Dozens of schools across England and Wales have been forced to close as a rare red weather warning for extreme heat takes effect, with temperatures expected to reach 40°C in some areas. The Met Office issued the warning covering a region from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham, in effect from 9am Wednesday to 9pm Thursday. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also issued a red health warning for six regions of England, indicating a risk to life even for healthy populations.
Schools Announce Closures
The Buckingham School in Buckinghamshire, with around 1,200 students, announced it would close on Wednesday and Thursday, citing inadequate cooling in buildings and lack of shade outside. In a statement on its website, 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.' Teachers will upload work online for students to complete.
St John’s Marlborough in Wiltshire will close early on Tuesday and remain shut on Wednesday and Thursday, reopening on Friday. The Dorcan Academy in Swindon, Wiltshire, will end on-site learning at 11:30am on Tuesday and stay closed on Wednesday and Thursday. Schools in Sutton, south London, and Haringey, north London, have also closed from Tuesday to Thursday.
Partial Closures and Guidance
Some schools will remain open but close around 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.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has written to all members with guidance on dealing with the heat, covering impacts 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.'
Health and Infrastructure Risks
The UKHSA red health warning affects the West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, South West, London, and the East of England from 1am Wednesday to 11pm Thursday. It warns of a risk to life for even the healthy population and potential impacts on transport, food, water, energy supplies, and businesses. The Met Office described a 'heat-dome' settling over western Europe, bringing high humidity and very warm nights, making recovery difficult.
