Dan Ayers
BBC News, Somerset

"I've never seen anything like it."

Steve Piper owns Cheeky Bean cafe in Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

His basement kitchen flooded last night in the thunderstorm and the cafe has had to close.

"We came here last night and saw it under a foot of water," Steve said.

"It was really scary how quickly it happened. We've had no power for 14 hours and there will be a loss of trade. The community has rallied around though and set up a donation page which shows how good Shepton is."

Waste collection crews will start their rounds from 04:00 BST in Bristol on Wednesday and Thursday to avoid the warmest parts of the day.

Homeowners are being asked to put their bins out the nights before, to ensure they can be collected.

Bristol Waste said keeping crews safe from “dangerously hot working conditions” was its “absolute priority”.

Workers will stop making collections when it becomes too hot, but extra rounds will be made on the weekend and next week to pick up any missed bins.

From Friday, rounds will begin at 05:00, an hour earlier than the usual start time of 06:00, as it is still forecast to be hot.

Bristol Waste also said its St Philips and Hartcliffe Way Household Reuse and Recycling Centres will be shut on Wednesday and Thursday due to the heat.

Image source, Getty Images

There is no legal maximum temperature for classrooms in the UK. If a school is open, the advice is to send your child in as normal.

The government says keeping children in school is crucial for their development, and lessons can usually be managed safely during a heatwave.

Image source, Getty Images/SolStock

Teaching unions have recommended that schools should aim to keep indoor temperatures at a maximum of 26C.

School leaders will keep a close eye on temperatures and will refer to their risk assessments. They will also watch for pupils becoming tired more quickly, especially those who are vulnerable.

Bea Swallow
West of England

Hot weather increases the amount of energy available in the atmosphere, according to the Met Office.

When the sun heats up the ground, warm, humid air rises rapidly.

As this moist air ascends, it cools quickly, condensing into towering storm clouds. This rapid movement of air and ice particles generates static electricity, resulting in lightning, thunder and heavy downpours, external.

These storms can form quickly and be highly localised, bringing sudden changes in conditions and, at times, intense rainfall.

Tori Allison captured this daunting sky in Frome, adding it "looked like an alien invasion was imminent".

Image source, Tori Allison

Bea Swallow
West of England

The afternoon sun is beating down on the pitch, but these cricket fans aren't going anywhere.

Bristol County Ground is hosting the ICC Women's T20 World Cup this week, and today's early match has seen New Zealand take on Scotland, with plenty of water breaks.

Dedicated spectators have been watching on from the stands, shielding from the sun under hats and umbrellas.

But the sticky heat hasn't dampened spirits, with supporters determined to soak up the action and catch Sri Lanka v Ireland this afternoon despite the scorching conditions.

Bea Swallow
West of England

Images have emerged showing the aftermath of last night's dramatic storm in Bath.

A manhole cover on Twerton High Street has been uprooted from the tarmac, with large cracks stretching across the road.

Another strike on Prior Park Road has fractured the road surface, leaving a shallow crater with jagged edges. Google Maps shows the route is currently closed to traffic.

Bea Swallow
West of England

With rising temperatures comes mounting desperation to find relief - but Cheltenham Lido has warned people not to turn up without a pre-booked session or a season ticket.

Due to exceptionally high demand, all online bookings for this week have now sold out, with weekend sessions also nearing capacity.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the lido said: "With very limited shade available at the front of the site, we are concerned about individuals and families potentially waiting for extended periods in extreme temperatures, only to be disappointed if capacity has been reached.

"We do not want anyone, particularly young children, to spend over an hour queuing in these conditions without certainty of being admitted.

"We understand this may be disappointing, and turning people away is never something we want to do. However, in these exceptional weather conditions, we believe this is the safest and most responsible advice we can give."

Mike Gilmore
BBC News, West of England

Karen Macdonald, who lives on Bissex Mead in Emersons Green, Bristol, said she heard a "massive bang" when a fork of lightning struck a nearby home, setting it alight and severing the area's electricity supply.

"Our TV blew up and I thought it was something in our roof, because it was so loud," she said.

"We saw the black smoke coming over so [my husband] ran up the road to make sure everybody was alright and see what was going on, because it was obviously bad.

"By that time they had luckily got out and then the fire brigade turned up.

"It literally happened in seconds. It was terrifying to be honest, really scary."

Bea Swallow
West of England

Bristol Airport has confirmed operations have returned to normal after all flights were grounded on Monday evening.

It is thought the electrical storm caused damage to air traffic communications equipment, impacting both primary and backup systems.

Image source, Getty Images

In a statement, the airport said: "Engineers were quickly on site and worked to identify and then fix what was found to be complex damage to equipment, which involved working closely with NATS, which operates the air traffic control services at the Airport, to resolve the problem.

"Unfortunately, flights had to be cancelled and diverted during this time and we’re sorry to all passengers who suffered disruption caused by the weather event.

"We’ll be working with NATS to fully understand what happened, but early indications are that several lightning strikes caused damage to equipment.”

New pictures have emerged showing the aftermath of a house fire caused by a lightning strike in Emersons Green, Bristol.

The family inside were fortunately able to escape and neighbours rallied around them, redirecting traffic and offering a safe sanctuary while firefighters battled the blaze.

Bea Swallow
West of England

A primary school has been forced to close after last night's storms triggered a sewage surge.

