Red heat alert extended as train travel disrupted

A red heat health alert has been extended as temperatures across the west of England soar.

The UK Health Security Agency has extended the warning - which covers the south-west as well as parts of central and southern England - from 23:00 BST on Thursday to the same time on Friday.

Great Western Railway cancelled the majority of what were left of its Wednesday services between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington, as well as a number of local services.

"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," the rail operator said. It asked passengers to make essential journeys only.

The operator added that tickets purchased for Wednesday or Thursday would also be valid for use on Friday, Monday and Tuesday.

After Monday saw flash flooding and thousands of lightning strikes, a new yellow weather warning for thunderstorms was issued by the Met Office earlier.

Large areas of Somerset, along with Devon and Cornwall, are included in the warning, which predicts possibly disruptive storms between 18:00 and 23:59 BST on Thursday.

Temperatures in the West climbed to the mid-30s on Wednesday - but atmospheric conditions meant it felt closer to 40C.

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust said some conditions and medications could affect how bodies managed heat or recognised when something was not right.

It urged people to stay aware in the heat and recommended keeping in touch with family and friends, sticking to routines as much as possible and reaching out for help if anyone felt their mental health slipping.

The heat forced hundreds of schools across the region to stay closed, with one headteacher saying he expected "to see more and more of this" in the future.

"If we're going to successfully navigate the future for our children in school, we have to think about a more resilient pathway that deals with peaks and troughs in temperature," added Steve Chalke, founder of Oasis Academy, which operates 10 schools in the Bristol area.

Chalke said even the air conditioned Oasis Academy Temple Quarter had to remain closed as teachers were unable to work due to their children's schools being closed.

Meanwhile Claire Savory, CEO of The GLA Trust, which runs 11 primary schools across Gloucestershire, said these were "unprecedented times" for schools.

She said each of the trust's schools had undertaken risk assessments, with some closing and others staying open depending on how safe each site was.

She said extra measures were in place for schools which remained open, with some children even sitting in lessons with their feet in drawers filled with water to keep cool.

And it was not just schools which were closed for the day.

Horse racing in Salisbury was called off earlier this week when the red alert was first issued.

"These temperatures are extreme. When you're in a red weather warning, the policy is that the meeting will get abandoned," said Marlborough-based horse racing trainer Emma Lavelle.

She added her priority was keeping her horses cool ahead of races rescheduled for Tuesday.

And soldiers training on Salisbury Plain also had their plans changed.

Live firing was reduced, with soldiers using only purpose-built ranges with no tracer or incendiary ammunition.

A spokesperson for the British 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."

But the day was not a write-off for everyone.

The University of Gloucestershire invited members of the general public to use some of its air conditioned spaces if needed.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old ice cream seller Emery and his dad said customers were coming out on "almost every street" during their rounds of Gloucester, with the heat being "good for money and for the business".

Bristol Sounds festival is also going ahead at the city's amphitheatre every day until Sunday.

The festival said it was providing extra water stations to help people stay hydrated.

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