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Update
Extreme heat this week: managing your classes safely
Shared by Gio
• June 22, 2026
Hi there,
Extreme heat this week: managing your classes safely
The Met Office has issued an Amber Extreme Heat warning across Monday to Thursday for much of southern and central England and Wales, now upgraded to a Red Extreme Heat warning from 09:00 Wednesday to 21:00 Thursday. Temperatures are forecast to peak at 38 to 39°C on Wednesday and Thursday, with high humidity and overnight temperatures staying above 20°C. UKHSA heat-health alerts are also in place. This is a serious weather event, and we are asking all clubs to treat it as one.
Children and young people come first. They heat up faster than adults, regulate temperature less efficiently, and often will not recognise or report when they are struggling. Watch closely for flushed skin, dizziness, headache, nausea and unusual quietness, and stop the session for that child immediately if you see it. If a junior venue cannot be kept reasonably cool, the safest decision is to cancel or postpone. No grading, milestone or attendance target is worth a child's wellbeing.
You are fully within your rights to cancel this week, and for many clubs that will be the responsible choice, particularly on Wednesday and Thursday. Where you decide a session can go ahead safely, adapt it: shorten it, move it out of the hottest part of the day, lower the intensity, cut conditioning and sparring, and build in frequent water breaks. If a grading falls this week, please postpone it, split the most demanding elements onto a cooler date, or adjust the format rather than pushing through in dangerous conditions. A short delay protects your members and does not undermine the integrity of the grade.
The duty of care for any session sits with you as the instructor running it, so where you are in doubt, err on the side of caution and record the decision you made. Cancelling for a genuine safety risk is exactly the judgement we expect of BMABA coaches, and it will not count against you. Read the full guidance for detailed advice on managing heat in classes, supporting vulnerable members, and handling gradings and cancellations.