A chimpanzee digging for water in a dried-up Senegalese riverbed. A colony of 40,000 flamingos scattered by a hurricane. A polar bear hunting on ice that is disappearing beneath its feet. These are not scenes from some distant climate-altered future. They are happening right now. And this year they are coming to Sunday night television.

Extreme weather is often told as a human story. A new ITV documentary series, Force of Nature reminds us that it is an ecological story too.

Between us, we have spent decades studying the atmosphere and the extremes it produces. One of us flies through it onboard a research aircraft, measuring dust, smoke and pollution plumes. And two of us have spent our careers unpicking how a warming climate is supercharging rainfall, floods and heatwaves, and how societies can better prepare for weather extremes.

So when ITV announced Force of Nature, a new six-part wildlife series narrated by actor Andrew Lincoln that puts extreme weather at the heart of the story, we all paid attention. For scientists like us who study the atmosphere for a living, this is the series we have been waiting for.

Three years in the making by Plimsoll Productions, the team behind some of the most-watched natural history on television, Force of Nature follows animals around the world as they face hurricanes, floods, droughts and wildfires. Executive producer, Mark Brownlow, who previously produced Blue Planet II, calls this “the most important story of our time”. Watching the series, it is hard to disagree.

Scientists can now measure a changing climate with extraordinary precision. The UK exceeded 40°C for the first time in July 2022. Scientists have found that, if the legendary summer of 1976 happened again in today’s climate, it would peak at 38 or 39°C.

Evidence shows that the short, intense bursts of rainfall that drive flash flooding are becoming more severe in a warming climate. Valencia-style flooding, which killed more than 200 people in 2024, is perfectly possible here in Britain.

Wildfire smoke can travel can travel thousands of miles with Canadian wildfires turning UK skies vivid hues in summer 2023. This summer, smoke from Canadian wildfires shrouded the Statue of Liberty in New York, US, raising concerns about delays at the World Cup final.

Scientists can trace soot and dust across continents, even to Greenland, where they feed microbes that darken the ice sheet and accelerate melt. Yet knowledge alone rarely changes behaviour.

As authors Dan and Chip Heath wrote in their 2007 book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, “people may need statistics, but they believe stories”. Climate scientists often hope that more evidence will change minds. In reality, people only act on risks they can imagine. And that is exactly what Force of Nature does.

People struggle to act on risks they cannot picture. A warning of 40mm of rain in three hours means little until you have watched water pour through someone’s front door.

Force of Nature takes the same extreme weather that fills our scientific journals and shows what it means for creatures that have no forecasts, no warnings and no insurance.

Weather does not distinguish between us and them. The drought that ruins a harvest is the same drought pushing chimpanzees to the edge of their ingenuity. The storm surge that floods a coastal town is the same surge that scours a flamingo nesting ground. The smoke that turns skies orange is rolling over forests and everything living in them. Watching animals confront these events strips away the abstraction. It makes the risk tangible, and tangible is what climate communication desperately needs.

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What makes the series particularly effective is its focus on resilience. These animals are not presented as passive victims of a changing climate. They adapt, improvise and survive against the odds. That matters, because fatalism is almost as dangerous as denial. If people believe nothing can be done, they are less likely to act.

The UK is built for a climate that no longer exists. The word unprecedented is increasingly used with abandon to describe extreme weather. Hope, grounded in an honest understanding of the risks ahead, is what is needed to drive action to make homes more resilient, to strengthen flood defences and early warning systems, and to rapidly reduce fossil fuel emissions.

Television has changed public attitudes before. In 2017, the BBC series Blue Planet II turned plastic pollution from a niche environmental concern into a kitchen-table conversation almost overnight.

Force of Nature, made by some of the same hands and backed by ITV’s climate content pledge, has the potential to do the same for extreme weather.

Millions of people who would never open a scientific paper will watch a sea otter ride out a marine heatwave. That reach matters.

But a television series will not stop the storms from coming. We need to cut fossil fuel emissions rapidly, adapt our infrastructure and prepare for weather extremes that are already becoming more common.

Societies rarely prepare for risks they cannot imagine. For too long, extreme weather has existed at the edge of our collective imagination: something that happens elsewhere, or sometime in the future. Force of Nature shows that it is here now, shaping the lives of animals and people alike.

Showing the immediacy of the need to act may be the programme’s most important achievement.

