The Met Office predicted “unsettled” September conditions with rain and wind

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Ireland, Scotland and some parts of the UK could drop to 1C due to a cold snap that has been forecast this month. Temperatures look set to plunge from September 11, with the GFS weather model showing highs of just 11-12C around southern and eastern coasts at around midday.

Meanwhile 9C is coming in the Midlands and Northern Ireland, and lows of 2C on the cards in parts of Scotland. The Mirror reports by 6pm on September 11, the data shows highs of just 15C in the south-east – well below what is expected for this time of year – with afternoon temperatures remaining below 10C in Wales, northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Further cool conditions should follow on September 12, with temperatures dropping to just 1C in parts of northern England and Scotland. Every single county could see temperatures below 10C at midday, the data suggests.

The maps show temperatures peaking at just 13C in the south-east at around 6pm on September 12, with the Midlands reaching 11C, 12C in Northern Ireland and 10C in Scotland.

Similar conditions are expected on September 13 too, with the GFS model once again showing single-digit temperatures across the country at midday – with London at just 7C. Afternoon highs may reach just 14, with the warmest conditions expected in Northern Ireland and the south-west.

Temperature anomaly maps for this period show the UK shaded in areas of dark blue. This indicates that temperatures are expected to drop well below the seasonal average.

The Met Office anticipates “unsettled” conditions for the first half of September, with rain in northern and western regions and drier spells in the south and east.

The Met Office forecast for September 5 to 14 states: “An unsettled period is likely, with many places seeing showers or longer spells of rain at times. Rain is expected to be most frequent across northern and western areas, while the south and east are more likely to see longer, drier spells. There is also the potential for some strong and gusty winds, particularly in the northwest.”

The BBC forecast for September 7 to 13 says conditions should soon turn “cooler”, with “wet and windy or showery weather” on the cards.

It states: “Atlantic weather systems should continue to dominate conditions into the second week of September, with low pressure and frontal systems tracking near or across the UK, so further periods of wet and windy or showery weather look most likely.

“Short-lived drier and sunnier spells should occur in-between, especially in the southern and eastern UK where conditions may be less wet overall than the north and west.”

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“We are creating a modern and vibrant retail destination which we believe will drive Ballymena back to the top of the list of must-visit retail destinations”

A Co Antrim shopping centre has announced “another significant milestone” in its transformation.

Fairhill Shopping Centre in Ballymena has revealed that current tenant JD Sports will be relocating to a newly formed retail space in “prominent corner location” within the centre.

The new JD Sports 12,300 sq. ft store, located beside the newly opened Primark, will occupy a highly visible position within Fairhill, and owners say it will create an impressive new retail destination for one of the UK and Ireland’s best-known sports-fashion retailers.

A spokesperson said: “The relocation will provide JD Sports with a significantly enhanced trading environment and an opportunity to showcase its extensive range of leading footwear, sportswear and fashion brands in a modern new format.

“JD Sports is renowned for its strong portfolio of global sports and lifestyle brands and its ability to combine sports performance with contemporary streetwear and fashion.

“With a loyal customer base and broad appeal across a range of age groups, the retailer will further strengthen Fairhill’s fashion, footwear and leisure offering.”

Back in 2021, Magmel (Ballymena) Limited bought over the Fairhill Shopping Centre in the heart of Ballymena town – since then, the company has embarked on a £10million transformation project.

From a fresh rebrand to an internal revamp of the storefronts and mall to building a new 26,100-square-foot unit for Primark, owner Ryan Walker said the new JD Sports will add to their mission to revive Ballymena’s status as a leading retail destination.

Ryan Walker from Magmel ( Ballymena ) Limited said: “We are very pleased to have secured JD Sports for this impressive new store at the heart of Fairhill.

“JD is an exceptional retailer and a fantastic fit for Fairhill, and their relocation to such a prominent corner position within the centre represents a significant step towards seeing the centre fully occupied with prime retailers.

