Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far (although that could soon be beaten) and some of us were probably regretting our choice of clothing and wishing we'd worn shorts instead of jeans.

But spare a thought for these firefighters who were probably sweating away inside their air-tight protective suits as the temperatures went over 30C (86F) in Market Drayton.

Image source, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service

They were simulating a caustic chemical spill as part of a training exercise and tweeted, external "who wouldn't want to be inside a gas tight suit?"

Have you done a worst job during hot weather? Email us

You may have only just got over the thunderstorms last night, but be ready, there could be more on the way this week.

Image source, Met Office

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms, external from 15:00 tomorrow and running through the night until 04:00 on Friday.

The alert covers a large part of the West Midlands and says there could be difficult driving conditions and a chance of more lightning strikes.

A teenager was arrested and number of people suffered minor injuries, West Midlands Police said.

Muller has doubled the size of its factory in Telford and created 65 new jobs.

The move is part of a bid to reduce "the UK’s dependence on imported yogurt products", Managing Director Bergen Merey said.

Image source, Google

The German company has spent £50m to upgrade the site at Donnington Wood, allowing it to produce 500 million pots of yoghurt a year.

Three new production lines have been built, alongside a new cooling facility and a new warehouse. Three existing lines have also been upgraded.

The firm said if demand continued to grow it would consider expanding further in the future, to produce 700 million pots a year.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Here's a look at what the Local Democracy Reporting Service is reporting in Worcester today:

• A masterplan for Worcester that involves a new hotel and the potential for more car parking and hundreds of new riverside apartments is set to have £560,000 spent on it by the city council.
• Revised plans for an access road to an new housing estate in Battenhall will go back before planners. The original design was criticised because it allowed new residents to look in their neighbours' gardens.
• Worcester City Council is going to spend £20,000 to find ways of attracting more hotels to the city.

Shropshire Star

Here are three stories from the Shropshire Star today:

• Vital lifesaving equipment stolen from ambulance, external
• Thunder and lightning over Shropshire, external
• Müller creates 65 jobs in Telford, external

A woman and a child are in a critical condition in hospital after being attacked at a property in Hereford early this morning.

West Mercia Police said armed officers were called to Hunderton Avenue at 03:08 and arrested a 27-year-old man shortly afterwards, on the city ring road, near the Steels car dealership.

A police guard remains at the scene this morning and the woman and child are said to be "stable".

Aston Villa make Egypt international winger Trezeguet their ninth summer signing in an £8.75m deal.

BBC Weather Watchers

It looks like the BBC Weather Watchers were kept awake by the thunderstorms last night.

Here are some more photos, these ones from Hereford, Dawley and Tardebigge.

Image source, Zaylabee

Image source, Liam Ball

Image source, Simon Brown

"Vital life saving equipment" has been stolen from an ambulance in Shrewsbury, while the crew were treating a patient.

West Midlands Ambulance Service has released this image of a man who was seen near its vehicle in the early hours of 15 July.

Image source, WMAS

WMAS said its crew were aware of the theft while they were treating the patient, but couldn't stop because they had to rush him to hospital.

It said the vehicle had to be taken off the road, so a full check of its equipment could be carried out and that the theft of the equipment could have had "deadly consequences".

A large fire involving about 200 tonnes of household rubbish this morning is believed to have started accidentally.

The blaze was reported at 05:50 at the Biffa waste site on Tat Bank Road, Oldbury,, external West Midlands Fire Service said.

A team of 20 firefighters managed to extinguish the fire in just over two hours.

The MP for Telford says she'll be in the queue to meet the new prime minister and that she wants a promise from him, external that accident and emergency and children's services will remain at the Princess Royal Hospital.

Emergency services and specialist children's services are set to leave, under NHS plans to base both of those departments in Shrewsbury, but Lucy Allan is one of those opposing the move.

Ms Allan also said: "Boris Johnson has the potential to be a great prime minister. I wish him well and urge colleagues to back him to get the job done for the good of our country.”

Allen Cook
BBC News

A man's in a critical condition in hospital after a car and a van collided in Staffordshire this morning., external

The crash happened on the A520, between Blythe Bridge and Leek, at 05:45, police said.

The man was driving one of the vehicles. A woman driving the other suffered leg injuries.

Officers say the road remains shut while they investigate.

BBC Sport

Worcestershire will be looking to wrap up the Gloucestershire second innings quickly this morning on the final day of their County Championship match at Cheltenham.

Trailing 61 runs after their first innings, the Pears took eight wickets but saw the hosts extend their lead to 210 by stumps as they ended 149-8 in their second innings.

You can follow play today via BBC local radio or the BBC Cricket website.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

The Bishop of Stafford, the Right Reverend Geoff Annas, has announced he is to retire from his role at the end of November.

Image source, Diocese of Lichfield

The 65-year-old has been in the post since 2010 and he says he and his wife are moving back to Southampton, closer to their family.

The Diocese of Lichfield says a service of celebration in Bishop Annas's honour will be held at Stoke Minster, Stoke-on-Trent, on 24 November., external

A group of people were left suspended about 100ft (61m) in the air when the Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers stopped partway around its track.

Image source, Terry Brooks/Twitter/PA

Eyewitnesses told the Press Association that riders were stuck for about 20 minutes before the carriage returned to its platform yesterday evening in Staffordshire.

Alton Towers apologised for the stoppage and said last night their technical team was working to reset the rollercoaster for today's guests to use it.

BBC Weather Watchers

Plenty of you are talking about last night's thunderstorms, and our local BBC Weather Watchers have been sending in photos of the spectacular lightning strikes.

These three are from users Rob in Rugeley, Staffordshire, Petecod in Bilston, Wolverhampton and AndyC in Birmingham:

Image source, Rob

Image source, Petecod

Image source, AndyC

Birmingham Live

These are among the top stories for the Birmingham Live website today:

• Birmingham rocked by huge thunderstorms and lightning strikes, external
• Gang of 'well dressed youths terrorise street in Sheldon and smash up car', external
• Christmas ice rink and big wheel will return to Centenary Square, external

BBC Midlands Today

A petition is being handed in to Downing Street today calling for safer town centres for disabled people.

Staffordshire campaigner Sarah Gayton's orchestrated it and her group claims "shared-space" road schemes are not inclusive.

Image source, Google

Shared spaces try to make drivers take more care by removing traffic signs, pedestrian crossings and even kerbs.

Last year, the Department for Transport paused the introduction of new "shared spaces" over fears they are "dangerous and difficult to navigate" for visually impaired people.

Ms Gayton says she wants new Prime Minister Boris Johnson to get local councils to bring back facilities such as pedestrian crossings in town centres where they've been removed.

BBC News Travel

A road's shut in Staffordshire after two drivers were cut free following a crash.

A van and a car collided on the A520 Leek Road, near Cellarhead, between Weston Coyney and Leek, at about 06:00, police said. , external

The man and a woman were taken to hospital. Their injuries aren't known.