Chris Lockyer
Somerset

With nearly 200 schools in Somerset closed today, BBC Radio Somerset spoke to Morwenna Dunstan, head teacher at St Mary’s Primary School in Bridgwater.

“We tried everything to try and stay open, it was really reluctantly that we closed," she said, adding she did not know of any schools still open.

"It was the extreme heat within the building and our inability to cool it down - even with fans and even with ventilation, the buildings are just not fit for the weather we’re getting at the moment," she explained.

“It’s hitting 35C with no through draught, with all the doors open in the corridor. In our covered area, where our children would be playing outside, it hit 40C because of the plastic on the roof - so they couldn’t get out to where they would normally be playing.

“Our parents are amazing and really understanding, and they trust us to do our best to keep our children safe and do what we have to do. I’ve got 500 human beings I’m responsible for… and if one were to get ill due to the heat - that would be terrible.”

Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley
West of England

Image source, Matthew Horwood

Drivers are being reminded to check tyre pressures, coolant and oil levels before setting off and to watch for signs of their vehicles overheating.

The AA says its workload was 6% above planned levels on Tuesday, “reflecting increased demand”.

“As temperatures remain high, drivers should not underestimate the strain that hot weather can place on vehicles, particularly older cars and those that have not been serviced recently," it warned.

“We also advise occupants to use caution when entering a vehicle in hot weather, as seats, trim and other interior surfaces can quickly reach temperatures that may cause discomfort or minor burns."

It also advises drivers to:

• Carry plenty of water
• Have a charged nobile phone
• Have enough fuel or battery to cope with delays and increased air-con use

Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley
West of England

The Met Office has issued a new amber weather warning for heat, external which covers parts of east Gloucestershire on Friday.

Temperatures are expected to reach highs of around 32C in the Cotswolds on Friday.

Sarah Turnnidge
West of England

Image source, PA Media

People across the West are being forced to adapt to the extreme heat - including soldiers training on Salisbury Plain.

A spokesperson for the Army said: "Heat illness is a serious issue for defence, so mitigating the risk for those participating in training and exercises is essential to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our personnel."

They explained regular risk assessments were being carried out and personnel were being monitored for symptoms of heat-related illnesses.

Live firing on Salisbury Plain has been reduced, with soldiers using only purpose-built ranges with no tracer or incendiary ammunition. There has been no change to public access to the area, the spokesperson added.

Duncan Cook
Gloucestershire

We've been hearing a lot about the risks of the high temperatures - but what is the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke?

Dr Anathakrishnan Raghuram, chief medical officer for NHS Gloucestershire, explained: “Heat exhaustion, the early signs are you can get a temperature and get very thirsty. People get tired, dizzy, they can have headaches, you can feel a bit sick and start sweating.

"If that happens they immediately need to be cooled down, move them to a cool place, remove excess clothing and plenty of fluids.

“Heat stroke is a medical emergency. The temperature is quite high, they start breathing hard and your heart rate goes up. Very occasionally they can have fits and lose consciousness. This is a medical emergency that needs urgent medical help.”

A fundraiser to support a family in Bristol who lost their home to fire after it was struck by lightning on Monday has reached more than £12,000 in 24 hours.

Though the family managed to escape the blaze in Emersons Green unharmed, the fundraising page says they have been left without a home and the majority of their belongings.

Neighbours described the strike as "like a bomb going off", with pictures showing the roof of the house fully alight among the severe storm.

Image source, Submitted

Mike Gilmore
Bristol

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Chalke is the founder of Oasis Academy, which operates 10 schools in the Bristol area. One of those schools, the Oasis Academy Temple Quarter, is fully air conditioned.

He told BBC Radio Bristol the reason they had to close was due to staff not being able to work, as their own children's schools are closed.

"So the reason in fact that schools have shut across Bristol isn't necessarily because all of their buildings are inadequate, but it's because other school buildings are inadequate and it has a knock-on impact," he said.

Hundreds of schools across the West are closed today and tomorrow, with GMB Union national officer Stacey Booth saying earlier "no pupil or member of staff should be expected to learn or work in unsafe levels of heat".

She added: "Once temperatures exceed 30C, schools should act quickly, use the cooler parts of the building, reduce physical demands, increase water breaks and make sensible adjustments to uniform and duties."

It's not just schools that are closing, altering their opening hours, or postponing events - across the region event organisers and businesses have warned of changes due to the soaring heat.

Some of the changes include:

• Bristol Sounds, a six-day music festival on the city's harbourside, is still going ahead but with attendees urged to bring reusable water bottles with additional water stations on hand
• Horse races due to take place in Salisbury have been cancelled
• Public access to Cheddar Reservoir has been closed to discourage swimmers
• Frampton 10k has been postponed, with organisers looking for a new date
• Cheltenham Lido has urged people without a booking or a season ticket not to turn up as they are fully booked

Many of our homes simply aren't built to deal with the temperatures we're expecting today and tomorrow. So what's the best way to keep cool?

