UK heatwave live: Danger to life warning and drivers told to stay off roads amid 40C temperatures alert

A school in Warminster will be closing early this week due to the high temperatures.

Kingdown School has told parents that children will be sent home form 12.25 and after school care clubs will be cancelled.

It has also told students that they can go to school in their PE kit.

Falkland Primary School in Newbury has also told students they can go to school in their PE kit and said it was waiting for advice on early closures.

“With exceptionally high temperatures expected, children are very welcome to attend school in their PE kit this week (closed toe shoes must still be worn for health and safety reasons please).

“We are currently awaiting advice from West Berkshire regarding any potential early closures should temperature forecasts hit 35+.”

Bin collection crews across the country are hitting the streets earlier this week to avoid the extreme heat.

Cheltenham Borough Council, Somerset Council, and South Kesteven District Council are among those beginning bin collections at 6am. Bristol Waste crews will start at 5am.

Bristol Waste said: “To support our hardworking crews and reduce the impact on your collections, we’re starting collections at 5am from Monday to avoid the main heat of the day. Please put your bins and recycling containers by this time on your collection day.”

Cheltenham Borough Council said the earlier starts would be in place until the weekend.

It wrote on X: “Due to the amber warnings of extreme heat , Heat-SWEP is active from today in Cheltenham and is expected to remain in place until Friday 26 June.

“Severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP) is activated to protect people who are rough sleeping during periods of extreme weather.”

The best of the sunshine will be across the southeast, where it will feel increasingly hot and humid. Elsewhere, it will be rather cloudy, with a little showery rain possible at times, particularly across parts of Scotland and northern England.

A widely warm night with mostly light winds. There is still a chance of showers across some central areas, but most places will stay dry.

Any showers will soon clear into the North Sea, leaving all parts of the country widely fine, settled and hot. It will feel particularly hot and humid across the south.

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.

The AA said drivers could 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.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “The main risk for drivers is not that the road suddenly ‘melts’ everywhere, but that patches can become tacky or uneven. That can affect braking, steering and grip, especially for motorcyclists and cyclists, and can also throw up loose material.

“If drivers come across a softened or damaged surface, they should slow down, avoid harsh braking or steering, and leave extra space from the vehicle in front.”

The AA also warned that heat can put extra strain on vehicles, with under-inflated, damaged or old tires particularly likely to fail in hotter conditions.

“Before a long journey, check tyre pressures, tread and sidewalls, and carry water in case you are delayed,” Mr King said.

“In these temperatures the advice remains never to leave passengers or animals unattended in parked cars even for short periods when the interior of the car can soon get as hot as an oven.”

Temperatures are set to rocket above a scorching 40 degrees celsius (C) in Europe this week, as the continent braces for the hottest weather of the year so far.

European countries have restricted public drinking, cancelled transport, concerts, and sporting events, and are preparing to close schools as they urge people to take extreme precaution in what is likely to be a deadly heatwave.

In France, three people have died as extreme heat strikes the country, forcing nearly 2,700 schools to plan closure with temperatures in Bordeaux expected to exceed 42C on Monday.

Read more here by Alex Croft:

A rare red weather warning for extreme heat has been issued for central and southern England and Wales, in effect from 9am on Wednesday until 9pm on Thursday.

The Met Office has cautioned that this week could surpass the 35.6C June record set in Southampton in 1976, with sweltering conditions expected to persist until at least Thursday.

Here we explore what causes a heat dome and how a heatwave is defined:

The UK needs to carry on reducing emissions that are driving global warming, Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of the Climate Change Committee warned.

She stressed that the country also needed to adapt to the kind of “weird heat” forecast for this week.

The committee has recommended cuts of 87% in UK’s greenhouse gas pollution by 2040 on 1990 levels – a proposal the Government has accepted and will be debated by Parliament on Wednesday as temperatures are expected to soar to 39C – and the UK has halved emissions since 1990.

“It’s important that we carry on doing that, because effectively it prevents a world we can’t adapt to,” she said.

But she warned: “Even with action to reduce emissions, this weird heat, these unusual weather events are the world as we will know it. This is going to be much more typical in the UK, even under 2C of warming.

“To make sure we’re protected from that, we need to roll out cooling particularly in places where there are vulnerable people, care homes and hospitals.

“We need regulations to protect workers, particularly those working outdoors in things like construction, and we need to make sure our infrastructure is fit for purpose, so things like our trains continue to run mostly on time,” she said.

On both reducing emissions and adapting the UK to climate change, she said: “This is doable. We just need to do it.”

It is “vitally important” that people understand the risk of the intense heat this week, the head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA warned.

Dr Agostinho Sousa said: “Very hot weather is forecast across large parts of England in the coming days and we are urging health and social care services across the country to ensure they are prepared.

“It is vitally important that people understand the risk posed by high temperatures like these, and take steps to keep themselves and their friends, families and neighbours safe.

“A red heat health alert indicates a risk to life for even the healthy population, but simple actions like staying hydrated, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, and keeping your home cool can make a big difference.

“It’s also important to look out for others, especially elderly relatives, neighbours, and those with underlying health conditions, to make sure they are aware of the forecast and following the necessary advice.”