It comes after a record breaking month of June on the weather front thanks to the recent heatwave

It’s the first weekend of July after a record breaking month of June on the weather front as the recent heatwave brought a run of sweltering days and balmy nights.

A punishing heatwave affected many parts of the country during the last week of the month, with temperatures topping 30C somewhere in the UK for seven days in a row from June 21-27.

Northern Ireland and Scotland both saw their joint fourth warmest June.

The mean temperature across the UK was 15.6C, ranking behind only 15.8C in 2023, according to figures published by the Met Office.

The exceptionally hot and humid conditions in the last week of the month led the Met Office to issue a rare red warning for extreme heat for much of southern England and south-east Wales.

The warning ran for three consecutive days – the longest period of time such an alert has been in place.

Dr Emily Carlisle, of the Met Office, said: “June’s high temperatures are part of a broader pattern of warmth during 2026. So far, five of the first six months of the year have recorded mean temperatures at least 1C above average, with only January seeing below-average temperatures.”

Scientists warned the severity of last month’s heatwave – which affected much of mainland Europe as well as the UK – would have been virtually impossible 50 years ago.

This year is shaping up to be a multiple record-breaker for heat in the UK.

As well as the highest peak June temperature since Met Office data began, 2026 has also seen the highest May temperature on record, with 35.1C measured on May 26 at Kew Gardens in London.

England and Wales both experienced their warmest spring on record in 2026, thanks partly to the heatwave that hit the UK at the end of May.

Sunshine totals in June were above average for the UK, England and Wales, although “not by as much as might be expected” given the intensity of the heat, the Met Office added.

The high humidity “meant skies were often hazier and cloudier than during a less humid heatwave, limiting sunshine totals despite the exceptional temperatures”.

Northern Ireland and Scotland recorded below average sunshine totals.

Despite the exceptional heat, June was wetter than average for the UK and all four nations, due to a series of low-pressure weather systems earlier in the month that brought cloudy and unsettled conditions to many areas.

Here’s what we can expect over the coming days.

Saturday:

A mainly dry and cloudy day with just the odd shower, although these may become more widespread in the west later. Some occasional brightness in the southeast. Maximum temperature 19°C.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

A changeable, often cloudy and breezy few days with spells of rain, but some drier and brighter periods too, especially in the east.

UK long range weather forecast: Wednesday 8 July – Friday 17 July

High pressure will dominate across England and Wales into next week, likely extending its influence into the northern UK with time. This will bring dry and warm conditions with plenty of sunshine for much of England and Wales, but there is a chance of thunderstorms at times.

Scotland and Northern Ireland will see more cloud at first, with periods of rain at times. Through next week the high pressure may extend northwards to bring periods of drier and warmer weather to most of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Winds will be light to moderate for most, though stronger around northern hills and coasts near low pressure systems. Temperatures becoming widely warm, perhaps locally hot in parts of the southeast, although not as hot nor humid as seen in the past week.

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The Independent Office for Police Conduct said on Wednesday that it is investigating two officers for potential gross misconduct, including potential failures to realise that Mr Nowak needed urgent medical attention, to take action when he said he had been stabbed and could not breathe, and the decision to arrest and handcuff him instead of providing first aid.

“The location has a magnificent stretch of seven-miles of golden sand for you, family and friends to enjoy”

Although the sunny weather took a bit of a back seat this week, we have high hopes that it will join us again this summer.

With the kids off school and the Bank Holiday weekend coming up, you may be hoping to plan a fun day out for the whole family to enjoy.

A new study from The AA has revealed the “best beach in the region” for those packing the bucket and spades into the car this summer.

Their experts analysed average Google review scores, daily car parking costs, lifeguard services, RNLI lifeboat station proximity, average water temperature and monthly hours of sunshine across 228 Blue Flag awarded beaches in the UK and Ireland to find the best of the best.

Data revealed Benone Beach in Co Derry as the top in Northern Ireland for 2026, remarking it for its “golden sand” and proximity to other great beaches and landmarks.

The AA said: “Located on the Causeway Coast, Benone Beach is the best beach in Northern Ireland and ranks 139th out of the 228 beaches scored.

“The location has a magnificent stretch of seven-miles of golden sand for you, family and friends to enjoy.

