Royal Mail has announced that soaring temperatures could cause delays in letter and package deliveries across the Midlands. The warning comes as the Met Office issues a red weather warning for extreme heat, with temperatures expected to reach 34°C in Birmingham on Wednesday, June 24, and the warning remaining in place until 9pm on Thursday, June 25.
Met Office warning details
The Met Office stated: "During the heatwave expected to affect a large part of England and Wales this week, the highlighted area now looks increasingly likely to see a two to three day period where maximum temperatures in the shade exceed 37 Celsius, perhaps rising to 38 to 40 Celsius in some places." The heat will be accompanied by high humidity, exacerbating discomfort and health impacts, with very warm and humid nights reducing the ability for people to recover overnight.
Significant disruption to daily life is likely, and the public is advised to take precautions and adapt routines to cope with these extreme temperatures, which are extremely rare for the UK.
Royal Mail adjustments
Due to the extreme conditions, Royal Mail will make adjustments to its operations, potentially causing service disruption. A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: "The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for extreme heat across parts of England and Wales starting at 9am Wednesday, 24 June until 9pm Thursday, 25 June 2026. A red warning indicates that temperatures could reach 37–40°C in some areas of the UK. Due to the extreme conditions, we will need to make some adjustments to our operation and there may be some service disruption as a result. The safety of our posties and our customers remains our top priority." The warning is expected to be in place for approximately 36 hours.
Affected Midlands postcodes
The following Midlands postcodes are affected: B (Birmingham and nearby Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Redditch, Bromsgrove), CV (Coventry, Rugby, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton), DY (Dudley, Stourbridge, Brierley Hill, Kingswinford), HR (Hereford and much of Herefordshire, plus parts of Powys/south Shropshire), WR (Worcester, Malvern, Droitwich, Pershore, Evesham), WS (Walsall, Cannock, Lichfield, Rugeley, Burntwood), and WV (Wolverhampton, Bilston, Willenhall, parts of Staffordshire/east Shropshire).
Royal Mail noted that this list is not exhaustive and other areas may be affected by the weather warning. Customers are advised to check the Met Office website for the latest information.
