As it happened: Parts of England to reach 35C as heatwave continues

Jersey Water is asking islanders not to use hosepipes and sprinklers during the hot and dry weather.

Demand for water during the week has been at about 22 million litres of water a day, a bout 2.5 million more than the same time last year, it said.

The island reached its second "absolute drought" of 2022 after more than 15 days without rain, on 5 August.

The Met Office forecast maximum temperatures of 34C for the island across the weekend.

Parts of the UK could be hit with thunderstorms and heavy rain - starting from tomorrow.

The Met Office says thunderstorm warnings are in place from noon on Sunday until 6am on Monday for most of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It has also released yellow weather warnings for Wales and England on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 August.

The forecaster has said there may be 50mm of rain, lightning and hail in some areas.

Earlier we reported on a huge fire which tore through a popular nature reserve in Dorset.

Firefighters worked through the night to bring the wildfire at Studland under control, which was believed to have been sparked by a disposable barbecue.

Now, Dorset Police say firefighters have discovered an unexploded piece of ammunition believed to date to the Second World War on the scorched heathland.

It said a bomb disposal unit would be attending and warned the public in the surrounding area they may hear a loud bang as they dispose of the device.

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Dozens of firefighters in Wales are tackling a fire which has spread across five corn fields in Pembrokeshire.

Emergency services were called just after 1.20pm to the large blaze near Whitesands, St Davids.

BBC Wales reporter Peter Gillibrand says thousands of pounds of crops have been destroyed.

He adds: "Residents say they’ve never seen anything like it before."

The Fire Service is dealing with the blaze but he notes it seems to be spreading faster.

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As we reported earlier, temperatures at Heathrow were amongst the top five hotspots in the UK at 2pm today.

The airport is a regular contender for recording high UK temperatures - and some have suggested heat emitted from the airport's runway skews temperatures. But is that the case?

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Temperature readings in the UK are taken from standardised weather stations, which have to meet specific criteria and are maintained and inspected by specialist teams.

Although some weather stations are located at airports, temperature readings are taken from thermometers in a Stevenson screen, which is a white slatted box with its door facing north.

The locations of these are also standardised, positioned over level grass and away from concrete or hardstanding wherever possible, which minimises the influence of man-made surfaces, like airport runways.

The Met Office also measures temperatures of the soil, ground and water in places too.

You can read more about common heatwave myths debunked here.

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As we mentioned earlier, footballers are getting a drinks break during their matches this afternoon.

And the Football Supporters' Association has urged clubs to also consider the needs of fans on a scorching afternoon in the stands.

"Clubs should be allowing fans to take water bottles and sun cream through the turnstiles," the FSA says on Twitter. "Worth checking with your club to see if they are providing extra water or refilling stations."

Many football clubs have imposed rules for years preventing people from bringing bottles into stadiums, amid fears they could be used as weapons.

Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud says the weather will continue to be dry and hot across the south of England for the rest of the weekend.

"We're looking at temperatures, for the remainder of Saturday, of up to 34C or 35C across the south, feeling a little bit fresher across the north, but temperatures up there still well above where they should be for the time of year."

He says although there is a slight risk of some isolated showers across Devon and Cornwall early on Sunday morning, most places in the south will see more dry and fine weather with "some strong August sunshine".

Meanwhile, thunderstorm warnings have been issued between midday on Sunday until 6am on Monday for most of Scotland and Northern Ireland - and from 10am until midnight on Monday for Wales and England.

The Met Office says temperatures recorded at 2pm this afternoon are already higher than they were at the same time yesterday.

The mercury hit 34.3C in Charlwood in Surrey making it the warmest place in the UK so far this Saturday afternoon.

It was followed by Cambridge and Northolt in north-west London.

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The Shrewsbury Flower Show - a staple of the Shropshire calendar - returned to the town on Friday after a three-year absence due tothe pandemic.

But, this summer’s heatwave has produced a whole set of new challenges with gardeners recounting tales of the difficult growing conditions.

“The weather conditions for the growers have been so tough this year” said celebrity gardener Toby Buckland.

“This is testimony to their skill isn’t it, the fact that there’s so much colour. You would never know that we are in the middle of a blistering heatwave.”

Telford-based Shropshire Sarracenias' owner Mike King said the heatwave has been particularly difficult for his business because the plants must have rainwater as tap water is poisonous to them.

He has built an elaborate storage system with a capacity of 34,000 litres.

With only 10,000 litres left he’s hoping the dry conditions will end soon.

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Rising summer temperatures are causing longer and more frequent heatwaves across the United Kingdom.

BBC analysis estimates that six million people live in places at risk of higher heat during the summer months.

Using satellite data from 4 Earth Intelligence, the BBC mapped how vulnerable postcode areas were to extreme heat in England, Wales and Scotland during periods of hot weather over the past three summers - shown with a heat hazard score.

Check here to see if your postcode is vulnerable to extreme heat.

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Firefighters have been tackling a blaze across 91 acres (37 hectares) in the Essex village of Broomfield.

