Red weather warning shuts hundreds of schools and causes travel delays

Hundreds of schools are set to close as a rare red weather warning comes into force for parts of Wales.

More than 400 schools across Cardiff, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Powys, Torfaen, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, and Rhondda Cynon Taf have confirmed they will be closed or partially closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

The hot weather has caused disruption across parts of Wales, with a historic bridge closed and public services also affected.

A red warning for extreme heat has been issued for both days, when temperatures could soar to an exceptional 37C.

In a letter to parents, Cardiff High School said it would implement a "partial closure" on Wednesday and Thursday, with the school shutting at 12:30 BST to allow staff and pupils to return home before temperatures peaked.

Simon Thompson, the acting head teacher at Cardiff High, said: "We do not make decisions to close the school lightly. We trust that you understand the. unprecedented nature of this weather warning means that we must take proactive steps and do so in the best interests of the safety and wellbeing of both pupils and staff."

Tuesday saw Cardiff's Bute Park sizzling at 32C at 18:00, according to BBC Weather, casting shade on the likes of Phuket, 31C; Puerto Rico, 30C; Barcelona, 29C; Ibiza, 28C; and LA, 27C, according to Met Office data, although it was hotter in places like Abu Dhabi at 43C.

Wales' hottest June record is 33.7C in Powys, set in 2000, but the all-time hottest day record of 37.1C was set in Flintshire in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Old Wye Bridge in Chepstow which links Wales with England and was shut in October and partially reopened just last week, has now closed again to all traffic and pedestrians.

Specialist engineers advised on the closure of the bridge, which is sensitive to changes in temperature above 30°C and has been closed to vehicles since October, after cracks were discovered in its structural beams.

There is also disruption on the Transport for Wales network, while concert organisers at an event in Cardiff are increasing the number of free water stations and welfare facilities on site.

Sarah Higgins, operations director for Transport for Wales, said: "We're expecting services to be popular this week. Places like Barry Island, west Wales and the north Wales coast are likely to be key leisure destinations.

"There are also events on in Cardiff over the course of the week.

"We're asking all customers to check before they travel. Keep water on hand, dress comfortably for the weather and allow more time for your travel because some services may be a little bit disrupted."

She said tickets purchased for Wednesday or Thursday could also be used on Friday if customers chose not to travel.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said it would be offering an "amended service".

"Essential travel only on Wednesday and Thursday into, through, or out of the red warning area.

"Extreme heat can cause rails to expand and buckle, so when temperatures reach certain thresholds, trains must run more slowly to keep services safe.

"This will mean fewer trains and slightly longer journey times during the warmest periods of each day."

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it had released extra water into the River Dee to help reduce the risk of fish deaths during the hot weather.

It said the aim was to "reduce stress on fish caused by low water levels and reduced oxygen levels linked to high temperatures", with the additional water taken from special reservoirs where it is kept specifically to help maintain a steady flow of water.

Homelessness charity Crisis Cymru warned that the extreme heat posed serious risks to people experiencing homelessness and urged local authorities to help people who are sleeping rough to seek shelter.

Waste and recycling crews will be starting their rounds earlier than usual in many Welsh counties and Newport council has decided to close the city's museum, art gallery and central library until Friday.

Local authorities are asking head teachers to decide on any school closures individually.

Some schools have cancelled sports days and school trips, and school menus have been altered for the next few days with lighter meal options available.

Monday night was tropical in some part of Wales, the Met Office said, with temperatures not falling below 20C in Aberporth in Ceredigion, Cardiff and St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The Met Office warned that heat on Wednesday and Thursday would be accompanied by high humidity, which could make people feel even more uncomfortable.

Very warm and humid night times will also give people less of a chance to recover overnight, it added.

"Significant disruption to daily life is likely and the public should take every effort to make precautions and adapt their daily routines where possible to cope with these levels of heat, which up to now have been extremely rare for the UK," the Met Office said.

Ross Macleod, RNLI water safety manager, said: "With another hot weekend on the way, we are urging families across Wales to talk about the dangers of swimming and jumping into the sea."

Welsh Water said it was urging customers to stay hydrated and use water wisely, adding demand was set to peak on Thursday.

It said its teams were working 24 hours a day to "ensure supplies stay flowing safely to homes, hospitals and businesses".

A spokesperson added: "On a typical day, Welsh Water treats and supplies around 850 mega litres of fresh, clean water to its three million customers - that's enough to fill 320 Olympic-sized swimming pools. As temperatures soar above 30°C, this level is expected to exceed 950 mega litres per day."

Victoria Lloyd, chief executive of Age Cymru, said "heatwaves can have a troubling impact on older people, as many often don't realise they're overheating until they're already unwell".

"We're urging the public to check in on older neighbours and relatives to see if they need anything or are struggling with the heat. Offering to pick up shopping or medication, or even lending a fan, can make a real difference," she added.