Storms and school disruption amid rare red weather warnings

Schools and services across the West of England are bracing for one of the hottest June spells on record, with temperatures set to soar to 39C (102.2F).

The Met Office has issued a two-day red weather warning for extreme heat, which "will likely lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure".

Storms battered the West on Monday, when hundreds of homes in Bristol and Somerset were hit by powers cuts. Flash floods were also reported in multiple towns.

In the West, some schools are set to finish lessons at 12:30 BST, while waste crews start collections before dawn in Bristol, Somerset and Gloucestershire to beat the heat.

Forecasters said there was "growing confidence" this week could exceed the record for the hottest June temperature of 35.6C (96F), which was set in 1976 in Southampton.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned people to expect significant impacts across health and social care services along with a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.

A number of schools across the region have confirmed they will close early, citing concerns over staff and pupils spending prolonged periods inside stuffy classrooms.

In Wiltshire, Kingdown School, Clarendon Academy, Pewsey Vale School and Dilton Marsh Primary are among those who say lessons will finish at 12:30.

Kingsholm Primary in Gloucester will close its doors at 13:30 every day until Thursday, and advised pupils they were welcome to wear their PE kit to class.

They added all after school clubs, except Cool Kids, will be cancelled this week.

In Bristol, The Castle School, Hillcrest Primary, Bristol Met Academy will also close on Wednesday and Thursday along with 39 schools across Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset.

More are expected to announce closures.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge described it as a "very unusual, rare spell of very hot weather".

"This is the second heatwave of this year already so it just shows that the warming climate means that these more extreme spells are becoming more frequent," he said.

"That's unfortunately just the way things are going at the moment and it doesn't seem to be slowing down."

Gareth Redmond-King, head of international at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said the heatwave "hits in the week Parliament is set to debate and vote on the UK's plans to get to net zero – which remains the only scientifically available solution to halting climate change, and limiting these dangerous and costly extremes into the future.

"Let's be clear, temperatures will continue to go up and up until we reach net zero emissions," he added.

On Monday, flash floods hit multiple towns throughout Somerset and Bristol due to the unexpected heavy rainfall.

The Environment Agency warned Shepton Mallet, Croscombe, Upper Coxley, Coxley and Fenny Castle would be the most affected with disruption possibly continuing overnight.

Hundreds of homes were also without electricity on Monday as storms battered the West Country.

The National Grid said 252 properties in Shepton Mallet and 165 homes in Glastonbury were without power.

Blackouts have also been reported on the outskirts of Bristol, in the BS48 area near Long Ashton, with 110 properties affected.

Lightning has also been reported across the region.

Transport operators have also warned of potential disruption, with high temperatures capable of affecting road surfaces and rail infrastructure.

Great Western Railway announced it was running an amended service following the weather warning and urged passengers to check journey times before they travel.

National Rail will be closely monitoring sections of railway track to detect whether the steel is expanding or curving, and will introduce speed restrictions to prevent further buckling.

National Highways South West warned tarmac can also soften in extreme temperatures.

"In the most severe cases, we consider closing lanes for safety reasons," it said.

"We monitor the network very closely during these times, so that we can carry out necessary repairs as quickly as possible."

The heatwave comes after at least nine people died after getting into trouble in open water during a hot spell in May.

"We're asking for everybody to just be very wary around bodies of water," Partridge said.

"In the last heatwave, unfortunately, quite a few people lost their lives by going into cold water and getting cold water shock.

"That's still very much an issue, so just be careful how you cool yourself down.

"If there's the option between a hose pipe and jumping in the lake, probably go for the hose pipe and just keep yourself safer."

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.