Why is the news being so dramatic about the heat wave?
Posted by ChelseaMourning@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 460 comments
Yes, it’s hot. But we’ve experienced these temperatures in the UK in the summer for years now. Why is the news acting like it’s the hottest it’s ever been? I’m watching bbc breakfast now and they’re banging on about London being 31 degrees like it’s completely unfathomable. We’ve seen closer to 40 in London before. I get that it’s early in the year for it, but it’s not like we’ve never seen these temperatures before. The news is making out like we’re all going to die.
orange_fudge@reddit
The thing is that 31C is hot.
I’m from Australia. At 30+ temperature we have automatic rules that kick in.
For example:
School children don’t have to wear blazers
sports training gets altered either to the cooler part of the day or the activity is made easier
construction workers get extra breaks and access to cool spaces
Over 35C we have serious measures. Kids classes get cancelled in schools, workers down tools, special protective measures are taken for those who must remain out in the heat.
In the UK we don’t do any of these things!
People behave as if 30C is just a normal day. People even behave like 35C is normal. Add in that we don’t have much aircon, the tube is not well ventilated, people aren’t used to the heat… yeah it’s dangerous.
Hundreds of people in the UK die every time we have a heatwave. In 2025, 1500 lives were lost from the handful of hot spells we experienced in the UK.
sl236@reddit
TIL australian schoolkids wear blazers when it’s 29C out
orange_fudge@reddit
I’ve seem British kids forced to wear blazers in 38C heat because the Ofsted inspectors were in.
Single-Position-4194@reddit
Well said!
FreshBrainEater@reddit
Where does this happen? Certainly not in Queensland.
"Queensland state schools remain open and students are not sent home during periods of excessive heat or heatwave conditions. Staff manage risks associated with excessive heat at schools through a variety of strategies."
https://education.qld.gov.au/students/student-health-safety-wellbeing/student-health/managing-excessive-heat-schools
Heavy_Ingenuity1371@reddit
They weren't saying schools get closed, classes in the schools do. You qoute "Staff manage risks associated with excessive heat at schools through a variety of strategies." Which I think aligns with what they're saying just fine.
So I would assume they just mean that certain classes that are more active may be cancelled and used to study maths instead or something like that.
StardustOasis@reddit
And even when you have it in an office, it will probably not be on because some people get too cold.
sl236@reddit
People will do literally anything to avoid turning the aircon on, and insist on keeping the windows open even then which defeats the whole point. It beggars belief.
StardustOasis@reddit
I turned it on at lunchtime on Friday, by 3pm someone had complained about it being too cold and turned it off. Luckily it was a Friday so I had shorts on, but Tuesday, likely the hottest day of the week, is going to be hell.
Iamonreddit@reddit
Is turning the air con to a slightly higher temp not an option...?
StardustOasis@reddit
Apparently not. Make no mistake, when winter comes around those same people will have it constantly blasting at 25° though.
Beartato4772@reddit
I say it every year but I was in Phoenix USA during record temperatures, it was 52C.
Anything above 30C in the UK is much worse just thanks to humidity, even before the AC discussion.
keithmk@reddit
Aaah The voice of reason. Well said. The OP still doesn't understand that there are likely to be people seriously ill with this sudden heatwave, dying even
Pewpew-OuttaMyWaay@reddit
Because lots of old people pass away during heatwaves.
M_M_X_X_V@reddit
And yet I still see elderly people in my town bundled up on coats and jackets - layers upon layers - when it is over 30 degrees
Over-Language2599@reddit
Not just old but mostly, yes.
Kaiisim@reddit
Heat waves are statistically the most dangerous natural disaster, especially in the UK.
From the BBC:
Between 25-27c is when your body can start struggling. Evidence also shows that spring has more excess heat deaths than peak summer, probably because people change their behaviour.
So it's a big warning to everyone to change their behaviour. "Oh but that's obvious, everyone knows that" - no. No they don't. They need to be told it's going to be hot and they need to drink more water!
Old and young are both vulnerable too.
If Hantavirus killed a 1000 people we'd all be freaking out, but we don't take heat seriously even though we should.
TheLoneEcho@reddit
I'm a driving instructor. Last week I told all my learners to bring water. It gets hot in the car, especially when you're concentrating too.
Not one listened, then they all complained and then needed to stop at a shop during the lesson.
Drink water!!
CowDontMeow@reddit
Serious question not meant to be a jab, does your learner car not have A/C?
TheLoneEcho@reddit
It does, but the car has to stop at the side of the road on occasion where it gets switched off. Usually after the end of a practice loop.
Fuel is expensive and driving ecologically is important, so the car goes off, the windows open and then we can do whatever needs doing.
CowDontMeow@reddit
Ah yep makes sense, FWIW idling uses very little fuel, if I’m remembering correctly I *think* if you’re stationary for less than 10mins you’ll use more fuel starting the car.
I do remember though my instructor making a point though that if you know you’re going to be stationary to cut the engine, I don’t know whether that was because of pollution or noise though.
TheLoneEcho@reddit
Indeed. Under the RTA stationary idling is an offence. You'll never likely get done for it, but I can't teach my learners that lol
CowDontMeow@reddit
It’s not even teaching the learners, how bad would it look as an instructor to get done. At least I’ve been reminded not to idle!
Not that it helps with my car, very long estate with black leather interior, anything less than a 30min drive blasting aircon and the interior radiates so much heat you’re relying on the constant stream of cold air blowing out, the cabin temps just stay sweaty
Bean7894@reddit
Do you not have the air con on?
GettingTherapissed@reddit
Air conditioning does not hydrate you
Over-Language2599@reddit
Well we don't seem that bothered about the number of people killed by car drivers, either.
yodellingposey@reddit
We are bothered?? We have licenses, tests, checks, payments, signs, insurance, tv programs, police budgets dedicated to automotive control. Its such a huge topic with billions spent every year.
NecroVelcro@reddit
We also have lots of people screaming against safety measures. The legislation in Wales which reduced most 30mph roads to a 20mph speed limit reduced road casualties by around 900 in the first two years, according to police data. A ludicrous number of drivers think that their selfishness and impatience should be a fat greater priority.
Fun_Consequence_6970@reddit
It's about proportionality - reducing speed limit to 20 on roads outside schools with lots of pedestrians, crossings, etc. yes, sensible and worthwhile. Reducing speed limit to 20 on essentially country roads in the middle of nowhere where there might be 5 people crossing the road the entire day, adding time and congestion to all other road users. No, stupid and diminishing returns.
NecroVelcro@reddit
There are a higher number of vulnerable pedestrians around schools but the data proving the reduction in collisions obviously also includes drivers.
Thanks for proving my point, though. Selfishness and impatience over safety.
Fun_Consequence_6970@reddit
I didn't suggest it didn't include drivers. And besides, there was already a downward trend on road casualties regardless of speed limit, has been for decades as cars get safer - the reduction you're claiming as a victory isn't solely down to the reduction to 20 mph. There's a lot of other factors. The point is to be evidence based instead of blanket changes that don't make sense in a lot of places.
I mean if you all care about is safety let's just ban motor vehicles and rip up roads entirely. And then we can all pat ourselves on the back for a job well done.
NecroVelcro@reddit
I didn't claim that there hadn't been a previous downturn. The reduction has become far more significant in the relevant Welsh roads.
The fact that you've had to resort to an extremity, again arguing against something I hadn't said, just proves the ridiculousness of your position.
Over-Language2599@reddit
Yes but at an individual level, people drive without licence or insurance, and/or in excess of the speed limit, through red lights, under the influence etc., and howl with outrage at any suggestion of actual enforcement.
Fun_Consequence_6970@reddit
I don't think that's true. Most people would probably be happy to bring the death penalty back for those offences...
PollyPutty@reddit
Wales put 20mph speed limit in some areas last year, so…
Playful_Beyond_2218@reddit
This, and also so many British people get badly sunburnt at the start of hot weather, which leads to increased risk of melanomas in future .
alondonkiwi@reddit
I was thinking this, I know we're not 'all going to die' but a sudden heatwave seems very likely to have increased deaths in vulnerable groups.
Add in alcohol and a bank holiday will increase those putting themselves at risk of death and injury.
PollyPutty@reddit
Thank-you for sharing this
Sasspishus@reddit
Because we went from cold and rainy to very hot within a day. And it's very unusual temperatures for spring! We're getting summer weather months early, which is very concerning
AdAccomplished8342@reddit
Exactly this.
And it's this and the higher nighttime temperature that means people who are sensitive to heat, or have a more fragile health, will have trouble regulating their temperature and can get ill/severely ill.
keithmk@reddit
Well said. I for one have a heart condition (not rare there are about 1,000,000 sufferers of this condition in UK) which means that I find it hard to tolerate high temperatures especially at night. The "continual" warnings have meant that I have had the opportunity to prepare in advance, blacking out the bedroom window through the day, air and ventilation to cool it at night. But it is not just people (of all ages) who have Heart failure, but there are many similar conditions.
The OP seems to think that as it does not affect him/her then it is not important
CowDontMeow@reddit
Have you tried glycine? I take it because it helps with sleep and also for helping with some tendon issues, we’re all pretty deficient in it which is why collagen is such a loved supplement (we tend to have plenty of proline and hydroxyproline though so it’s a very expensive way to supplement glycine).
Anyway, side effect of glycine is it helps to lower AND regulate core body temperature, it’s one reason it helps people sleep. I get sporadic afib/tachy/arrhythmia attacks and currently awaiting testing for POTS, the heat makes my dizzy spells and random doubling of heart rate when leaning over / standing etc considerably worse, if I take 2.5g of glycine in the morning and another 2.5g a few hours before bed my symptoms are considerably cut down.
