A MAJOR railway route connecting Hereford with the Midlands will be shut tomorrow (Mon 18) and Tuesday due to the predicted heat.

The Met Office has issued its first ever red weather warning for extreme heat, with temperatures as high as 40 degrees celsius predicted for Monday.

West Midlands Railway has announced that trains will not run from Hereford to Birmingham New Street via Malvern and Worcester for the entirety of Monday, July 18 and Tuesday, July 19.

Also not running will be the alternative route from Shrewsbury to Birmingham.

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A spokesperson for West Midlands Railway said that due to safety reasons relating to the hot weather, speed restrictions will also be in place on other areas of the network and people are encouraged not to travel unless it is essential.

Meanwhile, Transport for Wales has cancelled trains north of Shrewsbury towards Crewe, Manchester and Birmingham due to the red weather warnings, and also tell customers to only travel if necessary.

At time of writing, trains between Hereford and South Wales and Hereford and Shrewsbury will still run, but there are likely to be temporary speed restrictions in place throughout the network.

Colin Lea, planning and performance director for Transport for Wales, said: "The extreme weather that we are set to see on July 18 and 19 is likely to pose a risk of serious illness or danger to life.

"We strongly advise customers to carefully consider whether their journey is necessary, check before travelling in case of changes to services and allow more time for any journeys they need to make."