In Pictures: Bank holiday weather bonanza for sunbathers and swimmers

WorldEnvironment
26 May 2026 • 3:22 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

In Pictures: Bank holiday weather bonanza for sunbathers and swimmers

It was a sweltering bank holiday for many across the UK, with the all-time hottest May temperature of 34.8C recorded in London on Monday.

The Met Office said heatwave conditions were met in eight parts of England on Sunday: Heathrow in Greater London; Benson in Oxfordshire; Brooms Barn in Suffolk; High Beech in Essex; Kew Gardens in London; Northolt in London; Santon Downham in Suffolk; and Writtle in Essex.

From left, Kara, Conor, and Katie McLaughlin make a splash on Newcastle beach in Co Down (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)A couple sunbathe as the land train drives past on Bournemouth promenade (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Wire)Bournemouth beach was a patchwork of bright umbrellas and sunshades (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Wire)A knotted hanky kept the sun off the head of a Notts County fan in the stands for the Sky Bet League Two play-off final at Wembley Stadium (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

At Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth, dozens of daredevils braved sunburn and broken bones to throw themselves down a steep slope on Monday in the annual cheese-rolling race in Gloucestershire.

Participants take part in the first men’s downhill race during the annual cheese rolling at Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire (Jacob King/PA) (PA Wire)Spectators found some shade on the side of the steep course (Jacob King/PA) (PA Wire)

On Sunday, London parks were packed with people looking for a green oasis to escape the city heat.

One dog refused to get out of the water at Battersea Park, south-west London, and who could blame him? (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)Sunday brought a record-breaking high of 32.3C at Kew Gardens, south-west London (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)A person swims in the sky pool near the US embassy in Nine Elms, south London (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)

On Saturday, the new EU border checks were suspended at Dover while motorists queued for hours as temperatures climbed at the start of half-term.

The village of Frittenden, in Kent, hit 30.3C, on what was the hottest day of the year at the time, but surpassed as the holiday weekend progressed.

On Saturday, people queued in their hot vehicles at the entrance to the Euro Tunnel site in Folkestone, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)Paddleboarders at nearby Sunny Sands beach opted for a cooler form of transport (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)The Kent beach was packed with revellers across the long weekend (Gareth Fuller/PA ) (PA Wire) Read More

Hottest May day ever as London hits 34.8C in 2C leap from previous records

May heat records could be broken by nearly 3C the day after hottest in 79 years

Mapped: Where temperatures could hit 35C in this week’s heatwave