Extreme Heat Wave Hits as UK Spring Temperatures Break Records | WPN World People News

As the global climate crisis intensifies, many regions are experiencing “hell-level” heat waves. According to data from the UK Met Office, temperatures on Tuesday (May 26) exceeded 35°C, setting a new record for the hottest spring day ever recorded in the UK — more than 2 degrees higher than last year’s record. The UK also experienced its first-ever “tropical night,” a phenomenon in which nighttime temperatures remain above 20°C.

Temperatures at Heathrow Airport and Kew Gardens both surpassed 35°C. The immediate cause of the heat wave is a phenomenon known as a “heat dome,” in which a high-pressure system becomes trapped over Europe, locking warm air beneath it. Friederike Otto, a climate science professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, described the situation as “absolutely astonishing.”

Scientists believe that climate change caused by human activity — primarily the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas — is accelerating global warming. However, even scientists have been shocked by the extent of this May’s temperature surge. What comes next may be a super El Niño event, which could push global temperatures even higher than usual, with 2026 and 2027 potentially breaking heat records once again.