Cotswolds locals in Oxfordshire are set to be left without power for eight hours during the record-breaking UK heatwave.

The UK saw the June temperature record officially broken on Wednesday (June 24) after 50 years, with highs reaching 36°C.

This came amid a red weather warning being put in place by the Met Office for this week, covering the South East, including Oxfordshire.

Residents in the west of the county are now worried about how they will combat the unprecedented warmth, given the news of a power cut to the area.

READ MORE: UK’s June temperature record broken after 50 years amid heatwave

Oxfordshire resident Matt Slauson has described the Cotswolds power cut as “dangerous and reckless”. (Image: Matt Slauson)

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is set to cut power to a large area outside Chipping Norton between 9am and 5pm on Thursday (June 25).

Matt Slauson, who lives in the area, has slammed the decision to go ahead with the works as “reckless and dangerous”.

“With schools closing, trains being cancelled, and officials urging extreme caution, SSEN is ploughing ahead with a planned eight-hour power outage, despite temperature forecasts as high as 38°C,” he said.

“When speaking with a company representative, I was told to drink water, stay indoors, and limit movement — and that the outage was scheduled and would proceed regardless.

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The power will be cut in the Cotswolds on Thursday. (Image: Newsquest)

“No power means not only no air conditioning and fans, but it also means limited cold water, as fridges and freezers will also be shut down.

“With temperatures so high, this decision is dangerous and reckless, and SSEN is needlessly endangering customers while refusing to offer flexibility around an extreme weather event.”

The 35-year-old got in touch directly with SSEN, which described the outage as “inconvenient”, but confirmed that it would still go ahead.

A spokesperson for SSEN said: “I have discussed your concerns with the individual responsible for this outage.

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Oxfordshire resident Matt Slauson has described the Cotswolds power cut as “dangerous and reckless”. (Image: Matt Slauson)

“Unfortunately, the interruption is necessary to enable a new connection to our network, and we are obligated to provide a supply to customers requesting this type of work.

“We undertake extensive planning before carrying out any scheduled work and fully recognise that interruptions to electricity supply are inconvenient.

“For this reason, we aim to provide as much advance notice as possible, rather than relying solely on the statutory minimum notice period of 48 hours set by our regulator.

“Please be assured that we will continue to monitor the situation and take any appropriate action if required.”

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Councillor Bethia Thomas, from Oxfordshire County Council, has also spoken about the outage and revealed a worried resident had been in touch.

The resident said: “It just seems unreasonable to cut the power on one of the hottest days of the year.

“[Especially] when an extreme heat warning has been issued, and schools have been closed, so children will be at home.”

This newspaper approached SSEN for comment and a spokesperson later confirmed that the works have now been postponed.

An official statement read: “Planned outages on the network are essential to deliver the safe, reliable network our millions of customers depend on every single day.

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“The extent of our networks means that planned works need to be conducted whenever it is possible to do so.

“During periods of extreme weather like those currently being experienced, the teams planning these works carry out dynamic risk assessments in the hours before works are to due to begin.

“This process has been ongoing today, and owing to the temperatures which have actually been observed over the past few hours, and the increasing certainty of very high temperatures again tomorrow, a decision has been taken to postpone the Planned Supply Interruption that was due to affect 31 customers in the Chipping Norton area on Thursday, June 25.

“Now, a decision to postpone planned works has been taken, and customers who would have been affected will be contacted directly.

“These essential works will be rescheduled at the earliest available opportunity.”

The record was broken when provisional temperatures reached 36°C in Wisley, Surrey, and Gosport, Hampshire, today (Wednesday, June 24), the Met Office said.

It follows provisional temperatures reaching 35.7°C in Charlwood, Surrey, and 35.8°C at Wiggonholt, West Sussex, earlier on in the day.

Wednesday’s highs break the previous top temperature of 35.6°C in 1976 and 1957, the forecaster said.

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It comes as much of England and Wales swelters in exceptionally hot and humid conditions, which have prompted a rare red warning from the Met Office for extreme heat.

The heatwave, which has led to health warnings, school closures and transport disruption, is driven by a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe that has brought extreme conditions across the continent.

The 50-year-old record has fallen as climate change, mostly the result of burning fossil fuels, is driving increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, which experts say the UK is not prepared for.

Figures are currently provisional and would be verified at the end of the heatwave to check if it is a new national record.

Met Office science manager Amy Doherty said: “If confirmed, a new June daily temperature record would be significant, especially following on the heels of the recent records set in May.

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“The new record provides further evidence that temperatures previously considered extreme are becoming increasingly common as a result of human-induced climate change.”

Temperatures could rise even higher on Thursday, the Met Office said.

If they hit 39°C, that would make it the second-hottest day in the UK on record and the hottest June day on record. If 38°C is recorded, that is still in the top five days ever recorded and still hotter than any day of the 20th century.

The record comes amid a sweltering heatwave, with the Met Office issuing a rare red warning for extreme heat for Wednesday and Thursday for an area from London and the south coast to Swansea, Somerset and Birmingham.

Red heat health alerts have also been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the East of England, East Midlands, London, the South East, the South West and the West Midlands, and amber heat health alerts for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber.

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These alerts are in place from 4pm on Wednesday to 11pm on Friday, and mean “adverse temperatures are likely to impact on the health and well-being of the population”.

The Met Office has also issued an amber warning for heat on Friday, covering much of England, while a yellow warning for thunderstorms is in place for the South West on Thursday evening.

And with the extreme heat set to linger in some parts of the country into the weekend, the Met Office has issued an amber warning for extreme heat covering parts of east and south-east England on Saturday.

