Bea Swallow
West of England

Bristol Water has urged people not to swim in its reservoirs - warning of deep cold water, submerged hazards and strong currents beneath the surface.

As part of its routine water safety practice during periods of extreme heat, the water company has temporarily closed public access to Cheddar Reservoir to reduce the risk to visitors and avoid adding pressure to emergency services during a particularly busy period.

The reservoir is closed to swimmers all year round, but the additional measures have been brought in as a plunge in the water becomes more attractive as a way of combatting the soaring temperatures.

Richard Stanbrook, Bristol Water’s general manager of drinking water services, said: “We know our reservoirs can look very tempting in hot weather, but they are operational sites and it is never safe to enter the water.

Sara Thornton
BBC Weather

Temperatures in the West on Monday reached 32C at Yeovilton, 31.6C at RAF Fairford, and 30.5C at Almondsbury.

But with high humidity, the "feels like" temperatures are even higher - reaching up to 40C.

It's the humidity that means people find it difficult to cool down because they are less able to sweat, and that intensifies the feelings of discomfort and exacerbates health impacts.

With temperatures set to rise even further in the coming days, and the high humidity persisting, this heatwave is an extremely serious event.

Bea Swallow
West of England

Though a red weather warning for extreme heat still remains in place for Thursday and Friday, the Met Office is now reporting slightly lower temperatures in the coming days.

Peak temperatures had been predicted to hit 39C on both days, but this has now dipped to 36C on Wednesday and 38C on Thursday.

The Met Office has said significant disruption to daily life is "likely", warning the public to take "every effort to make precautions and adapt their daily routines where possible" to cope with "extremely rare" temperatures.

These astonishing pictures sent in to BBC Weather Watchers go some way towards showing the extent of last night's storms lighting up the skies.

Huge grey clouds, heavy rain and forks of lightning could be seen striking across swathes of Bristol, Bath and Somerset.

Image source, Josie / Weather Watchers

Image source, Philbert Nut / Weather Watchers

Image source, Cherry / Weather Watchers

Image source, Robin Thomas / Weather Watchers

Bea Swallow
West of England

The dramatic weather also caused disruption on the ground yesterday.

Lightning strikes damaged two roads in Bath - Twerton High Street and Prior Park Road - with pictures shared on social media showing large cracks in the tarmac.

Several properties were also evacuated in Emersons Green in Bristol after a lightning strike set one home alight, causing severe damage.

Reports on social media show a business on High Street in Weston-super-Mare was also struck, with debris strewn across the road.

Hundreds of homes in Shepton Mallet, Glastonbury and Bristol were also briefly without power due to the weather, according to the National Grid.

Bea Swallow
West of England

After widespread cancellations last night, flights from Bristol Airport appear to be operating as normal early this morning.

All flights were grounded on Monday evening due to the thunderstorms, which brought intense lightning strikes and caused a fault to air traffic control systems.

But the airport's live departure board this morning suggests the majority of flights are on time, with no widespread cancellations currently being reported.

Bea Swallow
BBC News, West of England

Image source, Craftcottage/ Weather Watchers

Good morning!

Welcome back to our live page coverage, where we'll catch up on what happened overnight and give you an idea of what's yet to come.

It's set to be another hot and humid day, with bright sunshine and maximum temperatures of 35C.

That's it from the BBC West live page today.

Join us again tomorrow morning for more weather-related news or you can read more about today's storms and incidents here.

Levels on the River Sheppey in Somerset are rising rapidly amid heavy rainfall within the last hour.

The Environment Agency warned Shepton Mallet, Croscombe, Upper Coxley, Coxley and Fenny Castle will be the most affected.

So far we've had reports of flash flooding in Watchet, Cheddar, Shepton Mallet and Bath.

Hundreds of homes are without electricity this evening as storms batter the West Country.

The National Grid says 252 properties in Shepton Mallet and 165 homes in Glastonbury are without power.

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

Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley
West of England

Image source, Plaster Communications

Organisers of a six-day music festival have confirmed the event will still go ahead.

Bristol Sounds' leaders are urging revellers to "take precautions" as temperatures could peak at 39C.

"Bring a water bottle to use at our water refill points, and bring sunscreen to regularly apply throughout the day.

"There will be free water refill stations available to the left of the stage, and additional bar facilities have been introduced to increase access to soft drinks and water. Security teams at the front of the stage will also be distributing drinking water throughout the concerts, as well as to those queuing to enter early," organisers say.

"Ticket holders are encouraged to bring an empty reusable water bottle, which can be refilled on site. Welfare and medical teams will be available throughout the site," a spokesperson said.