The experts we've spoken to suggested:

1. Closing curtains or blinds and keeping windows shut during the hottest part of the day.

2. Use a fan to enhance the breeze, particularly in front of an open window.

3. Try to avoid using appliances like ovens and washing machines.

For more tips on lowering the heat as much as possible, you can read our full article here.

Image source, Getty Images

As the temperature soars it can become tempting to take a dip to cool off.

But while parts of the Severn riverbank can appear like a sandy beach, rescue crews have warned these idyllic-looking spots can be full of hidden dangers - such as fast-moving tides, unstable sand and cold water that can cause shock.

Matt Davies, from the Severn Area Rescue Association, said people are being caught out by conditions that can change in minutes: "It looks like we have a beach on our doorstep, but people don't understand the tides and they put themselves into extreme danger."

You can read our full article on the issue here.

Daisy Bodkin
Gloucester

King penguins are keeping cool at Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire.

Because the penguins originate from the Antarctic, staff have added extra ice to their enclosure to help them cope with the hot weather. This gives them a cold surface to stand on and helps keep their feet cool.

They can also cool off by taking a dip in the pool, which is filled with cold water drawn from the nearby river, or by standing beneath the sprinklers in their enclosure.

Image source, Birdland

The short answer is yes.

The world's warmest 11 years on record have all happened since 2015 and while natural weather patterns are partly to blame, experts say human activities have impacted global temperatures.

Dr Will Lang, from the Met Office, says: “These heatwaves are becoming more frequent and more severe due to the changing climate."

This heatwave has spread from continental Europe and has been described as a "heat-dome driven furnace" that has pushed temperatures into "truly exceptional territory" by senior research scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science Akshay Deoras.

He said human-driven climate change “has provided the springboard for this event” after loading the atmosphere with extra heat and making extreme temperatures far more intense than they would have been in the past.

Image source, PA Media

Sarah Turnnidge
West of England

Image source, Getty Images

Councils across the West have announced changes to bin collections and tip opening hours to keep crews safe during the heat.

In Wiltshire, a number of household recycling centres are closed or operating on reduced hours, while crews collecting from homes will work earlier than usual.

People have been asked to have their bins out before 6:00 BST and offer crews a glass of water if possible.

Somerset Council has also advised households of changes to collections, with no crews working after midday and recycling sites also closed from 12:00. Any recycling not collected will not be returned for, the council said, with residents advised to put waste back out on their next regular day.

Recycling centres in Bristol are also closed, with crews starting their rounds from 04:00 over the next two days.

Great Western Railway (GWR) will run fewer services than usual today due to speed restrictions and has asked passengers only to travel if it is essential.

In the hot weather, the overhead lines that provide power to the trains can expand and sag, so to avoid damaging the lines, trains must travel more slowly.

GWR said tickets purchased for Wednesday or Thursday will be valid for use on Friday, Monday and Tuesday.

Image source, Getty Images

Hundreds of schools across the region are closed or partially closed today and tomorrow due to the extreme weather.

While there is no legal maximum temperature for classrooms, schools are expected to safeguard students from risks to their health.

In Bristol, more than 60 schools are either closed or partially closed, with the full list available here, external. There are a further 30 closed or partially closed in South Gloucestershire, with a full list available here, external.

In Gloucestershire more than 180 schools are partially or completely closed, with the full list available here., external

There are also around 180 schools closed in Somerset, with the full list available here, external.

Wiltshire does not publish a full list of school closures, but as of yesterday the BBC had heard of 23 full or partial closures. Parents and guardians have been advised to stay in touch with their children's schools for updates.

Sarah Turnnidge
West of England

After another sweltering night, the West Country is waking up this morning under a rare red weather warning for extreme heat.

Temperatures are expected to reach up to 40C in parts of England and Wales over the next two days, breaking previous heat records for June.

We'll be staying across the latest weather updates in the region as they unfold here.

Our live coverage from BBC West is coming to an end for today.

We will be reporting more weather-related news tomorrow. You can also catch up with stories from across the country about the current heatwave here.

Animals at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in North Somerset are staying cool with homemade ice lollies, hose-downs and pool swims.

The zoo's African elephants and southern white rhinos also have access to mud wallows, which help them regulate their body temperature during warm weather.

Zookeepers are looking after gibbons, capybaras, bears, tapirs and a rescue tiger in the heatwave – see how they’re getting on.

Image source, Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

Image source, Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

Image source, Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

Image source, Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

Battling the heat can be hard – especially for babies and young children.

Take a look at these five hacks to keep your kids cool and safe this summer and beyond.

Image source, Getty Images

Dozens of schools across Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire have announced closures.

We have a round-up of the closures we know about so far. Check here to see if your child's school is shutting.

Image source, Getty Images