AdAccomplished8342@reddit
I don't have a health condition. But the sudden spike still caused me to be dizzy, joint pain to the point I couldn't walk well and spent an hour in a cold bathtub to recover.
I think there's a default that sunny hot days are "good" and cold days are "bad" which blinds a lot of people to some realities of those sunny hot days. I have that conversation regularly with coworkers when I get super happy for cold weather weekends or am quiet when they're happy for hot weather weekends.
Fun_Consequence_6970@reddit
It could be 50 degrees C outside and you'd still have people walking around in shorts topless drinking beer like it's not an apocalyptic event taking place. People are stupid.
gameofgroans_@reddit
Yeah I’m super sensitive to heat and the not sleeping is what really gets me. I make it through the days by going to air coned offices or sitting in cafes but there’s nowhere else to go at night! I’m tired man
gameofgroans_@reddit
It is closer to 40 in London, on Tuesday it’s predicted at 37 where I am. In bloody May.
Not a fan of the heat so I’m already over it haha
Which-World-6533@reddit
I shall put in a complain with HR, and hopefully Mother Nature will have a meeting with them.
If this continues we shall move to disciplinary meetings. I for one have have found the weather this year not to my liking.
Hydramy@reddit
Getting big climate change denier vibes from this one
franki-pinks@reddit
It really winds me up. When I was a kid in the 90s when it was the weather forecast would show a sun with a smiley face. Now it just the sun surround by blood red graphics and constant warnings.
bahumat42@reddit
Yeah because it didn't regularly get this hot in the 90s
franki-pinks@reddit
Yes it did. I can remember it being mid 30s every summer at secondary school and us all kicking off because we weren’t allowed to take off our blazers or jumpers and the boys still had to wear trousers. It made the papers when some of them came in to school in school skirts.
Beans_and_custard@reddit
Exactly. Every summer. It's spring. Different. Climate change.
franki-pinks@reddit
Do you think I’m denying climate change? What the fuck?
Beans_and_custard@reddit
No, I'm saying you are comparing the wrong personal experience of remembering summers being hot to what is still spring.
shizzler@reddit
I think the way memory works is we always remember the warm summers of our childhood and kind of ignore the shit ones. The truth is it's happening far more frequently (and severely) now than it used to. I mean you just have to look at the success of English wine in recent years as evidence that there's a marked shift in the climate.
EnumeratedArray@reddit
The reason it's different now is that it is very rarely over 30 in May, the last time being 14 years ago when temperatures got just over 30. Tomorrow is almost guaranteed to be the hottest day in May ever recorded in the UK.
Regular_Zombie@reddit
But it's not summer. The weather is unprecedented for this time of year.
I'm a fan having grown up in a hot country but I appreciate why this would seem newsworthy when we'd normally celebrate a 20c May bank holiday.
franki-pinks@reddit
Yes I know it is. The post about is why why all the drama over it being hot not about climate change.
cosmicpop@reddit
The reason for the colours is to make people aware.
Last year was the UK's hottest summer. Over 1500 people died from the heat. This is actually much less than predicted by previous years when we used to have "smiley face" graphics on the weather. Over 3000 deaths would've been predicted for 2025.
The colours make more people aware, and believe it or not, save lives. I mean, we're talking about it right now so it's worked.
The blood red graphics saves lives.
Datamat0410@reddit
Usually a temperature in the low 30’s is not unusual for a period in late May somewhere in the south east, near London/Kent. But even near me in the midlands it’s forecast to be low 30’s on Monday and Tuesday. So the extent of the heat is a bit unusual in that sense. I don’t think anyone can deny our climate has warmed, even in my 34 years. Our winters are now basically like a constant mild and wet autumn for example. Frost has become a ‘surprise’ more than not. Our summers also generally are becoming hotter and we see more stuck weather patterns whether it’s constant cloud for weeks, or uninterrupted sunshine for weeks. This seems to be more of a thing now.
Maximum_Ad_5571@reddit
A temperature of 30C in May is rare even in London and the South East. It’s only been recorded twice in the last 73 years.
It looks like this spell will have 4 consecutive days where somewhere in the UK reached 30c. That would be unprecedented.
Datamat0410@reddit
Yeah you’re right. This is unusual no doubt about it. I was curious how often 30c has been reached on the south east and it’s still rare for it to happen on May. One year was 2006 which was 20 years ago when it got to about 32C. And it’s forecast to get to 32/33C in my part of the UK, the west midlands. In London it’s like 34 forecast for tomorrow and Tuesdays which I think can safely be classed as unprecedented. I honestly kind of thought 30 had been reached in London a few more times off memory, but it does seem even there it’s not that often it has happened.
AthleteThen8045@reddit
Same age, feel like cleaning the frost off the car to go to school was a pretty regular occurrence. Now it seems like a real surprise if you have to on the way to work
wordsfromlee@reddit
Because it’s usual for spring time. This kind of heat is usually only seen during the height of summer.
InevitableMidnight54@reddit
Summer started 24 days ago Hun xx
ADHDJ86@reddit
Summer doesn't begin until 21/06
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
You think Summer’s 4 months long? Summer doesn’t start for another month yet.
cosmicpop@reddit
Nope. Technically, May is and always has been Spring. May has the same average temperature of October.
Yes we've always had sunny days in May, but not often over 30 degrees. You can Google this shit.
bopeepsheep@reddit
You can Google this shit too.
cosmicpop@reddit
Seeing as we're talking about the weather, it's "Meteorological summer" we need to Google.
bopeepsheep@reddit
That doesn't change the meaning of "always". The last 300 years isn't "always".
bopeepsheep@reddit
May has not "always" been considered spring. Look up Beltane and Lammas (Lughnasa) and consider Midsummer on 25 June. That only works with a summer that starts 1 May. (Although an interpretation that suggests summer starts 21 June and ends 9 days later may be plausible, it's not correct.) August, time of harvest, used to be the beginning of autumn, and we tend to get more thunderstorms and mixed weather compared to May.
That we have changed the dates in recent years doesn't retcon May out of being summer in the distant past.
InevitableMidnight54@reddit
Jeez sorry Huns x
pharmamess@reddit
It's ok hun. We still love you.
GoatBotherer@reddit
Summer starts on the 21st June. It is currently spring......Hun xxx
CJBill@reddit
Or the 1st of June (metrological summer). But yes, either not the first of May (unless you're following ancient Celtic traditions)
Shpander@reddit
Astrological summer yes, I've recently learnt about and converted to following meteorological seasons. They are more logical, summer starts 1 June, ends 31 August. It's basically each of the 3 months you associate with each season. Winter astrologically starting on 21 December is bullshit imo, we're properly in it by then!
shizzler@reddit
Astronomical, not astrological.
Shpander@reddit
Damn it, I'm usually pendantic enough to get it right, will edit, thank you
redds56101@reddit
Couple more hours of sleep should do the trick.
InevitableMidnight54@reddit
Thanks Hun xx
ratttertintattertins@reddit
/r/confidentlywrong
tetlee@reddit
Yeah ... May 1st isn't the start of summer
ButterflyRoyal3292@reddit
No it isn't. This time of year is extremely typical for this.
I got married this time of year 3 years ago for this reason, and my wife who is a teacher always says sats week is usually hot and sunny
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
You’re completely wrong. It’s often hot and sunny, but this is literally set to be the hottest temperature in May in the UK in history.
captainfishpie@reddit
I literally got married 7 years ago within days of today and it was cloudy so no, its not 'extremely' typical.
your wife's in the wrong job
WelcomeAgitated5630@reddit
120 years of weather data versus the wife's recollection. Got to love the UK
DrFriedGold@reddit
This weather is nothing like 'height of summer'
Vegetable-Use-2392@reddit
Is that the data they lied about and fudged the numbers on
wordsfromlee@reddit
Yeah, it's very often hot and sunny in May, but not this hot.
Today is going to be only about a degree and a half shy of the hottest May ever recorded.
DrFriedGold@reddit
Lol. No.
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
We’re due to break a record for the hottest temperature May in UK history that’s been there since 1944?
cosmicpop@reddit
It's because it's not technically summer.
It's because we normally get this sort of weather in July/August. The month of May typically has the rough average temperature of October.
danddersson@reddit
Also it's a Bank Holiday!
These temperatures in May are very unusual, but on a Bank Holiday, when it's almost guaranteed to rain?
It's the End of Times.
yiddoboy@reddit
I had a party in my garden on May 29th 1989, my birthday, I remember it well. It was roasting hot that Whitsun Bank holiday weekend too, nearly 40 years ago.
ElliotBerger@reddit
A quick search at historical weather data shows this weekend to be around 5 degrees hotter than that same weekend 1989
Both were hot, but there’s a definite increase that’s hard to deny
yiddoboy@reddit
Yeah I don't deny that but I was trying to point out it's not usually cold and wet. Over the years it has generally been dry and warm in late May.
overcomeoj@reddit
Not trying to be confrontational or anything, I just geniunely find it hilarious that your evidence that this sort of weather isn't actually that unusual in May is to point to a May weekend from 1989.
yiddoboy@reddit
My point is that because my birthday is at the end of May I have distinct memories of the weather over many years around that time of year and I can assure you it's nice more often than not.
Single-Position-4194@reddit
Yes, I remember that May 1989 was a hot one (dear old Emma Freud made a mistake on GLR radio and said that the temperature would reach 82\^ Celsius).
