Pupils sent home as heat rises

A secondary school closed early on Monday due to the hot weather.

Parents and guardians of pupils at Walderslade Girls’ School in Chatham were sent a message bearing the news just before midday.

The text said the centre would be shutting at 12.30pm, just 45 minutes after the messages were received.

One parent, who said she spoke to school staff, said they confirmed “windows were not stuck shut and the heating was not stuck on”, and working con- ditions were no different to last week, when the school remained open.

Forecasts predicted the temperatures in Medway would hit around 28C and some Facebook posts indicated temperatures hit that and higher.

Just up the road in Gravesend, the Met Office recorded that Gravesend was the hottest place in the country, hitting 31.5C.

Walderslade Girl’s School was contacted for comment.

The high temperatures have also been attracting some unusual marine life closer to land.

A school of sharks were seen swimming near a shopping outlet by a retired scuba diver.

Multiple large dogfish, a type of non-lethal shark, were seen near Pier 5 in Dock Head Road, Chatham.

A retired diver, who lead scuba dives in his twenties and thirties, decided to investigate.

Dogfish are found all around the UK but generally off the south and west coasts but also they can also be found in the Mediterranean.

They are a member of the cat shark family.