Extreme heat across southern England and Wales has triggered school closures and travel disruptions, following overnight thunderstorms that led to flash flooding in parts of London. The Met Office has issued an unusual red warning for extreme heat from 9 a.m. Wednesday to 9 p.m. Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach at least 39°C, a potential June record.
Red Warning and Record Temperatures
The red warning covers a swath of southern England and Wales. While these temperatures are relatively tame compared to extreme heat elsewhere in Europe—such as 43.3°C recorded Monday at Chateaumeillant, France, according to Météo-France—many UK buildings and infrastructure were not built to cope with such heat. Climate change is making UK summers warmer, with more frequent and intense heat waves, according to the Met Office.
School Closures and Travel Disruption
The Department for Education said it does not normally advise school closures, but several schools and nurseries across London have introduced early closures. Nonsuch High School for Girls in Sutton, Camden School for Girls, and St. Dunstan’s asked parents to collect children at 1 p.m. Aerodrome Primary Academy in Croydon canceled field trips, while Paxton Primary shut for the week and North Ealing Primary School closed Wednesday and Thursday. On Tuesday, the Elizabeth line was disrupted by flooding, with no service to terminals 2, 3, and 4 at Heathrow Airport, according to Transport for London.
Infrastructure and Health Impacts
Air conditioning adoption in Britain has doubled in three years but remains at only 7% of homes, with another 8% using portable units. “These are record breaking temperatures and they will cause health impacts,” said Alex Deakin, a meteorologist at the UK Met Office. “This country isn’t built for those kind of temperatures because we don’t see them.” Commuters on London’s Underground faced sweltering conditions, with Bloomberg reporting that subway temperatures can soar 5°C hotter than the surface during a heat wave.
