Swansea Bay faces its hottest day of the year today as a red extreme heat warning reaches its peak, with temperatures forecast to climb into the high 30s.
Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot sit squarely inside the Met Office’s red warning — the most severe level, reserved for a likely risk to life across the whole population.
The warning came into force at 9am on Wednesday and runs until late tonight, with today expected to be the fiercest day of the spell.
Within the red zone, the Met Office says temperatures could reach 38C to 40C, though the very highest figures are most likely further east. For Swansea Bay, that still means exceptional June heat in the high 30s.
Further west, Llanelli, Carmarthen, Kidwelly and the Gower fall into the slightly less severe amber warning.
The heat has already rewritten the record books. The UK provisionally broke its all-time June temperature record on Wednesday, with 36.1C reported at Gosport in Hampshire — beating a mark that had stood since 1976. Forecasters say it could be beaten again today.
Wales could be next. BBC forecaster Derek Brockway said Cardiff did not drop below a “tropical” 23C overnight, and predicted 36C in the Welsh capital this afternoon — which he said would set a new June record for Wales. He warned of a risk of thunderstorms overnight.
Wales set a record of its own earlier this week, provisionally logging its highest June overnight temperature with the mercury refusing to drop below 20.3C at St Athan — a sticky, sleepless night of the kind making this spell so punishing.
The disruption has been felt hardest in the region’s schools. Hundreds were forced to close or move lessons online as the warning peaked, with separate closure lists confirmed by each council.
Travel has been hit too. Rail passengers were told to “only travel if absolutely necessary” as speed restrictions came in across the south Wales network, while one bus operator made a “hotter than the gates of hell” plea to passengers to carry water on board.
South Wales Police has urged people to stay indoors and drink plenty of water until the heat eases.
With many tempted to the coast, the force has asked beachgoers to park sensibly, warning that vehicles blocking roads or emergency access face enforcement — a live concern after 94 drivers were ticketed at Caswell Bay over a single bank holiday.
Anyone heading into the sea has been warned the water remains dangerously cold despite the air temperature, with the RNLI urging swimmers who get into trouble to “float to live.”
For those hoping to cool off closer to home, there is disappointment: Blackpill Lido remains closed through the heatwave, with theft and flooring faults to blame.
Health warnings have been aimed at those most at risk. Age Cymru and the Welsh Government have urged people to ‘check on older neighbours’, saying a knock on the door could save a life.
Swansea’s rough sleepers face particular danger, with outreach teams stepping up as a charity warned of the deadly risk of the heat to those with nowhere cool to shelter.
Pets are vulnerable too. RSPCA Cymru has asked dog owners to call a 48-hour ‘lockdown’ on walks until the worst passes, warning that pavements hot enough to burn paws are not worth the risk.
If you are struggling to sleep in the heat, there is practical help on keeping your home cool overnight — from when to open windows to the rooms worth retreating to.
The Met Office has been blunt about why. Chief scientist Professor Stephen Belcher said human-induced climate change had made events like this “more likely and more intense,” calling June temperatures of this kind “sobering” and warning of health impacts well beyond the most vulnerable.
Relief is in sight. Amber warnings remain for Friday and Saturday, shifting gradually eastwards as the far west begins to cool, before a return to more typical temperatures next week.
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