The Met Office has issued a warning until 9pm today (August 28).

A spokesperson said: “While many areas will miss the heaviest downpours, heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop during Friday afternoon and evening.

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“The focus of showers and thunderstorms over will be northern England and much of Wales during the early afternoon before extending over central and eastern England through the afternoon.

“Thunderstorms will bring 10-20 mm of rain in a short period in a few places with 30-40 mm possible should anywhere see repeated downpours.

“Lightning and hail will be additional hazards in a few locations. Heavy showers and thunderstorms will gradually ease during Friday evening.”

Today (August 28) will see showers developing more widely through the day, often heavy with a risk of thunder in places, but temperatures will remain around normal with a maximum of 21 degrees.

Tomorrow (August 29) will see showers ease off with late evening sunshine and mild weather, with Saturday (August 30) starting dying then rain will become widespread for the rest of the day.

From Sunday (August 31) to Tuesday (September 1), the unsettled weather looks set to continue with outbreaks of rain and showers – which the Met Office says will be “occasionally heavy with the risk of thunder”

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Ola Jordan shared her first update since it was confirmed she had split from her husband, James

Ola Jordan has hailed her daughter for being a “ray of sunshine” during what she called her “darkest days” as she shared her first update since it was confirmed she had split from her husband, James Jordan.

The professional dancers, who both starred on BBC’s Strictly, first met in 1999 at a dance competition in Blackpool, before officially starting to date in 2000. They tied the knot in 2003, before welcoming their daughter Ella who they conceived through IVF in 2020 after a three-year fertility struggle.

However, it was confirmed earlier this month that the couple had gone their separate ways after 22 years of marriage, with their separation being “trialled” some time ago.

A statement addressing the news was first shared by their manager, before James and Ola took to Instagram to issue their own comment, in which they said they were working through “very difficult personal challenges”, and that James moved out of the family home some time ago.

Now, Ola has shared her first update since the statement. She took to Instagram with a photo of herself and daughter Ella, now six, and wrote to her followers: “There have been moments this summer when my heart has felt heavier than I ever imagined it could [broken heart emoji]. Life has changed in ways I never expected, and some days have been incredibly tough.

“But through all of the uncertainty, one thing has remained constant, my beautiful girl Ella [heart emoji]. Spending these summer holidays with my baby girl, making memories, having cuddles, laughing until our tummies hurt and simply enjoying every precious moment together has been my greatest comfort. She may not realise it now, but she has been my little ray of sunshine through some of my darkest days [sun emoji].”

The mum-of-one added: “This summer hasn’t been the one I imagined, but I’m choosing to focus on what truly matters – her, our memories, and all the love between us [heart emoji]. And to everyone who has sent me messages, checked in on me, shown me kindness or simply reminded me that I’m not alone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your love and support have meant more to me than you will ever know.”

Ola was soon flooded with messages of love and support. @clairebishop06 said: “Sending you so much love. Tough times don’t last….tough people do! Take it one day at a time and be kind to yourself.2 @butterworth.lynne commented: “Beautiful girls. One day at a time Ola.”

@misshayleyd13 wrote: “Sending so much love Ola.” @elainegreen18 replied: “Sending love Ola – you will come out the other side so much stronger with your beautiful daughter.” @carolejones636 posted: “Stay strong Ola! Just one day at a time.” @2060dar added: “Lovely picture of you both. Never feel you are alone; it’s a difficult path to walk, it will get easier in time. The future will be bright no matter what occurs. Stay strong you are loved and needed. Take care.”

Emmerdale have killed off Jimmy King in devastating scenes but fans are sure another death is on the cards, and it’s not Joe Tate or Dawn Taylor

Emmerdale fans have rumbled another exit is on the way on the ITV soap after Jimmy King’s death.

The legendary character – played by Nick Miles – died in devastating scenes last night but fans are convinced more exits are on the way. Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) has waved goodbye to her beloved, but could more exits be on the cards?

