UK heatwave: People advised to stay at home for hottest day

Dozens of schools shut early and pupils advised to wear PE kits as temperatures were forecast to hit up to 38C (100F).

A red heat warning covering a large part of the West Midlands has came into force for the first time.

The hot weather will continue on Tuesday, with overnight temperatures warned to be in the mid 20s.

Passengers have been told to avoid train travel unless absolutely necessary, with services reduced.

West Midlands Railways, Chiltern Railways and Transport for Wales, which operate in the West Midlands, all said fewer services will be running.

Extremely hot temperatures can deem railway tracks unsafe, as steel is easily able to absorb heat, while overhead electrical cable wires are also susceptible to high temperatures, said West Midlands Railways.

Bin collections across the region, including in Herefordshire, Bromsgrove, Dudley and Stoke-on-Trent started from 06:00 BST to allow crews to work in the cooler part of the day.

Barr View Primary school in Birmingham said it was closing to pupils on Monday "following an extensive risk assessment".

"We simply have no experience of how these temperatures will affect our children, staff and school site," it said.

Braidwood School, also in the city, said it would remain closed until Wednesday, because of the heat.

St Joseph's Primary in Stourbridge said parents keeping their children at home on Tuesday would be treated as an authorised absence.

The PTA has arranged an ice-cream van to visit the school in the morning to help keep everyone cool.

Several schools in Shropshire, including Belvidere, in Shrewsbury, Church Stretton Academy and Mary Webb in Pontesbury, opened to pupils but advised parents to keep children at home where practical and safe.

Others, including Wheelers Lane Primary School in Kings Heath, Birmingham, told parents they can collect children early if they wish before temperatures peaked in the afternoon.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it was also expecting a surge in 999 calls.

The trust said it had already seen a rise in the number of heat related calls about sunburn, heat stroke, barbecue burns, dehydration, breathing difficulties and from people enjoying the outdoors who were ill-prepared.

It is vital that people take on board the warning so that preventable situations don't end up resulting in people needing to access help from the NHS, it said.

Nathan Hudson, from the service, said: "Almost everyone enjoys a sunny day, but the difference this time is that temperatures have the potential to reach levels never before seen in the West Midlands."

People sleeping rough in Birmingham would receive extra help after the city council said it had activated its Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP).

A celebration event for the arrival of the Queen's Baton Relay in Stoke-on-Trent was cancelled due to the heatwave, affecting the Hanley Park celebrations.

The city council also said Northwood Stadium would be closed until Wednesday, as well as the football pitch at Dimensions Leisure Centre.

A baton celebration event in Shropshire, however, was going ahead on Monday evening with extra measures introduced to mitigate against risks to public health, said the county council.

Shrewsbury Town have announced its pre-season friendly against Cardiff City will be put back to the later time of 20:00 on Tuesday.

Free water will also be handed out to spectators.

Walsall Council cancelled a full meeting due to take place on Monday evening, leaving one councillor "flabbergasted."

Independent councillor Pete Smith called the decision "pathetic," adding: "I wonder if all the shops, factories, hospitals, offices, small businesses, postal services, buses, trains, etc across Walsall and the country will close down and cancel business?"

The decision had been taken "in the interests of safety," said the authority.

Several councils said gritters would be out on the roads to help reduce any melting of tarmac.

A coronavirus vaccination clinic planned for the Three Counties Hotel in Hereford has been cancelled.

Performances set to take place at the Assembly Festival Gardens on Monday and Tuesday were called off, with ticket holders offered alternative dates.

Exotic Zoo, in Telford, said it was closing to the public in order to give "extra special attention" to its animals and concentrate on caring for their needs.

"We are sure you all understand as this is unprecedented and we have to put our animals first," it said.

Some pubs and restaurants including the Greyhound Inn, Coventry, said they would be mainly serving cold food, due to the heat of the kitchens.

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