The normally green grass around Stonehenge is dusty brown (Picture: Reuters)
Rain is finally on the way for parts of the UK after record-breaking heat and drought, but areas of the country which need relief the most will remain dry.
July was southern England’s driest month ever recorded, with the whole of Wales and half of England plunged into drought.
Yesterday marked the 20th day of 2026 when 32C or higher was recorded in the UK, exceeding the previous record of 19 days set in 1995, the Met Office said.
And although outbreaks of rain are expected today in Northern Ireland, Scotland, western England and Wales, the Met Office has forecast a dry day for much of the Midlands, the east and south-east of England with warm sunshine and high humidity.
Advertisement
Temperatures are expected to decrease gradually in the second half of the week, and there is some more unsettled weather forecast for parts of the UK, including a yellow warning for thunderstorms in Northern Ireland.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking Newsalerts the moment it happens.
Advertisement
But the South East will continue to see little in the way of desperately needed rain, the Met Office has warned.
Near Brighton, several ponds have dried up completely (Picture: Reuters)
Farming leaders have warned that this year is one of the ‘most severe droughts many farmers and growers have lived through’.
They’ve been dealing with poor yields, struggling to access water for fruit and vegetables, and livestock keepers are using winter feed for their animals.
In July, 19 counties across England recorded effectively no rainfall – 1mm or less – across the whole of the month, the Met Office figures show.
The summer of extreme weather has seen two record-breaking heatwaves, in May and June, that led to more than 2,800 excess deaths, and two more heatwaves in July which have fuelled drought and wildfires.
Advertisement
In the latest heat spike, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has amber heat health alerts in place for the East Midlands, East of England, South East and London until Wednesday morning.
Fires in Suffolk have left the landscape charred (Picture: Reuters)
There are also yellow heat health alerts for the North West, South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and The Humber.
The latest high temperatures could put extra pressure on the NHS, with more vulnerable people likely to require medical treatment.
Firefighters remained at the scene of a heathland blaze in Dunwich, Suffolk, on Monday, and crews declared a major incident as they tackled a huge wildfire in the Rhondda valley in South Wales.
Drone footage showed blackened ground and smoke billowing metres into the air over the valley, where South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) said the fire had affected 150 hectares of land, including forest, scrubland and vegetation.
Officers want to trace 37-year-old Luke Linley, from Leeds, who is wanted by the domestic abuse integrated offender management team from the city force for breaching the conditions of his licence.
Despite extensive enquiries, police said they have been unable to locate Linley and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Recommended reading:
Advertisement
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “We are renewing an appeal for information to help trace a man from Leeds who is wanted on recall to prison.”
Anyone who has information regarding this person is asked to call police on 101, or report online via www.westyorkshire.police.uk/livechat.
Information can also be passed to independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Five other people have already been named by police
A teenage boy is the sixth person to be charged after a man was shot in a Cambridgeshire town. Cambridgeshire Police was called to Leverington Common in Gorefield, near Wisbech, at around 1.55am on May 31.
Advertisement
A man in his 20s had been shot and suffered serious injuries. Five people were charged in connection with attempted murder and later appeared in court. Police have charged a sixth person.
A police spokesperson said: “A 15-year-old boy from Basildon, Essex, has been charged with conspiracy to murder, actual bodily harm (ABH) and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. He has been released on police bail to return to Milton Police Station on September 9.”
The other five people charged in connection with the incident were:
Jesse Hughes, 31, of St Thomas’ Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a firearm, and perverting the course of justice;
Billy Cameron, 21, of Grosvenor Road, Basildon, Essex, has been charged with conspiracy to murder and perverting the course of justice;
Brandon Walsh, 29, of Long Riding, Basildon, Essex, has been charged with conspiracy to murder and perverting the course of justice;
Eleanor Warren, 30, of Willingham Gardens, Flitton, Bedfordshire, has been charged with perverting the course of justice;
Leah Foley, 34, of Byrd Court, Basildon, with assisting an offender.
All five appeared at Luton Magistrates Court on July 22. All five will appear at Cambridge Crown Court on August 19.
A number of ‘traditional’ names are no longer being chosen by parents
08:09, 04 Aug 2026Updated 08:10, 04 Aug 2026
A number of baby names are quickly falling out of favour, with barely any new parents choosing them. Data spanning 120 years from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed a number of traditional names that face the very real prospect of becoming extinct.
Lars B. Andersen, Managing Director at mynametags.com – which carried out the analysis – said: “We’ve been supporting parents in the UK for over 20 years, and have observed first-hand that baby name trends tend to be cyclical in nature. In recent years, we’ve seen the resurgence of many vintage names, such as Florence and Arthur. This got us thinking about the historic names that haven’t experienced a comeback, which set us on our path to discovering the beautiful, traditional names that risk becoming lost in time.”
