The UK is set to be hit by a heatwave this week, with temperatures expected to reach 38C – but will schools be forced to close?

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The United Kingdom is bracing itself for a scorching week, with the latest heatwave expected to see temperatures approach a remarkable 40C.

But what does this mean for the millions of pupils currently packed into busy – and undoubtedly hot – classrooms?

An extreme amber heat warning has already been issued by the Met Office, spanning from Monday, June 22 until Thursday, June 25, with temperatures on Monday and Tuesday forecast to peak at a sweltering 38C.

Separate amber heat health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency, now covering the majority of England inlcuding Greater Manchester from Monday morning until Friday night.

While these health alerts urge Britons to stay well hydrated and remain out of direct sunlight, those confined to stuffy classrooms have precious little control over their surroundings.

Consequently, schools across the UK are making extensive preparations for the blistering week ahead, with teachers working hard to prevent heat exhaustion and fainting among pupils in the soaring temperatures – both of which have been reported in recent years during particularly gruelling conditions.

Why does hot weather pose such a challenge in schools?

Teachers, unions, schools and parents have all voiced serious concerns over rising classroom temperatures during the UK’s increasingly sweltering summers in recent years. Soaring temperatures can make concentration difficult at the best of times.

Pupils with special educational needs or other conditions may find it particularly challenging during an intense heatwave — and they are far from alone.

Teachers are equally affected, battling through the same sweltering conditions while attempting to educate children who are struggling to stay focused, one Deputy Head of a London secondary school told the i newspaper.

“During the hottest days, teachers can barely teach, let alone students learn,” the senior teacher named ‘Daniel’ told the publication. “My staff say it’s really hard to function properly.”

Will schools be forced to close during the June heatwave?

While no formal school closures have been declared during June’s heatwave, increasing pressure is mounting on the Government to establish regulations permitting schools to close when temperatures reach dangerously high levels.

Both the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) have supported demands for a maximum temperature threshold in classrooms.

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed it is “carefully considering” these proposals.

Existing DfE guidance states that schools should stay open during hot weather periods, maintaining that regular attendance provides pupils with the optimal opportunity to learn and reach their full potential.

Following the previous heatwave earlier this year, teaching unions reiterated demands for a statutory maximum classroom temperature. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stopped short of ruling out the possibility when pressed in June.

She did, however, recognise the difficulties created by elevated temperatures in the classroom, stating that periods of extreme heat can create challenging conditions for teachers and school staff and may also impact children’s capacity to learn.

What measures can schools take to keep students (and staff) cool?

Several schools have already implemented precautionary measures, with pupils advised to ensure they bring refillable water bottles to lessons for regular hydration throughout the day. Educational establishments across the UK are also urging students to bring hats for outdoor wear and to apply sunscreen before departing for school in the morning.

One school in Wiltshire has relaxed its uniform policy to combat the heat. From Monday, pupils may wear their standard uniform without jumpers and ties, or opt for their PE kit as an alternative.

Whitchurch High School informed WalesOnline it is implementing “sensible arrangements in place to help students remain safe and comfortable”.

Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk are about to team up in Florida, after the Panthers pulled off another summertime blockbuster.

The Panthers and Ottawa finalized a deal Sunday night, with Florida sending four draft picks to the Senators for Brady Tkachuk — the brother of Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk.

The picks were the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft, Tampa Bay’s first-round pick this year (acquired earlier Sunday in a trade Florida made sending Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle), the Panthers’ second-round pick in 2027 and their top 10-protected first-round pick in 2029. And that means Florida adds an elite player to its forward corps without losing any of its top seven scorers from this past season.

“Brady is a dynamic competitor and one of the most physical and relentless forwards in the league,” Panthers hockey operations president and general manager Bill Zito said. “A proven leader and exactly the type of player we want in our locker room, he strives to make everyone around him better both on and off the ice. We’re thrilled to welcome Brady to South Florida to join our group as we continue our pursuit of championship hockey.”

Brady Tkachuk has spent the entirety of his eight-year NHL career in Ottawa, and now he joins his brother, Olympic teammate and podcast co-host in Florida — the place where Matthew Tkachuk has spent the last four seasons, winning two Stanley Cups and getting to the final three times.

The Athletic was first to report the pending trade.

