Climate change

The Guardian -  The grueling heatwave that hit the UK in June caused pupils to miss more than 15m hours of lesson time as soaring temperatures forced hundreds of schools to close, according to a study.

The research found that at least 760,000 schoolchildren in England and Wales missed lessons owing to closures during the heatwave – one of five in the UK this summer – as temperatures inside some classrooms topped 40C (104F), leaving pupils and staff suffering from heat stress, nausea and headaches.

“Staff and pupils were fainting and at least one of my colleagues was taken to A&E,” said Jenny Cooper, a teacher and National Education Union safety representative for London at the time of the heatwave. “Schools need to be places where we can learn and teach safely. A place for children whose homes are not safe … these heatwaves and the lack of investment in schools are jeopardising this.”

The heatwave lasted for eight days and triggered a red health alert across many parts of the UK, with hospitals forced to cancel operations, workplaces shortening hours, and people warned not to travel. There were nearly 2,900 excess deaths caused by the May and June heatwaves.