Estonian drag artist Paul Holmberg on London's record May heatwave: 'Underground is total madness'

An extraordinary heatwave has turned typically cool and rainy London into a sweltering city, with temperatures reaching 32°C. Estonian star makeup artist and drag queen Paul Holmberg, who lives in London, says Britons are completely unprepared for such May heat.

An exceptional heatwave sweeping across Europe has transformed London into an unusually stifling city, with temperatures climbing to 32°C — a record for May. Estonian star makeup artist and drag queen [Paul Holmberg](/politicians/paul-holmberg), who is based in London, says the heat has caught the British capital thoroughly off guard.

While Paris and London are seeing highs around 32°C, temperatures in Spain have soared to as high as 38°C in some areas. For a city not built with air conditioning in mind, the effects are being felt acutely — particularly on public transport. «The Underground is total madness, and without air conditioning, everything becomes suffocating at home by evening,» Holmberg told Reflect.

Holmberg noted that Monday saw a new May temperature record measured in the city — an indication of just how unusual the conditions are for this time of year. Britons are typically accustomed to cool and overcast spring weather, and the infrastructure reflects that: few homes or tube carriages are equipped with cooling systems, making the heat far harder to bear than in southern European countries where such temperatures are more expected.