British schools are canceling sports days and relaxing uniform policies as the country braces for a week-long heatwave with temperatures forecast to reach 34C (93.2F). Headteachers are advising parents to ensure children have sunscreen, hats, water bottles, and handheld fans due to rising temperatures.
The Met Office anticipates daily highs between 31C and 34C in London from Monday through Sunday, with the hottest weather expected on Monday and Thursday. Some schools have been forced to call off sports days due to safety concerns and are unable to reschedule before the summer holidays.
The Department for Education has issued guidance for schools, stating they are generally expected to remain open with adjustments made for local conditions. Potential modifications include relaxing uniform requirements, relocating lessons to cooler areas, increasing access to drinking water, utilizing shaded outdoor spaces for learning, improving classroom ventilation, and rescheduling physical activities. Schools are advised to close only if conditions become unsafe, with remote education to be provided where feasible.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a yellow heat health alert for parts of southern England and the Midlands, valid until Saturday. This alert warns of a potential risk to life, particularly for vulnerable individuals, and anticipates an increase in water-related incidents such as cold water shock and drowning. Health officials are concerned about a potential rise in healthcare service use and the risk of indoor environments becoming excessively warm. These concerns follow at least 28 reported deaths linked to water-related incidents during previous heatwaves in May and June.
A heatwave is officially declared when temperatures meet or exceed a specific threshold for three consecutive days; this threshold is 28C in London. While the current heatwave is not expected to be as extreme as the 38C temperatures recorded in June, it still presents significant challenges.
In response to the dry conditions, several water companies have implemented or announced hosepipe bans. Southern Water began a ban for one million customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on July 10, marking the second consecutive year of restrictions. South East Water's ban for 850,000 customers in Kent, which began on Friday, was attributed to record demand. Other companies, like Anglian Water, have requested customers conserve water by refraining from using hosepipes without implementing formal bans.
These water restrictions come after England and the UK experienced their hottest spring and June on record. The UK recorded a provisional all-time June high of 37.7C on June 26 in Norfolk, and a record for May of 35.1C on May 26 in London.
Meanwhile, Britain's AI supercomputer, Dawn, owned by the University of Cambridge and utilized by researchers in fields such as cancer and climate science, experienced technical issues during the June heatwave and remained offline over the weekend. The university stated that full cooling capacity has been restored and operations were expected to resume on Monday. The shutdown paused research jobs but did not result in data loss or the need to repeat work.