Highs of 33°C in Oxford amid alerts and supermarket chaos

The UK has recorded its hottest ever May temperature with provisional temperatures reaching 35°C in London and 33°C in Oxford on Tuesday, May 26.

This comes as temperatures in Oxfordshire hit record heights on Monday, May 25, with 33.6°C measured in Benson, near Wallingford.

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Meanwhile a yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued for the Tuesday evening with the possibility of isolated storms hitting large swathes of the country including Oxford.

The Met Office said many areas will stay hot and sunny but there is potential for as much as 30mm of rainfall in the space of an hour in some parts.

The warning is in place between 3pm and 10pm today (Tuesday, May 26).

People enjoying the hot weather (Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

The heat has caused some disruption in Oxfordshire with reports of freezers and fridges within supermarkets breaking down.

Multiple customers said they left the Aldi in Broadway, Didcot, without any chilled food due to broken cooling systems in the shop.

Several other supermarkets in the county are showing empty shelves, as products are returned to the warehouse to prevent spoiling them while fridges and freezers are out of action.

People enjoying the hot weather (Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

One such store is the Waitrose in Bell Street, Henley, where cooled shelves have been cleared and a notice put up in the place of products like dairy and meat.

The notice said: “Due to the extreme temperatures and a breakdown of our main refrigeration units we have, unfortunately, had to send our chilled and frozen products back to our warehouse to prevent the stock being destroyed.”

Meanwhile, a section of the Oxfordshire police called on the public to ensure dogs are not left in hot cars after one was found left in a vehicle with the temperature “dangerously high”.

People enjoying the hot weather (Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

The South Oxon and Vale of White Horse team said: “We are urging the public to never leave dogs in hot cars—even for a short time.

“Recently, PC Hackett attended a report of a dog left in a vehicle.

“Despite the windows being slightly open and a bowl of water inside, the temperature was still dangerously high.

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“The dog had to be removed and kept safe in an air-conditioned police vehicle until the owner returned, where advice was given.”

The Met Office said that the minimum temperature tonight is likely to be 15°C with Wednesday set to be “mainly dry and sunny again”.

A spokesperson said: “Fresher conditions expected near eastern coasts with stronger onshore breezes. Maximum temperature 29 °C.”

Longer term it is expected to stay warm for the remainder of the week albeit with a slight temperature dip.