“The new store will provide JD Sports with an excellent platform to showcase its leading range of sportswear, footwear and fashion brands, while creating an exciting new retail destination for our customers.

“We are now seeing the positive impact from our investment in the Centre and this announcement demonstrates the confidence that leading retailers have in Fairhill and Ballymena.

“We are creating a modern and vibrant retail destination which we believe will drive Ballymena back to the top of the list of must-visit retail destinations.”

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Sixteen people were killed and ⁠28 injured in a bus accident in eastern Egypt on Wednesday, local authorities said.

Egypt’s health ministry said the incident occurred on the Dahab-Nuweibaa ⁠road in South ⁠Sinai, on an area along the ‌Red Sea ‌coast that is popular ⁠with tourists.

According to the AFP news agency, 20 ambulances rushed to the scene of the accident in a popular diving area on the country’s eastern coast.

The nationalities of those who died have not yet been released.

Last month, 15 people were killed and 32 injured in ‌a ​road accident in ‌Egypt’s ⁠Ismailia governorate.

More to follow…

A flight attendant has explained the aeroplane exit row requirements and who is not allowed to sit there – and it’s about much more than extra legroom on a flight

Getting an exit-row seat with extra legroom for free can feel like a major win, but imagine paying for it and then being told you’re not actually allowed to sit there? It would feel like a real blow. But a TUI flight attendant has explained that there are quite a few people who aren’t allowed to sit in an exit row.

An exit row isn’t simply a nice upgrade offering additional legroom throughout your journey – it actually fulfils a far more critical function should your aircraft encounter any difficulties. In reality, passengers seated in an exit row may be required to assist the crew if necessary, and before departure is complete, the cabin crew will discuss this responsibility with you to ensure you’re comfortable with it.

Miva, a flight attendant, stated: “An emergency exit seat is not just a seat with extra legroom. In an evacuation, the passenger sitting there may need to assess the situation outside, open the exit, direct other passengers and help the crew.”

Fortunately, it’s extremely uncommon that a passenger would genuinely need to provide assistance, but you must be prepared to do so should the cabin crew require your help.

This explains why there’s a specific list of travellers who aren’t permitted to occupy exit row seats, as they wouldn’t be capable of providing support during a real emergency.

Who cannot sit in an exit row?

Children aren’t permitted to sit in the exit row. Each airline maintains different policies regarding the minimum age requirement for passengers allowed to occupy these seats.

Adults travelling with an infant or child in their care are also prohibited from sitting in the exit row.

Anyone with restricted mobility or with an injury cannot be seated there, nor can anyone unable to comprehend the instructions provided to them.

Passengers who are incapable of operating the exit mechanism cannot be seated there. Similarly, people who are uncomfortable with or incapable of assisting during an emergency situation are also excluded, as these seats serve a specific safety purpose.

Miva explained: “The reason is simple: every second counts during an evacuation. The person sitting at the emergency exit must be physically and mentally capable, willing to act immediately and able to help other passengers leave the aircraft safely.

“The cabin crew can move someone to another seat if they believe that person is unsuitable. Exact requirements may differ between airlines.”

In the comments section, some readers expressed confusion, questioning: “Then why charge extra to sit there for the extra leg room? Should be giving us money for being willing to help.”

Another contributor clarified: “Children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, elderly. Because in case of an emergency, you will have to help open/help passengers off, which is also why the floor must be clear at all times.”

A further commenter highlighted an additional restriction: “People who need a seatbelt extended can’t sit there either because the extender could trip people on the way out the emergency exit.”

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT Lawrence Brewer was one of three men who carried out the brutal hate crime murder of James Byrd Junior and was executed in Texas for the crime – but not before one final harrowing act

He was a brutal killer who claimed the life of a man simply because of the colour of his skin.

Lawrence Brewer was one of three men, along with Shawn Berry and John King, who launched a savage and harrowing attack on James Byrd Junior.

