Weather

Josephine Quinton is one of scores of drivers in Sawbridgeworth whose cars have suffered flat tyres after running over potholes.

Situation has improved from 6,000 properties without water on Tuesday to 100 on Wednesday while 2,000 may have lower pressure than normal.

Thousands of homes in Bishop's Stortford enter a third day without full mains water supply as Affinity's communications slow to a trickle.

Households in Manor Links were furious after learning their street would be closed for three days in the busy run-up to Christmas.

The 4,500 tonnes of grit spread on 58 routes in Herts by 70 vehicles is equivalent in weight to around 3,000 hippos.

Tuesday's school closures in the Bishop's Stortford, Sawbridgeworth and Stansted area.

Police, fire and ambulance services were called but it was reported a "neighbour" had helped the woman out of the freezing water.

At least five primary schools in Stortford – All Saints, Northgate, Manor Fields, Richard Whittington and Summercroft – are open.

Yellow weather warning for ice for South East, including Herts and Essex, until 11am on Tuesday.

Met Office yellow warning of snow and ice comes three days after rare cold weather alert was issued by UK Health Security Agency.

As part of the testing, a carriage is transported to Vienna in Austria and put into a special chamber to ensure it can withstand a freezing chill.

The last full moon of 2022 - aptly named a Cold Moon - will be visible as temperatures plummet below freezing.

Level 3 warning, covering all of England, comes into force Wednesday evening, with Met Office forecasting wintry showers and snow on higher ground.

"October is an important month, giving us the opportunity to test and refine our plans before severe weather conditions arrive later in the season."

Herts County Council offering resident associations, community groups, schools and town and parish councils free salt to grit icy streets in winter.

Although upset about the death of his pet Liam Cardiff questioned why someone would risk a firework setting light to fields in drought conditions.

Almost two inches of rain fell on Wednesday afternoon as a thunderstorm moved over Bishop's Stortford.

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.