London sees hottest start to May in recorded history

Parts of Northwest Europe are experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, with multiple countries recording their highest temperatures at the start of May.

The United Kingdom saw its hottest start to May since records began on Thursday, with temperatures reaching 29.3 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in London, according to the Met Office. This surpasses the previous record of 27.4 degrees Celsius set in 1990.

Elsewhere in Europe, cities including Paris and Berlin have also experienced unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures reaching 29 and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The early onset of such high temperatures raises concerns about the frequency and intensity of future heatwaves in the region.