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Chester Zoo closes for two days due to ‘extreme heat’
The conservationist zoo has made the decision to close ‘for the safety of its staff, visitors, animals and plants’
Chester Zoo will be closing its doors for two days this week as temperatures soar to record highs.
The popular zoo will be closed today (July 18th) and tomorrow (July 19th) for the ‘safety of staff, visitors, animals and plants’.
This comes as temperatures are poised to hit highs of 37C in the area.
Chester Zoo has said it hopes to reopen on Wednesday (July 20th) when temperatures are expected to drop back down to below 20C.
In a statement, bosses at the zoo said: “Due to the extreme heat forecast on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 July, we will be closed for the safety of our staff, visitors, animals and plants.
“If you have pre-booked tickets on these dates, your ticket will automatically be extended until July 2023, just keep hold of your booking confirmation.”
They went on to explain that while they plan on reopening the zoo on Wednesday, a team of ‘dedicated keepers will of course make sure all of the animals and plants are safely cared for’.
The statement concluded: “We do apologise for any disruption to your plans but we really hope you understand.”
Last week, the Met Office issued the UK’s first ever Red Extreme heat warning as temperatures climb to record highs of 40C.
The weather warning will cover Monday and Tuesday (July 18th and 19th) for parts of central, northern, eastern and southeastern England.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “Exceptional, perhaps record-breaking temperatures are likely early next week, quite widely across the red warning area on Monday, and focussed a little more east and north on Tuesday.
“Currently there is a 50% chance we could see temperatures top 40C and 80% we will see a new maximum temperature reached.
“Nights are also likely to be exceptionally warm, especially in urban areas. This is likely to lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure. Therefore, it is important people plan for the heat and consider changing their routines. This level of heat can have adverse health effects.”