Severn Valley Railway in Worcestershire and Wild Zoological Park in Wolverhampton are among the attractions around Birmingham and the West Midlands that have announced planned closures on selected dates due to the predicted extreme heat. The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning, warning of an 'exceptional spell of hot and humid weather' with highs of up to 37°C on Tuesday, 38°C on Wednesday, and a scorching 39°C on Thursday. The red warning is scheduled to last until 9pm on Thursday.
Proactive Closures to Ensure Safety
Some venues are being proactive and deciding to close their doors to keep people safe. A spokesman for Severn Valley Railway said: "Due to the current weather warning regarding the area around the SVR experiencing extreme heat over the coming days, we have taken the decision to cancel services from 24th June – 25th June 2026 inclusive. Staff and customer welfare is paramount along with protection of our infrastructure and it is felt the risk in the extreme heat forecast is too high for us to do this. We apologise for any inconvenience caused." The current plan is that services will resume on Saturday 27th June 2026 onwards, subject to review. Visitors who have pre-booked tickets will be contacted via email with options available.
Wild Zoological Park Closes for Animal Welfare
A spokesman for Wild Zoological Park said: "With temperatures set to soar this week, we’ve made the decision to close the zoo to visitors and cancel our bird and animal shows on 23rd, 24th and 25th June. While we’re sure some of our animals will be quite happy soaking up the sunshine, others need a little extra help staying cool and comfortable. Closing the park allows our keepers to focus on keeping the whole gang happy, hydrated and out of the heat, while giving our team a bit of breathing room too." If you have tickets booked for any of these dates, the zoo will be in touch. Ben will also contact any schools with upcoming visits on those days that haven’t already rearranged their trips to discuss options. Normally the zoo would look at bringing bird shows forward to beat the heat, but temperatures are expected to climb rapidly by late morning, making it too hot for both birds and visitors. The good news is that Zoo Tots will still go ahead as normal, as it takes place early in the morning in a shady area.
Other Closures and Openings
Spacehoppas play centre in West Bromwich has also announced it is closing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for after school sessions due to the extreme heat. Currently it looks as though West Midlands Safari Park, Alton Towers, Drayton Manor, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Cadbury World and Twycross Zoo are remaining open. We will keep updating on further announcements as the heatwave progresses.