Brady Tkachuk has two seasons left on the seven-year, $57.56 million contract he signed in October 2021 when he also became Ottawa’s captain. As recently as late April, he bristled at conversation about his name being in trade rumors following a first-round playoff exit.

“This was not a decision we took lightly, but ultimately we did what we felt was best for the long-term future of our hockey club,” Senators general manager Steve Staios said Sunday. “We now possess cap space and draft capital and will be actively working to improve our roster.”

It’s a move that makes sense for so many reasons and has seemed almost inevitable.

Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk reveled in the chance to play alongside one another for USA Hockey at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 (winning silver) and the Milan Cortina Olympics this year (winning gold, the first for the American men’s program on the Olympic stage since the miracle in Lake Placid 46 years ago).

Their parents — their dad is NHL legend Keith Tkachuk — have a home in Florida and are regular attendees at Panthers games, and the USA Hockey ties means Brady Tkachuk already has relationships with many in the Florida organization. Zito had a role within USA Hockey during this past Olympic cycle and Panthers equipment manager Teddy Richards had a role with the 4 Nations and Milan Cortina teams as well.

Brady Tkachuk was Ottawa’s captain for the last five seasons, and he was — by far in some cases — their leader in countless categories over his eight years with the Senators. No player had more goals (213), points (463), power-play goals (62), shots (2,202), hits (1,921), winning goals (28), multigoal games (30) and penalty minutes (821) in his tenure with the club, which acquired him with the No. 4 pick in the 2018 draft.

And now, four years after landing Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers have tapped into the Tkachuk family well of talent again.

It also adds another big name to the list of players that Florida has locked up for several seasons going forward, including Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, Anton Lundell and others. They’re all Stanley Cup winners, and now Brady Tkachuk would figure to have a real chance to get his name etched onto hockey’s chalice in the coming years as well.

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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

“Fires and barbecues are strictly prohibited due to the very real risk they pose to people, wildlife, and the wider landscape. We want everyone to enjoy the Heath, so please behave responsibly, and respect the space and those who care for it. Every visitor is also a ‘Heath Guardian’.”

Once there was a thriving colliery here. On the flat land just beyond the pile of bricks there was headgear, railways, coke ovens, brickworks, spoil heaps and a gasometer, plus there were lines of terraces providing accommodation for the 1,500 men and boys who worked on the site.

The Leasingthorne Colliery Reservoir Tower, by Northern Perspectives (Image: Northern Perspectives)

Now all that survives of Leasingthorne colliery, which was between Coundon and Kirk Merrington which can be seen at the top of the picture, is this pile of bricks – the remains of the reservoir tower.

As Memories 741 told last summer, Leasingthorne was brought into life in 1836 by the Chilton branch of the Clarence Railway. Its heyday was the 1930s and its closure in October 1967 was followed by rapid clearance of the colliery and demolition of the low, single storey terraces.

READ MORE: WHY YOU DON’T WANT TO LINGER AND DIE AT LEASINGTHORNE

Now all that remains of this classic Durham mining community is a single terrace and a former pub – the Eden Arms Hotel – that has become a private home now the thirsty miners have been moved on.

The Eden Arms Hotel at Leasingthorne is now a private house

Dave Wilkin, the Durham-based cameraman behind Northern Perspectives

READ MORE: MEET THE MAN AND HIS DRONE BEHIND NORTHERN PERSPECTIVES

And the reservoir tower, which was once on the edge of the pit yard. Its monumental status is captured in this wonderful photograph by Northern Perspectives, our regular contributor who uses the latest drone technology to shed new light on our beautiful and historic landscape. To see more of his amazing work, including his aerial videos, search “Northern Perspectives” on Facebook.

SEE ALSO: THE NORTHERN PERSPECTIVES VIEW OF A WONDERFUL VIADUCT ON A LINE FROM DARLINGTON

FORMER Labour candidate and Labour agent at the recent Heworth by-election David Ellis’s letter criticising the Liberal Democrats’ response to the Boundary Commission’s proposals is based on a misunderstanding of the point being made.

Nobody has claimed that changing ward boundaries would automatically change school catchment areas. As a former headteacher, Mr Ellis will know that catchment areas are reviewed through a separate process.