The victim was 49 when he was brutally murdered by the three men, two of them who were white supremacists, in Jasper, Texas in 1998. On June 7, James had accepted a lift from Shawn Berry, who was just 22 at the time. In the car with him were Brewer, then 31, and King, then 23.

Berry knew James as they both lived in the town but instead of taking him home the three men carried out an act of such violence it was leave the whole country appalled.

Taking James out of town and to a remote country road, they savagely beat him before tying a chain to his ankles and to the back of their pickup truck. Then then dragged him behind the truck for three miles. Brewer claims he slit James’ throat before the hellish journey began but horrifying forensic evidence showed the victim had been desperately trying to keep his head off the ground as he was dragged along.

It is thought he only succumbed to his injuries about half-way through the journey when his right arm and head were severed when his body hit a culvert. In addition, almost all of his ribs were fractured. When his head was discovered his brain and skull were still in tact, which lead forensic experts to believe he was still conscious as he was being dragged behind the pickup truck.

His killers then dumped his torso in front of a Black cemetery and heartlessly left the scene to head to a BBQ. James’ body wasn’t discovered until the following morning by a passing motorist. Close by police discovered a wrench with the word ‘Berry’ written on it and a lighter with the word ‘Possum’ written on it, which was King’s nickname while he was in prison.

Chillingly, officers discovered James’ remains in 81 locations and the harrowing killing was quickly labelled a hate crime and the FBI were called in to help with the investigation.

All three killers, Berry, Brewer and King, were arrested, tried and convicted for James’ murder, with King and Brewer sentenced to death while King was ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Before Brewer’s execution on September 21, 2011, he requested a lavish final meal. He asked for two chicken fried steaks, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, fried okra, a pound of barbecue, three fajitas, a meat lover’s pizza, a pint of ice cream and a slab of peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts.

However, he had one final chilling act to commit. After being presented with his final meal on earth, the brutal killer refused to eat a single mouthful. The act changed everything for those waiting to be executed on Texas’ death row – no last meal would ever be offered again.

Senator John Whitmire, chairman of the Senate criminal justice committee, said afterwards: “It is extremely inappropriate to give a person sentenced to death such a privilege.”

Instead inmates on the day before their death will now be served the same as all other inmates. After the ruling was passed, Whitmire said: “It’s long overdue. This old boy last night, enough is enough. We’re fixing to execute the guy and maybe it makes the system feel good about what they’re fixing to do. Kind of hypocritical, you reckon? Mr Byrd didn’t get to choose his last meal. The whole deal is so illogical.”

King was executed on April 24, 2019, while Brewer remains behind bars. He spends 23 hours per day in a cell measuring 8 by 6 feet, with one hour for exercise.

In an incredible act of forgiveness Ross Byrd, James Byrd’s only son, is now involved in Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation, an organisation opposed to capital punishment and he even campaigned to spare the lives of the men who had killed his father.

By QUENTIN LETTS, PARLIAMENTARY SKETCHWRITER

Published: 18:48 BST, 1 September 2026 | Updated: 06:46 BST, 2 September 2026

The drive on the highway by the Mediterranean in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, is scenic and, these days, desolate. Crops lie abandoned and buildings destroyed by Israeli air strikes, too many to count, are in ruins.

Near the town of Naqoura, a Lebanese military checkpoint, painted in the white-and-red colours of the national flag, is the last visible sign of the state’s presence. Soldiers are positioned behind concrete walls, but the road is empty. A few minutes further south, around a dozen Israeli flags indicate the start of occupied territory. Unless authorised by Israel, no-one can enter.

This part of the country is the heartland of Lebanon’s Shia Muslim community, from which Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia and political party, gets most of its support. It has seen three invasions by the Israeli military in wars against the group in the last two decades alone. The most recent started in March, after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel following the killing of the Iranian supreme leader, at the start of the US and Israel’s war against Iran.

