The present invention provides a heat sensitive recording material comprising a heat sensitive recording layer formed on a substrate and containing a color former and a color developer reactive with the color former, an intermediate layer formed on the recording layer and containing a water-soluble resin or water-dispersible resin, and an overcoat layer formed on the intermediate layer and containing a resin curable with an ionizing radiation, the heat sensitive recording material being characterized in that the color developer comprises at least one of a salicylic acid derivative represented by the following formula (1) or formula (2) and polyvalent metal salt of the derivative ##STR1## wherein Ar, Q, A, R, X, Y, m and n are defined in the specification.