More than 1,000 schools in England and Wales are shut or closing early as temperatures soar across the UK.
Southern England is forecast to see highs of around 37C today – but, as BBC Weather explains, the “feels like” temperature could be even higher A red warning for extreme heat in parts of England and Wales, lasting until 23:59 BST on Thursday, has been extended to cover more of southern England.It’s the Met Office’s most severe level of alert and means there could be a risk to life as well as transport delays.

Rail passengers are being warned to avoid non-essential travel, with a new amber heat warning issued for Saturday in southern and eastern England.