Oldfield Park Junior (OPJ) School in Bath said the sudden downpours flooded communal areas and a number of classrooms with sewage.

In a statement sent to parents on Monday, school chiefs said: "We have therefore been advised to close OPJ tomorrow as there is a significant risk of contamination and, consequently, puts the health of all at risk.

"There will be an extensive clean-up operation starting tomorrow [Tuesday], as well as plans formulated regarding where classes are going to be relocated to."

Bea Swallow
West of England

With an extreme heat weather warning issued for the region, volunteers from the Rapid Relief Team (RRT) will be providing free chilled bottled water to people in Bristol city centre.

Working alongside the Emergency Planning Team at Bristol City Council, volunteers will distribute bottled water from the charity's refrigerated trailer to help people stay hydrated during the hottest part of the day.

• When: Tuesday from approximately 12:00 BST
• Where: Victoria Street, outside the offices of Bristol City Council

Mike Gilmore
BBC News, West of England

Image source, Submitted

A neighbour living behind a home gutted by fire after being struck by lightning has described the "terrifying" moment the bolt hit.

Laura Sharp described sitting with her family watching the storm from her home in Emerson's Green when the lightning hit with "an explosion like a bomb going off".

"We thought it had hit our tree, we felt it go up our legs, we were in shock... it was horrific," she said.

"The internet went out, the TVs went off, the lights were on, the alarms were all going off and then we saw the flames so we immediately called the fire brigade," she added.

With her son left "very distressed" by the strike and concerned the flames could spread to their home, they left the property in a hurry.

When her partner returned to the house, he said there had been "a nasty smoke smell".

Sharp added that the fire service visited to check for toxic gases before giving them the all-clear to return home.

"Those poor people and their home, I just feel for them - the utter horror," she added.

This timelapse footage was sent to us by Oakhill resident Jack Stringer who captured floodwater rising outside a row of homes in Somerset.

Residents can be seen rushing out to try and stop the rainwater entering houses, as cars drive through deep water.

Bea Swallow
West of England

Image source, Getty Images

The heatwave has prompted dozens of schools across Somerset to alter their timetable to protect staff and pupils from overheating in classrooms.

More than 60 schools have either closed completely or allowed students to finish early as temperatures begin to climb. The full list of closures can be found here., external

Some schools are also relaxing uniform rules to provide some respite from the heat, and pupils are encouraged to bring in a water bottle and sun hat each day.

Read more about the school closures here.

Bea Swallow
West of England

Those planning to take part in the Forde Abbey 10k and Junior Race near the Somerset border will have to hang up their running shoes for another three weeks.

Both races, which were scheduled to take place on Wednesday, have now been postponed to 15 July due to the "unprecedented weather warnings".

Image source, Getty Images

In a statement organisers said: "Thank you for everyone's support, as you can imagine it wasn't an easy task to rearrange this close to the event, but the safety of the South West running community is the primary consideration for us."

All registered entrants will be automatically carried over to the next event.

Bea Swallow
West of England

Somerset saw a total of 18,540 lightning strikes on Monday, the Met Office has said.

There have been more than 29,000 strikes recorded across England in the past 24 hours, the meteorological service added.

Image source, Josie / Weather Watchers

Bea Swallow
West of England

More than 40 schools in Gloucestershire have announced they will be closing or finish early from today until Thursday to prioritise the wellbeing of pupils and staff amid extreme temperatures.

The full list of closures is available here, external.

Image source, Getty Images

The Department for Education said on its website on Monday that “during hot weather, we don’t normally advise schools to close” because "attendance is the best way for pupils to learn and reach their potential".

However, it added that school leaders "should make sure they take any steps necessary to make sure children are safe and comfortable".

Read more about the school closures here.

Bea Swallow
West of England

Image source, Handout

A man from Bristol has described how he watched in horror as his neighbour's home was engulfed by flames after being struck by lightning on Monday evening.

Philip Ahmet, who lives on Wadham Grove in Emerson's Green, heard a loud bang as the thunderstorms came rolling in and the street was plunged into darkness.

"It was very loud even though we're about 200 yards away from where it struck. It tripped out all the electricity," he recalled.

"A number of us went round to see what was going on, see if we could help. The house was well ablaze by then, but fortunately the people inside had managed to get out, just with the clothes they had on.

"They were unsurprisingly dazed, confused and shocked about what happened."

Ahmet said if the strike had come just a few hours later, after the family had gone to bed, "it could have been a totally different story".

"It hit through the roof, so the upstairs could have been very quickly engulfed with flames and smoke," he added.

Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley
West of England

As the sun continues to shine throughout the week, visitors are flocking to Weston-super-Mare beach.

A rare red warning for heat comes into effect tomorrow alongside a red health alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency. This warning indicates a risk to life for even the healthy population.

Sarah Bird, lead consultant in health protection at UKHSA South West, said: "It is vitally important that people understand the risk posed by high temperatures like these and take steps to keep themselves and their friends, families and neighbours safe.

“A red heat health alert indicates a risk to life for even the healthy population, but simple actions like staying hydrated, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, and keeping your home cool can make a big difference. It’s also important to look out for others, especially elderly relatives, neighbours, and those with underlying health conditions, to make sure they are aware of the forecast and following the necessary advice.”

But the high temperatures have not deterred some residents and tourists from heading to the beach.