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“If you want to make a day of it, take the six mile walk to Mussenden Temple to do some sightseeing or throw yourself in the deep end with some water sport activities.

“You can even try a seven mile beach crawl – if you keep walking along the unbroken coastline you can also visit Downhill and Magilligan beaches.”

See the full list of top beaches here

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Police are treating the incident in Pollokshields as a hate crime.

A group of young Muslim boys were allegedly chased in Glasgow by a man who shouted racist abuse, including telling them to “go back to your own country.”

The incident is said to have happened on Kenmure Street in Pollokshields at around 7.25pm on Thursday, July 2.

Police Scotland confirmed officers were called to reports of a man causing a disturbance and said enquiries are ongoing. The incident is being treated as a hate crime, Glasgow Live reports.

The allegations have sparked concern among local residents, with community activist Tabassum Niamat warning of growing fears among minority communities in Glasgow.

The incident comes just days after figures revealed a 17 per cent rise in charges relating to race hate crime across Scotland.

Tabassum, who played a leading role during the Kenmure Street immigration protest in 2021, said: “The rise of hate crimes, and the discriminatory language that has become normalised, due to careless politicians who have made minorities and Muslims scapegoats, has led to people like us having to look over our shoulder.

“There is a real fear that the most vulnerable in our communities will get hurt, and that we are heading towards the same conditions that swept across Europe 100 years ago. Fascism is here.”

In a video shared on social media, she alleged a man chased the boys while they were riding their bikes and directed racist abuse towards them before targeting a group of young girls.

She said: “A white Scottish man started chasing the boys on their bikes, hurling abuse, swearing at them and then the young girls followed on by trying to get into the Bowling Green and swearing at the bajis (sisters). They shouted, ‘Go back to your own country, you don’t belong here.’

“This is our neighbourhood, this is where we live. Pollokshields is our home. We’re not going to have anyone tell us to go back to our own country. This is our country. What I need for people to do is really take this seriously.”

In response to the incident, Tabassum said she has launched a Pollokshields Watch group to help support local residents.

She added: “We’re not being vigilantes here. We’re not doing the police’s work for them. But what we are going to do is protect our neighbours.

“We’re going to make sure that no child is being unnecessarily harassed and no elderly lady or man is going to be threatened. Please be careful… look after those who are vulnerable in your communities. This is just not on.

“It’s unprecedented, this level of hatred towards minorities and Muslims. It just sickens me to my stomach.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 7.25pm on Thursday, 2 July, 2026, we received a report of a man causing a disturbance in the Kenmure Street area of Glasgow. Enquiries are ongoing.”

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A whopping £69m is up for grabs in tonight’s Euromillions draw. The Euromillions draw takes place every Tuesday and Friday, with tickets priced at £2.50. This includes automatic entry into the UK Millionaire Maker draw, which creates new UK millionaires every week.

The maximum jackpot can climb to €190m (roughly £167m).

The Thunderball game also takes place this evening at 8pm. The winner of this draw pockets £500,000 if they match five numbers along with the crucial Thunderball number.

How many numbers do you need to win?

Those who have got two numbers or one number and two lucky stars or better, are the winner. Players must match all five main numbers and two lucky star numbers to claim the jackpot.

In May 2022 Joe and Jess Thwaite, from Gloucester, became the UK’s biggest-ever Euromillions winners after netting £184m with a lucky dip ticket. Their record did not last long, though, after another UK winner came forward in July 2022 to claim a jackpot of £195m.

However they have not gone public. Prior to Mr and Mrs Thwaite’s win the previous record was held by an anonymous winner who scooped £170m in October 2019. On June 4, 2021, a ticketholder in the UK scooped the £111m jackpot in the Friday-night draw, matching all seven numbers to become the country’s ninth-biggest lottery winner ever at that stage.

In June 2019 a single ticketholder in the UK won £123m in the Tuesday night Euromillions draw. It was the third-biggest Euromillions jackpot in the UK since the draw launched in 2004. It meant they instantly became as rich as Fifty Shades of Grey author E. L. James (£127m) and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page (£125m).

June 2023 was a lucrative month for UK players with a ticketholder bagging a £117.1m jackpot on June 2 while another winner scooped the £55m jackpot on June 20. Euromillions is played in nine European countries.