At least 1,000 schools and nurseries will either be closed or partially closed in England and Wales over the next two days.

Some have brought in early finishing times or relaxed uniform rules, while transport services have been disrupted, and people are being urged to stay inside, close windows and curtains and stay hydrated to beat the heat.

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Night-time temperatures have also been unusually high, staying above 20°C in many places, with Brize Norton in Oxfordshire not dipping below 22.3°C and Heathrow, west London, not dipping below 22.1 °C, the Met Office said.

These “tropical nights” make it hard to sleep and for people to recover from the heat of the day, experts warned.

More than 100 schools will be at least partly closed in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire. In Somerset, more than 200 schools will be shut or operating on more limited opening hours.

Children at some schools have been told they can wear a PE kit rather than a full school uniform, which can involve long trousers and blazers.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said parents should send children to school if they remain open, saying schools were taking steps to help pupils cope with the heat, and absences had a cost.

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“I know hot weather can be a struggle. But my message to families is simple: if your child’s school is open, you should keep sending them into school,” she said.

Transport bosses have urged people to avoid travelling on Wednesday and Thursday and are warning those who do to “prepare for a disrupted journey”.

Travel into central London in the past few days was down on last week as workers heeded advice to stay at home during the heatwave, while there were disruptions on a raft of rail lines.

The heatwave has prompted new calls for the Government to take more action to protect the UK from increasingly extreme heat – a feature of the changing climate – including cooling for hospitals, schools and care homes.

The Met Office said the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have increased worldwide.

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Professor Stephen Belcher, Met Office chief scientist, said: “Human-induced climate change has made events like this more likely and more intense. To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering.

“Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply.”

In Hampshire, Testwood Lakes, near Totton, Southampton, have been closed off to the public as police marine units join other emergency services in the search for a 15-year-old boy who was reported missing after last being seen swimming at 1.35pm on Wednesday.

Police marine units have joined emergency services in the search for a 15-year-old boy who was reported missing at 1.35pm on Wednesday after last being seen swimming at Testwood Lakes, near Totton, Southampton.

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: “We have deployed the marine units to aid in the search, alongside colleagues from NPAS, South Central Ambulance Service, and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire Service.”

Pet owners and families have been urged to take extra care as a historic heatwave grips Oxfordshire under a Met Office red extreme heat warning.

The red alert, in place on Wednesday, June 24 and Thursday, June 25, covers much of England, including Oxfordshire, with forecasters warning daytime temperatures will widely exceed 30°C and could reach 36°C in some areas, alongside very warm, humid nights.

Local councils and health bodies are advising people to avoid open water such as rivers and lakes, because of cold‑water shock, hidden currents and pollution risks, and instead use supervised pools and splash parks to cool down.

Hinksey Outdoor Pool in south Oxford is one of the most popular places to take a safe dip, offering a 35m heated open‑air lido with lifeguards on duty during public sessions.

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The pool runs timed swims through the summer, with a shallow fun area for children and a deeper section for more serious swimmers, plus a poolside café, making it a well‑managed option when the mercury climbs.

Next to the lido, Hinksey’s splash area gives younger children a way to enjoy the water without entering the main pool, with jets and shallow surfaces designed for supervised play rather than swimming.

It sits within a wider park space, allowing families to combine cool‑down time with picnics and outdoor play while still staying close to lifeguarded water.

In Abingdon, Abbey Meadow outdoor pool provides another open‑air swimming option, run as a community facility beside the Thames.

The graduated L‑shaped pool is popular with families, and the surrounding meadow includes a well‑used splash pad, giving children a chance to run through fountains without going into deeper water.

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Wallingford’s Riverside Park and Pools site combines an outdoor pool with a separate splash park, again positioned next to the river but clearly fenced and signed so swimming is kept within the managed facilities.

The complex operates lifeguarded sessions and has become a regular summer destination for residents looking to cool off safely rather than enter the Thames itself.

To the north of the county, Woodstock Open Air Pool offers a 25m, four‑lane outdoor pool close to the town centre.

The seasonal pool is a short hop from Blenheim Palace and is widely used by local families and swimmers during hot weather, providing a more intimate alternative to city sites.

Cutteslowe Park in north Oxford has a dedicated splash pad, giving younger children a shallow, spray‑based way to cool down, with features designed to minimise risk and allow parents to supervise from the edge.

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The water play area sits alongside the park’s play equipment and miniature railway, making it a full day‑out option without needing to go near open water.

In Witney, The Leys recreation ground includes a splash park that operates in the summer months, with jets and low‑level features for under‑12s.

It is part of a wider leisure area with sports pitches and a play park, and is regularly highlighted in local “heatwave guides” as a safer alternative to rivers or lakes.

Edmonds Park in Didcot has been fitted with a modern splash area that is used heavily during warm spells, providing shallow water play under the eye of parents and carers.

Alongside the splash pad, the park’s open space allows families to find shade and set up blankets away from direct sun while still close to the water features.

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Back in Abingdon, the Abbey Meadows splash space sits near the outdoor pool but is run as a separate, shallower play facility, aimed at younger children and those not yet confident enough for full swimming.

It forms part of a cluster of “beat the heat” options promoted by South Oxfordshire District Council during periods of extreme weather.

For those preferring indoor swimming or a more controlled environment, leisure centres such as Didcot Wave and Henley Leisure Centre, as well as members’ clubs like David Lloyd Oxford, offer heated pools year‑round.

City authorities are reminding residents that, during the red warning, the safest way to cool down is to use these lifeguarded pools and splash areas, stay hydrated, avoid the hottest part of the day and keep clear of unsupervised rivers, lakes and quarries.