Last month, a BBC team joined a humanitarian mission of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as Unifil, which is one of the only ways to visit the area under Israeli control. There, as it did in Gaza, Israel has flattened entire villages, and air strikes and demolitions have continued even after a ceasefire was announced in June.

Michael Pickering was jailed for life in 2018 – an investigation is underway into his death

A sadistic killer who ‘enjoyed’ subjecting victims to extreme violence has died behind bars. Michael Pickering, from Oldham, was found died at HMP Long Martin, a category A men’s prison in Worcestershire, on August 7. He had a history of drug abuse. He was 39. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has begun an investigation into the death.

He was behind bars for brutally murdering a recovering alcoholic in his own home before trying to sell his things.

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In 2018 Pickering was handed a life sentence to serve a minimum of 36 years in jail after being found guilty of torturing and killing Jonathan Herd at his flat in Oldham.

A judge said Pickering wanted to rob Mr Herd, 45, of anything he had of value during the raid on July 30, 2017 after running out of drugs.

He repeatedly stabbed and punched Mr Herd at his flat on Lee New Road before jumping up and down on his body as he lay defenceless, causing his lungs to collapse.

Mr Herd suffered 115 separate injuries. His body was discovered by his parents the next morning.

After killing Mr Herd, Pickering took a taxi to Oldham with three shopping bags of items he had stolen from the flat, including a mobile phone, an Xbox, a TV, some DVDs, £40 in cash, a coat and Mr Herd’s gold chain, which was ripped from his neck.

Pickering, of Coverham Avenue, Oldham, tried to sell the items at a branch of Cash Generators, but was refused. He is thought to have sold them privately.

Jurors were told that nearly two decades ago Mr Herd’s former partner died, and that he turned to drink as a way of managing his grief.

He was succeeding in his battle with drink, and Manchester Crown Court heard his family had ‘genuine hope’ he would return to his former self.

The PPO has now confirmed brief details of the death of Pickering on its website and said an investigation was ‘in progress’.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “HMP Long Lartin prisoner Michael Pickering died on 7th August 2026. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”

At Pickering’s 2018 sentencing hearing, Judge Richard Mansell QC said: “Jonathan’s life was extinguished by you in the most callous, cowardly and brutal way imaginable.”

The court heard Pickering had only been out of prison for two months when he killed Mr Herd, having served eight years in prison for robbery, blackmail and causing actual bodily harm.

Those charges related to a sickening incident when Pickering broke into a man’s home before holding him captive for hours. The man had a knife held to his throat and Pickering’s accomplice threatened to cut off the victim’s fingers and eat them, the court was told.

Pickering claimed to not have any recollection of the attack, having been drunk and high on class A drugs.

The judge said: “I am satisfied you [Pickering] gain a degree of enjoyment or excitement from subjecting someone to extremes of violence and torture.”

After his release in May 2017, Pickering began mixing with old friends and continued abusing drink and drugs.

He met Mr Herd through a mutual friend, who lived in a flat near Mr Herd’s home. The court heard Mr Herd invited Pickering into his flat after he asked to charge his phone.

Pickering, who had drunk ‘copious’ amounts of alcohol and taken crack cocaine, had taken an eight-inch blade from his friend’s house, which he used to deliver the ‘sickening and merciless violence’ in Mr Herd’s flat.

Judge Mansell said the sheer number of wounds, the location and the time over which they were delivered showed elements of torture.

In a victim impact statement read by prosecutor Rob Hall, Mr Herd’s mother Pauline said: “There are no words that will ever describe the pain.

“Jonathan was a kind, generous and loving son who loved his family and was dearly loved in return. He saw the good in people, and if he could help them, he would. He was looking forward to the future and his health was improving.

“He had started to get out, he was regaining his confidence and had made new friends.”

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Wilkinson from GMP’s Major Incident Team said: “This was an horrific attack on an innocent man whose life was taken away from him for the sake of an XBox and a few DVDs.

“Jonathan’s family came to visit him the following day and walked in to find their loved one lay dead on the floor after being brutally murdered. No one should ever have to see that.