In dramatic scenes, Joe found himself trapped under the wedding marquee, which had collapsed. Graham raced to save Joe but he was seen under the debris and Dawn was unable to free him.

With talks of ‘cuts’ to the number of stars on Emmerdale, could another exit be on the cards?

One fan predicted Billy Fletcher could be on his way out. One wrote: “What’s going happen to Billy? Dawn rejected him. Billy only has his son – the only blood relative. Be surprised if Billy on show for much longer? #Emmerdale.”

“If Dawn dies, I can see Billy taking off with Evan, Clemmie and Lucas after the funeral at the very least,” a second fan shared. A third added: “Is there a Billy death twist coming up?”

It comes after Dawn star Olivia Bromley teased there would be chaos and drama ahead – as Billy took a central role.

“Dawn should have chosen Billy all along, and I think everybody feels the same. The problem is, she’s in love with Joe,” she explained, “She really loves the wrong man. It would be so simple if she had just stayed with Billy, she’s got these beautiful children and if they could just run off into the sunset. That’s what I want for her.”

Amid the wedding, Dawn and Billy planned to escape the village together but there is trouble ahead and both her and Joe are caught up in the car crash that has killed Jimmy King (Nick Miles).

“There’s a lot at stake. She’s got her children, she’s got her family, and she’s going to just do a runaway on the day of the wedding. She thinks Joe has the capability of trying to kill someone.”

On whether Dawn and Billy will get their happy ending, Olivia added: “Every time she gets so close to having it, and then somehow sabotages it, but she’s also been dealt a very rough hand time and time again.”

Joe Tate actor Ned Porteous also warned of drama ahead – and said “everyone is affected” by the dramatic wedding week stunt.

Of the dramatic scenes, he shared: “It’s a higher quality version of Emmerdale. Emmerdale is already fantastic as a show, it’s the best job I’ve ever had, but the amount of work that has been put into these episodes, and on this block and on this unit.

“The episodes that we’ve all been part of, there is a feeling to it, not just in thematic vibe, but also the quality of the cameras that we’ve been using. It is going to look and sound and feel very different, and hopefully, this could be the start of a whole new era.”

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The cast of the supernatural series Heroes recently staged a reunion to collectively pay their respects to their late co-star Hayden Pantettiere.

Following her death earlier this week, actor Jimmy Jean-Louis revealed that the cast and crew of Heroes had gathered in Hayden’s memory.

He admitted: “A Heroes reunion to celebrate the life of Hayden was deeply emotional.

“There was sadness in our hearts, but also so much love, gratitude and warmth as we remembered the beautiful moments shared and the lasting impact of a life that touched so many.”

“Au revoir Hayden,” he added, alongside photos showing the likes of Santiago Cabrera, Jack Coleman, Greg Grunberg, Masi Oka, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Zachary Quinto, who took part in the event virtually.

Following the news of her death, Heroes creator Tim Kring penned a tribute for Variety, remembering her as a “true team player”, “level-headed beyond her years” and “singularly talented as an actor”.

“It wasn’t just that Hayden could learn lines with ease,” he recalled. “It was her rare ability to find and explore the nuances of drama and humor and pathos in any scene she was in.”

“As a showrunner, I have come to appreciate how rare it is to cross paths with a talent like Hayden’s. But more importantly, I will remember her as a kind and gentle person who was always a joy and an inspiration to work with,” he concluded.

Another man was arrested in relation to the crash

A man has been rushed to hospital in a “life threatening condition” after a crash in Peterborough. Cambridgeshire Police was called to a crash on the A15 Bourges Boulevard, between the junctions of Mayor’s Walk and Westfield Road, just after 10.30pm on Thursday (August 27).

The crash involved a pedestrian and white Toyota Auris. A 30-year-old man, the pedestrian, sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital.

A police spokesperson said: “The pedestrian, a 30-year-old man from Peterborough, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in a life-threatening condition.

“The driver, a 25-year-old man from Peterborough, was uninjured and arrested on suspicion of drug driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He remains in custody.”

