England match and hot weather to cause 999 delays

South East Coast Ambulance Service is bracing for a surge in callouts as temperatures soar and England play in the World Cup.

The service received more than 3,500 emergency calls each day during the busiest period of the May bank holiday – 30% more than normal, it said.

With high temperatures expected until at least Thursday, the service is expecting a repeat, with a further surge in callouts anticipated due to England's fixture against Ghana on Tuesday night.

People are urged to only call 999 in an emergency to help ease the pressure on the ambulance service.

In a non-emergency situation, the public are advised to call the NHS's 111 service or speak to a community pharmacist.

Football supporters enjoying the World Cup are urged to "plan ahead, stay hydrated with soft drinks and water, and ensure they get home safely", the service said.

The Met Office has issued a red extreme heat warning, covering parts of the Midlands, south-east Wales and southern England, with temperatures set to hit 40C (104F) later this week.

The warning will be in force from 09:00 BST on Wednesday until 21:00 on Thursday.

Some schools announced they would close or finish early later this week to protect pupils amid the extreme heat.

These include Cheam High School in Surrey, which will close at about lunchtime on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Priory School in Lewes, Uckfield College, and Mulberry Academy Bexhill, all in East Sussex, have also confirmed partial closures on Wednesday and Thursday.

Other schools are having to adjust their schedule to help keep pupils safe.

Leigh Academy Snowfields in Cranbrook, Kent, wrote on its social media page that its sports days have been cancelled, pupils could wear their PE kit to help stay cool and children are to remain indoors during lunchtime from Tuesday to Thursday.

Greenvale Primary School in Chatham has said it would adjust PE and other timetables to avoid "more energetic activities, particularly in the hottest parts of the day".

Meanwhile, Southern Rail has advised passengers travelling to, from, or within extreme heat zones to only travel if "absolutely necessary during record heatwave".

A Southern spokesperson said as high temperatures were expected on Tuesday, this could increase the potential for disruption to the train service.

Southeastern has also advised commuters to avoid peak travel times as trips to and from coastal towns are expected to be busy.

As the UK prepares for another few days of soaring temperatures, thunderstorms hit the country overnight, with some reporting areas of Kent and East Sussex, such as Bexhill, being affected.

Other services across the south east have been impacted due to hot weather.

The National Trust announced Polesden Lacey in Surrey is closed from Tuesday due to "local road closures and extreme heat".

It added all on-site events have been cancelled.

The organisation said it anticipates the site would be reopened on Saturday.

South East Water (SEW) posted on its website that areas across Kent and Sussex are experiencing water disruptions due to a burst water main.

This includes areas like Berwick, in Polegate and Broader Lane, Deitling, Maidstone.

Properties in Copthorne Road, Crawley, which began having supply issues on Sunday, is still ongoing.

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