Weather

Schools scrapped events, relaxed uniform rules and even closed earlier during Tuesday's heatwave amid Met Office red alert for extreme heat.

Brigade received "very high volume" of 999 calls and by 6.30pm crews had attended more than 240 emergency incidents – double the usual number.

The party of 25 youngsters was left stranded when their bus broke down on the motorway.

When Teresa Lee saw the temperature in her family's Ford S-Max was 62C, she decided to see whether the oven-like conditions would bake cookies.

An "exceptional hot spell" on Monday and Tuesday is set to lead to "widespread impacts on people and infrastructure".

The heatwave shows no signs of peaking yet with the Met Office now extending its amber warning for extreme heat into next week.

'If in doubt, don't go out' warns the animal charity, which says owners should avoid walks in the heat and be alert to signs of heatstroke.

Stansted firefighters helped clear the fallen tree which blocked side access, trapping its foam appliance in the back yard.

Animal shelters at Daisy May's Farm crushed by falling trees and the farm flooded during heavy rainfall, resulting in a costly clean-up operation.

No trains through Stortford 24 hours after services suspended + top-of-the-table football match postponed + gardens' snowdrop open day cancelled

Fault in high-voltage overhead electricity line soon after midday caused outage in Thorley Park and Thorley Street areas.

County council closed all its recycling centres and family centres, seven libraries – including Sawbo's – and two coronavirus testing sites.

Greater Anglia says widespread damage means "some or even all services may remain suspended for rest of Friday and potentially into Saturday".

Strong winds topple trees, bring down branches, blow over brick walls, flatten fences and send trampolines flying onto pavements.

Bishop's Stortford area included in Met Office's red weather warning – the highest level – for wind from 10am to 3pm on Friday.

The alert covers the period from 10am to 3pm and warns of significant disruption and dangerous conditions due to extremely strong gusts up to 90mph.

Motorists and train passengers advised to travel only if it is essential + Greater Anglia brings in reduced timetable + bin collections could be hit.

The tree dented the roof and bonnet and shattered the front windscreen of a Vauxhall Corsa next to the railway line and Sworder's Field.

The East of England is one of six regions being warned to prepare for a brutally cold snap expected to last until Monday.

Crews doing salting runs Wednesday afternoon and early hours of Thursday as road temperatures forecast to drop to around -5C (22F).