Other times though; the May bank holiday of 1984 was very cold (which I remember well because I'd booked a day trip to Dorset that day). Much like the first couple of weeks of this month in fact.
yiddoboy@reddit
There are two bank holidays in May, the first Monday, known as Mayday is often cold and wet, but the last Monday in May , which used to be called Whitsun is usually very nice. You may be confusing the two, or msybe 1984 was an outlier.
Single-Position-4194@reddit
Thanks for replying. The one Iwas talking about in 1984 was the last one in the month. It's on record;
𝐌𝐚𝐲. 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲, 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐭, 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡-𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝. 𝟏𝟑𝟏 𝐦𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐲 (𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬.). 𝐈𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 (𝟐𝟓-𝟐𝟖𝐭𝐡) 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝟏𝟎𝐂, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝟔𝟔 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟕𝟐 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚.
.https://www.trevorharley.com/1984.html
yiddoboy@reddit
There is always the exception that proves the rule. Also, you clearly know the correct Bank Holiday, but I'm sure many reading this will hear 'May Bank Holiday' and not register that there are two.
Single-Position-4194@reddit
The person who made the original post has now deleted it so I'm done with this now, sorry.
I was basically trying to argue that you can't really call May summer (as the original post did), and that weather such as we're having now is extremely unusual.
nimhbus@reddit
His point is it happened way back, not that it hasn’t happened in the interim period too. it has, May is often quite hot and sunny, but maybe not 30 degrees
boxyfox@reddit
No it’s a rubbish point, using one point of data from 37 years ago to argue doesn’t prove May is “often” hot and sunny
yiddoboy@reddit
I'm using that one day as an example but I can remember many others years where it was similar, simply because I remember celebrating my birthday most years in nice weather.
nimhbus@reddit
Never said it did
Mispelt_Usenrame@reddit
I get what you're saying, but they pointed out a celebration from 1989. Which was for their birthday.
Coincidentally, their birthday happens the same time every year, so why draw attention to just that one 38 years ago if it's not consistently like this on all May bank holiday weekends.
PintToLine@reddit
Yeah global warming is a lie. See yiddoboy has all the evidence see.
danddersson@reddit
It snowed on the day I was born, on the South Coast, - in mid-May...
BabyAlibi@reddit
And it snowed on my May 20th birthday one year
Kizzieuk@reddit
My mum's birthday was 27th April. She would always have a birthday tea. Sometimes we would all be in the garden and brown as berries, other times snow would be thick on the ground.
chuchoterai@reddit
Whitsun- gosh I haven’t heard that for years! That really jogged an old memory, my mum called it Whitsun.
SpikeVonLipwig@reddit
As someone who was born in 1989 the last part of your post was unnecessarily rude
yiddoboy@reddit
🤣🤣
adymann@reddit
That was my 14th birthday, I still have photos of the day but I don't remember how hot it was. It'll be my 51st birthday on Friday.
ChelseaMourning@reddit (OP)
It’s my 40th on Saturday. Happy early birthday.
yiddoboy@reddit
Have a good one ... it's a great day to be born, along with JFK and Mel B ! Also the day Everest was conquered in 1952.
Normal-Height-8577@reddit
This. And just before the heatwave, the weather had been quite cold for the time of year - I don't know about anyone else, but I actually had to dig out a jumper last week!
In other words, it's not about the absolute temperature; it's about the jump in temperatures relative to what everyone's got used to. Later in the year, when everyone had time to acclimatise, very few people would blink at this kind of weather. But jumping abruptly from 15°C to 30°C puts more of a strain on our bodies.
danddersson@reddit
A strain on the sunscreen. Going straight to summer weather means British bodies will not be even slightly ready.
I was in an outdoor cafe yesterday, and people's skin was getting red before my eyes.
Sleeper-cell-spy@reddit
This. I was wearing turtle neck jumpers a few days ago and there was practically a frost.
Erivandi@reddit
God knows what real summer is going to be like.
Visa5e@reddit
Potentially very bad if EL Nuno turns out as we expect.
We may see a natural heat surge piled on top of the anthropogenic warming we already have. It has the potential to be catastrophic.
SGC-UNIT-555@reddit
I'm predicting a 45 degree peak this year in July.
melanie110@reddit
There seems to be a pattern. Last year was quite warm from early on until mid to late September. Year before it was terrible with only two weeks of warmth. The year before that was boiling.
This year is filling the pattern of 2024 where it’s gonna be crappy. I reckon 2027 we will have a scorcher. Is like hit one, miss one.
This is from my memory and where I live.
Front-Tear-7467@reddit
It’ll be crap lol 😂
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
It’s either going to be the most pathetic Summer we’ve ever had, or it’ll literally be hot enough to kill a lot of people.
dorset_is_beautiful@reddit
"pissing it down", coupled with a hosepipe ban I expect 😅 (and every dodgy car hand wash around the country is somehow still allowed to operate, whilst mrs miggins gets arrested if she dares to water her petunias)
Puzzledandhangry@reddit
lol I’m watering my veg and they can lump it!
RhysT86@reddit
Snow? 😂😂
Lilja-Logason@reddit
Evidence it's unusually warm. See today and tomorrow forecast with historical average and last year's temp.
Jazzlike_Quiet9941@reddit
There's an important factor to consider here and that is that our hotter days are rare anyway. Over decades the number of hot days falling on one day at this time is of course going to be low due to the averages being pulled down by normal days.
robb0216@reddit
Good point. Just a few days ago where I am it topped out at around 15/16, and by Wednesday it'll be back down to the same. Go + or - a few days from those specific historical records and it could well look the opposite.
AmazingRedDog@reddit
How did you get historical?
Anyway this is the same app for my location in south UK 🥵
Seriously.
Beneficial-Pitch-430@reddit
38?? Are you sure you’re in South UK and not south of France?
Lilja-Logason@reddit
It may be a pro feature but if you go to "Daily" then click the day you want to see there's a tab at the top for "History".
AmazingRedDog@reddit
Ah thank you ☺️
liptastic@reddit
What app is this?
Lilja-Logason@reddit
AccuWeather - it's really good!
Lost_Foot8302@reddit
Thank you from me too. BBC weather app is so inaccurate so I'm going to try this.
liptastic@reddit
Thank you
Bubbly-Bug-7439@reddit
Also hottest day ever for May forecast and possibility of beating hottest June temp (but in May), also earliest heatwave ever (3 consecutive days over 30)
Goldf_sh4@reddit
June is usually heatwave month and we're seven days from June.
Kizzieuk@reddit
20 years ago we had the same weather in springtime for a few years running. No one seemed to worry then.
Which-World-6533@reddit
People have forgotten that nature does not run to a human schedule. Nature determines when it is summer, not someone in an office.
People really do need to be connecting more with nature.
cosmicpop@reddit
You're correct, nature does not run to a human schedule. Temperature-wise, summer is getting earlier each year.
Common_Upstairs_1710@reddit
We always get some belting weather in May
librarytapes@reddit
Last year in October we had temperatures in the 20s which was even more concerning, it can’t even be called Autumn any more we just have an awful summer and a mild winter now.
Vegetable-Use-2392@reddit
We get mid & high 20s in May plenty people seem to forget the great spring and summer of 2020 and 2021
StardustOasis@reddit
It's forecast to be 33°C on Tuesday here, and 34 in London. That isn't a usual May temperature.
gamecatuk@reddit
We didnt when I was young. Mid to high 20s is unusual for May over 30 is near unprecedented. This is very warm for may. I've been here since the 70s.
2020 may peak was 28 2031 may was the coolest since 1996 with a sudden peak of 26 and a moment of frost as well.
Neither were in the 30s and they were unusual already.
aReasonableStick@reddit
This, but also we only started to get this kind of weather in the 2010s before then you'd have a singular heatwave that may hit 30C or so in August. Now for the last 7 years spring and summer have been progressively getting far hotter with heatwaves hitting 40C.
And if you download the metoffice's data of temperatures in the UK from the 1850s to now its rapidly shooting up.
PennyBunPudding@reddit
I feel like June is normally the best month
DrFriedGold@reddit
August is best for warm nights
Tall_Pool8799@reddit
This and because it hailed a few days earlier where I live!
I come from the south of the Mediterranean. I know heat. I love heat. But last Thursday was so humid that I almost fainted at only 19C.
MrHandSanitization@reddit
And also, because of the length. When I was younger, we had 1-2 heathwaves per year. A heathwave is categorized as such when it's 5 consecutive days at 25°+ containing 3 consecutive days at 30°+. When it got this hot, it was just a matter of waiting a couple of days. And after a couple of days, you were able to cool everything down again while being able to go outside.
Now, it looks like a 1.5 week heathwave, then a slight dip, before it might rise again. There is no chill in-between. Last year's end of May, and the entirity of June was almost a single heatheave is it weren't for the technicallities of 28° and 29° days.
RefdOneThousand@reddit
Overall, they are not being dramatic - it is exceptional weather, with health implications, and people need to be aware. If they downplay it, people may not be aware.
It will very likely be very hot over several days (ie a heatwave) so vulnerable people (young, elderly, sick) and their carers need to be made aware and protected.
A lot of new news sources tend to be click bait-ey / overly dramatic, whatever the news, but the reasonable news sources are not being dramatic - and if they are, they may be justified, as this is extreme weather and not good for us as a country.
BrokenZX81@reddit
Exactly - on the radio this morning it was clear that it was a threat to people with health concerns. They’re not trying to imply that everyone will die, but that for some people it’s going to be a tough few days.
