Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has asked parents to trust teachers at schools — if their child’s school is open during the heatwave this week as hundreds are shut
Parents should send their children to school — if it is open — amid the heatwave, Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said today.
More than 1,000 schools were either closed or partially shut due to the sweltering conditions on Wednesday, during which the record for the UK’s hottest June day was broken three times. The latest measurement was 36C, recorded in both Wisley, Surrey and Gosport, Hampshire.
Schools which remain open will run special measures to help children and staff manage the conditions, such as relaxing uniform rules. Ms Phillipson, herself a mum of two, said: “I know hot weather can be a struggle. But my message to families is simple: if your child’s school is open, you should keep sending them into school.
“Teachers are relaxing uniform rules, keeping classrooms cool, making sure children are hydrated, teaching critical skills like water safety, and avoiding vigorous activity on the hottest days.
“If your child has medical needs which mean you’re especially worried about the heat, talk to your school about what they can do. Every day of absence and lesson missed has a cost – and that cost falls hardest on our most disadvantaged pupils and working class communities. So, pack a water bottle, put on the sunscreen, and trust that your child’s school has got this.”
Ms Phillipson, MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, also today backed the Mirror’s “brilliant” Save Lives for Sam campaign calling for urgent action to stop children drowning. She encouraged schools to teach students about water safety before the summer holidays.
Red alert
The blistering “heat dome” is pushing temperatures towards 40C amid dire health warnings, travel chaos and widespread disruption. Wednesday saw new June highs, the first of which was 35.6C recorded in Charlwood, Surrey, but twice beaten.
Britain’s highest temperature on record is 40.3C which was set in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, in July 2022.
The Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for Wednesday and today, while a red heat health alert is in place in England indicating “a risk to life for even the healthy population”.
After more than 1,000 schools were either fully or partially shut on Wednesday, the National Education Union (NEU) called for more investment on school buildings.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said: “Our Victorian school buildings have become greenhouses. We need urgent, massive capital investment to retrofit our ageing school estates with proper ventilation, shading and climate-resilient cooling infrastructure.”
‘Travel only if absolutely necessary’
Rail services across Britain were hit with operators urging passengers to travel “only if absolutely necessary”.
Trains reduced speeds to exert less force on tracks that are at risk of buckling in the extreme heat.
Avanti West Coast was the operator with the most disruption on Wednesday morning, with four out of five services either cancelled or more than 30 minutes late.
South East Water introduced a hosepipe ban as the heatwave caused demand to surge, while other water companies encouraged people to use less water.
Keep pets safe
The RSPCA told dog owners not to take their pets out for a walk “at all” because “there isn’t a cooler time of day”.
Veterinary nurse and dog welfare expert Lauren Bennet, said: “Just like people, it can be fatal, which is why we tell people to change their behaviour because our pets are completely under our control so the responsibility is on us.”
The National Energy System Operator issued a rare electricity supply warning as the UK faces extreme heatwave conditions. It put suppliers on alert, cautioning that the sweltering heat could place significant strain on the nation’s power network.
A London School of Economics event on extreme heat has been cancelled – because of the extreme heat. The event was scheduled as part of Climate Action Week. A post on the website said: “We regret that this event has been cancelled due to the red extreme heat warning issued by the UK Met Office.”
The All England Club was forced to suspend Wimbledon qualifying after the automated line-calling system suffered a heat-related meltdown
Players were taken off court after it was decided chair umpires could not make line calls in the absence of the electronic system and unlike in the main Championships, there are no reserve line judges available during qualifying.
Things are getting hotter
British Weather Services’ senior meteorologist Jim Dale told the Mirror: “It could well be worse on Thursday – we’re in the middle of the Sizzler from the South.
“We’ve got the heat dome in position now, and as the south west front starts to move into the cooler air, you start to drag in more hot air from France and Spain – and eventually North Africa – so all of that starts to add to the hot weather pie.
“This is the important bit; the humidity. The heat index, which is a combination of temperature and humidity, temperature and humidity, could well be 10C more than the actual air temperature. So when we say 40C, if it ever reaches that, it will feel like 50C, and that’s why there’s going to be a problem.
“It’s Marmite weather; you either love it and enjoy it, or you suffer… and the sufferers are going to feel it big time.”
The Met Office has issued another amber warning for heat for Friday, covering eastern and central England, as the exceptionally hot weather looks set to linger late into the week.
The Met also put out a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across parts of southern England, with heavy downpours and lightning expected to cause disruption this evening.
Spokesman Grahame Madge said: “As the forecast continues to evolve we may need to issue further updates once more detail becomes clear.”