Royal Mail has warned that deliveries may take longer in parts of the UK as extreme temperatures continue across the country. The company said posties and drivers are taking extra precautions during the heatwave, with dozens of postcode areas currently affected by service disruptions.
The warning comes as the UK experiences exceptionally hot weather, with temperatures forecast to reach 36°C on Wednesday and 39°C on Thursday. A rare red weather alert has been issued across parts of southern England, the Midlands, and areas of Wales.
Royal Mail said it remains committed to delivering letters six days a week and parcels on Sundays. At the same time, it acknowledged that local operational pressures and the ongoing heatwave may lead to temporary delays in some areas.
Heatwave Prompts Service Warning Across Dozens of Delivery Offices
Royal Mail has issued an update to customers as high temperatures affect parts of its network. According to Royal Mail, some deliveries could “take a little longer” while employees take additional measures to protect themselves and the public during the heatwave. The company stated: “Our posties and drivers are taking extra care in the heat to keep themselves and our customers safe… thank you for your patience if deliveries take a little longer.”
According to the company, delays are not linked solely to weather conditions. Royal Mail said a small number of local delivery offices may temporarily struggle to maintain normal service because of factors including high levels of sick absence, resourcing issues, and other local challenges.
When this happens, deliveries are rotated in an effort to reduce delays for individual customers. Royal Mail also said it provides targeted support to affected offices to help restore service levels.
A total of 91 postcode areas were listed as facing potential disruption on June 24. Among the locations affected are Oxford, Swindon, Wolverhampton, Carmarthen, North Tyneside, Bedford, Banbury, Warrington, Margate, and several parts of northeast England, Wales, and Scotland. Despite the local issues, Royal Mail said its national air and road network had operated according to schedule during the previous 24 hours.
Company Seeks Improvements After Missing Delivery Targets
The latest service update comes after a period of scrutiny over delivery performance. According to reports, Royal Mail was fined £21 million by communications regulator Ofcom in October after failing to meet delivery targets during the 2024–25 period.
The company delivered 77% of First Class mail on time and 92.5% of Second Class mail on time, falling short of the standards expected by the regulator.
Royal Mail has since outlined plans to improve performance. The company said it aims to raise First Class next-day delivery performance to around 85% within nine months and then reach Ofcom’s 90% target within a year.
Chief operating officer Jamie Stephenson said the company is investing significantly in improving reliability across its network. He noted that implementing long-term changes across a nationwide delivery operation requires time.
Stephenson also said reforms to the Universal Service are an important part of adapting the postal network to current customer habits while maintaining the existing nationwide pricing structure. According to his statement, Royal Mail plans to deploy a new delivery model across all delivery offices before the Christmas peak period and has established quarterly targets as those changes are introduced.
He added that early results this year indicate performance is tracking in line with the company’s plan and moving in the intended direction.