Selfish idiots ltake offense at being given this information for some reason .
Midghamsteve@reddit
But not in May……
jupiterspringsteen@reddit
It's been this warm in late may before. Christ, it's not even that warm.
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
You’re wrong. The highest recorded temperature in the UK in May was 32.8 degrees, and we’ve only seen temperatures above 30 once or twice in recorded history. Temperatures this week are due to exceed that.
leggenda69@reddit
The 1922 May high of 32.8 still hasn’t been broken?
The 1944 May high of 32.8 still hasn’t been broken?
Temperatures in May have been over 30 degrees dozens of times, most recently 2012. But 1944/45/47 and 53 all saw May temperatures over 30.
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2026/when-was-the-last-time-the-uk-reached-30c-in-may#:~:text=How%20rare%20is%2030%C2%B0,was%20met%20on%2025%20May.
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
It seemed like you disagreed with me then posted a link that agreed that the 1944 record has stood for 80 years and is likely about to be broken?
leggenda69@reddit
No, I disagreed with your claim we’ve only seen temperatures “above 30 once or twice in recorded in recorded history”.
As yet the temperatures aren’t anything outlandish, as shown by the linked article.
WrongExplanation1065@reddit
It's May. It's spring time. Not summer.
Buddy-Matt@reddit
Yeah, it's wild they think that temperatures that are showing every sign they might be record breaking for May aren't newsworthy because they wouldn't be record breaking in hotter months.
If it started snowing in July are we supposed to say "give a shit, it does that in January too"
OddPerspective9833@reddit
Yes? People should definitely give a shit if that happens
Delicious_Aside_9310@reddit
I can only imagine how confusing you must find every day life
OddPerspective9833@reddit
I'm confused by the reaction to my comment. Did they mean to say they don't give a shit?
Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit
They're being sarcastic....
WrongExplanation1065@reddit
Exactly, the apathy people have to this is crazy.
It's may for Christ's sake, it shouldn't be this hot.
leggenda69@reddit
But in 1922 the temperature in May was this high, and again in 1944 it was this high.
It’s fairly uncommon but it’s nothing completely unfathomable like some seem to be suggesting.
WrongExplanation1065@reddit
2 other times in 100 years...
leggenda69@reddit
That was a really nice edit but your original comment doesn’t align with your new response lol.
leggenda69@reddit
Of the record high, yes.
As of yet this year hasn’t topped 1944/45/47/53 or 2005/12.
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2026/when-was-the-last-time-the-uk-reached-30c-in-may#:~:text=How%20rare%20is%2030%C2%B0,was%20met%20on%2025%20May.
So yeah it’s hot, but not as insane as people apparently would like this to be.
DimensionMediocre439@reddit
My birthday is next Thursday and usually we could go outside without a jacket on, this year I haven't worn shoes the past 2 days. Just flip-flops. I've never experienced this in May.
InsaneNutter@reddit
I got a Facebook memory the other week of it been 30c in May aporox 10 years ago. I was quite glad it was 12c here at the time.
Working_Bowl@reddit
Yes, I think 2018 we had an very hot summer for a long period (in the far south at least). I think it was almost three months without rain. It was hideous. I remember getting in the car to go to work in the morning (would have been latest 8am) and my car was already reading 27 degrees.
liptastic@reddit
It was terrible in 2018
IllustriousWedding94@reddit
Seem to remember 56 days of no rain one year around then
fourthaccountlucky@reddit
I had a 14 month old at the time, and was pregnant. We used to put her cot in the kitchen and I'd lay on the tiles as she napped as it was the coolest room in the house. Really was ghastly weather
ReallyIntriguing@reddit
Yes in may!! Happens all time
WrongExplanation1065@reddit
Jeez, these people are so bloody stupid and apathetic to the actual issue of if it being 30c in May.
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
No it doesn’t, this is literally due to be the hottest temperature in May in recorded history.
LilacScentedStoat@reddit
If it hits 33c, it'll be the first time in recorded history.
Previous highest have happened in 1922 & 1944.
These temperatures in may are NOT common or regular.
StardustOasis@reddit
If the forecast is correct, it'll hit 33 tomorrow or Tuesday in the south.
Visa5e@reddit
Before the current weather we had 10 individual days over 30 degrees in May in the last 125 years. We're now set to have 5 in a row. Thats why.
falcoso@reddit
I mean there is an amber weather alert, seems reasonable to report on that
coocoomberz@reddit
Meanwhile you get the gammons going, "Oh, it's just a bit of hot weather- who on earth needs to be warned about that"
MaxZorin44456@reddit
1976 saw the release of Taxi Driver, it also saw the UK experience hot weather, which people on Facebook will repeatedly use to dismiss your concerns regarding unusually hot weather at any point until the heat-death (but not quite as hot as 1976 mind you) of the universe.
BrokenZX81@reddit
They also forget that in 1976 there was water rationing, factory shut downs and a lot of excess deaths.
Tora-bora83@reddit
We don’t exactly see them much or for long though do we? A couple of heat waves lasting a few days is the best we usually see in a year.
The news has always reported the weather and those people that struggle with health conditions in the heat are now absolutely clear on what sort of temperatures they can expect and what it will feel like, if they watched it. Nowt like keeping people informed eh
franki-pinks@reddit
Yeah but when I was a kid the weather man would be there his trousers rolled up in a paddling pool and say “get yourself to the coast this bank holiday it’s going to be a hot one!” Now it’s “don’t you dare step outside or you’ll literally cook to death!”
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
It was colder when you were a child, we’ve been having more and more heatwaves that have been getting longer and hotter, and thousands of people are dying because of them.
franki-pinks@reddit
Ok thanks for telling me about my own experiences.
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
It’s not your experiences, it’s a fact. We’ve been recording the temperatures for over a century and there were objectively less heatwaves, and they were shorter and cooler.
franki-pinks@reddit
Also thousands more people aren’t dying in the UK simply because of heat compared to 30 years ago.
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
They literally are. 1500 people died due to the heat last Summer. Back in 2022, when we had a massive heatwave, that number was 3000.
franki-pinks@reddit
Not denying climate change I’m denying people telling me that summers in the 90s were like winters today.
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
Obviously that’s hyperbole, but it’s a lot hotter than it was a lot more frequently, and it’s dangerous for a lot of people.
Active_Definition_57@reddit
And sit in a traffic jam in a car that probably didn't have air con.
franki-pinks@reddit
Haha very true!
Datamat0410@reddit
Another factor with the warm weather at least initially, is high pollen levels? I know that after a few days of very hot weather pollen can actually go very low but early in a heatwave during late spring and early-mid summer allergies from pollen can a significant thing. I have come down in the last week with sudden eye swelling and it suspected hay-fever might be cause.
Tora-bora83@reddit
At least you get to make an informed choice lol
Neddlings55@reddit
Unusual for May, and the increase in temperature is sudden and significant.
We dont get the chance to acclimatise. We've gone from freezing cold to roasting.
Which-World-6533@reddit
It's because a north wind has been replaced by a wind from the south.
This has happened many times before. It will happen many times in the future.
While it might be "sudden" for some it is not that significant.
boss___man@reddit
Significant in the sense that we went from 12 degrees to 30 degrees over the course of practically 2 days
Which-World-6533@reddit
Oh no...! It is the end of times...!
Heavy_Ingenuity1371@reddit
It unfortunately is for some people. This kind of weather can legitimately be harmful to people like the elderly where their body can't acclimate so quickly.
stevee05282@reddit
So are you a climate denier or just an antagonist?
kingbluetit@reddit
Is there a difference anymore?
OurSeepyD@reddit
Climate denial isn't cool anymore. We're likely to break another heat record (hottest day in May) and people like you pretend it's a regular occurrence.
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
It has not happened many times before. This is set to be the hottest temperature recorded in May in the UK ever, breaking a record that’s existed for 80 years.
PennyBunPudding@reddit
And it'll be snowing in a week....
Charming-Price-762@reddit
Well, it is May, so Spring, not Summer, where average temperatures are 12 - 18 degrees, and definitely NOT 30 🥵
PricklyBumgrape@reddit
Average and peak are different things though
Visa5e@reddit
But they're related.
If a given month has an average temp of 20 degrees, a temperature of 35 should be incredibly rare. To go 15 degrees away from average will require very specific weather patterns that hardly ever happen.
If average temps rise a couple of degrees you're now talking about 35 being only 13 degrees from average. Still a lot, but less than 15. So the meteorological conditions needed become less rare.
This is why, when we talk about climate change it's generally not 'its going to be warmer all the time's, it's actually 'extremes if weather will become more common'.
A two degree average temperature rise wont kill anyone directly. More frequents extreme temperature days will.
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
Well it’s also peak. This is literally expected to be the hottest temperature recorded in May in UK history.
Fit_Faithlessness157@reddit
Because there's nothing else going on.
BlueHoopedMoose@reddit
Wait till we see the effects of El Nino kicking in.
For more.depressing takes on the climate have a look at r/collapse :(
Snowy-Doc@reddit
Hot days on the late Spring Bank Holiday are not that unusual. Looking back in my diary for last year (yes, I keep a diary, and in it I tend to write down things about the weather - I am, after all, British) I can see that on April 30 2025 (yes, April, not even yet May) at home (Central England) it was 26C. The following day, May 1st 2025 it was 28C, which is a value higher than we've seen yet this year. Then a few days later on May 5 2025 and May 6 2025 we had ground frosts in the morning, so over the space of 7 days we had a temperature variation of 28C. On May 11 2025 we again got to 28C. Big temperature variations at this time of the year between day and night are not uncommon. Just saying ...
