**Wales Scorches as May Temperature Record Shattered: Met Office Confirms Hottest May Day**
Wales has officially recorded its hottest May day on record, as the first of the month saw thermometers soar to unprecedented heights, according to the Met Office. Today’s temperatures in some areas surged more than ten degrees above the historical May average, surprising residents and prompting many to head outdoors in search of sunshine.
The new record for 1 May was set in Cardiff’s Bute Park, where temperatures reached 27.4°C, breaking the previous high of 26.9°C established at Pen-y-ffridd near Bangor, Gwynedd, in 1990. This is a remarkable milestone for Wales, given the country only narrowly missed setting an April record just yesterday. Meteorologist and BBC weatherman Derek Brockway was among those to confirm the news, commenting on social media that the record-breaking figures were “10 degrees above average”.
Other regions across Wales also basked under high temperatures, though none could surpass Cardiff. Usk No2 in Monmouthshire saw temperatures peaking at 26.2°C, while Scolton Country Park in Dyfed recorded 26.0°C. St Athan in South Glamorgan registered 25.8°C and Whitechurch, Dyfed, saw 24.6°C. These numbers reflect a widespread surge in warmth felt across the country, encouraging locals and visitors alike to flock to parks and coastal areas.
Across the UK, the Met Office also confirmed that the country as a whole experienced its warmest start to May ever. Kew Gardens in London was the centre of attention, recording a high of 29.3°C—well above the previous 1 May benchmark for the UK, which stood at 27.4°C in Lossiemouth, Scotland, also in 1990. Other parts of the South East experienced extraordinary temperatures as well, with Surrey’s Chertsey and Wisley registering 29.1°C and 28.8°C respectively.
This surge in heat continues a trend noted throughout the spring. The Met Office recently declared April 2025 the sunniest on record since observations began in 1910, with a national average of 228.9 hours of sunshine. April also experienced unusually high temperatures and below-normal rainfall for most areas. The chief driver behind these exceptional conditions, according to the Met Office, was the presence of a dominant high-pressure system that lingered over the UK for much of the month.
Meteorologist Aidan McGivern elaborated on the phenomenon, explaining that “high pressure sat over the UK for the first two weeks of April as well as the last week, with some unsettled weather in between”. He noted that air tends to sink under high pressure, compressing and warming as it does so, resulting in “home-grown” warmth rather than temperatures being driven by hotter air moving up from the continent. McGivern highlighted the sun’s potency at this time of year, noting that “solar insolation” is as intense in early May as it is in August, adding further impetus to temperature rises.
Local parks, beaches and beauty spots reported unusually high numbers of visitors throughout the day as people took full advantage of the summer-like weather. In Swansea Bay, beachgoers could be seen picnicking, swimming and basking on the sand—activities more typical of late July than the start of May.
The record-breaking heat raises inevitable questions about changing climate patterns and whether Wales should expect more of these extraordinary days in the future. While Met Office experts attribute this particular event to atmospheric and solar factors, the recent sequence of warmer, sunnier months is likely to spark further scientific analysis.
With more settled weather forecast for the coming days, many in Wales will be watching to see whether further records could tumble as spring transitions into summer. For now, locals and visitors alike are enjoying a rare taste of Mediterranean heat, making the most of this remarkable start to May.