“Sadly there is nothing we can do to bring Jonathan back, but I hope the result goes some way to helping his loved ones grieve and come to terms with their loss.

“Justice has been served today and Pickering is exactly where he deserves to be – behind bars where he will have plenty of time to think about what he did.”

Lisa Petrie is right to ask why her son’s killer was allowed to roam the streets.

John McNab was a young man with his whole life ahead of him. But at the age of just 22 his life was wiped out when a teenager stabbed him in the street.

Yesterday, a statue, the Knife Angel, was unveiled at the spot where John was killed a year ago as a monument to all victims of knife crime in Scotland. John’s mum, Lisa Petrie, was there to witness the artwork’s official launch and speaks eloquently in today’s Daily Record about the need for action on knife crime.

She has campaigned tirelessly for bleed kits to be installed around the country to help victims survive. Her work will save lives and for that we should all be grateful. But Lisa also wants to know what is being done by our political leaders to tackle the rising tide of knife violence.

The teenager who killed her son was out walking the streets, despite being charged with an earlier knife attack. Lisa wants a fatal accident inquiry into John’s death so that the full circumstances of the killer’s release into the community can be examined.

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It is widely accepted our overcrowded jails do not have room for everyone accused of a crime to be remanded in custody. But when a teenager has already attacked somebody with a knife, it is surely a matter of public safety to make sure they are not simply put back into the community to attack again.

Too many young men carry and use knives, but the process of dealing with these dangerous individuals is not tough enough.

Lisa is right to ask why her son’s killer was allowed to roam the streets. The teenager should have been in a secure unit – not free to kill.

FM’s food cap quest is a folly

Parts of John Swinney’s Programme for Government are welcome and worthy of support. Capping bus fares at £2 is a measure that will ease the pressure felt by low-income families.

Slashing NHS boards from 14 to two should have been done years ago and the First Minister’s instincts on fewer councils are also sound. But his plan for a supermarket price cap looks increasingly ridiculous.

Swinney came up with the gimmick during the heat of an election campaign and it looked ill-considered even then. It looks legally questionable and the SNP government could end up wasting more public money on a doomed court battle.

Swinney will have to challenge vested interests if he is to get his way on rewiring the Scottish state. His political capital should be spent in this area, not in a pointless battle with the UK Government on price caps.

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The manosphere is driving a surge in misogyny in schools, with teenage boys refusing to acknowledge female teachers or even mix with girls in their class.

Earlier this year, teaching union NASUWT warned that a ‘masculinity crisis is brewing’ after nearly a quarter of female teachers reported being subjected to misogynistic abuse in the classroom.

That figure has continuously risen over the past four years. Some teachers described feeling ‘humiliated’ and ‘demeaned’ after being ignored by male pupils.

It is something charity founders and filmmakers Alex Williams and Dwayne Gumbs have witnessed first-hand alongside their team on visits to schools to try and tackle those harmful ideologies head-on.

Through their charity Diverse Voices, the London-based pair use their skills to find creative ways to encourage young people from vulnerable communities to express themselves on sensitive topics.

Over the past 16 years, their workshops have been delivered to 40,000 pupils at more than 100 schools up and down the country.

Their work has exposed how harmful views capable of leading to violence against women and girls can be formed at an alarmingly young age.

Children’s views are increasingly being shaped online and in the playground, where they spend most of their time during the week.

Alex tells Metro: ‘We have seen as social media and the online world has developed, that young people have more access to information.

‘The scary part is, who is providing that information? What attitudes are being adopted from the influencers that they are engaging with online?’

This Is Not Right

On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.

With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.

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You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.

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Nearly two-thirds of young men watch so-called ‘masculinity’ influencers, according to The Children’s Society.

Manosphere content exposes them to negative attitudes towards women and girls – objectifying them, dehumanising them and portraying them as inferior.

The manosphere is a loose network of digital forums and groups claiming to address men’s struggles.

