As headteachers shut school gates and transport networks urge commuters to stay at home, millions of families are suddenly facing an emergency childcare and workplace crisis
Widespread disruption is set to hit the country as temperatures soar towards record-breaking levels. The Met Office has issued a rare red heat health warning across parts of England and Wales for Wednesday, June 24, and Thursday, June 25, signalling a risk to life even for healthy individuals.
With temperatures forecast to reach 39C in the hottest regions – and potentially breaching the 40C mark – transport networks, health and social care services, and energy supplies are all facing severe strain. Members of public in the affected regions have been strongly urged to avoid any non-essential travel, while numerous schools have announced early closures or full shutdowns.
According to the Met Office, the intense heat will be accompanied by high humidity and suffocatingly warm nights, leaving little opportunity for people to recover overnight. The red alert covers a massive corridor stretching from London to Swansea, and Somerset to Birmingham, remaining in place from 9am on Wednesday until 9pm on Thursday.
This extraordinary spike is likely to eclipse the historic record set in Hampshire in 1976 by several degrees, coming dangerously close to the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C recorded in July 2022.
The Mirror breaks down your legal rights regarding work attendance, remote working, and school closures…
Is there a maximum working temperature?
To put it simply: no. While the UK has strict guidance for cold weather (stipulating that indoor workplaces shouldn’t drop below 16°C, or 13°C for physically strenuous work), there is no matching upper legal limit.
As the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) explains: “There’s no law for maximum working temperature, or when it’s too hot to work, because every workplace is different.
“No meaningful upper limit can be imposed because in many indoor workplaces high temperatures are not seasonal but created by work activity, for example in bakeries or foundries.”
However employers are required under the Health and Safety at Work Act to keep indoor workplace temperatures at a “comfortable level” while providing clean and fresh air.”
This means if your office or workplace is an unbearable oven, you are within your rights to argue that conditions have become unsafe to continue working.
Do I have to go into work if its extremely hot?
Because official advice warns against non-essential travel on Wednesday and Thursday, employers are strongly encouraged to permit remote working where possible.
Fundamentally, however, simply refusing to work when you are physically well could be treated as a breach of your employment contract.
This rigid framework could change in the future. The Climate Change Committee has repeatedly called for a formal maximum working temperature to protect the workforce, warning that the UK infrastructure remains dangerously ill-prepared for the extreme heat anomalies triggered by the climate crisis.
If you do become genuinely unwell due to the conditions – suffering from heat exhaustion, heatstroke, or a flare up of a long term health condition that means you are especially vulnerable to extreme heat – you should alert your employer, who should make mitigations for you, as they would with any illness. Your employer is legally obligated to offer reasonable adjustments.
What can I do if my child’s school closes?
If a sudden closure leaves you stranded, you you are legally entitled to Time Off For Dependants.
This allows a reasonable amount of time off to deal with the unforseen emergency. Lawfully there’s no cap, as it depends on the situation, and your employer cannot penalise or discipline you for using it.
For the vast majority, this is unpaid, unless your employment contract states otherwise.
Alternatively, you can request Unpaid Parental Leave. Eligible parents are entitled to up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave per child (capped at a maximum of 4 weeks per year, per child, unless your employer agrees to more) up until the child’s 18th birthday.
Why are schools closing?
Many schools are opting to shut their gates entirely, or send pupils home at lunchtime, because their buildings simply cannot be cooled down. Without air conditioning, modern-glass fronted structures, and uninsulated older classrooms quickly turn into dangerous heat traps.
For example, The Buckingham School in Buckinghamshire confirmed it will close on Wednesday and Thursday, and pivot entirely to remote learning.
In a statement to parents, the school explained: “Because most of our buildings cannot be cooled adequately and there is little shade outside, we have taken the difficult decision to close the school site on both days (Wednesday and Thursday).
“All trips and other scheduled activities are also cancelled.”
While some schools are maintaining skeleton staffs to supervise vulnerable children or those whose parents cannot take emergency leave, headteachers have widely acknowledged that standard academic progress will be effectively paused during the peak of the heatwave.
How are open schools keeping children safe?
Most institutions are ditching standard uniform, in favour of loose PE kits or lightweight personal closing.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) recommends against strenuous physical activities in extreme heat. Consequently, traditional sports days, PE classes and after-school matches are being cancelled, unless there are air conditioned facilities.
Schools have been advised to keep windows closed and turn off fans once indoor temperatures breach 35°C, as at this point, they cease to cool the room, merely circulating the dangerously hot air instead.
Equally, lessons may be moved from hotter classrooms to cooler spaces in the school.
Teaching unions continue to press the government for urgent capital investment to climate-proof the UK’s aging educational infrastructure.
Can I keep my child at home?
If a school remains open, the Department for Education expects pupils to attend, stating that closures are discouraged because “school attendance is the best way for pupils to learn and reach their potential, and hot weather can usually be managed safely.
“School leaders should make sure they take any steps necessary to make sure children are safe and comfortable, and the heat-health alerts can guide this.”
If you choose to keep them home, it could be marked as an unauthorised absence, but there’s likely to be some leniency applied this week.
If your child does attend, take the following precautions:
- Check if they are able to wear their PE kit, or different clothes. Loose clothing made from natural fibres will help keep them cool.
- Provide them with a wide-brimmed sunhat and a reusable water bottle filled with ice water.
- Apply high-factor suncream before school, and ensure they know how to reapply it.
- Restrict outdoor play entirely during the hottest hours of the day of 11am and 3pm
Should I commute to work during the heatwave?
Major transport networks are anticipating severe disruption. Rail operators have warned that tracks exposed to direct mid-June sunlight can easily exceed 50°C, causing the steel to expand and buckle.
To prevent derailments, Transport for London (TfL) and national rail netowkrs are introducing widespread temporary speed restrictions, resulting in delayed, cancelled and significantly reduced services.
Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, warned: “Customers should be aware that, given the very high temperatures that are forecast, we are likely to see some disruption to rail and Tube services – with rail temperatures likely to lead to temporary speed restrictions and therefore reduced services in some cases.
“This will vary by line, with some services that share parts of the overground rail network – like the Overground and the Elizabeth line – likely to be more affected.”
She added: “We expect bus services to run as normal although, during periods of hot weather, we are encouraging customers to carry water with them when they travel on any of our services.”
Road travel prevents its own hazards. The AA has warned that councils may deploy gritters to spread sand across melting tarmac, which can soften, turn sticky, and form deep, dangerous ruts under the weight of heavy traffic. Drivers are advised to check their vehicle’s coolant levels and tyre pressures before making any essential journeys.
