TOWIE star Lydia Bright has voiced criticism regarding the last-minute closure of her daughter's primary school, which shut for three days with only a few hours' notice in response to a UK heatwave. Bright stated that such emergency closures create significant difficulties for working parents.
More than 1,000 schools across the UK began closing or reducing operating hours on Wednesday as the country braced for temperatures potentially reaching 40 degrees Celsius. Bright, mother to six-year-old Loretta, shared her concerns on Instagram, questioning the necessity of the closures and the timing of the announcement.
"At 7:15 pm on Monday night, I received an email to say the school would be closing at 1 pm on Tuesday and now today and Thursday because of the heat," Bright told her followers. "I'm struggling to get my head around it."
She added, "Children all over the world sit in classrooms in these temperatures every day, without air conditioning." Bright also noted that children often spend full days on holiday in similar heat and return to homes that are equally warm. "I'm currently overseas trying to rearrange plans for Loretta and I know I won't be the only working parent trying to move schedules and commitments," she said.
Bright concluded her post by stating, "It feels like we're solving one problem by creating another for hundreds of working families."
In Lydia Bright's home county of Essex, 12 schools confirmed full or partial closures on Wednesday, with most transitioning to remote learning. Across England, at least 578 schools and over 500 in Wales announced closures or reduced hours due to concerns about high classroom temperatures. Nearly 100 schools in Somerset were closed on Wednesday and Thursday, with approximately 100 in Buckinghamshire and dozens more in Gloucestershire also reporting closures.
Some schools opted to relax uniform policies, allowing students to wear PE kits instead of blazers and long trousers. These measures come as a rare red extreme heat warning, issued by the Met Office, took effect for London, parts of the Midlands, and southeast Wales. The warning has since been extended.
An amber warning is in place for Friday, covering eastern and central England, and Saturday for parts of eastern England. A yellow warning for thunderstorms is in effect for Thursday evening in southwest England.
Forecasters predicted temperatures could exceed 40C this week, with exceptional conditions posing a risk to life for the general population, not just vulnerable individuals. The UK's record high temperature is 40.3C, recorded in Coningsby in July 2022. The June temperature record of 35.6C is also expected to be surpassed.