Salt_Marsupial_1080@reddit
Online = clicks
Disgruntled__Goat@reddit
Seems like you don’t get it
spLint3r990@reddit
I think it's also the fast change in temperature?
I scrapped ice off my car two weeks ago...
melanie110@reddit
Only just took the deicer out of my car
Active_Definition_57@reddit
On Wednesday, the wind was still cold enough for me to need a light jacket when I left the office.
Usual-Journalist-246@reddit
They're in the business of capturing attention. Dramatic events capture the attention more than mundane events. This is why the media sensationalise things.
Any_Food_6877@reddit
It’s probably gonna be the coldest summer of the rest of our lives…
XInsects@reddit
People keep criticising the media attention around it, why? I know a number of people who suffered heatstroke working a county show the end of last week who still haven't fully recovered. Of all the crap that gets media attention, there are plenty more things to attack than the risks of a sudden a heatwave.
Evening_Night_1991@reddit
Are you joking? It's bloody hot and we're still in Spring. It's 7.30am and I am SWEATING
melanie110@reddit
Not gonna lie, we had air on on last night and I woke up absolutely sweating. Cats had knocked the thermostat on to 23 so we had the house radiators on heat and the air con trying to cool. What a waste of
pizzawithwho@reddit
Halfway through Spring? You sure, pal?
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
Yes? Summer starts on 21st of June by most people’s definitions, we’re about 2 months into the 3 month season of Spring, which is about halfway.
Away-Ad4393@reddit
Summer starts 1st june which is only a few days away. Mid summers day is 21st June.
Moist_Ambition_9286@reddit
21st June for me
Evening_Night_1991@reddit
My summer officially starts on 21st June. Totally up to you which one you go by but no one appreciates a smug little chairman of the seasons, especially not in this weather.
Sternschnuppepuppe@reddit
Summer starts 21st June.
DrFriedGold@reddit
Leave the playground then
Evening_Night_1991@reddit
Sorry Bear Grylls, some of us are melting before breakfast.
Nomad2k3@reddit
What heatwave?
North west Cumbria a scorching 19c here forecast.
DrH1983@reddit
I may have to move there
Nomad2k3@reddit
As long as you don't mind a lot of rain and storms you'll be fine. 🙂
DrH1983@reddit
I can cope much, much better with rain and storms than 30c temps
Maximum_Ad_5571@reddit
That’s hot for Cumbria in May.
Mackem101@reddit
Just across the country from you, on the County Durham/Sunderland border, we are predicted 29°c for tomorrow.
TheMusicArchivist@reddit
"London has been 40 before" - yes, this was extremely shocking during a summer heatwave.
Btw Singapore, Hong Kong, all these 'hot' tropical places. Never been above 35/36.
Ok-Store-9297@reddit
It's partly because we're burning down the planet and killing it, putting the biosphere, food supply, and subsequently all our lives at risk. No big deal, I guess!
Pedantichrist@reddit
It is May. We should be having our last frosts in May.
prof_hobart@reddit
It will be the first time since 2012 that it will be over 30 degrees in the UK in May.
It's possible that it could reach the highest May temperature ever.
That feels faily newsworthy.
Goldf_sh4@reddit
Lazy journalism.
AppearanceDizzy7006@reddit
British media is dramatic about everything except the King and David Attenborough
claireylou87@reddit
I live in the south of England which gets the sea breeze from the channel. I’ve still found the jump from last week to this week horrendous. I have MS where my main symptom is heat intolerance and I’m fully dreading going to work later as the pub I work in gets so hot when the weather is how it is. When we had the heatwave in 2022 I tried going from the hotel I worked in to a local shop to get ice lollies. It was less than 100 metres down the street and I ended up on the floor halfway there. I used to love summer growing up but now I hate every minute of it.
Carinwe_Lysa@reddit
I think its because its a bank holiday mixed with the fact that its not even summer yet, and we're already getting temps of 25-30+ in most of the country.
May should still only be 13-17c for the most part, mixed with sun & roughly half a months worth of rain for the final topping up of the resevoirs before the actual summer hits.
Its worrying that we're already at this temperature now... I dread to think what July/August are going to be like.
Hamsterminator2@reddit
"I dont get why people are going so crazy about this record breaking thing that's happening. It's not like its unusual or anything"
....
TippyTurtley@reddit
Because they want people to take it seriously to try and reduce the number of deaths and hospitalisations
annoyinghuman03@reddit
Absolutely. The people on antidepressants are struggling rn (I can’t even go outside properly at the moment because it’s just concerning)
sir_are_a_Baboon_too@reddit
Plus the older population is usually adversely affected by this kind of heat wave. As well as being the ones that predominantly absorb the traditional news media.
Then, as OP has even said themself. It's a bit hot for May. Where I am the record highest May Temp was 26 ... It apparently will be 31 tomorrow. Bit hot that innit?
Iburncereal@reddit
They don't care about the people. They just want clicks and views.
TheoTheodor@reddit
The news no, the healthcare workers and policy makers giving interviews probably do though.
Joel-Asher-Nicolaou@reddit
Hate to break it to you but we ARE all going to die.
Excellent-Ruin6779@reddit
Because it's spring and we are looking like we will beat the hottest day recorded in the UK.
BrokenZX81@reddit
Because it seriously affects people with health conditions.
cloudswalking@reddit
Yup, I'm 9ne of them. Lots of people think it's only the elderly and babies who are at risk, but my conditions mean both the sun (super high UV today as nearing the Solstice) and the heat cause me issues. Basically, in this weather, I'm a vampire, living in a darkened room to keep cooler and out of the sun.
AdRecent7715@reddit
It’s amazing that this isn’t obvious
SnooDonuts6494@reddit
But it's not summer.
It's literally never been this hot in May.
Medical-Fox2471@reddit
Yes it has
1944 Tunbridge wells, Horsham and London 32.8
1945
1947
1953
2012 there was 30 degrees in may
2005
Active_Definition_57@reddit
Twice in the last 70 years means it's hardly commonplace.
Medical-Fox2471@reddit
I don’t say it was common
I said it had happened before
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
Well you’re wrong, because the record set in 1944 was 32.8 degrees, and this is expected to break 33 or even 34.
Beartato4772@reddit
This is the earliest a 30C temp has ever been recorded, so no, it hasn't.
30C in May has happened before but it looks like we'll break the May record temperature this weekend with a full week to go.
So no, THIS hasn't.
Medical-Fox2471@reddit
1945 was the 12th may
Jemima_puddledook678@reddit
Except that it likely wasn’t the case before records began, and this is literally expected to break the record set in 1944 for the hottest day in May in UK history, so even those 2 examples in the last 75 years weren’t this hot.
Unlikely_Chemical517@reddit
Yeah summer is a whole week away. Call the sun and tell it we're not ready
ElusiveCrab@reddit
Front row seats watching the climate collapae and people still cant grasp it lmao. Could be 40 degrees at chrustmas and dumbasses like OP would still be stood scartching their head all confused
mashed666@reddit
At least it's not 38 again 🫠
melanie110@reddit
Are you new here?
To be honest they do this every year. There’s nothing much else to report on so they will drag this on
pelethar@reddit
Yea it’s a weird one this.
pigglewiggle23@reddit
Frankly its something new for them to talk about. They've gotta fill space and most of the time the “news” is the same few things over and over again.
Kizzieuk@reddit
20 years ago we had the same weather in springtime for a few years running. No one seemed to worry then
SD92z@reddit
Its going to be 20c today...
Eastern-Move549@reddit
Its the new?
Its nothing but drama and your only just noticing.
Final-Read-3589@reddit
Because it’s May? These are almost double the average temp for May that’s why it’s an issue
Royal-Ad-1319@reddit
Because it’s close to breaking the all time record for May.
A_Lazy_Lurker@reddit
Because it sets a president for months and years to come. 31 degrees will soon be normalised for this time of year. Imagine what that means for July and August.
PurchaseDry9350@reddit
It's unusual for May, it hasn't got over 30°C in may since 2012. Now it may reach 34°C in the next few days. It is also predicted to have the hottest May day ever, setting a new record
Georgeatroom101@reddit
The colours are getting darker every year. These idiots will be using black soon on there weather map. I have been listening to this climate bs for decades. It’s either a new ice age or rising sea levels. It never happens. Climate “experts” have to justify their jobs by spewing rubbish
Divergent-Thinker@reddit
It’s the usual bullshit from the BBC and indeed the all of the British press. Slag EVERYTHING off, run EVERYTHING down, keep influencing everybody in to a state of perpetual misery and fear. It’s insidious low level undermining of the people who pay attention to this utter shite. I no longer watch any tv and search for the best online neutral news sources I can find, on any subject. Nothing is perfect so developing critical thinking, an ongoing process, is more important now than it’s ever been. Fuck mainstream.
CautiousAd5515@reddit
Media = Fear mongers
beaglepooch@reddit
I’ve lived in the south midlands, East Midlands and north of the country over my many decades. And whilst my journals show this is not as unusual at this time of year as many are making out, a sunny bank holiday in May does not a summer make.
Single-Position-4194@reddit
Because it isn't the summer yet - it's still May, and the summer doesn't start until June.
This weather is unseasonal as well as hot. Temperature records are forecast to be broken next week.
Silver_Archer_7527@reddit
they are push the man made climate change agenda. To frighten you into paying more green taxes.
