Jersey records hottest ever May day

Jersey has recorded its hottest May day ever recorded as a burst of early summer heat grips the Channel Islands and much of the UK.

Temperatures in St Helier climbed to 29.2C (84.5F), beating the previous May record of 28.9C (84.0F) set in 2003. Records date back to 1894.

The milestone comes as much of the southern UK basks in bank holiday sunshine, with some parts of England already meeting the official threshold for a heatwave after three consecutive days above 28C (82.4F).

The Met Office is forecasting a continued increase in temperatures, hitting 33C (91.4F) in Jersey on Monday.

Across the South West, a yellow heat health alert remains in place, with officials warning the hot weather could put pressure on health services and pose risks to vulnerable people.

Experts say the sea is still cold despite the heat, raising the risk of cold water shock, while fire services have urged people to avoid barbecues in the countryside due to wildfire danger.

It is expected the existing UK national temperature record for May will fall over the next few days.

The current record of 32.8C (91F) was set on late spring bank holiday Monday in 1944 at Regent's Park, Horsham, and Tunbridge Wells.