Heatwave brings thunder and lightning to Essex

Lighting struck across parts of Essex as the county braced itself for the second of four days of extreme heat.

Thunderstorms heard in the early hours of Tuesday were followed by heavy outbreaks of rain in towns including Braintree, Witham, Saffron Walden and Clacton-on-Sea.

Pupils have been advised they can wear PE kits to some schools, while bus operator Central Connect warned of delays to its services.

An amber weather warning has been in place in Essex since Monday, imposed by the Met Office.

Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency issued a red heat health alert for the entire East of England from 09:00 BST on Wednesday until 21:00 on Thursday.

Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mark Sidaway said temperatures in some parts of the region could hit almost 40C (104F).

Simon Marsh said loud thunder rumbled on for two hours early on Tuesday morning in Brentwood, as overnight temperatures in the town remained at 20C (68F).

Commuters in Southend-on-Sea faced disruption when a tree collapsed on to overhead railway lines near Prittlewell shortly after 05:50.

Greater Anglia said services from the seaside city to London were affected until 08:30 due to "electrical supply problems".

Central Connect also warned "a small amount of disruption" could occur while its drivers were given drink breaks.

Boreham Primary School closed at 12:00 as a lack of ventilation made it "extremely uncomfortable" for pupils and staff, Essex County Council said.

Pupils at New Rickstones Academy in Witham and the Billericay School have been told they can wear their PE kits during the heatwave.

Many others, including Belfairs Academy in Leigh-on-Sea, are allowing students to not wear their blazers.

And Chelmsford City Council said its waste collections would begin an hour earlier at 06:00 to help crews manage the heat.

The Met Office has described the region as facing "an exceptional spell of hot and humid weather" and warned of "significant disruption to daily life".

The forecaster said: "The public should take every effort to make precautions and adapt their daily routines where possible to cope with these levels of heat, which up to now have been extremely rare for the UK."

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