Red extreme heat warning shuts schools and disrupts trains as UK faces 40C temperatures

Red extreme heat warning issued

The Met Office has issued a rare red warning for extreme heat covering a large swath of southern England and Wales, including London, Swansea, Somerset and Birmingham, from 9 a.m. Wednesday to 9 p.m. Thursday. An amber warning for a broader area is in place from Monday through Thursday, stretching as far north as Blackpool. The red alert, the highest level, reflects the danger to life posed by the forecast temperatures, which could reach 40C in some areas. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also issued a red heat health alert for the South West, in force from 01:00 BST on Wednesday to 23:00 on Thursday.

Overnight thunderstorms cause flash floods

Thunderstorms swept across south west England on Monday evening, moving eastward and delivering loud thunder and lightning through the early hours of Tuesday. The London Fire Brigade responded to 400 calls overnight, including two house fires believed to have been caused by lightning strikes. A house in Bristol was also reportedly set ablaze during a storm. The heavy rainfall led to flash flooding, adding to the disruption already caused by the heatwave preparations.

Widespread travel disruption

Train operators across Britain have slashed services, warning passengers to travel only if necessary. Avanti West Coast and Chiltern Railways are running reduced timetables between Tuesday and Thursday, with Chiltern axing more than half its services on routes from London Marylebone to Birmingham, Oxford and Aylesbury. Great Western Railway urged passengers to limit travel to essential journeys on Wednesday and Thursday, citing risks of expanded rails and equipment failures. LNER advised against all travel on its route on those two days. Network Rail said it is not moving certain points to reduce the risk of heat-related failures.

We are forecasting extreme temperatures in the next few days, particularly on Wednesday and Thursday, when it looks like we'll be seeing maximum temperatures into the high 30s. But also we are stressing very high overnight temperatures which will be very uncomfortable for vulnerable groups, and very humid conditions as well.

Schools partially close

Schools across Devon, Cornwall and the Channel Islands are partially closing or allowing parents to decide whether to send children in due to the extreme heat. Devon County Council listed several schools, including Clyst Vale Community College, Ottery St Mary Primary School and The Park Community School, as partially shut between Tuesday and Thursday. Kingsbridge Community College allowed students to wear PE kits instead of uniforms. In Jersey, Beaulieu Convent School told parents the decision was theirs, while Busy Bees Nursery closed its baby room.

Future normal: 1976 heatwave reprise seen in 2056

Climate scientists marked the 50th anniversary of the 1976 heatwave, which saw 15 consecutive days above 32C and a peak of 35.9C, by projecting what the coming decades will bring. Prof Ed Hawkins of the University of Reading said the world is now much hotter, and 1976-style events will become more common. A Met Office forecast for 2056 suggests that people born in 1976 could experience 45C heat in retirement, and children born today will face such conditions in their 30s. Prof Hayley Fowler of Newcastle University warned that the impacts of extreme heatwaves will become part of normal life without rapid emission cuts and adaptation of schools, homes and hospitals.

Fifty years later, the world is much hotter, primarily due to burning fossil fuels, and 1976-style events will become more common over the coming decades. The future 2056 forecast from the Met Office shows that people born in 1976 could plausibly suffer 45C heat in their retirement years and children born today in 2026 will have to navigate such heatwaves in their 30s when they may be starting their own families.