Thunder and lightning after heat and humidity

Thunder and lightning swept across Cornwall, Devon, Jersey and Guernsey as the "very hot and humid" weather continues across the South West and Channel Islands.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms across the South West, active from 18:00 BST to 23:59 BST on Thursday, and warned of "some short term loss of power" and a "small chance of flooding".

Jersey and Guernsey both recorded their hottest days on record on Thursday, while temperatures rose above 30C in Devon, prompting a number of schools and businesses to shut.

Temperatures in Jersey reached 39.3C - the highest ever temperature recorded on the Channel Islands - while a high of 36.4C was logged in Guernsey, beating the previous record of 34.3C from August 2003.

It comes as Merryfield in Somerset recorded highs of 36.7C - the hottest June day on record and the hottest day of the year so far for the UK.

Exeter meanwhile saw highs of 33C on Thursday while temperatures of 29C were recorded in Bodmin and 28C in Plymouth.

The Met Office said scattered showers and thunderstorms were expected to move northeastwards during Thursday evening and overnight.

While many areas will miss them, forecasters noted the storms could produce sudden winds of up to 96.56kmh (60mph), frequent lightning, hail and heavy rain in Cornwall and Devon.

Jersey Met issued a yellow thunderstorm warning from 17:00 BST for the Channel Islands. In Devon and Cornwall, the worst of the heavy downpours is expected between 20:00 and 22:00 BST.

RNLI regional water safety lead Steve Instance said the charity was concerned about the potential for dangerously strong winds.

He said: "It is likely that these winds will develop suddenly, bringing with them stormy conditions which may not always be obvious from the beach and catch water users off guard.

"Our advice to those using watercraft such as kayaks and paddle boards is to be aware that conditions can change quickly and to carry a means of calling for help.

"Equally, during periods of lightning, it is not safe to enter the water, instead people should exit the water and seek safe shelter immediately."

Nuffield Health postponed "a small number" of its planned operations at its Plymouth hospital on Thursday due to the extreme heat.

A spokesperson said the "difficult decision" was taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its patients and clinical teams.

They stressed they were "continuing to monitor the situation closely and will make decisions about any further changes to care on a case-by-case basis".

The spokesperson added: "We recognise this will be disappointing for the small number of patients affected. We are contacting them individually to discuss their care and will work to reschedule their operations in the coming days."

Steve and Natasha Pearcey have run Devon Air Conditioning since 1996 and said there had been a rise in domestic air conditioning in the past five years.

Since the current heatwave started Steve said the company had received 200 to 300 inquiries.

"Natasha gets off the phone, it rings again, it just doesn't stop," he said.

"Three weeks ago we had a two to three week lead time for installing air con, we are now up to September, booked every day."

Sixty schools across Devon are now either closed to pupils or have reduced the length of their days due to the heat, while 21 schools in Cornwall have taken similar measures.

Great Western Railway network has warned train services running across the whole network may be cancelled, delayed or revised due to the heat.

The Eden Project's rainforest biome team leader Aaron Hernandez said the plants had been loving the hot weather.

"We've been doing some extra watering but, impressively, certain areas of the biome are cooler than outside," he said.

"It is thanks to the trees, they act as a refrigerator, cast shade, absorb carbon and create moisture.

"So we have a hot, humid environment, but not as crazy as it feels outside."

The States of Guernsey said it had not seen an increase in hospital admissions due to heat but it had made changes to protect patients and staff.

Associate director for maternity and paediatrics Annabel Nicholas said staff were "closely monitoring temperatures and ensuring both patients and colleagues stay well hydrated".

She said: "The labour ward remains at a comfortable temperature, and the team continues to adjust working practices in line with health and safety guidance for hot weather, including additional rest breaks."

Nicholas said the emergency department was busy but the attendances had not been heat-related.

"As always, capacity can change quickly in a small hospital, so we continue to monitor the situation closely," she added.