The dad-of-two underwent a six-hour operation, after learning about the devastating diagnosis

A school caretaker has spoken of the devastating moment he was told what initially felt like a sore shoulder was in fact being caused by a rare type of cancer. Lee Brain, from Caerau in Bridgend county, said he “couldn’t believe it” when doctors diagnosed him with sarcoma this year.

The father-of-two, who works as a caretaker at Coleg Cymunedol y Dderwen in Tondu, first noticed a pain in his shoulder in February while helping to organise staging for a school concert. A small lump developed, but he initially thought nothing of it.

By April, however, the lump had doubled in size. Concerned by the rapid growth, Lee’s wife, Emaleen, urged him to see his GP. He was referred for scans and a biopsy, which confirmed the devastating diagnosis. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here

“When the doctor told me, I thought he was wrong,” Lee said. “Then it sunk in and I started crying. I thought, ‘This can’t be real.’”

Sarcoma is an uncommon cancer that develops in the body’s connective tissues, including fat, muscle, nerves, blood vessels and bone. Patients with confirmed or suspected soft tissue sarcoma across South and Mid Wales are cared for by the South Wales Sarcoma Service, hosted by Swansea Bay.

Consultant plastic, reconstructive and sarcoma surgeon Thomas Bragg carried out the six-hour operation at Morriston Hospital on June 2 after Lee’s tumour was found to be growing rapidly.

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“He had a microsurgical reconstruction which involved taking soft tissue from his thigh and placing it onto his shoulder,” Mr Bragg shared. “This involved suturing blood vessels into his shoulder using a microscope.

“Because we operated so quickly we hope we have managed to save structures in the shoulder to not only clear the tumour but also maintain function. The next step will be recovery, physiotherapy and radiotherapy.”

Despite facing weeks of recovery before beginning radiotherapy, Lee was determined not to miss two of the biggest family milestones of his life.

“I had some incentives,” he said. “I had the operation on June 2 and on June 6 our youngest daughter, Bethan, had a little boy, Cian Lee Joseph Page, our first grandchild.

“Then on June 13 our older daughter married her partner, Sean, and I was determined to walk her down the aisle. It was a bit of a struggle and I was in a lot of pain, but I did it.

“So there was a lot happening and if I hadn’t had the surgery so quickly I don’t think I’d be here now.”

While his recovery continues, Lee said he is focusing on staying positive.

“You’ve got to think positive,” he said. “You can’t just go and sit in the corner and try not to think about it.

“I’m so grateful to Mr Bragg and all the staff here. They’ve been amazing. I have felt like I’m in really good hands.”

Lee has shared his story to coincide with Sarcoma Awareness Month, which takes place throughout July, and hopes it will encourage others to seek medical advice if they notice anything unusual.

He will also be taking part in the Rare But Real Walk in Swansea on August 22, organised by the South Wales Sarcoma Service in partnership with Sarcoma UK. The event aims to raise awareness of what is often described as the “forgotten cancer”, which accounts for fewer than two per cent of adult cancers.

Mr Bragg said early diagnosis could make a significant difference.

“The message is a very simple one. If you have a lump which is growing rapidly, or is bigger than five centimetres, or feels deep, or is painful, go and see your GP,” he said.

“You might need an ultrasound scan to further characterise it. In maybe two or three per cent of cases it might be sarcoma, in which case you will be referred into our MDT team.

“For most people, though, it is a benign lump. They are reassured and can get on with life. But the earlier the diagnosis, the better for the patient.”

Lee echoed that advice, admitting he may never have sought help had it not been for his wife.

“Get it checked out if you have any concerns,” he said. “If it hadn’t been for Emaleen telling me to go to the GP I would have just let it drag on.”

Main symptoms of soft tissue sarcoma

According to the NHS, the most common symptom of soft tissue sarcoma is a lump somewhere on your body. This is usually found deep under your skin and the patient may feel the lump before even seeing it.

The lump is typically solid to the touch, painless and hard to move around under the skin.

It will continue to grow and as it does, it can become painful.

Other symptoms

You may also get other symptoms depending on where in your body the lump is.

These can include:

• Tummy pain and constipation if you get a sarcoma near your tummy
• A cough that does not go away if you get a sarcoma near your lungs

A trip to the ice cream store has turned into a trip to the freezer for cost-conscious consumers looking to save money on frozen treats.

Some 72 percent of American adults said keeping their home stocked with ice cream and treats like popsicles saves money over going out for dessert and is a convenient way to quell a craving, according to a new study of 2,000 U.S. adults by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association published Thursday.

