Storms overnight follow Met weather warning

Many parts of the West have seen thunder, lightning and hail overnight following a Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms.

The warning was in place for a large area of the south west, including Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire until 23:59 BST on Wednesday.

Parts of the region also had large hailstones which caused damage to some people's properties and set off car alarms.

The shift in weather came after days of soaring temperatures and amber heat health alerts across the country.

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust received a record 3,941 callouts on Tuesday as temperatures in the region surpassed 30C.

The ambulance service advised people to take precautions in the heat and stay hydrated, apply sunscreen regularly, wear protective clothing and check in on elderly or vulnerable people.

They also advised people to stay in the shade and avoid strenuous activity, particularly between 11:00 and 15:00 when UV rays are strongest.

The record for the hottest May temperature in the UK was broken for a second day in a row on Tuesday, with 35.1C recorded at Kew Gardens in London.

According to climate experts, the immediate cause of the heatwave was a "heat dome" – where an area of high pressure became "stuck" over Europe and trapped warm air underneath.

Last week, the government's independent adviser, the Climate Change Committee, said increasingly extreme heatwaves, droughts and floods were already threatening events such as sports matches and music festivals.

The committee urged the government to prepare for more extreme heat and threats of severe weather caused by climate change.

Most weather forecast models show cooler weather will gradually come in again from Friday and into the weekend.

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