He further noted that the company hopes certain names, including Freda, can be “saved”.
Advertisement
According to the ONS, the most recently available figures show a number of more unusual names breaking into the top 100 registered in England and Wales – with both Athena and Yahya featuring on the list for the very first time. At the other end of the spectrum, the name Cecil was once a staple among British boys in the early-to-mid 20th Century, but became officially extinct in 2024.
Baby names that could become extinct
Leigh
Leigh is a unique spelling of the more common ‘Lee’, and means ‘meadow’ or ‘delicate’. The name was only registered three times in 2024, despite fitting with the current trend for short-and-sweet boys’ names.
Maurice
Advertisement
A traditional Roman family name, Maurice was a staple of the top 100 most popular names from 1904 to 1954, but was registered just eight times in 2024.
Percy
Percy, meaning ‘pierce the valley’, offers plenty of vintage charm, yet has been left to almost extinction, accounting for just 0.02% of babies registered.
Claude
Advertisement
Claude, with roots to historical nobleness, has fallen out of favour with parents since the 1920s. A short and chic-sounding name, it’s now almost entirely extinct in the UK, with only 0.001% of babies born in 2024 given the name.
Winifred
Appearing consistently in the top 100 names from 1904 to 1934, Winifred means ‘blessed peacemaker’. Often shortened to ‘Winnie’, the adorable name has become surprisingly scarce in recent years.
Millicent
Advertisement
A retro alternative to the popular ‘Amelia’, Millicent, meaning ‘gentle strength’, offers a variety of charming shortenings, including Millie, Minnie, and Mila. However, just 42 Millicents were registered in the UK in 2024, compared with 2,448 Amelias.
Freda
Freda, meaning ‘peaceful ruler’, was one of the most popular names in the early 20 th Century, appearing in the top baby 100 names consistently from 1904 to 1934. However, the name is now virtually extinct with only seven babies registered with the name in 2024, according to ONS’s most recent data.
Rosina
Advertisement
Meaning ‘little rose’, the name Rosina was particularly popular before the First World War. Now, only 0.002% of babies born in the UK have the name, making it a perfect option for expectant parents looking for a unique, classical twist on current favourites ‘Rose’ and ‘Rosie’.
Bessie
Bessie, used on its own or as a shortening of Elizabeth or Beatrice, is a beautiful alternative to another vintage name, ‘Betty’, which has risen in popularity in recent years. Yet, it was only registered 17 times in 2024, meaning the name could die out entirely this generation.
Karanjeet Kaur Bains, who is a powerlifter and fitness coach, sustained a major knee injury during filming earlier this year, reportedly ruling her out of season four.
She was forced to pull out of season three due to a complete ACL tear, meniscus tear, injuries to both the LCL and MCL, and a bone fracture.
However, Bains has now taken to social media to break her silence on her exit.
Advertisement
She wrote: “I’ve seen a lot of speculation recently that I’m still injured… The truth is I’ve been fully fit for several months now and honestly, I’m the fittest and strongest I’ve ever been.
“The rest I’ll comment on in due course, but I just wanted to set the record straight.
“In the meantime, here’s my latest track sessions… Actions speak louder than words.”
Fans responded with messages of support in the comments, with one writing: “We love you Athena!
“Always queen of the arena regardless.”
Advertisement
Another person posted: “I’m sad you’re not there.
“But hopefully see you soon.”
Filming for the new series began last weekend, but both Bains and her co-star Bionic, real name Matty Campbell, were absent due to injury.
A source told The Sun that although they won’t appear on the show this year, they could potentially return for the live tour, depending on their recovery.
Lystus Ebosele confirmed on social media that she has stepped down from the series of her own accord.
In an Instagram story shared on Thursday (July 30), the 25-year-old powerlifting champion said she was not “axed,” but chose to leave after appearing in two seasons of the programme.
She confirmed she will still take part in the 2026 Live Tour but will not return for future series.
Advertisement
Lystus has unfollowed the show’s official Instagram account and deleted all pictures of herself on the show.
Earlier this year, 40-year-old Jamie Bigg, known as Giant, also left the programme under controversial circumstances.
Bigg said he was let go after telling producers he intended to go public with his relationship, including the fact that his partner is an OnlyFans creator.
He said in a statement to the Press Association: “I made it clear that I was planning to go public with my relationship, including the fact my partner works as an OnlyFans creator, and shortly after that I was told I wouldn’t be continuing on Gladiators.
Advertisement
Are you said to see Athena leave Gladiators? Let us know in the comments.
The airport served several thousands of passengers before its closure in 2022 (Picture: Getty Images)
This week marks the start of the consultation period for the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
Over the next three months, residents, stakeholders, and business owners will have the opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns, and share their opinions on the proposed plans.
