Hinckley households are being ordered to put their bins out by 6am from Tuesday through Friday this week as Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council races to protect collection crews and residents from forecast extreme heat. The urgent change applies to every scheduled collection between 23 and 26 June, with the council warning that any bin not presented on time may not be picked up until the next cycle.
The Met Office has issued a rare Red Extreme Heat Warning for Leicestershire on Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures predicted to hit at least 39 degrees Celsius and possibly climb higher. The council usually reserves its severe weather alerts page for snow and ice, but the page now carries the heatwave notice instead.
This is only the second red heat alert ever issued nationally, after the July 2022 heatwave that pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country. The current June record of 35.6 degrees Celsius, set in Southampton in 1976 and Camden Square in 1957, is expected to fall. Wednesday and Thursday carry the highest risk, with Tuesday already reaching 37 degrees Celsius before easing to around 32 degrees Celsius by Friday. The council’s catch-up system normally means missed bins are collected the following day, but residents are being cautioned that crews may not return during this extreme spell.
The Met Office warning covers East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, London and the east of England. Water safety risks have also risen sharply as more people head to rivers and lakes to cool off, prompting safety warnings from bodies including the RNLI. Residents can monitor live updates on the council’s website or call the waste services helpline on 01455 238141, and the authority will also push alerts through its Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor accounts.
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