“Frozen treats give people an easy way to create a small moment of enjoyment at home,” the association’s CEO, Tricia Greyshock, said in a press release. “What matters is that it feels special without requiring a lot of planning or expense.”

True to the season, the survey found that 43 percent of adults say that hot weather and summer cravings are the most cited reasons for buying a frozen dessert from the grocery store.

Consumers’ preference for at-home frozen treats during the summer is an inflation-busting choice. The cost of ice cream and related desserts fell by 2.1 percent month on month in June and 1.3 percent year on year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Meanwhile, the cost of eating out rose 0.2 percent month on month and 3.4 percent year on year.

Americans’ preference for at-home frozen desserts is part of a larger trend in dining. Some 32 percent of consumers eat out less than they did six months ago, with higher rates of cutbacks from low-income households (40 percent) and Gen Z (37 percent), according to a February study from Boston Consulting Group.

In recent weeks, fast food restaurants have suffered a loss in foot traffic linked to outbreaks of a nasty gastrointestinal illness, caused by contamination of produce with the cyclospora parasite.

Foot traffic at Taco Bell, which has been linked to an outbreak, saw year-on-year foot traffic decline by 29.8 percent last Saturday.

Panera saw traffic fall by 7 percent, while salad and grain bowl restaurant Sweetgreen dealt with a 3 percent traffic dip.

Parasites aside, there’s a general feeling among consumers that food quality and portion sizes are the biggest disappointment for diners, according to a January study from research firm McKinsey.

Restaurants have responded by introducing value menus and paying attention to portion sizes, the National Association of Convenience Stores pointed out in a June analysis of inflation’s impact on restaurant menus.

Some of the top values at fast food chains include McDonald’s $5 meal deals for the brand’s app users that serve a sandwich, small fries, four chicken nuggets and a small drink, and Burger King’s $5 Duo and $7 Trio promotions that let customers pick two or three entrees.

The free networking event is designed to encourage collaboration and spark new opportunities.

Among the speakers is Paul Chasney of the Goose Beck Vineyard at Bilton-in-Ainsty.

Paul will highlight the development of the UK wine growing industry and to showcase Goose Beck Vineyard’s position in that industry.

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He said: “Goose Beck Vineyard had its first commercial harvest in 2025. We commenced the sale of the wines made in 2025 only six weeks ago.

“My talk will explain about the background to developing Goose Beck and the environmental objectives it seeks to achieve. It will seek to start ‘putting Goose Beck on the map’.  The talk will also highlight the growth of the UK wine making industry and touch on how it can be an important element to help UK exports and tourism.”

Lee Grabham of Brew York is also speaking at the Thursday networking event. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

Paul added: “Running a growing business, particularly a small one, can be a lonely business. Whilst advisers play an important role, there is a great deal to be learned from one’s contemporaries through sharing ideas and benefiting from others’ experience. What better forum to do that than at an event organised by The Press, York St John University and York College.”

Another speaker is Lee Grabham, co-founder and production director of Brew York.

Lee said: “Events like these are important to us because Brew York is proudly part of the York business community and has been for 10 years now. It’s always a pleasure to share our story and experiences as well as hear from others and make new connections.”

Other speakers include Phillipa Symington of accountants Clive Owen LLP, who will explain how her company can help with business growth and help with tax matters.

Rob Brown and Emily Grimes of Northern rail and York College will look at T levels and how Northern Rail partners with York College.

The event is at York St John University from 5pm to 7pm on Thursday July 30. Book via EventBrite or using the QR code below.

QR Code (Image: Pic supplied)

New footage shows the moment Henry Nowak’s murderer told his mother to take the knife he used to stab the student to death away from the crime scene.

Vickrum Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, was jailed last week for three years at Southampton Crown Court for assisting an offender.

The 53-year-old, of St Denys Road, Southampton, had been found guilty by jurors in May after taking the weapon back to the nearby family home on the night of the murder on December 3, 2025.

Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years on June 1 for the murder of the 18-year-old finance student, after falsely claiming Mr Nowak had racially abused him.

In the video clip taken on Digwa’s phone, which is pointed at the ground, he can be heard speaking to Kaur in Punjabi asking her to take away the weapon.

A transcript released today by the CPS details how Digwa is speaking in Punjabi and then said: ‘Take this’, which they say was referring to the knife.

Sentencing Kaur on July 17, Judge William Mousley KC said when Digwa told her to take the murder weapon away, ‘by then you knew or believed that he had stabbed and injured Henry’.

