HEATWAVE: Everything you need to know as Swansea Bay faces its hottest day — schools, trains, beaches and the people most at risk

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.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Hundreds of schools to shut or move online as red warning peaks
The full closure list for each council across the region.

Police urge people to stay indoors as temperatures creep towards 40C
The force’s safety plea as the heat peaks.

Blackpill Lido still shut as heatwave looms
Theft and flooring faults keep the popular pool closed.

BBC Wales senior meteorologist Derek said a month’s rain fell in 24 hours at Swansea’s Victoria Park on Friday, with 87.2mm (3.4in) recorded, of which 43.8mm (1.7) fell in an hour after 20:00.

He said it was the UK’s wettest place with a total of 107.8mm (4.2in) of rain on Thursday and Friday. Elsewhere in Swansea, motorists were led to safety from flooded cars in West Cross Lane just after 21:00.

And firefighters rescued four people and a dog from a flooded garden in Swansea just after 23:00.

Natural Resources Wales said one flood warning for Ilston Brook, Gower, has since been lifted.

A video shown from ITV News Wales from Cllr Francesca O’Brien show the effects of the rain on the busy Oystermouth Road where cars were stranded in floodwaters at West Cross.

[Credit: Cllr Francesca O’Brien]

A local resident said the flooding in Mumbles Road was a “known issue”.

“Blackpill Post Office used to flood quite regularly/have sand bags outside. Short downpours fill Brockhole Stream and can’t flow out into an incoming tide.

“Spring tides at the moment make the conditions worse. It will have all gone by the morning; sadly by then the damage is done and people will need the support to recover.”

Heavy rainfall led to flooding in various parts of south Wales, resulting in road closures, flood alerts, and power outages affecting hundreds of residents.

In the Sandfields and Taibach areas of Port Talbot, residents reported water entering their homes on Friday evening.

The National Grid confirmed that hundreds of homes in Port Talbot were without power. In Aberavon, a local councillor assured residents that sandbags would be distributed, while Talbot Road in Port Talbot was also closed.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain covering south Wales.

The forecaster issued the warning, running from 9pm on Saturday to 6pm on Sunday, with areas of heavy and thundery rain forecast across the region.

“Whilst there remains some uncertainty with exact details, areas of heavy and at times thundery rain are expected to spread north, then west, across England and Wales from this evening and overnight. These areas of heavy rain may become more persistent across western areas during Sunday daytime whilst slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to develop further east.

“Rainfall amounts will vary considerably across the warning area with some locations seeing less than 10 mm of rainfall whilst others see 40-60 mm of rain.

“There is a lower chance that a few spots within the warning area could see 80-100 mm of rain by the end of Sunday which may fall in a fairly small period of time.

“These higher totals are slightly more probable in the southern half of the warning area. Given this region has also seen a lot of rain since Thursday, impacts may be more likely than would normally be expected for the time of year here.”

[Lead image: Joanne Butler]

https://swanseabaynews.com/2024/09/07/swansea-hit-by-flash-flooding-as-over-a-months-worth-of-rain-falls-in-24-hours/

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