UK sees hottest day of year as bank holiday travellers face queues

The United Kingdom is experiencing its hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures forecast to climb above 30C over the bank holiday weekend. On Friday afternoon, temperatures reached 28.4C at Heathrow in west London, Cranwell in Lincolnshire, and Cambridge, breaking the previous 2024 high of 26.6C recorded at London's Kew Gardens on April 8.

The warm weather coincides with a busy half-term getaway, prompting amber heat health alerts for parts of England and causing significant congestion across transport networks. Passengers travelling to Europe from the Port of Dover faced delays of several hours due to the introduction of a new entry and exit system, while Birmingham Airport reported long queues at security.

According to the Met Office, the hot, humid air pushing across north-west Europe will bring hotter temperatures to the UK than parts of Africa and the Mediterranean over the next five days. In addition to the high of 28.4C, temperatures reached 28.3C at Coningsby in Lincolnshire and Kew Gardens in London, while Wellesbourne in Warwickshire recorded 28.2C. Cardiff reached 25.8C, marking Wales's warmest day of the year so far.

The UK Health Security Agency upgraded heat health alerts to amber on Friday morning for the Midlands, eastern England, and south-east England. An amber alert indicates a risk of significant impacts on health and social care services, with children and individuals over the age of 65 facing potential negative health implications. The rest of England remains under a yellow heat health alert, meaning adverse weather is "likely to affect vulnerable groups."

By Wednesday, some areas are expected to experience official heatwave conditions. The Met Office defines a heatwave as at least three consecutive days where daily maximum temperatures exceed a county-specific threshold. Meanwhile, Scotland and Northern Ireland will see cooler temperatures, reaching between 17C and 22C this weekend due to cloudier skies.

Travel networks are preparing for exceptionally high passenger volumes over the bank holiday weekend. The RAC estimates that more than 19 million vehicles will be on the roads, which is one million more than during the same holiday period last year. Motorways are expected to experience the heaviest congestion on Friday and Saturday.

Sean Kimberlin, the RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader, stated that the sunny weather is contributing to the high traffic volumes. He added that it was set to be the "busiest late May bank holiday since 2024" despite concerns over high fuel prices. National Highways has advised drivers to conduct vehicle checks, carry drinking water, and pack summer supplies such as sunglasses and hats for long journeys.

Rail operators are also expecting increased passenger numbers, with Southern Railway warning that routes to coastal destinations will be particularly busy. Network Rail has advised passengers in warm areas to allow extra travel time and carry water. Engineering works are scheduled over the weekend on several lines, including the East Coast Main Line, Transpennine, Great Western Main Line, and Thameslink.

At Birmingham Airport, some passengers reported nearly missing their flights due to long security queues. An airport spokesperson stated that the delays were caused by "an unexpectedly high level of staff absence."

At the Port of Dover, wait times rose to two hours on Friday afternoon before falling to one hour. The port attributed the delays to the implementation of the new EU Entry Exit System (EES) registration process by French authorities, which digitally records biometric information. While the physical machines to capture fingerprints and photos are not yet active at Dover, French border officials must still manually create traveller profiles linked to the new system, increasing the time required for border checks. Border authorities hold the power to suspend EES if severe delays build up.

Large crowds are also expected at sporting events across the country. Wembley Stadium has advised the 170,000 football fans attending the English Football League's play-off finals over the next three days to dress appropriately and stay hydrated. Additionally, matches are scheduled across England on Sunday for the final day of the Premier League season.