Cambridgeshire Police is appealing for information. Anyone with information should call police on 101 and quote Operation Jersey.

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The defendant will return to court next week

A man at the centre of a murder investigation in Salford has been named, after the person accused of killing him appeared in court.

Officers launched a murder investigation after being called out to reports of a disturbance on Kempster Gardens, in Lower Broughton, at around 5.19am on Wednesday, August 12. A man in his 30s was pronounced dead at the scene.

He has since been named in court documents as Yuri Felipe. A 37-year-old man has been charged with murdering Mr Felipe.

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Gabriel Joao Gurney Sacutti, of Bridge Road, Coalville, Leicestershire, appeared in Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court this morning (August 28). He has been remanded in custody ahead of his next court appearance.

Gurney is due to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday, September 1. He is yet to enter a plea to the charge.

More than 40 firefighters attended to extinguish the blaze

The owners of a nature reserve are concerned that animals have been killed in a fire. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue was called to a fire in the Hampton Nature Reserve, Peterborough, at around 3.48pm on Tuesday (August 25).

As a result, Natures Way in Hampton was partially closed off while more than 40 firefighters dealt with the blaze. Firefighters remained at the scene until around 10pm. The cause of the fire was accidental.

Froglife, which oversees the nature reserve, believes some of the animals that inhabit the green space would have died in the fire.

Jenny Tse-Leon, head of conservation and impact for Froglife said: “We’re very concerned about the fire at Hampton Nature Reserve. Sadly, this isn’t the first fire we’ve experienced on the reserve, but the fire crews have always responded incredibly quickly, and we’re very grateful for their efforts in bringing these incidents under control and limiting the damage.

“The area affected is a particularly important habitat for reptiles. We’re concerned that some animals may have been killed in the fire, while those that managed to escape have lost the habitat they rely on for shelter, feeding and breeding.

“The recent rainfall is very welcome and has helped reduce the immediate fire risk, but unfortunately the damaged habitat will take time to recover. In the meantime, the reptiles that survived have lost an important part of their home and may have very limited suitable habitat to move into.”

The nature reserve is privately owned and the public cannot access it. Froglife is unsure how the fire started, but it is encouraging people to be careful when visiting nature reserves amid the dry weather the country has experienced.

Jenny added: “We’d urge everyone visiting nature reserves and other green spaces to be especially careful and avoid anything that could start a fire. That includes disposing of cigarettes safely, not using barbecues and taking glass bottles and other litter home.

“A moment’s carelessness can have a devastating impact on wildlife and the places they depend on.”

The incident took place on Saturday, August 22, in the Waterville Road area of North Shields and is believed to be linked to a memorial for a teenager.

Police said the vigil was organised without the involvement of the teenager’s family.

Northumbria Police said: “It was reported that fireworks were being set off and targeted at police vehicles, with small fires also started.

“Thankfully, no-one was injured in the incident, and the fires were extinguished a short time later.”

A woman in her 40s was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.

Now, it is understood she has since been released on bail.

Officers have urged people to ensure future memorial events are carried out in a safe and respectful manner.

Northumbria Police said: “We would ask that anyone looking to hold memorial events in any of our communities does so respectfully and with consideration for other members of the public at all times.

“They are not a means to commit crime or take part in disorder.”

Inquiries into the incident are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Northumbria Police.

An MP has condemned the violence gripping Middlesbrough as ‘terrorism’ – with residents left ‘trapped in their homes’ after nine deaths and 19 arrests in a week.

More than 200 extra officers from across the UK have been deployed to help Cleveland Police after an outbreak of gang violence following the head-on crash which killed PCs Matthew Blades and Tom Clough and five young men on Saturday.

Police have arrested 17 people aged between 18 and 61 across Teesside, who were detained on a range of offences – including being part of an organised crime group.

Another two men, aged 31 and 23, have been arrested on suspicion of murder after seven-year-old Valentina Foster and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, were killed on Wednesday in a house fire in Grangetown, around one mile from the A66 crash.

