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Several schools are sending students home early this week to protect them from the extreme heatwave set to scorch the UK.
It comes after Britons were warned of a risk to life “for even the healthy population”, with a rare red weather warning for extreme heat issued for parts of the country.
With temperatures forecast to reach up to 40C on Wednesday, the AA said drivers could see gritters out on roads and cautioned that the heat could put extra strain on vehicles.
The UK Health Security Agency also issued red heat health alerts for the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, and South West.
Sweltering heat is expected until at least Thursday, with the Met Office expecting the record for the hottest June temperature to be smashed.
The Met Office’s red weather warning, which stretches from London across to Somerset and Swansea and up towards Birmingham, comes into force at 9am on Wednesday and will be lifted at 9pm on Thursday.
In addition to the extreme heat warning, the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms which were forecast to hit the south of England on Monday evening.
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Recap: Multiple weather records to be smashed in England and Wales
The current highest temperature on record for June will very likely be broken this week, with 40C forecast in London on Wednesday.
The hottest June day ever currently sits at 35.6C, which was recorded in Southampton in June 1976 and Camden Square in June 1957.
Wales June temperature record of 33.7C, which was set in 2000, is also likely to be broken, the Met Office said.
The June record for Scotland stands at 32.2C and for Northern Ireland it’s 30.8C.
While these are less likely to be broken, the Met Office is still expecting daytime temperatures in the high twenties or low thirties.
The UK will almost definitely experience its hottest day of the year, with temperatures forecast to rise above the 34.8C recorded last month.
If temperatures exceed 40.3C, it could also be the hottest day ever recorded in the UK.
Rebecca Whittaker23 June 2026 07:00
Restrictions on rail speed amid heatwave
Transport for London (TfL) warned customers of possible disruption to rail and Tube services, saying rail temperatures could lead to temporary speed restrictions and reduced services.
Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “Customers should be aware that, given the very high temperatures that are forecast, we are likely to see some disruption to rail and Tube services – with rail temperatures likely to lead to temporary speed restrictions and therefore reduced services in some cases.
“This will vary by line, with some services that share parts of the overground rail network – like the Overground and the Elizabeth line – likely to be more affected.”
She added: “We expect bus services to run as normal although, during periods of hot weather, we are encouraging customers to carry water with them when they travel on any of our services.”
The AA said drivers could also see gritters out on some roads this week with the potential for surfaces to soften or become sticky under the heat, with heavy traffic even causing them to rut in some places.
Namita Singh23 June 2026 06:58
Drivers urged to postpone journeys as record heatwave threatens to melt roads
The RAC, which issued the urgent plea, also urged drivers to exercise “patience” as record demand is expected to lead to extended wait times for breakdown assistance.
Namita Singh23 June 2026 06:56
Network Rail passengers advised to travel only if ‘absolutely essential’
Amid the record temperatures, advice has also been issued for transport users, with Network Rail warning passengers should “only travel if absolutely essential on Wednesday and Thursday”.
Jake Kelly, deputy chief executive of Network Rail, said: “Extreme heat can have a significant impact on the railway, so safety must come first.
“We’re asking passengers to check before travelling on Tuesday, and only travel if absolutely essential on Wednesday and Thursday if they are going to, from or within the red warning zone as temperatures are expected to peak.
Train driver Kate Wilcox poses at Brighton Station on 21 May 2026 in Brighton, England (Getty)
“If you do need to travel in this area or outside of it where it will still be hot, please plan ahead, allow extra time and take necessary precautions, such as carrying water, to stay safe. We thank passengers for their patience and understanding during this period.”
Namita Singh23 June 2026 06:55
Schools shut, all trips and activities cancelled as buildings ‘cannot be cooled adequately’
Scores of schools across England and Wales announced they would close or finish early later this week to protect pupils amid the extreme heat.
The Buckingham School in Buckinghamshire said it will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, and asked students to take part in online learning.
In a statement on its website on Monday, the school said: “Because most of our buildings cannot be cooled adequately and there is little shade outside, we have taken the difficult decision to close the school site on both days (Wednesday and Thursday).
“All trips and other scheduled activities are also cancelled.”
