Britain has experienced its hottest May day on record on Monday, as temperatures reached 33.5C.

The spring bank holiday’s unseasonable weather beats the record for the hottest May day ever, as well as the hottest day of the year, and could reach as high as 35C by the afternoon, forecasters say.

Monday’s scorching weather also smashes the record for the hottest bank holiday ever recorded after temperatures exceeded the 33.3C recorded in August 2019.

The highest temperature is expected in an area covering Lincolnshire, the Midlands, western parts of East Anglia and southwards into the London area, where 35C is forecast.

“Today will be the hottest day in May in the UK in our temperature records, with highs of 35C expected,” a Met Office spokesperson said.

“Records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree, making this heatwave unprecedented for the time of year.”

Today’s record-breaking heat exceeded the previous May temperature record of 32.8C, which was recorded in 1944.

Parts of northern England, Wales, the Midlands, east England, and south east England have all been experiencing weather around 30C on Monday.

Britons have flocked to beaches across the country to soak up the sun over the long weekend.

A heatwave was officially declared in eight locations in southeast England, which met the threshold of 27C for three consecutive days of hot weather.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “We rarely see temperatures above 35C, even in the summer months, so to see temperatures getting close to 35 in May is, as I say, pretty historic.”

On Sunday, temperatures reached 32.3C at Kew Gardens, in southwest London, while parts of southeast England exceeded 30C.

Tuesday is set to be another scorching day for the country, with a peak of 35C again expected in London and the surrounding counties.

Swathes of England and eastern Wales will see temperatures exceed 30C on Tuesday.

A series of amber heat health alerts have been issued for the east Midlands, west Midlands, eastern England,London, and the South East.

Officials warned that the hot weather could cause significant impacts across health and social care services, as well as a rise in deaths, with alerts in place until 5pm on 27 May.

More follows on this breaking story….

The Savers shop in Front Street, Acomb is closed with police at the scene today (Monday, May 26).

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The shop window has been smashed, with broken glass on the ground outside.

A police guard is outside the shop.

The Savers shop in Front Street, Acomb is closed with police at the scene today (Image: Newsquest)

Savers only opened its new store at Odsal House last month when shoppers were treated to an appearance by Britain’s Got Talent star Finley Barrett-Carter, who performed outside the store.

The extension is in the shop unit previously occupied by FarmFoods until December 2024 and is next to an existing Savers shop.

Flashback to Savers opening last month

The firm has been a staple of the British high street for more than 30 years, with over 500 stores in the UK.

In March, the company applied for permission to sell alcohol in the Acomb extension.

If granted, the store would be licensed for off-premises sales during its opening hours from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and until 5pm on Sundays.

Its current opening hours are: Monday to Saturday from 8.30am till 5.30pm, and Sunday from 10am till 4pm.  

. (Image: Newsquest)

While Injuba is not one of the prisons where most political prisoners are usually kept, Venezuela’s Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners expressed its solidarity with the inmates there, alleging that “punishment, hunger, solitary confinement, torture and inhumane conditions” were being used to control and subdue prisoners and “formed part of prison policy”.

“The only thing I want is for these footballers to feel proud of representing the national team.”

Real did not win a trophy this season and finished eight points behind La Liga champions Barcelona.

Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, who has been struggling with a hamstring problem, also features in the 26-man squad.

“We’re very relaxed. Barring any setbacks, we’ll have everyone available from the very first match,” said De la Fuente.

The World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July.

Spain play debutants Cape Verde on 15 June, Saudi Arabia on 21 June and Uruguay on 26 June in Group H.

Midfielder Mikel Merino, who returned in Arsenal’s last Premier League game of the season on Sunday after four months out with a stress fracture in the foot, has been included in the squad.

He is one of seven Premier League players along with clubmates David Raya and Martin Zubimendi, Tottenham’s Pedro Porro, Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella, Manchester City’s Rodri and Crystal Palace’s Yeremy Pino.

Uncapped defenders Eric Garcia and Marc Pubill have been called up after impressing for Barcelona and Atletico Madrid respectively.

“Excitement is the key word. Passion,” said De la Fuente.

“The reaction of people all over Spain – adults and children alike – is that they are fully behind the national team.”

Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez was last week ruled out of the tournament with a broken foot.

Queues of traffic were snaking down towards Seaham Hall beach by lunchtime as families from across the North East headed to the coast to cool off. By lunchtime, the main car park was effectively full.

On the beach itself, sunbathers stretched out on towels and deckchairs while children paddled and braver visitors took full‑body dips in the unusually warm North Sea. Some even donned their surfboards as the waves rolled in under cloudless blue skies.

Among those enjoying the sunshine were Will and Marie Wood, from Houghton, who said “It’s lovely to have this on the doorstep.”

Record May Heat for the UK

The Met Office has described this Bank Holiday as an “exceptional spell of warmth for May”, with a notable heatwave officially declared in parts of England.

Forecasts suggested highs of 33–35C in southern and central England on Monday, challenging – and likely surpassing – the previous UK May temperature record of 32.8C.

