At 33.6C, Benson near Wallingford was only just beaten by Heathrow at 34.4C, Northolt, in Greater London at 34.2C and Teddington Bushy Park in Middlesex at 34C.

Meanwhile, RAF Brize Norton also broke record May temperatures with a 32.9C reading at one point.

Until Monday, the highest May temperature had been 32.8C which was last reached in 1922 and 1944, the Met Office said.

RAF Benson (pictured) was one of the hottest places in the UK (Image: Jason Hornblow)

Temperature records are usually broken by just tenths of a degree.

It is also 10C to 15C hotter than average for much of the UK, the forecasters’ senior meteorologist Greg Dewhurst reported.

If validated, the latest record means seven of the 12 monthly highs have been set since 2003, the Met Office said.

A previous study by the forecasters found breaking that record “is around three times more likely now in our current climate than it would have been in a natural climate not impacted by greenhouse gas emissions.”

READ MORE: Works begin next month to ban right turns at A40 junction

This means that the once one-in-a-hundred year event is now a one-in-33 event, it said.

It comes after last week saw lows of minus 5C in Scotland and daytime temperatures more widely peaked at about 14C to 15C.

“We see these changes happening so much more dramatically,” Mr Dewhurst said on Monday morning, adding that climate change is boosting the heat.

“In the past, heatwaves built and built and built and built over days and days and days – these now just develop so quickly.

“It’s huge sort of swinging temperatures, and obviously records being broken by day and by night, so it just shows sort of how extreme the weather can change, and how quickly it can change, as well.”

As a result of climate change, all meteorological models are predicting “more extreme heat, more extreme weather events” and “hotter, drier summers – wetter, windier winters”, he added.

The UK’s warmest May night was also recorded on Sunday when temperatures did not fall below 19.4C at Kenley Airfield, Surrey.

The month’s previous record low was 18.9C in 1944.

Temperatures will start to gradually decline from the middle of the week but it will still be largely dry with sunny spells.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued its first amber health alert of 2026 on Friday, warning that there is a risk of a significant impact across health and social care services. The alert will remain in place until Wednesday.

Meanwhile the AA warned that the interior of vehicles can reach 60C on a day when the outside temperature is 27C.

The breakdown service suggested bank holiday motorists should rest about every two hours, avoiding travelling over the hottest times of day and ensure water and snacks are packed.

“Drivers should never leave children, vulnerable passengers or pets inside a parked vehicle, even for a short time,” it said.

Hot weather increases the risk of blowing damaged or incorrectly inflated tyres and coolant systems can come under strain, the AA added, as it recommended drivers check both.

The heat is considered to be dangerous for some vulnerable groups including older adults as their bodies struggle to regulate temperature.

Age UK recommended staying inside during the hottest hours of the day, between 11am and 3pm, and having regular cold baths or showers.

According to property portal Rightmove, this is outpacing every other part of Britain with a 45 per cent year-on-year increase – well above the national trend, which is currently four per cent lower than the same period last year.

Brendan Kay, managing director of Parkers Properties, said: “The research backs up what we are seeing on the ground in places like Witney, Carterton, and Eynsham, where demand for two-bedroom properties is huge.”

A key driver of this demand is the growing belief that buying offers better value than renting.

Rightmove figures put the average asking price for a first-time buyer property – defined as homes with up to two bedrooms – at £283,172 in West Oxfordshire, compared with the national average of £228,048.

Mr Kay said the lettings market is also playing a significant role.

He said: “Another report by Rightmove last year looking at the lettings market highlighted that West Oxfordshire has some of the fastest growing rents in the country.”

Mr Kay believes supply issues are adding to the pressure.

He said: “One of the other big factors fuelling the increase in demand from first-time buyers is the lack of new-build homes coming to market.

“During 2025, only 79 new builds were completed in West Oxfordshire compared with more than 3,500 in the last five years and the pipeline going forward is equally worrying, with barely 300 new homes under construction.”

Parkers Properties has branches in Witney and Eynsham.