A house in South Bank was also rammed into by a car in the early hours of yesterday morning, again close to the other scenes – although the property was empty.

Police are urgently investigating whether the incidents could be linked to wider organised crime but have not yet established whether they are all connected.

Several other ram attacks have been carried out in Middlesbrough – including against the father of one of the young men who died on the A66 just hours before the crash.

It comes as at least 12 armed police swooped on a residential street about five miles away last night, shouting for the occupants of a house to come to the front door.

The incident lasted around an hour in Thornaby, North Yorkshire, while Cleveland Police officers along with others from nearby forces surrounded front and back.

Armed response officers had been called at 9.15pm after reports of a fight involving a weapon, which saw a 25-year-old man taken to hospital with facial fractures.

Four people were arrested on suspicion of affray – a boy aged 17, two men aged 39 and 43 and a woman aged 30. The men were also arrested on suspicion of wounding.

Several occupants of the house were brought out one by one, although the force later said there is ‘not believed to be any link to wider criminality at this time’.

Also this morning, a 21-year-old man arrested over the investigation into events leading up to the fatal collision on Saturday was charged with a drugs offence. 

Local residents are fearful for their safety. Andy McDonald, the MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, told Times Radio: ‘People are saying that they are going to their shops and not feeling safe to do so and feeling trapped in their own homes. 

‘That is just unacceptable. This is terrorism and we’ve got to have an appropriate response to deal with the people who are causing such mayhem in our communities and to allow people to lead their peaceful lives.’

Middlesbrough has the highest crime rate in England excluding central London, and rival criminal groups have been spreading fear among residents 

Former Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston said the town was ‘on its knees’ – as he warned the ongoing feuds between criminal gangs could escalate further 

Police on the residential street in Thornaby last night as a group of people are led out of a home

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It comes as a mob of youths last night torched several cars and set off fireworks at a balloon release vigil for one of the young men who died on the A66 

Mr McDonald earlier told BBC Radio 4 there appeared to be a ‘causal link with organised crime’.

It comes as a mob of youths last night torched several cars and set off fireworks at a balloon release vigil for one of the young men who died on the A66.

Teenagers in tracksuits gathered to remember Michael Cahill, 23 – one of the five young men who died in the wrong-way collision that claimed the lives of two police officers.

At least five cars were set ablaze last night in a horse field about 15 miles from Middlesbrough near Haswell in County Durham, with the startled animals looking on from afar.

Former Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston said the town was ‘on its knees’ – as he warned the ongoing feuds between criminal gangs could escalate further.

Cleveland Police, one of the smallest forces in the country, has seen its resources stretched to breaking point this week.

The Government has now responded with 200 extra police officers from around the country, ‘from detectives to armed response’, being dispatched after MPs in the area appealed for help.

Last night social media footage showed dozens congregate in the middle of a field with bikers revving engines and car horns blaring.

Cars were first driven erratically around the field, throwing up mud and crashing through hedges, before some were parked and set alight to whoops from the crowd.

Hooded youths were setting off blue smoke flares and fireworks and released balloons spelling out ‘Michael’ into the sky. Clips of the antics posted online were captioned ‘Rest in peace Micky’.

After the mob cleared, footage showed smouldering, burnt-out car shells lying on scorched grass while locals used farm machinery to begin the clear up.

Mr Cahill’s mother had earlier called for ‘bikes, jeeps, cars and quad bikes’ to gather for her son’s send-off.

She wrote on social media yesterday morning: ‘Change of plans michales [sic] baloon release Thursday peterlee White House opposite on field come on lads bikes jeeps cars quads give him send of he deserves’.