Grainy footage captured the moment Digwa told his mother to take the knife. The footage only shows the ground and a brief flash of her dress 

Digwa murdered Mr Nowak then shamelessly sought to blame the unarmed student for what happened 

Kaur was found guilty of assisting an offender after her son Vickrum Digwa murdered student Henry Nowak with a dagger after a chance encounter last December

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He also told her: ‘A responsible parent would have challenged their son over their actions and encouraged them to do the right thing.’

Instead, Kaur took the knife home and put it with a ‘larger collection of ceremonial and other weapons in your son’s bedroom’, which would have helped to conceal its use because she wanted him to ‘avoid being caught’, the judge said.

The judge said her actions at Belmont Road before and after taking the dagger away ‘added to your son’s pretence that he had done nothing wrong and that he was the victim’.

He said her role added to the ‘degradation of Henry being arrested when he was dying’.

Following her sentencing, Mr Nowak’s family said in a statement they remain ‘incredibly disappointed’ and said they will ‘never give up in our campaign for justice for Henry’.

The statement added: ‘Our focus is on making sure the ongoing investigations leave no stone unturned as we fight for the full truth about what happened last December, and we continue to urge the Government to deliver the changes our wonderful son deserves.’

Kaur’s family previously claimed the mother had ‘done the right thing’.

Mr Nowak was a finance student at the University of Southampton and was described by his family as ‘kind and talented’ 

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Police bodycam footage showed Digwa as he lied to police at the scene, insisting he was the victim

Speaking from her home in Southampton, Digwa’s grandmother Bimla Kaur, 75, told the Daily Mail: ‘I’ve been to see her in prison and she’s doing the best she can. She only did what any mother would have done, which is to protect her child. And now she’s going to be punished for this.’

Kiran was described as a ‘devout Sikh’ and housewife who never worked but instead focused on raising her children in a traditional Sikh household. 

Bimla insisted that Digwa’s mother had done ‘a good job’ raising her sons but said that Vickrum had been ‘a difficult boy’ – appearing to blame the environment he grew up in for his troubled behaviour. She said: ‘Vickrum has always been a difficult boy but that’s not unusual for children who are born in Britain.’ 

The court heard Mr Nowak was making his way home following a night out when he had a chance encounter with Digwa.

A brief scuffle ensued and Digwa removed his dagger from his sheath, which he carried in accordance with his Sikh faith, and plunged it 8cm (3.5in) into the victim’s chest.

Digwa further stabbed Mr Nowak twice to the leg, and once in the abdomen, while the victim also sustained a slash mark to his face.

Digwa, with brother Gurpreet arriving on the scene shortly after the attack, then filmed his victim as he attempted to get away from his attacker.

Digwa lied when police turned up a short time later, falsely claiming that Mr Nowak was the attacker, had punched and kicked Digwa, knocked his turban off, and had made a racist remark.

Police bodycam footage shows the innocent 18-year-old being handcuffed as he lay dying 

Hampshire Police officers then placed mortally wounded Mr Nowak into handcuffs, despite his desperate pleas – captured on police bodycam – that he could not breathe and had been stabbed.

One officer replied: ‘I don’t think you have, mate.’

He and a second officer are currently under investigation for potential gross misconduct.

Sir Keir Starmer previously said he ‘felt sick’ watching footage of police handcuffing Mr Nowak as he lay dying, and that there are ‘serious questions’ to answer about the case.

The footage prompted large protests in the streets.

Ben Amos, the former Manchester United goalkeeper, has been part of the PFA pre-season programme for the last month after his departure from Port Vale

Ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Amos is still searching for a new club after becoming a free agent. The 36-year-old, who made seven first-team appearances in 14 years at United before his departure in 2015, left Port Vale after his contract expired last month.

He had spent the previous two seasons at The Valiants, helping them win promotion to League One before the club were relegated straight back to League One. In that time, Amos kept 15 clean sheets in 41 matches and played a part in their run to the FA Cup quarter-final last term.

Although some Vale fans wanted to keep Amos, he left at the end of his contract in June and has since become a free agent. While waiting for his next club, Amos has been part of the PFA pre-season squad.

First launched as a pilot programme in 2023 for unsigned players to maintain fitness, the PFA put together a 10-week pre-season camp for the following year and they have been running it ever since. The camp – based in Leicestershire – is designed to help out-of-contract players regain sharpness and inevitably find their next club.