However, councillors were briefed by Labour’s own council officers that there is an attempt, where possible, to align ward boundaries and school catchment areas. The reason is obvious: both are intended to reflect the communities people belong to and the services they use.

Indeed, Labour’s own submission to the Boundary Commission refers to school catchment areas no fewer than 18 times. It is therefore rather strange to suggest that catchment areas are somehow irrelevant to discussions about ward boundaries.

That means ward boundaries can have implications for future decisions. If communities currently associated with Rural West York are moved into wards centred on Acomb, it becomes more likely that future reviews of catchment areas and other community-based services will view those neighbourhoods as part of Acomb rather than Rural West.

This was precisely why local residents raised concerns.

Read next:

The Boundary Commission specifically asks consultees to consider community ties and local identity. Highlighting the potential consequences of splitting established communities is therefore entirely legitimate and forms an important part of the consultation process.

Residents deserve a debate based on the facts and on what best reflects local communities, rather than accusations of “false information” directed at those who hold a different view.

Cllr Anne Hook,

Liberal Democrat councillor for Rural West York ward,

Upper Poppleton,

York

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Poor Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches). All he wanted was a holiday. Now he’s about to lose the the love of his life while facing a murderous kidnapping criminal, and possibly, his long-lost dad. Classic Emmerdale.

Tissues at the ready, Dales fans. We all knew the day that Lewis’s heart was going to get broken as soon as the exit of his boyfriend Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson) was announced. We just didn’t know it would be so Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Since arriving in the village seven years ago with his mum the iconic Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley), Vinny has embarked upon a journey of self-discovery after realising that he was attracted to men, and Lewis has been a key part of that journey.

As a gay man and someone with autism, Lewis is no stranger to being different, Sharing a flat with Lewis at the time, Vinnie was given a safe space by his friend to process his feelings and accept who he was, which led to the end of his marriage toGabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham), but eventually came to accept that he was attracted to men.

What started as a fun, quirky friendship soon evolved into some deeper, and their first came after they bonded over shared triumph with a classic Emmerdale activity- saving runaway sheep.

Together these two are Emmerdale’s answer to Heartstopper, which is ironic, given that’s the show where Lewis’ actor Bradley Riches started his career!

Unfortunately, ITV has announced cuts this year, and Vinnie Dingle is just one character unlucky enough to be saying goodbye to the Dales, along withOlivia Bromley (Dawn Taylor) and Jimmy King (Nick Miles).

Whatever the circumstances of Vinny’s exit, we’re betting it’s something to do with Lewis’ long lost and slightly unstable father, Kev Townsend (Chris Coghill).

The  man-bunned menace was first introduced to us last year as the prison hubby of Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley). Now he’s back to reconnect with his son, and open a cafe with the frankly genius name A Slice of Kev-en.

Now it seems Lewis is about to have his world turned upside down by meeting his delightfully unhinged dad.. and his relationship with Vinny, along with his very life, could be at stake.

Last week’s trip to the Dales saw Vinny surprise Lewis with a spontaneous trip to Madeira. Although he wanted to go, Lewis’ anxiety got the best of him andthe spontaneity of the trip bothered him enough to decide not to go. But he insisted that Vinny still goes on the holiday, leaving Lewis feeling bittersweet.

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After some encouraging words from his big bro Ross (Michael Parr), Lewis decided to go on vay-cay- after all and rushed to catch Vinny up at the airport. However, the Love Actually Moment was ruined when Lewis was violently bundled into the back of a van!

In this week’s trip to the Dales, Ross receives a concerning message about Lewis abduction, stating that Lewis is at risk unless his father returns ‘Penny’ to the kidnapper. The plot thickens…

After doing some digging with Liam (Johnny McPherson), Ross discovers that Kev is Lewis’s dad … which leads to him being approached by Kylie, Lewis’s kidnapper!

If he wants to see Lewis again, Kylie demands the return of ‘Penny,’ which she deems the ‘most precious thing in the world’.

Liam finds Kev selling cakes from his van, but Ross is annoyed by Kev’s attitude, leading to a scuffle. Under duress, Kev claims Penny is a diamond he sold to a pawn shop, and Ross demands he buy it back.

However, once alone, Kev looks at a diamond around his neck, making it clear he didn’t sell it after all. Is this diamond worth Lewis’ life.