Headliners Super Furry Animals are taking to the stage on Wednesday, when a red weather warning for heat will be in place, supported by Bristol band Getdown Services and Gwenno.

Thursday will see The Streets return as headliners. They'll be supported by CASISDEAD and Jimothy Lacoste.

The open-air concerts take place in Bristol's harbourside area from Tuesday to Sunday.

Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley
West of England

Some schools have announced early closures while others are shutting completely in an effort to protect pupils and staff.

In Bristol, Hillcrest Primary in Knowle is closing from midday on Wednesday and Thursday, and Bristol Met Academy in Fishponds will shut on both days.

Meanwhile, Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, which includes 39 schools across Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset, is closing all of its schools on Wednesday and Thursday.

Bea Swallow
West of England

Image source, Getty Images

Great Western Railway (GWR) has warned customers to travel only when necessary on Wednesday and Thursday, as temperatures are set to peak at 39C.

Extreme heat can cause rails to expand and buckle, so trains must run at a reduced speed to keep services safe, a GWR spokesperson said.

This will mean fewer trains and slightly longer journey times during the warmest periods of each day.

As a result, GWR has eased ticket restrictions for tickets purchased for Wednesday or Thursday, which will be valid on Friday, Monday and Tuesday.

Bea Swallow
West of England

Wayne Darch, from the South Western Ambulance Service, said the team have already seen an increase in activity across the region as the heatwave approaches.

On Sunday, they managed 9.5% more incidents than expected for this time of year.

Residents have been urged to only call 999 in an emergency.

“Our people are continuing to work incredibly hard in very hot and challenging conditions, and I’d like to say a huge thank you to them and NHS partners for everything they are doing," Darch said.

“We want to be there for everyone that needs us in a life-threatening emergency but to do this, we need to have our ambulances free to respond to those most in need."

Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley
West of England

There have been 800 lightning strikes in the past hour over the West Country, according to a storm map, external.

The Met Office predicts storms will hit the West of England for the next few hours.

In Somerset, temperatures will drop from 31C to 27C, with thunderstorms continuing until 18:00 BST.

In Bristol, the mercury will dip from 32C to 28C, with thunderstorms, heavy showers and lightning continuing until 19:00.

Meanwhile storms are set to hit Gloucestershire until about 20:00.

In Wiltshire, temperatures will drop from 32C to 26C, with heavy showers and lightning continuing until 20:00.

Gloucester City Council, Bristol City Council, and Wiltshire Council have now joined Somerset Council in activating their Severe Weather Emergency Plan (SWEP), providing targeted support for rough sleepers until Friday.

According to the charity Shelter, rough sleepers are at high risk during periods of hot weather because they may be lying on hot tarmac or in direct sun with little access to water or shade.

They also may suffer from health conditions or addictions, and alcohol and other substances are dehydrating.

While heat SWEP does not include an accommodation offer, increased patrols will provide water and sunscreen, while directing people to a network of designated “cool spaces”.

The public are being asked to contact emergency services if they are concerned about the health or safety of a rough sleeper.

Mike Gilmore
BBC News, West of England

Julie Sanders, in Bedminster, Bristol, says she's ventured out of her home today out of necessity.

“I’ve only come out today because I’ve had to. Usually I’m at home [with the] doors shut, windows shut, fans on," she says.

To keep safe, Julie says she's been trying to stay out of direct sunlight.

"Hopefully the stores I’ve got to go in have air conditioning to keep cool.”

Mike Gilmore
West of England

How do you cope with the heat?

Philomena Ala, in Bedminster, Bristol, works in Greece during the summer and said the best way to beat the heat is to be in the water.

"I think we’re going to buy a paddling pool and sit in that," she said.

Her advice to keep safe: “Wear loads of sun cream, wear a hat, drink a lot [of water] and if you get too hot, go inside and find some shade.”

Find out more about how to stay safe in the water here.

Bea Swallow
West of England

After the Plimsoll Bridge in Bristol was forced to close in May when its steel structure overheated, Bristol City Council says scheduled swings of the bridge have been temporarily suspended to avoid history repeating itself.

A council spokesperson said forecasts suggest the surface temperature of the road network could peak at about 53C this week.

Image source, Google

In Chepstow, the Old Wye Bridge could face similar structural issues over the coming days.

The 210-year-old bridge linking Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire only reopened to pedestrians on Saturday after months of being closed due to cracks in its structural beams.

But engineers warned the structure was sensitive to heat, and will likely be forced to close again when temperatures go above 30C.

Image source, Getty Images