Esther Chilton’s Laughing Along With a Limerick inspired me to write about Heat. We’re suffering unusually high temperatures here in the UK. I drew the picture a while ago during a heatwave — though nothing as fierce as today, in what is usually a gentle, springlike month. I personally loathe the heat, but Esther’s prompt at least encouraged me to find some humour in it.
I hope you enjoy my poem.
Mayday, mayday, mayday!
It’s the hottest day ever in May
I’m so hot I’m just melting away
There’s a fan up my skirt
as I lay here inert
There’s nothing much more I can say
—Lesley Scoble, May 2026
It’s the Hottest Day ever in May in the UK
NOTE
Today (Monday 25th May) marked the hottest May day ever recorded in the UK. The Met Office confirmed a record breaking provisional high of 34.8°C at Kew Gardens in London, exceeding the previous May record of 32.8°C set in 1922 and matched in 1944. Several other weather stations across England also recorded temperatures above 30°C, making it an exceptional late‑spring heat event.
This makes it the hottest May day ever recorded in the UK.
The hottest bank holiday on record (for any month).
And around 10–15°C hotter than the seasonal average.
UK temperature records are normally broken by tenths of a degree — not by two whole degrees.
Meteorologists note that such rapid, extreme spikes are becoming more likely due to climate change, with this kind of event now estimated to be three times more likely than in a pre‑industrial climate.
Forecasts for tomorrow, Tuesday 26 May 2026 indicate another exceptionally hot day, with London expected to reach a peak of 34°C.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My thanks to Esther Chilton for inspiring me to write this limerick.
And my thanks to you, dear reader, for spending this time with me.
LesleyScoble.com 
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