While the very hottest conditions have been focused further south, the North East has still seen temperatures topping 30C in places, well above the seasonal average for late May.

Meteorologists say the hot, dry and sunny conditions have been driven by an area of high pressure parked over the UK, drawing in warm air and keeping skies largely cloud‑free through the long weekend.

Heatwave Alerts and Health Advice

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a series of heat‑health alerts in response to the conditions, with amber warnings in force across parts of the Midlands, London and the South East, and yellow alerts covering northern England, including the North East. These alerts warn of increased risks for older people and those with underlying health conditions, and they urge the public to check on vulnerable neighbours and relatives, stay hydrated and avoid the midday sun where possible

BBC Radio 2 star Zoe Ball opened up about a bittersweet change in her personal life following her recent emotional admission about Strictly Come Dancing

Zoe Ball said she is seeing less of her daughter, following a recent change to her household. The BBC Radio 2 presenter and Norman Cook, better known as DJ Fatboy Slim, have two children together: Woody Cook, 25, and Nelly, 16.

During the most recent episode of Jo Whiley and Zoe’s Dig It podcast, the broadcaster, who recently revealed she had been turned down to become the new presenter of Strictly Come Dancing, compared Jo’s bustling household with her own, which has grown considerably quieter.

She explained: “Mine’s so quiet, it’s like ugh! It’s less and less because Nel is based more at her dad’s now because I think she’s got to that point of, ‘Ah can I just be in one place?’.

“All of her CSI revision notes are on the wall at her dads and it’s just [nice] not having to move from house to house, so she’s just spending more time there now.”

The transition, Zoe noted, has thankfully been simplified by the fact Norman resides close by.

“It’s great because it’s only around the corner and I can nip round at any time, which is great, and she can come here if she gets upset about anything like, ‘Mum, I need you’ but it’s less and less,” the 55-year-old said.

Last year, Woody confirmed he had relocated to Bristol, while his parents continue to live in their hometown of Brighton.

The reality star turned DJ and his family were devastated in 2024 after the death of both Zoe and Norman’s mothers. In an interview with the Daily Express in March 2025, he revealed: “Last year a lot of stuff happened as a family. The family is a little bit smaller than it was. So it’s given us time to spend more time together and re-evaluate. Life can be very busy. I live in Bristol.

“My family live in Brighton. My mum was always working in London. There wasn’t always time. And now – more than ever – it’s about making that time. Because you never know how long a life is. Sometimes I realise that my parents need me just as much as I need them to support me. I didn’t really realise that before. We’ve got each other.”

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That same year, Norman opened up about a deeply emotional moment when his son Woody performed at Ibiza’s legendary Café Mambo for the first time, marking a poignant full-circle moment for the family.

Discussing the occasion on Heart Radio, he recalled: “Woody, my son, grew up in that booth. Like, we used to take him down when he was like three. Because we couldn’t get a babysitter. And so, he would play Lego.

“He would sit in the corner of the DJ booth and play Lego. And then when he got to be six or seven, he could see out the top of the DJ booth. And then one day he went, ‘Dad, I can see why you like your job’.

“He said, ‘It’s really exciting. Like the music’s loud and everyone’s shouting at you’, he said. And so he kind of grew up. And then there was… There came a moment where my son played in Mambo, and I’m not ashamed to say I cried when my son finally played.”

Hello and welcome to the League Two play-off final live blog as Salford City look to make history. The Ammies head down to Wembley to face Notts County looking to reach the third tier for the first time ever. It will be a monumental achievement for a club that has dominated the spotlight thanks to their Class of ’92 ownership.

Salford head into the game on the pitch as favourites but will be outnumbered by Notts fans at Wembley. City have sold a fraction of the tickets of their opponents but that may play in their favour. Notts supporters already feel they have one foot in League One. Salford will be hoping they can show that promotion is won on the pitch, rather than in the stands.

Stay tuned for live updates…

Matheus Nunes (Man City): Nunes enjoyed a superb season at full-back, starting more games (32) and playing more minutes (2,865) than in his first two seasons at the club combined (26 starts, 2,327 minutes).

City were far better off with him in the starting XI – they won 66% (W21 D8 L3) of the games he started, compared to 33% without him (W2 D1 L3).

Nunes completed more passes in the opposition half than any other player this season (1,153) while among full-backs he had the joint most open play assists (5), made the most line-breaking passes overall (275), as well as completing the most passes in the final third (600). He was also the full-back with the most ball carries (514) and carry distance – well over 5,000m.

Gabriel (Arsenal): One of the odder statistics of 2025-26 is that Arsenal central defender Gabriel Magalhaes ended the season with more Premier League goals and assists combined than the likes of Jorgen Strand Larsen (5) and Bernardo Silva (6) and as many as Bournemouth striker Evanilson (7).

Of his seven goal involvements (3 goals, 4 assists), six unsurprisingly came via set-pieces as the Brazilian caused chaos in opposition boxes, helping the Gunners to score a record 19 corner goals in 2025-26.

