Weather events - Rare red warning for extreme heat in parts of England & Wales (9) (UK) 22/Jun/2026

The Met Office issues a rare red warning for extreme heat, covering parts of England and Wales - here's what a red alert means. It comes into place at 09:00 BST on Wednesday and will last until 21:00 the following day for central, southern and south-east England, and parts of south Wales. A separate amber alert is already in effect until tomorrow, also for parts of England and Wales, with temperatures set to reach up to 39C in some areas over the next few days. Schools are adapting to keep children safe and comfortable - our education reporter says uniform rules have been relaxed in some instances and lessons may be moved to cooler areas. Meanwhile, Great Western Railway is among train companies warning of delays and cancellations due to compulsory speed restrictions. This heatwave is not limited to the UK, with western Europe also affected. In France, nearly 850 schools are closed due to high temperatures. #redalert #weatherwarningUK #heatwave2026 #UKheatwave2026 #redalertwarningUK #redalert2026