Greggs: Heatwave Closures
Greggs closes 11 stores across UK to protect staff and customers amid extreme heatwave
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Key Points
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The closed Greggs stores include high-profile London sites such as Leicester Square and Barnet, in addition to other closures at Aldridge, Wolverhampton, Luton, Gosport, Trowbridge, Marlborough, Wantage, Dudley and Northampton.
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"It's very hot. We have industrial ovens but no proper air conditioning in stores," a Greggs worker said of the conditions at a London outlet.
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Railways were rendered unusable by the heat, and the RAC reported around 20% more callouts to broken-down vehicles than usual as travel disruptions continued.
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The Met Office extended the red extreme-heat warning to the south coast of England (Brighton, Bognor Regis, Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth and Dorchester) and issued another amber warning for Friday for eastern and central England.
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Forecasters warned the UK June heat could smash the previous record of 35.6°C set in 1976, as temperatures were expected to peak around 37–38°C.
Greggs shut 11 stores across England on Wednesday and Thursday as a severe heatwave pushed temperatures to around 37°C. The bakery chain cited safety concerns, pointing to industrial ovens running in shops with no proper air conditioning. The closures hit sites including Leicester Square, Barnet, Wolverhampton, and Luton, among others.
The closures came as the UK broke a 50-year June temperature record. A provisional 35.7°C was recorded at Charlwood, Surrey on Wednesday, topping the previous June high of 35.6°C set in 1976, according to PA Media. Over 1,000 schools shut or sent pupils home early, railways were disrupted, and the RAC reported around 20% more breakdown callouts than usual.
Ovens With No Air Con Force Greggs Doors Shut
A Greggs worker at a London branch summed up the problem plainly. "It's very hot. We have industrial ovens but no proper air conditioning in stores," the employee told the BBC. That combination — heavy heat-generating equipment in sealed retail units — made working conditions unsafe as outdoor temperatures climbed toward 38°C.
Greggs said the closures were taken to "protect our customers and colleagues during the severe hot weather," according to Birmingham Live. The 11 shut stores were: Aldridge, Wolverhampton, Luton, Gosport, Trowbridge, Barnet, Marlborough, Wantage, Dudley, Northampton, and Leicester Square. The company said stores would reopen once temperatures eased.
UK Smashes 50-Year June Record as Red Warning Expands
The Met Office extended its red extreme-heat warning — its highest level — to the south coast, covering Brighton, Bognor Regis, Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, and Dorchester. An amber warning was also issued for Friday across eastern and central England. Chief Forecaster Matthew Lehnert called the heat "exceptional for June," adding that high humidity made it more dangerous than the dry heat of 2022.
The UK Health Security Agency issued a red heat-health alert for six English regions, warning of a "risk to life for even the healthy population," according to The Guardian. Temperatures were forecast to peak between 37°C and 39°C on Thursday, with some urban spots at risk of hitting 40°C. Overnight temperatures were expected to stay above 20°C in cities, leaving people with no chance to cool down.
Railways Down, Roads Struggling as Travel Chaos Spreads
Rail lines across parts of the south became unusable as tracks risked buckling in the heat. The RAC urged drivers to avoid non-essential trips in cars without effective air conditioning. Spokesperson Rod Dennis said the motoring group handled roughly 20% more callouts than a typical June day, with cooling systems and tyres under strain from 40°C road-surface temperatures.
The disruption hit schools too. More than 1,000 schools and nurseries closed or moved to shorter hours, according to Daily Star. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson pushed back, saying "every day of absence and lesson missed has a cost." But local authorities and headteachers pressed ahead with closures, citing the health risk to pupils and staff.
Climate Scientists Warn This Will Become the New Normal
The 1976 June record stood for 50 years. Scientists say the wait for the next record could be far shorter. Professor Stephen Belcher, the Met Office's chief scientist, said human-caused climate change has made events like this "more likely and more intense." He called the June records "sobering."
Emma Pinchbeck of the Climate Change Committee warned that 40°C summers could become a "frequent occurrence" by 2050, according to The Independent. The heatwave is also exposing gaps in UK infrastructure — from shops with no air conditioning to rails that buckle in the sun. Independent bakeries, unlike Greggs, faced a starker choice: stop selling bread and sandwiches entirely or risk staff safety with no financial cushion.
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