Heatwave: Five race meetings are cancelled after extreme heat warning
- Published
Southwell Racecourse had been due to hold a meet on Tuesday morning
Five race meetings on Monday and Tuesday have been cancelled because of the forecasted extreme heat.
Monday's meets at Beverley and Windsor have been cancelled, as have Tuesday's fixtures at Chelmsford City, Southwell and Wolverhampton.
Temperatures could hit 40C in parts of the country next week and the Met Office has issued a red warning level.
The British Horseracing Authority said the courses fell "either within the warning area or are situated nearby".
Southwell had brought their races forward to 10:00 BST to try and avoid the worst of the weather before the red warning was announced.
"The number one priority in the staging of any meeting is the wellbeing of all involved, human and equine," Richard Wayman, chief operating officer of the BHA, said.
"We are taking sensible precautions and have made a decision as soon as possible in order to provide certainty for those impacted."
It is the first time a red warning has been issued for parts of the UK, although the system was only introduced in 2021.
As well as the red warning, an amber warning will be in place across most of England on Sunday and all of England, Wales and the south of Scotland on Monday and Tuesday.
The BHA said it would continue to monitor the forecasts, with the races set to be rescheduled within the coming days.