InsideInformant22@reddit
Having lived most of my life in very warm, and some tropical climates; I don’t find this weather in London warm at all. Stuffy yes due to buildings not being designed for warmer weather but nothing over the top. Yes it’s warmer than normal, but heatwave nah not to me, now if it was 40-45 degrees I might say heatwave. A lot of the English need to understand how to keep homes cool, dress, eat and drink in this weather. And before any one comes for me, I do also have serious health issues too but I make the necessary adjustments
EvilTaffyapple@reddit
You do realise Heat Waves has a specific definition, right? It didn’t matter what your definition is - it’s a Heat Wave if it meets the official criteria:
A heat wave is a prolonged period of unusually hot weather, often lasting several days, with temperatures significantly above the normal range for a specific region.
InsideInformant22@reddit
I think when you have lived in very extreme temperatures, what we are experiencing now in UK wouldn’t feel like a heat wave is what I was trying to get across.
95jo@reddit
Scaremongering to further push the global warming agenda of course. I’ll await my downvotes…
Psittacula2@reddit
Several relevant layers of reporting operating:
Number 1:
* News-Media peddles EMOTIONAL increase in pitch and DRAMA for “human + story” maximum impact to catch attention eg fast moving vs slow moving is a basic mechanism of visual attention, so too is the emotive pitch increase for literary reporting. This is MANIPULATIVE and excessively used NEGATIVE. It is commercial and politically driven and encouraged respectively. Eg Bank Holiday and need to capitalise on people and the weather interest.
Number 2:
* Relevance to Global orthodoxy in both Science and Policy on Climate Change Narrative and Agenda to convey to the masses - this MACRO policy is enormous in application from the effect onoil prices or conversion of renewable energy eg Net Zero (think billions or trillions) to Carbon integration in finance and tracking of data in the new world economy based on this amongst other measures. Such affirmation of climate change reinforces this is real both in research and in perception ie billions of people.
Number 3:
Last Summer was a major heat wave and drought with implications on farming, water shortages and farming eg dry April and East of England drier still. Note the weather change is always talked but little is really done to put 2 and 2 together on Population increase and the demands of resources under stress from climate change assuming it to be true! Here the news-media shows enormous deception: They promote climate change correctly but equally OMMISSION on impact of population increase pressure long term and demand for resources in time of global change, eg food, water, resources affected by climate changes and disruptions.
As such you cannot rely on the news-media due to the above:
”Long term message may be correct but means to convey and selection vs omission in reporting is deeply deceptive.”
Adam0-0@reddit
Views bro. Vieeews
yearsofpractice@reddit
Two reasons:
- It sells
- It’s only May. Collectively, humanity is becoming slowly, simply aware that climate change is now irreversible. These new and weather patterns - including hurricanes and floods where there weren’t previously there - will continue to get worse and worse and it’s entirely too late for anyone to do anything about it.
Nice weather though.
effefille@reddit
Because it's currently May, not August. More daylight hours = more time for Edith to boil herself alive in her house that's designed for a pre-climate change Britain.
rumade@reddit
Back in 2017 (or maybe 2016) it was 38.7c out by Heathrow Airport and I was living in an uncovered caravan
Death death death
Beartato4772@reddit
Crucially though, that wasn't in May with 3-4 months of it getting warmer left.
Medical-Fox2471@reddit
The weather is always something the news makes dramatic
A sprinkling of snow and it will say - arctic conditions !!!!! Snowmageddon!!!!!
Hot it will say - stay indoors don’t go out, keeping drinking !!!!!!
Beartato4772@reddit
It's the earliest 30C has ever been recorded in the year.
That's the definition of "Extreme Temperatures".
Medical-Fox2471@reddit
1945 12th may was 30 degrees
EFN2008@reddit
Because it's universally annoyingly hot. Arguably worse than higher heat in some other places, our buildings are made to stay warm, and AC isn't widespread here...
On that note, I need good fan recommendations. Tried two already.
tinyriiiiiiiiick_@reddit
Because it’s May. This shouldn’t be happening. It’s another sign of climate change right in our faces.
BeachTheHam13@reddit
Because they want internet traffic and clicks. That's it.
The sooner you accept that everything online is designed to drive interaction and engagement, the better. You are an internet commodity.
Inappropriateout@reddit
They like to dramatise ……… News used to be news - these days it’s all opinion, dramatisation and pushing certain kinds of stories
Montymum@reddit
It’s all drama
DiscSig@reddit
I’m visiting London for the first time on Tuesday. Wasn’t quite expecting 33 when planning the trip a year ago but I guess we’ll make the most of it lol
WeDoingThisAgainRWe@reddit
News journalists these days seem to all want to be writing and performing dramatic scripts not presenting news. Part of the whole rage bait nature of all media. Scummy attitude if you ask me.
reocoaker@reddit
I mean it could be the hottest May recorded in the UK.
Interesting-Scar-998@reddit
Just the media being over dramatic the way it is these days. Back in 1976's record hot summer, there was never all this fuss and people being lectured about the dangers of hot weather.
xxNemasisxx@reddit
We were getting fucking hail a few days ago. That's why. It's absolutely insane that it's this hot this early and it keeps happening every year. While reformers deny climate change. It pisses me off so much
sweatypissflap@reddit
because it turns out a good chunk of the people in the uk have zero personality and weather is the only thing they can hold a conversation about. The media play into this because theyre shit and it gets views.
Beartato4772@reddit
Because, in May, it's literally the hottest it's ever been.
ChelseaMourning@reddit (OP)
Ok I get that it’s way hotter than normal for this time of the year, BUT it’s not the hottest weather we’ve ever seen like they’re making out. It’s just earlier than normal. You would think we’d never seen temps of above 28 degrees. Yes, vulnerable people will be affected, but no more so than on a normal hot summer’s day. It’s not like we’ve never seen these temperatures before.
TanjoCards@reddit
No one is making out it's the hottest we have ever seen.
No_Ferret_5450@reddit
Why is the news being so dramatic? There just making us anxious when they talk about members of the police attacking, raping and killing women! This has happened before
EvilTaffyapple@reddit
You do realise Heat Waves has a specific definition, right? It didn’t matter what your definition is - it’s a Heat Wave if it meets the official criteria:
A heat wave is a prolonged period of unusually hot weather, often lasting several days, with temperatures significantly above the normal range for a specific region.
Rug-bae@reddit
You’re being obtuse. They’re not reporting “never before seen temperatures”… they’re reporting the fact that it’s high temperatures and it’s early in the year and people need to be careful as affecting more than just London and the SE
coachhunter2@reddit
It’s set to be the hottest May on record. So no, we haven’t had temperatures like this before, at this time of year.
It’s also important to warn people because high temperatures can be dangerous.
hallouminati_pie@reddit
BECAUSE ITS NOT SUMMER.
LaurenNotABot@reddit
Because it’s May ..
Otherwise-Drummer543@reddit
Because people in England don't know how to act in the heat , you see utterly stupid things. People running at 1 pm ??? People walking around top less ??? People sitting in the sun just drinking beer and no water .
Enjoy the sun , but be sensible why do you think countries with a lot of sun cover it up with light materials , don't run at midday and are sitting in the shade and come out when the temps are cooler
sf-keto@reddit
Weather is the only public drama acceptable in the UK, that’s why.
ShroomTopsInTheSun@reddit
Old people can die in extreme heat. Its not being done dramatically its not for information. Also air time is cheaper when doing the weather so anything to extend airtime is less costly to broadcast.
tapasmonkey@reddit
I live in Spain: we're set up for these sorts of temperatures (fans, air conditioning, even basic architecture), but the UK in a hot summer is unbearable, as nobody's prepared and it's a humid heat, as opposed to dry heat, and so the cooling effect of sweating is way less effective.
Remember to check in on older relatives, and maybe think about buying them a fan and/or persuading them to invest in air conditioning.
plasticface2@reddit
Because its May not July.
Anththeman2010@reddit
We have had these remperatures for 100's of years.
Necessary-Nobody8138@reddit
May has been awful so far so this is good
AlucardVTep3s@reddit
They were giving out bottles of water at Asda (which is A/C inside) because they didn’t want people to get dehydrated from the heat😂
Necessary-Nobody8138@reddit
Up here in Scotland it is just pleasant, it’s hardly a ‘heatwave..’
theNikolai@reddit
Did they also complain about this last winter being 17 BASTARD YEARS LONG?
AndrewHinds67@reddit
Because this is Britain and the press always gets dramatic about the weather. You only have to see screaming headlines in the Daily Express which try to terrify its demented old readers with stories of "KILLER HEAT" or in winter "ARCTIC BLAST" or "KILLER STORM". It's ironic that our weather always happens to be a news story in itself instead of just a forecast.
ApplicationCreepy987@reddit
Because it's Kier''s fault and he should resign
AromaticVacation3077@reddit
Because the news has only a loose connection to objective reality. It's inspired by reality, but the priority is to make good, attention grabbing TV. They should really open news shows with that title they use in films sometimes - 'Based on a true story'.
BunnySlippers404@reddit
Human activity induced climate change. We were warned but now everyone seems to be mystified at what is happening to the weather.
RoyofBungay@reddit
Post should be retitled - Why are people being so dramatic about a bit of warm weather. Get a grip folks.
CaptainRAVE2@reddit
Because 30 plus is crazy for May. That’s easily 40 in July. All of which are very unusual temperatures here. And yes, people will die, it puts a huge strain on your cardiovascular system which is not good for older people.
Uncle_Zardoz@reddit
OP more familiar with the thermometer than the calendar, apparently.
Phil1889Blades@reddit
Because certain vulnerable groups need to be prepared and do the right things ie hydrate, sun cream or they might die.