But it often promotes harmful views of women and girls, while misrepresenting men as the oppressed victims of feminism.

‘A really big change I’ve noticed is the separation between boys and girls,’ Alex says of the workshops.

‘10 years ago, if you said in a classroom, “Guys, let’s get into groups”, there would be mixed groups.

‘Now if you say it, the boys will be on one side, and the girls will be on one side, and when you actually encourage mixing these groups, they are out of their comfort zone.

‘But we see that as an important thing to do because it’s not about singling out any gender around this education – it is about shared attitudes, boys who can become potential perpetrators but also girls knowing what shouldn’t be normalised as attitudes and actually being able to have that conversation in mixed groups.

‘But I think that just seeing that separation is something which, especially over the last three years, is something which has really changed.

‘It’s the culture that they’re exposed to online, the fact that boys are consuming a certain type of media and listening to a certain type of influencer and I guess not being exposed to the views of girls and women.

‘Taking that a step further, we’ve had male students who refuse to take instruction from female members of staff. Like, literally stonewall, “I’m not listening, I can’t hear you, I can’t see you”.

‘And yet, a male voice would say something a minute later, and they would react.

‘So, that takes that kind of classroom separation to the next level, where it actually impacts their behaviour and how they engage with teaching staff.’

Dwayne adds: ‘If they’re grouping together in these mini ecosystems around people they feel comfortable having these conversations with, then that just fuels the transfer of misinformation and ignorant views.

‘An important part of what we are really trying to do is to open the conversation up and create an environment where the majority of the learning comes from peer-to-peer conversations, as opposed to us lecturing them about what’s right and what’s wrong.’

To do that, Alex and Dwayne have created short films that feature within a learning portal tailored for both primary and secondary school audiences.

After an initial icebreaker task to encourage everyone to feel comfortable sharing their views, the groups are shown a short film tailored to their ages.

It is accompanied by a discussion on the issues it depicts, including relationships and pressure to have sex, consent, intimate image abuse, self-image and controlling and coercive behaviour.

The young people are asked whether the behaviour shown is ‘acceptable’, ‘unacceptable’ or ‘questionable’.

‘Seeing that through the lens of the film, you really see a lot of bright eyes kind of going, “Ah”, whereas they wouldn’t feel comfortable talking about these things if we were questioning them on what they are doing themselves,’ Alex says.

‘But actually having these characters as a focal point gives them the freedom to say their opinions.’

The conversation is then opened up to feedback on what was discussed in the groups to the whole class, before staff explain healthy approaches and laws surrounding the topic.

‘We’re really empowering them to kind of take ownership of having these discussions, empowering them to feel that their voice is valid and heard,’ Dwayne says.

‘Really, it’s just about facilitating the conversation in a way where a light could be shone on healthy views and opinions that are aired by the students, and really be used to kind of make the point, as opposed to it come directly from the adult in the room.’

The charity also enables schools to continue lessons using resources it has created.

Dwayne says: ‘It’s not an expectation that one conversation is going to change people’s opinions. But it’s continuing that conversation over a period of time and also opening the doors for young people to feel that they can have these conversations with their teachers, with the adults around them, regardless of whether it’s within a program of learning or not.’

Alex says: ‘By the end of that program, they haven’t just been spoken to by a classroom teacher or by us – they’ve actually engaged, interacted, and are now in control of changing the outcomes, which then empowers them to do the same thing in their own lives.

‘We have great results and we have evidence that changes happen. Beyond just those lessons, we have teachers reporting that they overhear the conversations even continuing in the playground.’

The pair emphasise the important role men can play in tackling violence against women and girls.

‘A lot of what we’re actually asking boys to unlearn, they are learning from men,’ Alex says.

‘So, that just puts the responsibility on us as men to actually be positive role models and to affect change.’

For more information on the charity Diverse Voices’ and their resources you can visit https://www.diversevoices.co.uk/ or email info@diversevoices.co.uk

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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