Crowds find riverside shade in York as temperatures soar

As reported earlier today, forecasters predicted a maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius in the city today, two degrees warmer than yesterday as the UK looks set for the warmest day in May on record.

The UK has recorded its all-time hottest May temperature today as a part of London hit 33.5C.

Heathrow, in the west of the capital, broke the record on the bank holiday – a day after the country’s highest May temperature in at least 79 years was recorded.

Tower Gardens in Tower Street offered a chance for people to pause under the canopy of leaves and we spoke to a number of people taking a break, from among the scores of people stretched out on the lawns, reading books, parked on benches and leaning against tree trunks.

Carol and Rob were sat on the wooden seats overlooking the River Ouse and enjoying their sandwiches.

One lady brought her own portable shade from the midday heat of York (Image: Kevin Glenton)

The couple are in York until the end of next week, having travelled down from Lanarkshire in Scotland.

Carol said: “It’s good to get outside but best to stay in the shade.

“We’ve been out for two-and-a-half hours already and spent most of it out of the sun.

“I’m looking forward to next week when it will be just 19 degrees.”

Kirsty Gray and her partner Carl Smith brought the family over by car from Alford in Lincolnshire and making a day of it with a picnic hamper and coolbox with children Mia, Ellie and Millie, before hitting the shops and museums.

Kirsty said: “We made plans to come to York as Mia was especially keen to come to The Shop That Must Not be Named in Shambles.

“We’ve brought the picnic in part because of the expense of eating out, and as soon as we came out of St George’s Field car park this looked like a convenient place to sit and have our lunch.”

Kirsty Gray, Carl Smith, with Mia, Ellie and Millie has come to York for the day from Alford in Lincolnshire (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Paola Pugh was walking her two-year-old dog Niko, a pomeranian-shitzu cross, through the garden.

She said she lives in neighbouring Tower Place and the green space is a regular place for the two of them to cross.

Niko was wearing a cooling bandana which his owner Paola picked up in a pet shop (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Paola said: “In this heat, we try to go for the shortest walks, which means we come here and I try to keep him out of the sun.

“He’s wearing a special bandana I bought from the pet shop which I hope will cool him down a little.

“I’m from the south of Italy so I’m used to the heat for longer periods of time.

“When it comes here, it’s usually in short bursts.”