Several cars were set ablaze by youths in a field near Haswell in County Durham last night

The Government has now responded with 200 extra police officers from around the country, ‘from detectives to armed response’ 

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A clip of the cars captioned ‘Rest in peace Micky’ for Michael Cahill, one of the A66 fatalities

Chaotic scenes broke out at a memorial organised for Michael Cahill, 23, who died on the A66 

A statement from Michael Cahill’s mother called for different types of vehicles to gather

Many of the young people gathered reached for their phones to film the cars burning

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Scores of blue balloons spelling out ‘Michael’ were also released into the sky last night

Burnt-out shells were all that remained of the vehicles, surrounded by scorched grass

Remnants of fireworks, smoke canisters and balloons were scattered around the field this morning. Scorch marks were visible in the field and cars that were torched have since been removed.

After the tribute to Mr Cahill, locals reported horses being ‘absolutely terrified’ by the scenes unfolding in their field.

Violence, believed to be a fallout from the crash that killed PCs Blades and Clough, has spiralled across Teesside.

Alec Brown, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, said more than 200 extra police officers have been or will be sent from around the country to support Cleveland Police and that he would be asking the Prime Minister for more support.

He said officers were ‘working 20-hour days to ensure the ongoing safety of innocent residents’.

Anna Turley, MP for Redcar, said: ‘I know how worried people are, and understandably people want to know what is being done.

‘There is a significant response under way, with additional officers and resources being brought into our area and agencies working together around the clock.’

She added: ‘People have a right to feel safe in their homes and in their communities. That is our absolute priority.’

Yesterday two further incidents saw a car crash into a wall outside a South Bank home and a 39-year-old stabbed around midday in nearby Eston.

A resident near the site of the stabbing said people in the area were ‘trying to keep our heads down’.

Referring to the postcode which covers Eston, Grangetown and South Bank, among other areas, he said: ‘TS6 has gone mad, it’s brutal.’

Yesterday afternoon, armed police swarmed a house on the Bankfield estate in Eston after a 39-year-old man was stabbed. The man has been receiving treatment following the assault.

The decision on extra police was announced by Mr Brown, who wrote on social media: ‘Over 200 extra police officers from forces around the country are here and are en route, from detectives to armed response.

Valentina Foster, seven, and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, died in a house fire on Wednesday

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A house in the South Bank area of Middlesbrough was rammed by a car early yesterday

A house in Acklam, Middlesbrough, linked to the father of Cole Worthy, one of the young men who died in the A66 crash, was rammed hours before Saturday’s collision

Armed police on the scene of the suspected knife attack in Eston yesterday

A group gather in Middlesbrough yesterday in memory of three of the five young men who died

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Blue smoke from flares fills the air by the East Middlesbrough Events Centre on Wednesday

Messages remembering the young men spray-painted on East Middlesbrough Events Centre

‘I will be sending a letter today to our Prime Minister asking for even more resources. People need to feel safe in their homes.’

Middlesbrough has the highest crime rate in England excluding central London, and rival criminal groups have been spreading fear among residents.

Gatherings had been held earlier in the week to remember the other four men who died in the VW Passat.

Friends and relatives of Jacob Matusiak, 23, and 17-year-olds Cole Worthy and Theo Rae, congregated on a grassy area in Middlesbrough on Wednesday.

Blue smoke from flares filled the air and children were among those assembled next to the East Middlesbrough Events Centre, previously known as Middlebeck Social Club.

Messages have been spray-painted on the building reading: ‘RIP The Boys’, ‘Never Be Forgotten RIP The Lads’ and the initials of those in the car with ‘Rest easy boys’.

Community group Active Tees Valley, which operates the venue, has criticised the vandalism, saying that ‘damaging buildings that are being used to support local residents ultimately impacts the same community we are all trying to look after’.

Meanwhile, an inquest into the deaths of the two officers was told yesterday that they died from head and neck injuries.

In consecutive hearings, coroner Paul Appleton said PC Blades was identified by his wife, and PC Clough by his partner.

The provisional cause of death was said to be head and neck injuries for PC Blades, and neck injuries for PC Clough.

Mr Appleton told the hearing that ‘all occupants of both vehicles were sadly pronounced dead at the scene’.