The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat covering Shepton Mallet.

They say we should expect:

- Adverse health effects are likely to be experienced by those vulnerable to extreme heat

- The wider population are likely to experience some adverse health effects including sunburn or heat exhaustion (dehydration, nausea, fatigue) and other heat related illnesses

- More people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents

- Some changes in working practices and daily routines likely to be required

- An increased chance that some heat-sensitive systems and equipment may fail, leading to power cuts and the loss of other services to some homes and businesses

- Some delays to road, rail and air travel are possible, with potential for welfare issues for those who experience prolonged delays

The warning lasts from now (5.30pm on July 19) until Friday morning.

Temperatures are forecast to reach highs of 30C at 5pm today before dropping to 29C tomorrow (July 20), 29C on Wednesday and 27C on Thursday.

This is the first time the Met Office has ever issued an extreme heat warning covering the Shepton Mallet area.

It applies to all of the South West, South Wales and the West Midlands.