In pictures: Hottest May day recorded in the UK26 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAndré Rhoden-PaulGetty ImagesPerfect weather for an ice cream in Bournemouth
The UK has recorded its hottest-ever May temperature as the mercury rose to 34.8C in Kew Gardens in south-west London.
Many other areas in the south-east of England also reached temperatures in the 30s.
BBC Weather said highs expected in parts of the UK on Monday and Tuesday could exceed top temperatures in Lagos, Cairo and Ho Chi Minh City.
The Met Office said the heat would be "exceptional in the UK even in mid-summer, let alone in May".
PA MediaCooling down on Bournemouth's beachesPA MediaIn part of London, temperatures reached over 34CIn Pictures via Getty ImagesA picture-perfect view of the Greenwich park in south-east LondonBBC Weather Watchers/ Lucie JohnsonPunts on the River Cherwell in OxfordBBC Weather Watchers/ Walking TractorA field red with poppies in Salthouse, NorfolkBBC Weather Watchers/ Linda's LocalCows seeking shade under a tree in a field in Crook of Devon, Perth and KinrossBBC Weather Watchers/ Pauls CameraTaking a rest at the Trentham Monkey Forest in Tittensor, Stoke-on-TrentBBC Weather Watchers/ Lord TenbyIn Wales, people flocked to Tenby North Beach in PembrokeshireGetty ImagesA birdseye view of beachgoers in Falmouth, Cornwall Getty ImagesA boy makes his selection at a beach stall in Southend Getty ImagesConvertible car weather in Rosedale Abbey, North Yorkshire MoorsBBC Weather Watchers/ Danny McGuiganDucks and their chicks on the moveGetty ImagesTwo families enjoying the views in Rosedale Abbey, North Yorkshire
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PA Media
PA Media
In Pictures via Getty Images
BBC Weather Watchers/ Lucie Johnson
BBC Weather Watchers/ Walking Tractor
BBC Weather Watchers/ Linda's Local
BBC Weather Watchers/ Pauls Camera
BBC Weather Watchers/ Lord Tenby
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Getty Images
Getty Images
BBC Weather Watchers/ Danny McGuigan
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