Three homes were saved from the flames yesterday after farmers dampened down hedges to help crews out.

Group manager Dan Partridge, said: "This was one of the largest field fires we had ever seen in the county.

"People lined up and clapped in our fire crews as they arrived, they gave us bottles of water, and farmers used quad bikes to deliver our firefighters supplies across the field."

One crew returned this morning to monitor the area and would "remain on scene for the time being", said the service.

The cause of the fire was thought to be accidental.

The Met Office's amber extreme heat warning - affecting southern and central England and parts of Wales - lasts until tomorrow.

We could see temperatures hitting 35C (95F) in some parts of the country this afternoon.

This amber alert is the longest the Met Office has issued since it introduced the warning system in 2021.

It's lower than the first-ever red warning in July, when temperatures exceeded 40C for the first time.

Check the forecast where you are here.

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Around the cordoned-off fire zone, south of Bordeaux, the big flames have been extinguished, but in some areas, almost everywhere you look, there are wisps of smoke from burning embers on the ground.

We watched as a French fire crew hosed down several small fires that were still smouldering in charred tree trunks that were destroyed in an earlier blaze

One firefighter told us that in some places, fires have been burning underground, sometimes for weeks, in the peat-rich soil. The scorched earth, covered in a thin layer of ash, is hot underfoot. You feel it even through thick-soled boots.

On Friday we watched as a hedgerow burst into flames very close to some houses in the countryside. A team of Romanian firefighters was on hand to put out the blaze – but it was a reminder of how easy it is for fires to resurge.

You can read more here about the challenges facing firefighters near Bordeaux.

Welsh club rugby sides have cancelled their friendlies this weekend as the hot weather continues.

Llantwit Major was due to play Bridgend Ravens on Saturday but said the game was being called off due to "extreme weather warning in place and current pitch conditions".

The club added on social media that the decision "was taken considering all the players' welfare".

Meanwhile, Bridgend Sport's meeting with Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd has also been called off.

The games were due to be played ahead of the Welsh club rugby season starting on the weekend of 3 September.

Read more about that story here.

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Drinks breaks will be implemented during Premier League football fixtures this weekend with temperatures forecast to reach as high as 37C (99F).

The pauses in play were first introduced by the Football Association when matches were played during the summer after a delay due to the Covid pandemic.

A break was called in last Sunday's Premier League match between West Ham and Manchester City - while evening games in the Carabao Cup first round earlier this week also featured water breaks.

Read more here.

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A huge fire which tore through a popular nature reserve in Dorset and forced the evacuation of a beach was most likely caused by a barbecue, firefighters say.

90 firefighters tackled the blaze at Studland Heath yesterday.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service say it discovered a used disposable barbecue amid the ashes.

Area manager Jason Moncrief said: "There can't be many people left in Britain who don't know the advice at the moment is do not use a disposable barbecue at these places.

"Bring a picnic, use our local cafes, restaurants and takeaways, don't bring a barbecue."

Flames leapt across the Isle of Purbeck, forcing police to evacuate Studland beach which had been busy with holiday makers.

You can read more here.

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Labour has called on the government to summon a meeting of the Cobra civil contingencies committee to ensure water supplies are protected.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner said: "This is the second major heatwave in weeks but this Tory Government is failing our country yet again.

"Instead of stepping in, ministers have fallen asleep in the midday sun.

"They lecture the public on the use of hosepipes, but where is their plan to protect our vital water system.

"It has been nearly a year since they launched their National Resilience Strategy consultation and yet they don't have a single plan. They are all spin and no substance."

More now from National Drought Group chair Harvey Bradshaw who is calling on water companies to bear down on issues like leaks.

He's been telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme it is not just the public who need to re-think about how to use and consume water.

"We in the Environment Agency have teamed up with Ofwat and the Drinking Water Inspectorate to provide a regulatory alliance to encourage water companies to come forward with this infrastructure that we need.

"We’ve also produced a national framework that says this is the water we will need in 50 years time and this is where it might come from.

"We have got an exceptional set of circumstances which has led to this drought and we have all got a responsibility to play out now including, and principally, the water companies.

"So, yes, we expect water companies to bear down on leaks.

"We expect water companies to put in more pipes to connect their network and we are seeing evidence they are doing that."

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If you live in one of the eight areas of England affected by drought, the most obvious first impact is likely to be a hosepipe ban. That prevents the use of hoses to water gardens, fill paddling pools or clean cars.

Each water company has a drought plan - as a drought gets worse, the severity of their actions increases.

If conditions become extreme, companies could ban non-essential water use. That might include watering plants with a watering can or cleaning windows.

It's possible that water rationing or cuts to water supply could be introduced - but most water companies consider this extreme and say they plan to never reach this level. Thames Water say this would involve a drought worse than any since 1920.

An important part of declaring a drought is sending a message that we should do our best to use less water. It’s hoped this reduces pressure on reserves.

There are ways you can save water - take a look at some suggestions below.

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