Peterborough City Council issues update on potential of school closures this week amid heatwave
The city is braced for its third heatwave of the year
Peterborough City Council has confirmed that it will be up to schools if they decide to close due to extreme temperatures later this week.
Peterborough is currently under an amber UKHSA heat health alert, with highs of 32C expected over the coming days.
A total of 11 Peterborough schools either fully closed or announced earlier finishes during June’s record-breaking heatwave.
While this week’s temperatures are not expected to be as extreme, the UKHSA’s alert warns of “significant” impacts.
A Peterborough City Council spokesperson told the Peterborough Telegraph that it will be at each school’s discretion whether to close as a result of the heat.
Peterborough is expected to experience highs of 32C on Thursday (July 9) and Friday (July 10).
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates said: “Parts of the UK are entering heatwave conditions: the third heatwave in the UK so far this year.
"However, unlike the May and June heatwaves, we are not expecting this heatwave to be record-breaking.
“Temperatures this week are not expected to reach the highs we witnessed last month, though parts of southern England in particular are likely to see several days in the low 30s Celsius, and a few places could reach 34-35°C later this week.
“Night-time temperatures again will not be as high as what we experienced in June, though some larger urban areas are likely to remain in the high teens Celsius overnight, especially later in the week, and there is a chance that a tropical night (where temperatures do not fall below 20°C) may be recorded in a few places.”