UK heatwave forces school closures and rail delays

An intense heatwave has swept across the United Kingdom, with the Met Office recording 34.6 °C in Wisley, Surrey and forecasts of temperatures reaching 39 °C. The extreme heat prompted urgent health warnings and put pressure on public services. Schools were forced to close as classrooms turned into “greenhouses”, while rail operators slowed services to prevent track deformation, causing widespread delays. Hospitals cancelled routine appointments to cope with a surge in emergency admissions, and water companies in the southeast introduced hose‑pipe bans to conserve supplies. United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres highlighted the event at London Climate Action Week, warning that the heatwave underscores both the climate crisis and the ongoing energy crisis.

The disruption has sparked calls for faster upgrades to ageing infrastructure and better preparedness for hotter summers, as the Climate Change Committee notes the UK was built for a climate that no longer exists.