Nabiha Ahmed
Live reporter

Image source, PA Media

It's the warmest day of 2026 so far, and temperatures are likely to rise even further throughout today.

In Heathrow, temperatures ticked up to 26.9C, slightly above the previous record of 26.6C in London's Kew Gardens on 8 April.

Here's what you need to know:

Heat warnings

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has upgraded their heat health warnings covering large parts of England.

Amber warnings have been issued in the East and West Midlands, London, East England and South East England - which means the conditions could impact the whole population in these regions, as well as the NHS and likely travel disruption.

Yellow heat warnings are in force in North East England, North West England, Yorkshire and Humber and South West England. A yellow warning indicates adverse weather likely to affect vulnerable groups.

All warnings are in place until Wednesday 27 May at 17:00 BST.

How can I stay cool?

We've put together a handy guide on how to stay cool in the coming days.

There's also some specific advice on how to tackle hot temperatures depending on your plans: whether it be staying at home, travelling on the train, or catching the football this weekend.

The forecast:

Bank holiday Monday could see the UK's hottest day in May ever, as there is increasing confidence that the maximum temperature could reach 33C.

Over the next five days, the country will be hotter and drier than parts of the Mediterranean and North Africa.

And, here's a fuller forecast of the days to come.

Simon King
Lead weather presenter, BBC Weather

It’s getting very warm out there this lunchtime.

With 26.9C just recorded at Heathrow, it is now the warmest day of the year so far.

We’re expecting temperatures to rise even further so we’ll be able to let you know how hot it eventually gets later this afternoon.

Elsewhere across the UK, temperatures have been rising into the twenties.

But with more cloud around the far west of south-west England, west Wales and northern Scotland, temperatures are much lower at 11-14C. Northern Ireland is also cloudy, but seeing slightly higher temperatures.

It is officially the warmest day of the year so far in the UK, the Met Office has confirmed, as temperatures hit 26.9C in Heathrow.

Previously, the warmest day of 2026 was on 8 April, when heat of 26.6C was recorded in London's Kew Gardens.

How climate change makes hot weather more likelypublished at 12:15 BST

12:15 BST

Mark Poynting
Climate reporter

Let's step away from the UK for a moment, to understand why we are seeing such high temperatures.

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.

Image source, Getty Images

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) says that risk of wildfire in the English capital is "very real", and is advising people against using disposable barbecues over the bank holiday weekend.

Assistant commissioner Paul McCourt says there will be a heightened risk of wildfires in London over the weekend, according to an assessment from the Met Office's Natural Hazards Partnership.

The LFB says people can prevent wildfires by "not using disposable barbecues", along with "being careful about how they dispose of cigarettes".

The heightened risk is due to the "wetter-than-usual" weather, which has allowed vegetation to grow, followed by "one of the driest Aprils on record", says McCourt.

Sarah Keith-Lucas
Lead weather presenter, BBC Weather

The UK will be hotter and drier than parts of the Mediterranean and North Africa over the next five days.

Whilst hot, humid air is pushing across north-west Europe, colder air is affecting the south-east of Europe, including Greece and Turkey - popular summer holiday destinations.

Image source, BBCrnl

Your pictures are continuing to come into us from all across the UK via BBC Weather Watchers.

So far we've seen various four-legged animals, bodies of water, boats and the odd grey sky - let's take a look.

Image source, Yen Milne/ Weather Watchers

Image source, Dave/ Weather Watchers

Image source, Wendy Windblows/ Weather Watchers

Image source, pewitt/ Weather Watchers

Sam Harrison
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

It’s a huge weekend coming up for football fans, who are being urged to stay safe in the warm temperatures.

It's the last day of the Premier League on Sunday with games planned across England, and Wembley will be hosting the EFL final play-offs with around 170,000 fans expected across three days.

Supporters of the clubs involved - Hull City, Middlesbrough, Stockport County, Bolton Wanderers, Notts County and Salford City - have been told by Wembley to take extra care.

They've been advised to plan ahead, dress accordingly, and stay hydrated throughout the day, according to a statement seen by the BBC.

Let in cool air: Open windows on opposite sides of the home to encourage air flow. Do this when the air temperature outside is cooler than inside, which tends to be overnight or in the early part of the day.

Keep warm air out: During the peak heat of the day, keep your windows shut and blinds or curtains closed - especially on the side of your home where the sun is shining.

Use a fan: Putting the fan in front of an open window can encourage the fresh air from outside to be blown throughout the room - as long as it is cooler outside.

Limit hot activities: Ovens and cookers emit a lot of heat into the home during and after their use. Sticking to cold foods, such as salads, that don't require cooking can stop unnecessary heat being generated.

Cool yourself down: Tepid showers, wearing natural fibres like linen and cotton and using a cold water bottle on your body can help.

Find an alternative space: If your home is too warm, air-conditioned public buildings such as libraries, leisure centres and shopping centres can provide relief.

Image source, Getty Images

Network Rail, which manages many of the railways in Britain, has published some advice for those travelling by train in areas seeing warm weather.