Once a major aviation hub in South Yorkshire, flying passengers to 50 destinations in Europe, Doncaster Sheffield Airport was forced to close its doors four years ago.
Its owners at the time, Peel Group, claimed that the airport was no longer financially viable to keep it open. However, that should hopefully soon change.
Advertisement
The consultation follows several crucial developments earlier this year.
The airport was an integral transport hub for locals in South Yorkshire (Picture: Getty Images)
Ask Metro
Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications.
In April, a large jet landed at Doncaster Sheffield Airport for the first time since its closure, marking the beginning of ambitious plans to bring the site back into operation.
Advertisement
Staff celebrated the arrival, which is kept on constant standby as a response aircraft to oil spills around the world, calling it an ‘amazing moment’ for aviation and the for the community.
Christian Foster, director of airport operator FlyDoncaster Ltd, was equally thrilled by the development, telling news outlets: ‘It’s quite a moment seeing a jet land at the airport for the first time in almost four years.’
And just a few weeks later, in the middle of May, more good news arrived.
Doncaster Council officially approved a £57 million loan to help kickstart the project — a rather shocking turn of events given the fact that Labour and Reform UK councillors had been at odds over the matter for months.
Advertisement
The consultation phase will run until October 4 (Picture: Getty Images)
Reacting to the news, #SaveDSA campaigner Mark Chadwick told the Doncaster Free Press: ‘After years of uncertainty, today’s result provides long-awaited clarity and sends a strong message that elected representatives have listened to the voices of local residents, businesses, trade unions and 40k plus supporters across the region.
‘People have consistently made it clear: they want Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopened and delivering jobs, connectivity, and economic growth once again.’
Tourism expert Christian Petzold previously told Metro that the DSA project is an important step towards international connections for South Yorkshire.
Manchester Airport is one of the busiest airports outside of London (Picture: Getty Images)
He shared: ‘Currently it remains the largest city-region in Europe without access to a functioning airport.
‘When reopened, the airport will significantly reduce the reliance of passengers and businesses on airports like Manchester, Leeds Bradford and East Midlands.’
Travel times would be reduced from over 90 minutes down to approximately 30-40 minutes, he added.
Advertisement
Airport bosses have described the consultation phase as ‘crucial’, emphasising that they want to hear from as many people as possible.
As well as delivering leaflets to nearby households, the airport also plan on hosting webinars and in-person events.
‘Abandoned’ £864,000,000 airport in Spain set to reopen after 14 years
In other news, a Spanish airport that was once put on sale for £1 has now reopened after being shut for 14 years.
Known as the country’s ‘ghost airport’, Ciudad Real International Airport (CRIA), located around 150 miles south of Madrid, will officially resume operations later this year, with its abandoned 28,000 sq ft terminal welcoming passengers for the first time in over a decade.
Advertisement
In a statement, new managing director Rafael Gómez Arribas confirmed Ciudad Real will operate private flights mainly from Europe and the US and specialist aviation, rather than commercial journeys.
So although most holidaymakers likely won’t get a chance to see it for themselves, those travelling via charter planes may now be redirected to the hub.
This could help ease pressure for other Spanish airports, which are already dealing with millions of commercial travellers a year.
Through the Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF), the SNP Scottish Government provided £72,267 to families across the Lanarkshire region during the 2025/26 financial year.
Clare Adamson MSP has welcomed new figures from the Scottish Government showing that 400 families across Lanarkshire have received financial support while their children were staying in hospital.
Advertisement
Through the Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF), the SNP Scottish Government provided £72,267 to families across the Lanarkshire region during the 2025/26 financial year.
The Young Patients Family Fund helps cover the cost of travel, food and accommodation for parents, primary carers and siblings under 18 who are visiting a child in hospital.
Since being introduced by the SNP Scottish Government in 2021, the scheme, which is unique to Scotland, has provided practical support to thousands of families facing the worry and uncertainty of a child spending an extended period in hospital.
The Motherwell and Wishaw MSP said: “Having a child in hospital is incredibly difficult for any family, so it’s really encouraging to see 400 families across Lanarkshire supported through the Young Patients Family Fund over the last year.”
Advertisement
“This practical help with travel, food and accommodation costs allows families to focus on being there for their child, rather than worrying about the extra financial pressures that can come with a hospital stay.”
“Whether it’s the Baby Box, funded early learning and childcare, investment in breakfast clubs or the Young Patients Family Fund, the SNP remains committed to making Scotland the best place in the world for children to grow up and for families to thrive.”
“I’m proud that Scotland continues to provide this support, helping families stay together when they need each other most and ensuring no one is left to face these challenges alone.”
*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Advertisement
And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka closed schools in its tea-growing mountainous regions Tuesday as heavy rains triggered floods and mudslides that left five people dead and three wounded, officials said.
