BBC Weather Watchers

If you're looking out of your window at an overcast sky, you're not alone.

There are some pops of colour out there, spotted by our Weather Watchers.

Image source, Lou/ BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, Angus and me/ BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, Banjo Calling/ BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, Suttonwalker/ BBC Weather Watchers

BBC Midlands Today

Volunteers are being asked to help carry out a survey to find out how many bats live in churches across the West Midlands.

It's estimated more than half of the region's churches house the flying mammals, which are protected by law.

People are being asked to take part in a national study, external that aims to work out what impact they're having on their surroundings.

Worcester News

Here are some of the stories on the Worcester News website:

• Warning as hundreds hit by Hermes delivery text scam, external
• Work starts on new Lidl supermarket in Worcester, external
• Food and laundry being sent to residents trapped in flats for 10 days, external

Lower-income families in Sandwell are being reminded they could get financial support if they have to self-isolate because of Covid-19 symptoms.

Eligibility for the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme (TTSP) has increased following increased funding from government.

Sandwell Council said it had also simplified and improved its TTSP criteria to enable more people on low incomes to receive a £500 payment and provide greater certainty they would receive support, in a bid to encourage more people who have symptoms to take a test and self-isolate if they are positive.

Image source, Getty Images

The new criteria extends support to anyone earning less than £26,000 per year, who has been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace and who will lose income because they are unable to work from home.

Dr Lisa McNally, Sandwell Council’s director of public health, said: “We have all made fantastic efforts to protect our loved ones during the pandemic.

"And we want to ensure that people on lower incomes with financial concerns feel confident enough to come forward for testing."

Three stolen motorbikes, cannabis and more than £100,000 worth of illegal tobacco have been seized during a police raid.

Image source, Warwickshire Police

Image source, Warwickshire Police

More than 13,000 packs of cigarettes along with 2,100 packs of rolling tobacco were discovered after a tip-off at a business on the outskirts of Rugby, said Warwickshire Police.

The force is also investigating the discovery of the motorbikes and 75 cannabis plants during the operation, with the county's trading standards department, on 18 June.

BBC News Travel

A points failure, external between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley is causing disruption to journeys between these stations, the National Rail Enquiries website reports.

As a result of this, trains may be cancelled or delayed.

This is expected until 12:00.

Express and Star

Some of the Express and Star headlines today include:

• Increase in Covid patients in hospitals as more cases of Delta variant identified, external
• HS2 and lack of lorry drivers cause cement shortage across the Black Country, external
• Brierley Hill murder case: Accomplice's DNA 'found on bullet casings', external

Officers would like to speak to a group of youths after a man was seriously injured in an attack.

Image source, West Midlands Police

He was repeatedly punched and kicked by a group of seven, before being taken to hospital for treatment.

CCTV images of those police would like to speak to have been released.

The attack happened in Raymond Grove, in the Great Barr area of Birmingham, on 2 June.

The UK needs to set a binding target for building battery factories and install millions more charging points for electric cars, the industry says.

Image source, Getty Images

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says ambitious policies over the next decade could create up to 40,000 high-skilled jobs.

This could be a major boost to "auto heartlands" the West Midlands and in north-east England, the report states.

But it warns failure to take action could be disastrous for the car sector.

Coventry Live

These are some of today's Coventry Live headlines:

• Mass Covid testing begins at Coventry primary school that closed after severe outbreak, external
• First look at plans to redevelop city centre riverside - with new café or restaurant, external
• Building firm told to pay £21k for duping pensioners, external

A points failure between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley is causing disruption on all lines between the two stations, West Midlands Railway said.

The operator said train services running through the stations may be cancelled or delayed.

Disruption is expected to last until around 11:00 BST.

Shropshire Star

Here are some of the headlines from the Shropshire Star website today:

• Drop in car crashes as pandemic leads to reduced traffic, external
• Heartbreak as lockdown forces club to close , external
• Telford school opens £3.5 million business block named in honour of ex head boy , external

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Fresh images have been revealed showing how the hidden River Sherbourne, in Coventry city centre, could be uncovered to create a riverside quarter.

Image source, Coventry City Council

The scheme in Palmer Lane has been mooted for a number of years and was initially hoped to be ready for the City of Culture when plans were first unveiled in 2018.

However, new plans have now been submitted to the city council which would create a public space with steps leading down to the uncovered river, green landscaping, lighting and art.

The £1.9m scheme would sit next to separate plans to transform the former Illingworth building into a canalside cafe/bar - although an application to convert the building is still to be submitted.

The project is a partnership between Coventry City Council and Historic Coventry Trust and forms part of the wider High Street Heritage Action Zone.

Image source, Coventry City Council

BBC Weather

It is set to be a dry day with some brighter spells and highs of 20°C (68°F).

This was the scene earlier in Leek, Staffordshire, as captured by BBC Weather Watcher Videoman.

Image source, Videoman

Coronavirus rates have continued to climb across the West Midlands, according to the latest official figures.

Of the 30 local authority areas in the region, just two - Herefordshire and Nuneaton & Bedworth - saw falls in their rates in the seven days up to and including 24 June.

Twelve areas saw their rates at least double in a week, including Sandwell, Coventry, Shropshire, North Warwickshire and Stafford.

Tamworth saw its rate rise by 438%. The number of new cases rose from 37 to 199 in a week.

Warwick had the highest rate in the West Midlands over the same period - 285 new infections per 100,000 people, up from 88.

Five weeks ago, there were just nine new cases in Warwick reported over the week. By 24 June, that had risen to 410.

Birmingham has seen more modest rises in its rate of new infections in recent weeks, but, due to the size of its population, continues to have some of the highest case numbers in England.

BBC News Travel

There's currently 10 miles of queuing traffic on the M6 near Birmingham.

A crash involving three cars and a van has closed one lane southbound between J6, at Spaghetti Junction, and J5, for Castle Bromwich.

Drivers are being advised to consider alternative routes.

Welcome to our live service for Tuesday.

We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.

We love to hear from you, so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external

Friends Patrick Warren and David Spencer went missing from Solihull 25 years ago, aged 11 and 13.

Live updates have now ended for the West Midlands.

We'll be back with you from 08:00 on Tuesday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.

About 10,000 pupils and staff in Newcastle-under-Lyme are to be tested for Covid-19 after a surge in cases in the area.

Image source, Getty Images

Staffordshire Council said an extra 5,000 PCR tests were being deployed to six schools and students at Keele University and Newcastle College were also urged to get tested.

"The testing is an effort to stop the spread of Covid-19, which has seen cases soar in recent weeks. Cases currently stand at 104 per 100,000, with most cases being seen in the 11-34 age group," the council said.

Most cases were of the more transmissible Delta variant.

Dr Richard Harling, the authority's director for health and care, said nearly 3,000 people had been tested after "tremendous efforts from our schools in the past week".