of Exeter, the conference brings together undergraduates, Master’s students, PhD researchers, operational meteorologists, and early-career scientists working across weather, climate, and related disciplines.  Designed specifically for those at the beginning of their careers, the conference offers a supportive and low-pressure environment to present research, exchange ideas, and build confidence. Alongside scientific presentations and posters, attendees will have opportunities to network and take part in a workshop and panel discussion with peers and professionals from across the community.  The newly released programme features a wide range of topics spanning atmospheric science, forecasting, climate research, operational meteorology, and applications of weather and climate science. The conference is an opportunity to discover emerging research, gain feedback on your work, and connect with others at a similar stage in their careers. Whether you are attending your first conference or looking to expand your professional network, the Early Career and Student Conference provides an accessible and welcoming space to engage with the latest developments in meteorology and climate science.  Early Bird registration rates are available until Friday 5 June, with discounted rates for members of the Royal Meteorological Society.  Find out more, view the programme, and register here:RMetS Early Career and Student Conference 2026 | Royal Meteorological Society 13 May 2026 Events [...] Read more...
May 11, 2026Month was one of driest on record with rainfall 23% less than average, according to Met Office figures One of the driest Aprils on record for central and southern England has left river levels below normal, raising fears of drought in some areas over the summer. The latest UK hydrological survey – which tracks river and groundwater levels – suggests central and southern England and eastern Scotland will experience notably low river flows over the next three months, raising concerns about water shortages if dry weather persists. Continue reading… [...] Read more...
May 8, 2026RMetS celebrates Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday Aminat.Olasunk… 08 May 2026 The Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) is proud to join the global community in celebrating the 100th birthday of Sir David Attenborough, one of the world’s most respected natural historians and communicators of science. As a Honorary Fellow of RMetS, Sir David has long embodied the values that underpin RMetS’s mission: advancing the understanding of weather and climate, and promoting the vital role of science in society. Sir David’s extraordinary career has brought the natural world into the homes of millions, illuminating the complexity, beauty, and fragility of Earth’s systems. His work has consistently highlighted the importance of careful observation, rigorous evidence, and clear communication – principles that are central to meteorology and climate science. RMetS extends its warmest congratulations to Sir David on this remarkable milestone. His voice has been instrumental in fostering public engagement with environmental issues and in encouraging informed discussion grounded in scientific evidence. The Society also recognises the strong alignment between Sir David’s approach and its own commitment to evidence-based understanding. At a time when clear, reliable information about weather and climate is more important than ever, this shared emphasis on science as the foundation for public discourse remains essential. To mark this momentous occasion, the RMetS Education Team – Professor Sylvia Knight and Ellie Pinches – have selected some of their favourite curriculum-linked weather and climate moments from Sir David’s many acclaimed documentaries, showcasing the enduring educational value of his work: MetLink – Royal Meteorological Society Celebrating David Attenborough  8 May 2026 RMetS – General [...] Read more...

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