Former Sheffield Wednesday cult hero Fernando Forestieri, ex-Preston forward Will Keane and Ipswich Town’s 2023/24 promotion-winning campaign Samy Morsy are among those with the PFA this summer.

Amos is another involved and he has been at the PFA’s Champneys Springs base for the last four weeks, featuring in pre-season matches against a free agents side from France and non-league Hednesford Town.

“It’s been unbelievable,” Amos said, when asked about his time at PFA pre-season. “I think this is like my fourth week I think I’ve been here. Obviously really hard work, they’ve pushed us every day.

“But just invaluable, like the sessions that they’ve put on, the games, obviously the facilities for recovery, everything has been laid on for us, so even to the food, the food has been unbelievable.

“When you’re away from here, if you’re not on the PFA camp, you just can’t recreate it. You can do all the fitness work you want, all the ball work, but you just can’t compare to this kind of training and service.”

Amos turned 36 in April and is approaching the twilight of his career, but he still feels he can offer something to a club in the Football League ahead of the new season.

“I feel like I’m getting better all the time,” Amos continued. “Yes, I’m without a club in 20-something of July, which I’ve never been in that position before, but I don’t feel like I’ve ever been in a better position in terms of how I feel. It’s just the dynamic at the moment, the market and what have you. Hopefully, I won’t be waiting too much longer.

“I feel like I’ve got a lot more to give. I want to go until I’m 40 and maybe beyond. The market will dictate at the end of the day, it always does. The good thing is I know I’m in a great place, ready for whenever that happens.”

Amos started his professional career at boyhood club United and came through the ranks at the Reds before making his first-team debut, aged 18, during a League Cup tie against Middlesbrough in September 2008.

At the time, Amos was United’s fourth-choice keeper behind Edwin van der Sar, Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak, but Sir Alex Ferguson spotted the talent and gave him a chance to impress.

Although Amos didn’t do much wrong on his debut, he had to wait more than two years for his next competitive match for the Reds, when he featured in the League Cup against Wolves in October 2010.

Amos went on to play seven times in total for United – one of which came in the Premier League – before leaving at the end of his contract in 2015. He moved to Championship side Bolton Wanderers on a permanent deal, having spent the second half of the previous season on loan at the Trotters.

Reflecting on his time at United, Amos felt he should have left the Reds sooner than he did.

Amos said: “I’ve been a United fan since I started watching football. Obviously it was always my dream, Peter Schmeichel was my idol and all that stuff when we went to go and watch them when I was a kid. I just kept punishing, working my hardest in the academy. Then I think there was an injury or something and I obviously got an opportunity to play in the League Cup. I think I was 18, so that was amazing.”

“I think I played seven times, but that was all under Sir Alex. If I was performing well, I’d normally get an opportunity in the Cups, League Cup,” Amos added. “He played me in the Champions League and the Premier League. Just one of those things, really.

“I think [David] De Gea was bought for £20million, which was a big chunk at the time. And obviously a world-class keeper, so it’s pretty hard to get in front of the likes of those guys. I definitely stayed a couple of years too long, with hindsight. I was still hoping for those opportunities, but when Sir Alex left, I didn’t get any more.

“You don’t have regrets if you can help it, but if I could have my time again, I think you’d do that. I’d probably have left when Sir Alex left, and go out and get some more experience.”

Ferguson viewed Amos as “very talented goalkeeper” with a “good future” after promoting him to the senior set-up at Old Trafford. And while his time at United didn’t go as he would have wanted, he has forged out a solid career in the EFL, making more than 350 appearances for some big clubs.

Charlton Athletic, Hull City, Wigan Athletic, Millwall, Cardiff City and Bolton count as some of Amos’ former employers and he will be hoping to find his next club in the coming weeks.

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Prince George celebrated his 13th birthday this week, and eagle-eyed royal fans have noticed that it’s not just the teenager who appears in the sweet video shared online by his parents

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Prince George turned 13 on Wednesday (22nd July), and the occasion was marked with a sweet video that was shared by his parents, Prince William and Princess Catherine.

The young royal, who is the eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales and is second in line to the throne, was the star of the show in the video posted on social media, which showed him climbing rocks and exploring the beach in footage that was taken when the family visited Cornwall over Easter. But eagle-eyed fans of the Royal Family have spotted that it’s not just George who features in the short video – as his younger sister, Princess Charlotte, also makes a brief appearance.