They ask that, in hot weather, travellers:

• Check before travelling and allow more time for journeys
• Carry water bottles, which can be filled up at fountains at big stations
• Avoid boarding trains if feeling unwell, and ask staff for assistance at a help point if needed

Also with a warning is Southern Railway, which says trains are likely to be busier than usual, "particularly on routes to coastal destinations".

As a potential heatwave approaches parts of England, here's a look at how the weather across the UK will be over the bank holiday weekend.

Yellow vs amber

A yellow health alert means that adverse weather is likely to affect vulnerable groups.

An amber alert is issued when weather conditions could affect the whole population or the NHS, with travel disruption likely.

What are the risks?

TheUK's Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is warning that "significant impacts" are likely across health and social care services.

For places subject to yellow warnings:

These include a rise in deaths - particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions - increased demand on health and social care services, and heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services.

For places subject to amber warnings:

The same risks as above stand for places under amber alerts, but the UKHSA gives additional warnings that there could be issues managing medicines, an increased demand for power that exceeds capacity and that other sectors might start to notice issues, such as travel delays.

The amber alerts currently in place have been given a risk of 12, which means there is a 60-89% likelihood of these impacts.

It's worth noting that these heat warnings only cover England, and are not issued for other parts of the UK. Our earlier post covers which places are currently under warnings.

A few moments ago, the UK's Health Security Agency upgraded their heat health alerts in England, and issued new ones to previously unaffected regions.

Regions that have been upgraded from yellow to amber warnings are:

• East Midlands
• West Midlands
• East England
• London
• South East England

Regions upgraded from no alerts to yellow warnings are:

• North East England
• North West England
• Yorkshire and Humber
• South West England

All warnings are in place until Wednesday 27 May at 17:00 BST.

In our next post, we'll bring you more on what these alerts mean.

Simon King
Lead weather presenter, BBC Weather

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has just upgraded the heat health alert to amber for the Midlands, eastern and south-east England.

Yellow alerts have also come into force for south-west England and across northern England.

The alerts are in place from now until 17:00 BST on Wednesday.

We'll bring you a more detailed look on what areas are affected shortly.

It's just gone 10:00 BST, and the UK is bracing itself for a spurt of warmer temperatures. Here's how things stand right now:

London: 23°C

Manchester: 20°C

Cardiff: 18°C

Edinburgh: 18°C

Belfast: 16°C

Image source, BBC Weather

Michelle Roberts
Health editor

As we reported earlier, yellow heat health alerts have been issued for some parts of England this bank holiday weekend.

Heat health alerts give an early warning when temperatures are likely to impact on the health and wellbeing of the population. The core alerting seasons runs from 1 June to 30 September each year.

If the temperature goes high outside of this, an "extraordinary alert" is issued. If readings reach 30C before Monday, it will be the earliest date this has happened in the UK for over 70 years.

It doesn't necessarily mean temperatures will majorly affect people or that people should be very worried. A yellow alert is - for most people - unlikely to be a major problem.

But it's tells services, like GPs and ambulance crews, to prepare for a possible increase in dehydration, heat exhaustion and even heatstroke – which can be more serious.

Vulnerable groups like the elderly and very young are at higher risk. People are also being reminded to stay safe in the sun, by covering up, using sunscreen, seeking some shade and drinking enough water.

As heat health alerts are in place in parts of the UK, we've gathered some tips and tricks for keeping cool in higher temperatures.

Let's take a look across the UK this morning.

Both England and Wales are facing the warmer temperatures today, and the sunrise certainly showed up to prove it, with blue skies already showing.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have seen some cloud cover, but an otherwise pleasant morning. They're expected to face rain later today.

Image source, Fay C walking/BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, David e/BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, Fubsy/BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, Alioops/BBC Weather Watchers

It's 09:00 BST, which means that various heat health alerts have now come into force across parts of England.

Yellow alerts have been issued for five regions: the East Midlands, the east and south-east of England, London and the West Midlands.

They will remain in place until 27 May at 17:00.

• You can read more details on the alerts here

Throughout the long weekend, the ultraviolet (UV) levels will be very high for many places. High UV corresponds to an index of 6 or 7 on a scale from 0 to 11+.

During summer in the UK, that UV index would typically be around 5-6 with a maximum of 8 only in exceptional circumstances.

Is UV dangerous?

Warm weather can often bring high levels of UV radiation, which is emitted by the Sun and penetrates the Earth's atmosphere.

UV is not always dangerous. It can be beneficial because it enables our skin to produce essential vitamin D.

This is important for the function of bones, blood cells and our immune system.

But every exposure can also increase the risk of skin cancer, which UV radiation can cause by damaging DNA in skin cells.

It also plays a substantial role in skin ageing, contributing to wrinkles and loosened folds.

What is the UV index?

Levels of UV radiation vary throughout the day. The highest readings occur in the four-hour period around "solar noon", when the sun is at its highest - usually from late morning to early afternoon.

The higher the number, the greater the potential for damage to the skin and eyes - and the less time it takes for harm to occur.