(PA)
The school, which has around 1,200 students until sixth form, said teachers will upload work online for pupils to complete.
St John’s Marlborough in Wiltshire said it will close early on Tuesday and be shut all day on Wednesday and Thursday before re-opening on Friday.
The Dorcan Academy in Swindon, Wiltshire, said on-site learning will finish at 11.30am on Tuesday and the school will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
Other schools in Sutton in south London and Haringey in north London have also been forced to close from Tuesday to Thursday.
Some schools will remain open this week but close at about lunchtime on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, including Pewsey Vale School, Dilton Marsh Primary and Malmesbury School in Wiltshire, Ditton Park Academy in Slough, Berkshire, The Bulmershe School in Reading, Berkshire, Cheam High School in Surrey and Sydenham School in London.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Head Teachers (Naht) said it has written to all its members with guidance on dealing with the heat this week, including the impact on pupils and staff, legal positions and when to consider closure.
Paul Whiteman, Naht general secretary, said: “While there is no legal ‘upper limit’ for temperature in schools, (school leaders) will certainly be doing all they can to mitigate the effects of such high temperatures.”
Namita Singh23 June 2026 06:36
Dozens of schools forced to close amid rare red warnings
Dozens of schools have been forced to close and transport bosses have warned people against all but essential travel amid rare red warnings over extreme temperatures that are expected to hit record highs for June.
A “heat-dome” settling over western Europe could bring temperatures of up to 40C in some parts of England and Wales in the middle part of the week, the Met Office has said.
(AFP/Getty)
Temperatures for the latest heatwave are likely to overtake the June record set in Hampshire in 1976 by several degrees and could come close to the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C which was measured in July 2022.
The hot conditions, which have been very rare in the UK until now, will be accompanied by high humidity and very warm nights, which will make it hard for people to recover overnight, the forecaster warned.
Namita Singh23 June 2026 06:32
Two young children found dead in family car as 40C heatwave sweeps across France
Two young children have been found dead inside a car in a residential car park in France, prosecutors have said, as a 40C heatwave sweeps across the country.
The children, aged two and four, were found by firefighters in cardiac arrest inside their mother’s car after a call at around 1.20pm local time on Monday afternoon.
Despite attempts to resuscitate the children, they both died. According to Le Parisien, the children are believed to have entered the vehicle without their 33-year-old mother’s knowledge before becoming trapped inside.
Rebecca Whittaker23 June 2026 06:00
Recap: What is a red weather warning and what should Britons expect?
A red warning is the most extreme weather alert that is only issued when significant impacts are expected.
The Met Office said the heat, which could reach 40C, will bring high humidity, exacerbating the potential for discomfort and health impacts, with very warm and humid night times also reducing the ability for people to recover overnight.
“During the heatwave expected to affect a large part of England and Wales this week, the highlighted area now looks increasingly likely to see a two to three day period where maximum temperatures in the shade exceed 37 Celsius, perhaps rising to 38 to 40 Celsius in some places.
“Significant disruption to daily life is likely and the public should take every effort to make precautions and adapt their daily routines where possible to cope with these levels of heat, which up to now have been extremely rare for the UK.”
Rebecca Whittaker23 June 2026 05:00
A very hot and humid day across England and Wales with strong sunshine. Hot across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland with light winds.
Outlook for Wednesday to Friday
Extremely hot and humid in southern and central parts of England and Wales. Strong sunshine at times, but increasingly cloudy by Thursday with showers. Becoming slightly cooler from Friday.
Rebecca Whittaker23 June 2026 04:35
UK heatwave: 40C in June must be wake-up call on climate crisis, scientists warn
Scientists are warning that politicians are failing to appreciate the magnitude of the climate crisis after the Met Office forecast that temperatures in the UK could hit 40C for just the second time since records began.
Rare red warnings have been issued over extreme temperatures that are this week set to hit record highs for June – smashing the record set in 1976 by several degrees.
The hot conditions will have major knock-on effects for health, schools, workers and transport, with experts warning that the predicted temperatures are “incredibly alarming” and should be seen as a public health threat.
Read more here by Nick Ferris the Independent’s climate correspondent:
Rebecca Whittaker23 June 2026 03:00