Wales weather: Met Office red weather warning for heat shuts 500 schools

A “heat emergency” has closed more than 500 schools in Wales as the country prepares for a two-day red weather warning.

Schools have closed acrossed areas of mid and south Wales, including all schools in Blaenau Gwent, and most in Caerphilly and Bridgend.

Nerys Evans, the Welsh government’s deputy minister for public and preventative health, said it was a “heath emergency” and urged people to take steps to look after themselves and others.

A red warning for extreme heat has been issued for Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures set to soar soar to up to 37C.

School closures have been confirmed in Cardiff, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen and the Vale of the Glamorgan.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Drive on Tuesday, Evans described the red warning as serious.

“This is a heat emergency that we’ve got over the next couple of days, and we will see extra demand on our health service,” she said.

“That’s why it’s so important that people follow the basic rules of keeping themselves hydrated, out of the sun and more importantly looking after vulnerable people who can’t regulate their own body temperatures like we do.”

Public Health Wales has urged people across Wales to stay safe and check on family and friends.

It warned many homes and daily routines were not designed for sustained high temperatures, and therefore people could become unwell more easily, adding heat related illness could affect anyone, but older people, babies, young children, and people with underlying health conditions were at greatest risk.

It also warned people who worked outdoors, lived in top-floor flats, or were exposed to the heat for long periods could also be particularly vulnerable.

The red weather warning for extreme heat begins at 09:00 BST on Wednesday and lasts until 21:00 on Thursday. It covers Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen and Vale of Glamorgan, as well as parts of England.

A separate amber warning is in place for all of Wednesday and Thursday and covers the whole of Wales.

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