Own-Pen3465@reddit
I’m convinced that it’s to feed the climate change rhetoric. I am 50 years old and I promise you every year they predict the hottest summer and the coldest winters and are usually wrong. Gets the people going,oh look 25c for 3 days the world is going to end……. unless you buy an electric car and it will all be fine 😆
Forsaken-Original-28@reddit
Weird isn't it. I remember plenty of days in May like this
Nandor1262@reddit
More people die in hot temperatures.
SkipsH@reddit
There is a rumour we are getting a super el niño this year.
Single-Aardvark9330@reddit
It's always dramatic about the weather
In the winter you see so many 'next beast from the east' headlines
Nomad2k3@reddit
Thing is, as a kid in the 80s, we got scorching summers and freezing snowy winters every year.
I don't think millennials really knows a proper cold winter or a scorching hot summer, nevermind them being a regular occurrence.
okwhateveryouwin8@reddit
One of my daughters is 9 and she's never seen a proper snowfall like I remember from my childhood. Maybe once in her life there's been snow that was worthy to go out and play in.
I live in central Scotland
Remarkable-Ad155@reddit
You sure about this? I'm in the English Midlands and we had several inches of snow just a few months back. Find it hard to believe Scotland didn't experience similar.
okwhateveryouwin8@reddit
Pretty sure yeah, I've lived in the same area my whole life. We've had snow but it's the kind of snow that's gone within a couple hours
Nomad2k3@reddit
Yeah I'm north Cumbria on the Scottish border. Pretty much just constant storms and rain these days with the odd week of sunny weather here and there.
I can't remember the last real snowy winter we've had. 1996 maybe?
okwhateveryouwin8@reddit
People on here getting very angry when someone mentions the weather is different, which it quite clearly is. Bought sledges for the kids years ago and they've sat in the shed ever since. Any snow we get now is very fleeting.
Sasspishus@reddit
You know a lot of millennials were alive in the 80s, right? We've experienced very cold winters like in 2010, and every summer is getting hotter, so we've also experienced the hottest summers ever on record
Nomad2k3@reddit
My bad, it wasn't a slur on millennials at all. My point was it was a regular occurrence.
These days it's very sporadic and although the weather is getting hotter by the year, we also get far more storms and wetter weather.
Sasspishus@reddit
Yes, because of climate change, which is making the weather far more unpredictable and will only get worse since we're doing fuck all about it
Remarkable-Ad155@reddit
Haven't all the hottest summers occurred since the turn of the century pretty much? Also there was the big freeze of 2010 (?). Millennials have probably seen far more extreme weather than previous generations.
Nomad2k3@reddit
Yeah there's slbeen more extreme weather, my point was most years we saw sunny summers and cold snowy winters.
Although it's warmer these days, it's also a lot stormier and wetter. I don't really recall the last good snowfall we had up here on the northwest coast of Scotland or long hot summers.
It's just storms and rain mostly interspersed with the odd week of sun or a few days of snow.
Fattydog@reddit
No you didn’t, don’t be silly.
Nomad2k3@reddit
Triggered much fatty?
Have looked it up, winters were colder, summers were sunnier. Confirmed the winters arnt as cold and weather is wetter.
Over the past 50 years, the UK has experienced a definitive shift toward a warmer, wetter, and sunnier climate. Average temperatures have risen steadily, resulting in warmer winters, significantly longer and more frequent heatwaves, and a noticeable reduction in frost and snow days. Concurrently, average annual rainfall has increased, often falling in more intense, heavier bursts.A closer look at these core climate trends highlights how the UK's weather has evolved:🌡️ Temperature IncreasesWarming Trend: The UK is now roughly 1.25°C warmer on average than it was in the mid-20th century.Record Highs: The 21st century has seen the warmest years on record, including temperatures frequently pushing above 40°C in recent summers.Fewer Cold Extremes: Air frost and heavy snowfall days have seen a measurable decline, shifting historical weather baselines.
Wetter Winters and Autumns: The UK has become progressively wetter, especially across the north and west. Coastal regions—such as Whitehaven and the surrounding Cumbria area—often experience increased heavy downpours.Intense Downpours: While the total volume of rain has increased, precipitation is frequently more concentrated, raising the risk of localized fluvial flooding.
Maybe learn how to use that internet we designed and built for you kid.
bearcorps303@reddit
Lol, this. Clearly the more recent heatwaves HAVE melted the brains of these super duper clever 'millenialls'. They think their vague recollections replace recorded observations and evidence
shizzler@reddit
That's just not true. We have far more scorching hot summers these days.
EnumeratedArray@reddit
The big issue is that it isn't summer. Temperatures like this in May are genuinely not common at all and would typically be seen in late July/early August. May should have similar temperatures to October.
arenaross@reddit
Because it's spring and we've never had temperatures like this at this part of the year.
Able_Arm_7201@reddit
Just stop watching that trash. You will be healthier both in mind and body and you won't even miss it. No drama just life
Any-Republic-4269@reddit
They've not started giving the heatwaves names yet
Kooky_Benefit_4905@reddit
What would the naming convention be? Maybe named after famous victims of extreme heat? "Heatwave Lauda" for example.
Any-Republic-4269@reddit
I'm going to call this one Angela as it's the first and I thought of the idea. The next one will be Barold
Kooky_Benefit_4905@reddit
Heatwave Herculaneum after that maybe?
Any-Republic-4269@reddit
I'm officially announcing the names of the heatwaves for 2026. Angela, Barold, Clementine, Denis, Erica, Finlay, Geraldine, Hans, Irene, Jock, Kiera, Len, Mary-Ann, Nik, Olive, Pat, Queenie, Russell, Sammy, Thomasina, U, Vine-leaf, Waxman, Xavina, Yarold, Zinthia
oah9449@reddit
Heatwave Derek.
gravity-f1ghter@reddit
Hot Doug
sugar_kane1984@reddit
Jumping Froug
seriousrikk@reddit
It’s not the heat, it’s the dramatic change in temperature. A few days ago it was wet and 10 degrees and now we’ve got a few days of hot humid weather.
So no opportunity to acclimatise. It’s going to catch a few unprepared folks out especially with bank holiday activities.
MrDavieT@reddit
It a tad hot… for Spring, no? 🤷🏻♂️
Axiom620@reddit
Clickbait and headline chasing, just like everything else. I’m waiting for the height of summer to be described as apocalyptically hot. Victorian melodrama has nothing on social media!
quantum-dave-5734@reddit
It has to fill up 24 hours of rolling news coverage
Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit
It's early in the year for it like you say. It's pretty much just hit us suddenly and we've not had time to adjust
DrFriedGold@reddit
CLIIIIIIIMATE CHANGE!!!!!!!
PANIIIIIIIIC!!!!!!
Tumtitums@reddit
I think journalism has gone down hill. Im sure next month there will be another news story about record breaking heat. I guess drama is good for people with health conditions that may be worsen by the heat so they can take precautions.
Also good for people who don't think the work is getting hotter
Illustrious-Air-7777@reddit
Anyone remember the second of June 1975?
BillyJoeDubuluw@reddit
Classic sensationalism in journalism… this is also something we’ve experienced for years…
No-Lawfulness1159@reddit
Same reaction as when we get snow 🙄🙄🙄
regulator202@reddit
For engagement probably. The climate catastrophe is absolutely real though.
Historical_Project86@reddit
Because it kills more people than the summers we've largely been used to until a few years ago. We're only down for 31, but our Edwardian house simply can't take it as there is no natural airflow through the house.
rjyung1@reddit
Often, I have the same reactions about many things in society that are deemed "dangerous" - heatwaves, biking on the pavement, swimming in rivers. But I think in fact there are a lot of very fragile people in society whose fragility you would not really understand unless you've been around them.
30 degrees for me is a tad uncomfortable. I could be life and death for a 60 Yr old with a weak heart
AEG1610@reddit
It’s not summer for a start.
PhysicsForeign1634@reddit
Your post is full of incorrect statements.
makaveli130386@reddit
So the British government quangos can continue ripping the taxpayer off for millions by trying to scare us into staying indoors
Spiritual_Tie3348@reddit
Because they've got to put a downer on everything. It's here enjoy it.
Embarrassed_Ad1722@reddit
The news media sensationalize everything and blow it out of proportion. That hanta virus died out very quickly but they made it as if the new plague was coming. Also certain people pay for certain news to be spread to help their agendas.
fell-destroyed@reddit
It’s not actually that hot and they like to make it seem worse that it is. This happens every few years.
Intelligent_Mine_121@reddit
It's May. The current record temperature for May in the UK is 32.8°C. We haven't had a May day over 30 since 2012, Tuesday is currently projected to hit 34°C. These are uncharted waters.
Also, it is literally only a week since I was wrapped up in a fleece and coat at a soggy County Ground watching Somerset trying to finish off Sussex between showers with the floodlights on. The change is pretty abrupt.
codechris@reddit
It's Spring
ActionBirbie@reddit
Because it's news...?
keithmk@reddit
It is because it has suddenly changed from being cold and miserable for the time of the year to being hot for the time of year. Virtually from one day to the next
No_Jellyfish_7695@reddit
it’s not even that warm in Scotland. Grey and drizzle here on the east coast
No_Ferret_5450@reddit
Because this is not normal for the uk at this time of year. The effects of climate change are happening now and it’s just starting
OddPerspective9833@reddit
Same reason the news is dramatic about everything else - it gets clicks
yayatowers@reddit
When I drop off my kids at school, all I hear is parents talking about the weather, then I go to work and it’s all weather chat, then I pick up my kids and they’re back on the weather. People fucking love talking about weather.
