Temperatures could hit 40C in UK as rare red heat warning issued

Temperatures could hit 40C in UK as rare red heat warning issued53 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleCachella Smith and Henry MoorePA MediaSome schools have began planning for earlier closure times with the peak of the heatwave expected to hit on Wednesday and ThursdayA rare red weather warning for extreme heat has been issued for parts of England and Wales later this week as temperatures could reach 40C in places.The Met Office warning affects London, parts of the Midlands, south-east Wales and southern England, and will be in place from 09:00 BST on Wednesday through to 21:00 BST on Thursday.Forecasters say the extreme heat will be exacerbated by high humidity and warn that "significant disruption" to daily life is likely, including travel disruption. Some schools have also already announced plans to close early.The Met Office said the hot weather will also have a population-wide impact on health and will lead to serious illness and a danger to life.Less severe amber weather warnings are also in place across much of southern and central England and most of Wales from Monday through to the end of Thursday.In the worst-affected areas, the Met Office has forecast that temperatures could reach up to 40C with the peak of the heatwave anticipated to fall on Wednesday and Thursday.That would come close to the UK's highest temperature on record of 40.3C, set in Coningsby in July 2022. That is also the only previous time a red extreme heat weather warning has been issued.Temperatures are set to rise quickly on Monday with a chance of thundery showers for some.Highs of 37C are then forecast for southern England and 35C in south-east Wales on Tuesday.Temperatures are then due to rise to at least 39C on Wednesday and Thursday with the possibility this will be exceeded.Across the hot spell, some areas will see temperatures not fall below 21C or 22C, resulting in a so-called tropical night.Rare red warning for extreme heat in parts of England and Wale...