Heavy downpours over the last two days have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, flooding homes, fields and roads. The mountainous areas in the country’s central region are the worst affected by the severe weather, according to the government’s Disaster Management Center.
So far, five people have died after being buried in mudslides that overran two houses in the central region, while three others were wounded and two people have gone missing, said Pradeep Kodippili, the center’s spokesperson.
Kodippili said rains and floods damaged 129 houses and that nearly 2,000 people were evacuated.
Advertisement
Navy and army troops have been deployed to rescue people trapped in the floods and help them move to safe places.
Local television channel Hiru TV showed troops and civilians rescuing people trapped in their homes because of the floods and facing the risk of being buried by mudflows.
Local channels also showed huge rocks, mudslides and fallen electric posts on several main roads in the central region, blocking traffic in some parts of the area.
The latest disaster comes as the country is still trying to recover from the devastation in November caused by Cyclone Ditwa that killed nearly 640 people, affected two million people and caused an estimated $4.1 billion in damage.
Advertisement
The Central province was the hardest hit by that cyclone and the government is struggling to rebuild roads, railways and houses in the region.
Mudslides and floods are among the most destructive natural disasters, causing severe damage to lives and property in Sri Lanka every year. Heavy monsoon rains mostly trigger mudslides in the central hill region while flooding low-lying areas, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes.
Former England captain Ben Stokes has spoken publicly for the first time since his shock announcement about the decision to call time on his Test career.
Stokes, 35, shocked English cricket after announcing his retirement in June during the third and final Test against New Zealand.
It had been a series marred by drama with Stokes and team-mate Gus Atkinson missing the second Test after being dropped for breaking the team’s curfew while out celebrating their first Test win at Lord’s.
An incident in the early hours after that match saw an altercation at the Rex Rooms nightclub in Chelsea, when a member of the ECB’s security staff was struck by Saracens academy player Totoa Auvaa amid a disagreement over table arrangements in a VIP area.
Advertisement
Stokes eventually returned for the third Test but has now revealed his thought process behind his decision to call it a day.
‘There’s a lot to it that I think is just not for today or for the near future,’ he told the Love of Cricket podcast.
‘I look at planning ahead and I was going “We’ve got the Ashes in 2027” and I think you know I spoke to (wife) Clare a lot about this even before I took the decision.
‘You always plan your retirement, right? And it was 2027 Ashes, whatever happens there you’re going ‘Not sure I go past that’.
Advertisement
Ben Stokes announced his shock retirement during the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge
And then over time sort of I was (thinking) “How am I going to get there? How am I going to get to Australia 2027 with everything, with how everything is feeling at the moment?”
‘Playing for Durham I’m going “How am I even going to get to end the New Zealand series?” I’m worrying about how I’m going to get there and thinking that Australia is going to be my last one.’
Advertisement
Stokes, however, remains keen to stay in the game. He is currently back playing for Durham in the One Day Cup and Daily Mail Sport reported this week he is in talks with Sydney Sixers over a Big Bash contract this winter.
Further down the line, though, Stokes revealed he has his sights set on taking the top England job.
‘I’m doing my level three coaching now while I’m still playing because I want when the day comes that I’m not playing anymore,’ he said.
‘I’d love to be able to have all that stuff signed off and done. So then I’ve got that option if I want to go into it or I want to be, I have a couple years off and just do whatever I want to do.
Advertisement
‘I want to be a coach. I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game which is to be a coach. And would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely. I would love to be able to do that. Do I think it’s going to happen? I don’t know. No idea.’
Share or comment on this article:
Ben Stokes reveals reasons behind his shock retirement – and outlines his ambition to become England coach in the future
Salmon DNA skincare treatments are still trending in the beauty world, with polynucleotides (or PDRN, also referred to as polydeoxyribonucleotide) now available for topical use as well as in-clinic aesthetic procedures. PDRN skincare claims to be regenerative, helping to improve hyperpigmentation and fine lines – and it’s appearing in everything from serums to creams.
As a 42-year-old beauty journalist, I closely track the latest innovations. But above all else, I favour affordable products that offer tangible results. So, I was excited to hear about The Ordinary’s lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 eye cream launch, particularly as its price is less than £9.
The Lacto-PDRN component is vegan, and made by fermentation of a probiotic bacterium. The Ordinary says its DNA is broken down into fragments sharing structural components with salmon DNA, so the skin also responds in a similar way. It’s billed as promoting smoother-looking skin, and improving the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and elasticity.
Advertisement
I don’t tend to use eye cream, and instead stick to a dab of intensely hydrating moisturiser for my sensitive, dry (and often dull) skin. So, could The Ordinary’s PDRN eye cream impress me? Officially launching on 28 August, IndyBest has scooped the exclusive to be the first to share all about it with you. I’ve spent several weeks putting the affordable eye cream to the test – keep reading for my honest verdict.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login