It is, of course, at the other end where Gabriel really stands out, ending the season with 17 clean sheets, which was more than any other defender despite being absent from eight starting XIs in 2025-26.

Arsenal conceded just 20 goals in 2,751 minutes with him on the pitch, an average of one every 138 minutes, which was the best by an Arsenal defender to play 2,000+ minutes since 2003-04, when Sol Campbell went 140 minutes between goals going in with him on the pitch.

William Saliba (Arsenal): Alongside Gabriel, who else but Saliba? The pair are forging a legendary Premier League central defensive partnership, losing just 15 of the 117 games they’ve played together for Arsenal and the Gunners concede on average a goal every 44 minutes more frequently when they aren’t playing together since 2022-23.

Only Gabriel kept more clean sheets (17) than Saliba (15) during the 2025-26 Premier League season, with Arsenal conceding a goal every 131 minutes with Saliba on the pitch, the second-best of any defender this season behind… well, you guessed it, Gabriel.

On the ball, Saliba was accomplished, completing 92.9% of his passes, the third-best of any player to attempt 2,000 or more. He completed 67 passes per 90 minutes; on record since 2003-04, the only Arsenal defender with more in a season is Saliba in 2023-24 (69) and 2024-25 (71).

Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth): The sight of Truffert flying down the left-hand side of Bournemouth‘s flank is well known to Cherries fans and it is borne out in the data – the Frenchman was the only player to make more than 50 overlapping runs in the Premier League in 2025-26. It wasn’t just on the outside either – he ranked in the top-five for underlapping runs, too.

Truffert was one of only three players to win possession in the defensive third 100+ times (105), while he was top for both interceptions (48) and for tackles (103) among full-backs.

He also made the most progressive ball carries of any full-back (279) and progressed the ball close to two miles upfield with ball carries, the second-most of any full-back.

He was the only Bournemouth outfield player to start all 38 matches of their historic Premier League campaign.

Peter Murrell, the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, has pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh (May 25)

Peter Murrell was once at the centre of Scotland’s political leadership as the husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. As the Scottish National Party’s long-serving chief executive, he oversaw the party’s rapid rise in popularity and a major surge in membership around the 2014 independence referendum.

Murrell had been in charge of the SNP’s day-to-day running since 1999, after previously working in the constituency office of former leader Alex Salmond, although he was never an elected politician. He met Sturgeon through their involvement in the party in the late 1980s, with their relationship becoming public in 2003.

The couple married in 2010 in Glasgow, as Sturgeon rose through the ranks after first being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. The SNP entered government in 2007, with its rise often credited in part to Murrell’s organisational leadership, before making significant electoral gains in 2011.

After the late Mr Salmond’s resignation in 2014 following the result of the independence referendum, Sturgeon was elected unopposed as successor.

Questions were raised at the time about the close working and personal relationship between husband and wife, but they insisted there was a strict division of power within the party’s governance.

Speaking in a documentary released last year, Mr Salmond said he had privately expressed concerns to the couple that the press would exploit their relationship if things went badly for the SNP.

Eventually, the couple’s position came under increasing scrutiny in later years amid questions about party finances and transparency.

During the latter years of Sturgeon’s leadership, some within the SNP had complained of a lack of transparency around the party finances. In June 2021 the then-first minister said she was “not concerned” about the finances despite two high-profile resignations.

Allegations were made that hundreds of thousands of pounds raised for Scottish independence campaigning was diverted elsewhere.

Then, in July 2021, Police Scotland said they were opening an investigation after seven complaints were made in relation to SNP donations.

The situation escalated sharply after Sturgeon’s resignation as First Minister and SNP leader in February 2023. Murrell subsequently stepped down as chief executive following a dispute over membership numbers, including reports that around 30,000 members had left the party in a year.

In April 2023, police searched the couple’s home near Glasgow and SNP headquarters as part of the ongoing investigation, before Murrell was later arrested with embezzlement and charged.

In January 2025, Sturgeon announced the end of their marriage, saying they were separating “with a heavy heart” and that they “still care deeply for each other and always will”. Murrell, 60, has not publicly commented on the developments.

Additionally Sturgeon stepped down as Glasgow Southside MSP before this year’s Scottish Parliament elections in May.

On Monday May 25, Murrell was remanded in custody at the High Court in Edinburgh after pleading guilty to embezzling £400,310.65 from the Scottish National Party between August 2010 and October 2022.

The majority of Muslims will be celebrating Eid al-Adha on May 27.

The festival is one of the two blessed Eids celebrated as Muslims. It follows the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage period, and is also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice”.

Performed after the Eid prayer, Muslims around the world come together to take part in Qurbani – the ritual sacrifice of livestoc, typically a sheep, goat, cow, or camel – reflecting the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim and his unwavering obedience to Allah.

Qurbani commemorates the faith of Prophet Ibrahim, who was willing to sacrifice his son Ismail in obedience to Allah’s command. It provides a means for Muslims to reach the level of submission he showed to Allah.