Ross and Liam are panicking over Lewis’s abduction. Ross receives a threatening text from Kylie featuring scalpels. Kylie video calls Kev, demanding he return “Penny” by the end of the day.

Meanwhle, A terrified Lewis is being held by Kylie.When Lewis asks if she is going to kill him, Kylie responds enigmatically which only worsens Lewis’ panic. 

Will Kev and Ross save Lewis from Kylie before it’s too late?

Given Vinnie’s impending exit, why do I have the nasty feeling that Vinnie will get caught in the crossfire?

MORE: ITV axes huge awards show after extreme budget-cuts: ‘It’s dead in the water’

MORE: Megan executes her final trump card ahead of Coronation Street sex abuse trial

MORE: Emmerdale star reveals major characters Kev could bring down – and he’s here for it

The opening day of music and entertainment began at 12 pm and ran through to 11 pm, with rap icon Skepta and electronic DJ and producer Sammy Virji among the standout performers.

Rudimental (Image: Danny Crompton)

Then there was a surprise appearance from Manchester-based star Aitch, who popped out unexpectedly during a set by Drum and Bass artist Bou.

Fans cheered as he played his new tune ‘Ring my Bell’, a remix of Anita Ward’s 1989 hit.

Armand Van Helden (Image: Danny Crompton)

Wilkinson, Nia Archives, Andy C, and Mall Grab also featured on Saturday’s line-up.

Sunday featured a number of heavy hitters, from hip-hop duo rudimental to DJ legend Calvin Harris.

Other key acts taking to the Parklife stage included Zara Larsson, Armand Van Helden, Shy FX, and Chris Stussy.

Zara Larsson (Image: Danny Crompton)

Our gallery shows highlights from all of Sunday’s action, photographed by Danny Crompton.

The full 36-picture gallery is available to view above.

Tess Daly and Vernon Kay are reportedly planning a ‘quickie divorce’ after they announced their split after decades together.

The TV golden couple have been married for 23 years, having met in 2001 when they were working for rival broadcasters.

Kay proposed on Christmas Day in 2002 at Taley’s family home and the couple tied the knot the following year in Bolton.

After their first wedding in Kay’s stomping ground, the couple renewed their vows in 2013 with their two daughters, Phoebe and Amber, present.

Daly, 57, and Kay, 52, are now said to be planning a quick divorce to keep proceedings stress-free and inexpensive, having reportedly decided how their assets will be split. 

A source told The Mirror: ‘Tess doesn’t want to spend thousands on solicitors for a divorce. A friend suggested they look at getting a quickie divorce online.

‘They don’t see there’s anything to fight over and know they’ll agree on everything fairly.

‘They’re still living under the same roof and have effectively re-coupled as friends. They won’t be fighting over assets and will always stay close.’

The couple shocked the showbiz world last month when they shared a joint statement on social media detailing their decision to part ways.

‘After much consideration, and with a deep sense of care and respect for one another, we have made the decision to separate amicably,’ the statement read. 

‘This has not been an easy choice, but it comes from a place of mutual understanding and a shared desire for what is best for both of us.

‘We remain great friends and most importantly, fully committed to our roles as loving and supportive parents, which will always be our priority.’

They concluded: ‘There are no other parties involved in this decision. We kindly ask for privacy during this time as we navigate this transition together.

‘We will not be making any further public comments.’

The couple previously hit a rough patch in 2010, when Kay admitted to sexting Page 3 model Rhian Sugden after meeting her at a nightclub.

He later admitted to sending flirty messages to ‘four or five girls’ during that period. However, his representatives insisted that these interactions were not physical.

The radio presenter also reflected on his actions on Radio 1, revealing that his wife was ‘extremely upset’.

‘I’ve let down my wife, Tess. I’m an idiot,’ he said live on-air. ‘I’ve been stupid and daft, but I’m not a sex pest.’

He added: ‘In some ways, I’m glad this story has come out. It feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.’

Metro contacted Tess Daly and Vernon Kay’s representatives for comment.

MORE: I don’t fancy my wife anymore — but I’m terrified of divorce

MORE: I was married three times by 26 — but my fourth wedding is going to last

MORE: My cheating husband earns £450,000 – how do I stiff him in the divorce?

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