While the Instagram video heavily focuses on the birthday boy, 11-year-old Charlotte can be seen for a split second in the background of one clip. She can be seen wearing a striped top while playing on the beach, crouching in the sand.

She can only be seen for a moment, so if you blink, you’ll miss her entirely, but that didn’t stop avid royal fans from pointing out her appearance in the comments.

One fan said: “I just realised in one part of the video for Prince George’s birthday, Charlotte is playing in the background. It’s so great to see how much they all get to spend time together.”

Another added: “William and Catherine will know how important it is to build those strong sibling bonds.”

William and Kate’s youngest child, eight-year-old Prince Louis, also appeared in the video. George’s younger brother could be seen following his sibling as they both clambered up some large rocks on the beach, and he held a cricket bat in the background of the same clip where Charlotte was featured.

The couple captioned their video: “Thank you for all the birthday wishes for George today!”

Earlier in the day, the couple also posted a picture of their eldest son to mark his 13th birthday. The image showed George posing against a white wall with a window in the background, while wearing a dark blue suit and white shirt.

That photo was captioned: “Happy 13th Birthday, George!”

Meanwhile, it was recently claimed that George’s sister, Charlotte, plays a crucial role in keeping the future monarch “in line”, as body language expert Judi James said the only daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales “keeps an eye” on both her brothers.

Speaking on the Channel 5 documentary, Prince George at 13: The Next Generation, she said: “We do see Charlotte keeping an eye on both of her brothers. What I found really fascinating isn’t so much that she is doing that, but for me, it is the way that when she does nudge them and tap them, they both fall into line.

“Children of that age, normally if a younger sibling says ‘put your arms down,’ [they’ll reply] ‘who do you think you are?’

“But they absolutely take it, and I think that’s going to be very important when it comes to the dynamic because they will see that as a form of support.”

Fury is expected to produce another comfortable victory against Polish veteran Wach, who previously challenged Wladimir Klitschko for the unified world heavyweight titles but turns 47 later this year and has lost seven of his last 10 bouts – including against the likes of Moses Itauma, Frazer Clarke, Hughie Fury and Dillian Whyte. The fight is unusually not being televised live and is expected to come first on the bill, with footage instead being shown on the third series of Netflix’s hit reality show, ‘At Home with the Furys’.

Stargazers will soon be able to spot a partial solar eclipse and the Perseid meteor shower within hours of each other

Skywatchers in Greater Manchester are in for a rare treat next month as two of the year’s biggest celestial events are set to take place within hours of each other.

On August 12, a partial solar eclipse will be visible across the UK before the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak overnight. The eclipse will see the Moon pass between the Earth and the Sun, obscuring around 90 per cent of the Sun from Manchester.

It will be the deepest solar eclipse visible from the UK since the famous 1999 event, when totality crossed parts of Cornwall and Devon.

While those watching from parts of Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain will see a total eclipse, people across the UK will see the Moon appear to take a ‘bite’ out of the Sun, darkening the sky.

In Manchester, the eclipse is expected to begin at around 6.13pm, according to The Royal Observatory Greenwich. It will reach its maximum at around 7.10pm before ending by 8.04pm.

Because the eclipse takes place during the evening, the Sun will sit increasingly low in the western sky as the event unfolds. Anyone hoping to watch the whole spectacle should try to find a spot up high, with a clear view of the western horizon.

Experts warn that anyone planning to watch the eclipse should never look directly at the Sun without certified solar viewing glasses or other suitable equipment, as doing so can cause permanent eye damage.

Spot ‘shooting stars’ hours after the eclipse

Once the Sun has set, attention will turn to the second celestial event of the day. The Perseid meteor shower, widely regarded as one of the year’s most reliable and impressive meteor displays, is expected to peak overnight between August 12 and 13.

The annual shower occurs as the Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Tiny fragments burn up high in the atmosphere, producing the bright streaks of light commonly known as shooting stars.

The Perseids are particularly well known for producing bright ‘fireballs’, which are vivid meteors that can leave glowing trails lingering in the night sky.

This year’s display is set to be especially good because the eclipse coincides with a new Moon. With no bright moonlight washing out the sky, darker conditions should make fainter meteors much easier to spot.

The best chance of seeing the Perseids is after midnight and before dawn, although some meteors may be visible from around 10pm if skies are clear.

For the clearest views, experts recommend heading away from street lighting and built-up areas to somewhere with an open view of the sky. Allowing your eyes around 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness can also improve the chances of spotting more meteors.