Hundreds of schools plan closures ahead of red heat alerts

Hundreds of schools have planned for at least partial closures and multiple train operators, including the UK's largest, have warned people not to travel unless necessary as temperatures climb.

The top temperature recorded on Tuesday was 34.6C in Wisley, Surrey. Northern Ireland and Scotland saw their hottest days of the year, with temperatures reaching 28.1C and 29C respectively, while Wales hit a high of 32.2C.

The heatwave is expected to build, with temperatures forecast to rise to around 37 or 38C in southern England later on Wednesday.

A red extreme heat warning has been issued across parts of England and Wales until Thursday evening, meaning there is a danger to life.

A rare red extreme heat warning is still expected from 09:00 BST on Wednesday to 21:00 Thursday, meaning there will be an exceptional spell of hot and humid weather in parts of south and central England and south Wales, according to the Met Office.

In southern England, a maximum of 39C on Wednesday is not out of the question.

High humidity levels will make conditions even more uncomfortable - while the air temperature may be 35C, for example, it may feel more like it is 41C.

The forecaster warns there is a risk of serious illness or danger to life in the impacted areas. Loss of power and other essential services such as water is also likely because of a greater risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment.

Significantly more people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers, leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents, it says.

The record for the UK's highest June temperature - 35.6C in 1976 - is likely to be shattered, but maximum temperatures will fall short of the all-time high of 40.3C set in 2022.

The UK had been forecast to experience its hottest June day on Tuesday, but temperatures were around 2C or 3C lower than predicted in south-east England after intense night-time rainfall and flash flooding in some locations.

Overnight temperatures will also remain high this week and some locations will not get cooler than 20C, becoming what is known as a tropical night.

A red heat health alert has also been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), from 01:00 on Wednesday until 23:00 on Thursday.

Prof Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UKHSA, said this was only the second time they had issued the red heat health warning - the last time in July 2022.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said the warning signalled a "very widespread threat" from the heat, including threats "to people who generally think of themselves as not being particularly threatened by heat".

"Often we are warning about the vulnerable, the elderly, the young, but in this case we're also warning otherwise healthy people in their prime of life to take very cautious steps, because this heat is going to be quite intense and can have very serious life-threatening effects even in people who are completely fit," he said.

Matthew Hopkins of the acute and ambulance network for the NHS alliance told the Today programme he expected demand on emergency services to increase over the next few days during the extremely hot weather period.

More than 300 schools across England and Wales are planning to be either partially or fully closed this week because of the weather.

Others are closing early on Wednesday and Thursday to protect children from the heat, with some pupils being told they can wear PE kit rather than full school uniforms for those days.

The Department for Education does not itself "normally advise schools to close" and instead issues guidance on how best to manage high temperatures.

There will also be travel disruption for those travelling by car, rail and air, the Met Office warned.

On the National Rail network, passengers have been urged against undertaking non-essential travel and to make sure they are carrying water.

GTR - the UK's largest train operator - said it would suspend the Gatwick Express from early afternoon on Wednesday and Thursday. The airport will still have services via Thameslink and Southern trains.

The operator will also implement safety speed restrictions, with fewer trains on Thameslink, Great Northern and Southern lines.

GTR passengers can get refunds for tickets they bought for Tuesday and the next couple of days if they will no longer be travelling.

Avanti West Coast also said it would run fewer train services between Tuesday and Thursday, while Chiltern Railways has reduced its services by more than half over those three days.

National Rail explained that heat could cause a number of issues including overhead lines expanding and rails buckling.

The RAC said it was anticipating breakdown assistance would "increase significantly as temperatures peak", adding that it was already dealing with 10% more breakdowns than usual for this time of year.

Ceremonial guard changes in London and Windsor were cancelled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in a bid to reduce risks for the military personnel, horses and the public.

-BBC