Livid-Needleworker65@reddit
Talking about the weather is a part of British society/culture.
ButterflyRoyal3292@reddit
I like how they have added deathly red and purples to the temperatures.
I was on a med cruise last week.and it was hotter than this and no one told me to drink water...
EvilTaffyapple@reddit
It’s almost as if it’s expected in the Mediterranean and not the UK
semorebunz@reddit
because theyre weak and its something to fill up the xx minute show?
hottest day of the year ? no shit really what hotter than feb and march?
xx degress ? really in summer , like other summers were?
was xx deg yesterday !! no shit i noticed that
PipBin@reddit
It’s not summer.
MrHandSanitization@reddit
We're still a month away from summer. And if it bleeds the other way around too, we're still 5-6 months away from ending "summer".
Logical_fallacy10@reddit
Because the news has nothing else to do than to talk about nonsense like that. And then they will go back to talking about other irrelevant things.
LilacScentedStoat@reddit
Summer doesn't start for a little under a month, around the 21st June.
It's still Spring.
Previous heat records are 1922 and 1944
If it reaches 33c it will be the hottest May ever recorded.
Traditional_Mango_71@reddit
At 25c my body starts to give up as do many others. In 2022 I was sick for over a month and ended up in hospital. Last year I had several days where my body had exceeded what it was able to handle and ended up in bed. The heat is serious for a large number of people.
England is not designed for more than a couple of days with excess heat, building & working regulations have not kept up with the changing climate.
30C used to be exceptional it has become the summer norm for a lot of the country.
As soon as my son has finished school I’m heading even further north.
mb194dc@reddit
Psychosis, don't watch the news, turn it off.
Spottyjamie@reddit
Its mad how my town will peak at 21 these next few days yet im going away to east midlands that will peak at 32
ChallengingKumquat@reddit
The news likes to dramatise the weather, often by adding in 'conditions' to make something the most XYZ since records began. "This is the hottest temperature recorded before 8am in May in Cirencester since records began!" "This is the rainiest one-hour period over a bank holiday weekend in Huddersfield since records began!" That way, the headline can be RECORD-BREAKING HEATWAVE THIS WEEKEND or RECORD-BREAKING RAINFALL YESTERDAY
It reminds me of when people break "a record" but they've not just run the fastest (or whatever); instead, they've won the record for "the fastest time anyone has ever run a marathon whilst dressed as a can of soup, and carrying a watermelon". Bravo, fella, your time was 6h34m. Better than I could do, but it's only a "record" because it's so niche, not because it's remarkable.
shizzler@reddit
You have to admit 34c in May is pretty unusual.
Jolly-Avocado0@reddit
You realise it's May? You realise we shouldn't realise getting temperatures like this regularly, right? You know heatwaves can be dangerous for vulnerable people, right?
Remarkable-Ad155@reddit
The beeb has to do a bit of this given it has a public information remit and some people are vulnerable to heat but in general I agree.
It went down to 8 degrees where I am last night, hottest temp in the day was 25 ish yet people on reddit are going "how do you sleep in this sweltering heat?' like they're stuck on Kos in July with no aircon or something, it's a bit much.
TriggersShip@reddit
Imagine if your job is to get people to “buy” the words you write so you can sell the advertising space around those words. Their primary job is to grab your attention. Informing you of things is the way they have chosen to do that.
As the number of people and outlets that do that have increased astronomically you have to make your words stand out.
As humans we are attracted to the sensational. The hottest, the worst, the most dangerous etc.
So they look for variation in the norm and amplify it.
gameofgroans_@reddit
It is closer to 40 in London, on Tuesday it’s predicted at 37 where I am. In bloody May.
Not a fan of the heat so I’m already over it haha
bearcorps303@reddit
I didn't think the morons who comment stuff like this all over FB comments would spill over on to Reddit.
yourefunny@reddit
A mixture of needing those clicks for advertising revenue and the fact that it's getting hotter and hotter. We break records every year. Climate change has really impacted the world. Our houses aren't really built for this heat either so everyone is suffering.
gameofgroans_@reddit
It is closer to 40 in London, on Tuesday it’s predicted at 37 where I am. In bloody May.
Not a fan of the heat so I’m already over it haha
Vegetable-Use-2392@reddit
The amount of people just parroting what they have heard on the tv
Revolutionary-Ad2355@reddit
Engagement and clicks. Done.
ImFamousYoghurt@reddit
It's their job to make stories sound interesting. "It's super hot and that's crazy" is more interesting than "it is a normal temperature". People are always interested to hear about the weather, so the reporters are given the brief and they have to make it interesting
SuccessfulMonth2896@reddit
Because we don’t have journalists any longer to investigate serious matters, we have people who have to churn out rubbish to fill column inches as it’s cheap.
MissKatbow@reddit
It seems dramatic but I do think deaths due to heat in Europe is not taken seriously enough at a policy level in Europe. There are more deaths from heat in Europe (per capita and absolute) than there are from gun violence in USA. That’s an insane stat to me! The simple solution is air conditioning needs to be more readily available. But already there are people who don’t heat their homes properly because of the cost of energy. We also need much cheaper energy for more availability of air conditioning to be viable.
eat-my-rice@reddit
New builds overheat and lack air conditioning
Any-Seaworthiness531@reddit
Cos it’s May ?
Moorhenlessrooster@reddit
Climate change is huge news.
Needing to change plans, especially when carrying for very old, young, generally, or for gardens or crops or animals, is also news.
If we go into drought and there are wildfires and food/water shortages then yes, that's news too.
For others, it might just be barbecue weekend.
Weyland--Yutani@reddit
Well it's what we like to talk about.
PokerFriend247@reddit
WeWereInfinite@reddit
Because we lost all semblance of being a serious society a long time ago. The news stopped being news and became entertainment, and they realised they can just try to make everything a crisis or scandal or emergency to get views.
FriendofFlounder@reddit
Thirty years ago, everyone talked about the weather just as much. It's part of our culture to have a whinge about the rain and then immediately have a whinge about the heat.
OnceAHermit@reddit
The news likes nothing better than making everyone anxious - keeps you watching. From a war, to some sunny weather, it's all delivered with the same breathless urgency.
DanielReddit26@reddit
"Welcome to the news at 6 and thanks for tuning in, there's not much to report today... it's unseasonably warm but people get upset when we point that out so let's just sit in silence for 8 minutes and then we'll show you a rerun of Fraiser"
JMM85JMM@reddit
On their own these temperatures are just hot, nothing we haven't experienced before in the UK.
But we are predicted to break the record for the hottest day in May ever recorded in the UK. That's not nothing.
TheEnglishDominant2@reddit
Are are British just what we are like.
Nomad2k3@reddit
yes Yes British is are what like
skinnygrave@reddit
But what just British are like are
Ok_Kangaroo_5404@reddit
It's like a full week long, 5 days over 30C and it's starting in May and on a bank holiday weekend.
People are going to be wild for it this early in the year on a bank holiday weekend, but by the end people's houses will be sweltering, people will be suffering and it will be awful.
Every night it won't be cold enough to cool people's homes down enough so every day will be hotter than the last.
br0kinFPS@reddit
They have nothing better to report on🤣
60percentsexpanther@reddit
I think it's all that climate change stuff that suddenly all of a sudden absolutely doesn't apply to data centres...
Regular_Zombie@reddit
The weather forecasts are being produced in data centers which are now effectively critical infrastructure. If the heat wasn't enough to drive your average person mad imagine if their kids couldn't watch Netflix.
GREENGRAVY_@reddit
Why would the news talk about the real issues? If they talk about the real issues and do actual investigative journalism the people signing their cheques would have phone calls from the people that own them.
MiserableWinter636@reddit
Its the media they like stirring shit
paulg222@reddit
Clicks, likes and shares.
Catastrophes are more profitable than bau.
I help to run a ski club and, over on our Facebook group, the Daily Express front page warning of the most severe winter in a century every September is something of an annual event.
Aggravating-Day-2864@reddit
They should travel to NE, 15c yesterday here.....it's London again....poor poor London and the BBC
ladylots2@reddit
Excitement 😂
ajslov@reddit
Because traditional media is dying and they need the engagement now than they've ever needed.
Blueblowupcouch2000s@reddit
Cuz old people
Street_Razzmatazz279@reddit
Because people are dramatic attention seeking.....
InevitableMidnight54@reddit
They kind of do that with everything no?
Blow it out of all proportion to make things seem scary and create maximum engagement.
I find it really cringey so I avoid the news entirely..... It's always been like this but it's especially exaggerated post COVID
nobodyspecialuk24@reddit
Weather has always been a thing for UK news.
They love to share a “it’s hotter in London than xxxxxxx” headline.
I think they also see it as a chance to report on something less depressing than the usual news.
Acceptable-Ear-7898@reddit
what heatwave? summers just a little bit early. Wimbledon will ruin any decent weather
mysweetplums@reddit
Because it’s considered news. You can tell that by the number of people posting about it on Reddit and the fact that you have too. News outlets over dramatise to engage with people, this is evidence that it works.
Alarmed_Ice_272@reddit
If you notice over the last couple years, everything and anything is massive news and clickbait to compete with all the other constant clickbait and brain rot on people’s phones.
Burnicle@reddit
First Time?
Ok_Leadership7805@reddit
Because we are all stupid and haven’t heard of hydration. We are doomed.
Ok-Jacket8836@reddit
To make it seem news worthy.
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