The live winning numbers for both draws will be published below:

Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has been appointed as head coach of Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.

Riyadh-based Al-Nassr, who are captained by Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo, won the Saudi Pro League title for the first time in May.

Al-Nassr were previously coached by veteran Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus but the 71-year-old left the club at the end of the previous campaign.

Postecoglou has been without a job in management since he was sacked by Nottingham Forest last October after just 39 days in charge.

The 60-year-old Greece-born Australian has signed a two-year contract with Al-Nassr.

Postecoglou guided Spurs to glory in the Europa League in 2025 having previously enjoyed a successful stint in charge of Celtic where he won back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles.

He has been working as a pundit with ITV during the World Cup.

England’s World Cup last-16 tie with Mexico could be moved to earlier on Sunday because of the threat of storms.

Fifa is considering bringing forward the game at Azteca, Mexico City, which is due to kick off at 01:00 BST on Monday.

Forecasts suggest there could be thunderstorms and heavy rain around this time.

One suggestion is the game could be brought forward six hours to 19:00 BST on Sunday.

However no final decision has been made and it is possible that original kick-off time remains.

More to follow.

The events bring thousands of people together every Sunday of July and August, and have a positive economic impact on the city.

When The 1977 take to the bandstand in Ward Park on Sunday afternoon, the band and assembled crowd will be marking not just the first in this summer’s run of the Open House Festival Picnic in the Park events, but 10 years of the free music sessions in Bangor.

By the end of August, the overall audience figure since the events began is expected to exceed 200,000.

Picnic in the Park, formerly known as Music in the Park, has been a staple on the Open House Festival summer calendar since 2016. For the previous three years, Open House had hosted an annual Bluegrass Picnic in Ward Park during its August Festival, while Ards and North Down Borough Council held some free music events in the park as part of its own summer season.

In 2016, Open House took over the running of all summer Sunday park events, with council funding. In the ten years since then, it has programmed a free music event each Sunday of July and August in the Co Down city, with the exception of 2020 due to Covid, and 2021 when the events ran throughout August and September following the lifting of restrictions.

There have been 83 performances featuring 65 different bands, some of whom have performed more than once. Bangor’s own punk band Wasted Talent has notched up the most performances to date with five outings so far.

They will be matched this year by The 19th Street Band, a high energy Americana band from Virgina whose co-founder and lead singer, Caolaidhe Davis, comes from Holywood. They’ll be returning to the park on Sunday, July 26 for their fifth visit.

Over the years, the Picnic in the Park events have become something of an institution in Bangor, attracting thousands of visitors from the city and beyond. Last year’s estimated audience over the nine Sundays of the summer was 27,000.

The current overall audience figure since the events started in 2016 is estimated to be around 180,000. This brings a positive economic knock-on to Bangor, with additional spending in shops, bars, and restaurants throughout the city, both before and after the events. And the social impact has been significant.

“In the past decade, Picnic in the Park has built a strong community of regular audience members, many of whom go every Sunday regardless of the weather,” explains Open House Festival Director, Kieran Gilmore.

“It’s an opportunity for families to come together, from grandparents to newborns, and for people to meet up with old friends, and make new friends. We know of regulars who started to come along on their own and are now part of what we call large ‘park pals’ groups.

“There is an accessible section too, so wheelchair users and people with restricted mobility can enjoy the music and atmosphere. For lots of people, a summer Sunday afternoon in the park might be the only real social and cultural interaction they get.

“We are really proud of our Picnic in the Park events,” Kieran added. “In fact, we believe Bangor is the only place in Northern Ireland where people can avail of nine free open-air music events during the summer months and the response we get from audiences each Sunday, whether the sun is shining or it is pelting with rain, is truly humbling.

“Our audience figures have grown exponentially since 2016, and we expect to see even more people this summer during our 10th anniversary celebrations.”

Aside from The 1977 and The 19th Street Band, other artists performing at Ward Park this summer include the Queen tribute band, Queen Magic, the popular Bangor folk-trad band, Cap on the Wall, and the Lee Hedley Blues Band. Otis & The Elevators, one of the most beloved retro soul bands in Northern Ireland over the past 30 years, will close the season with a celebratory party set on Sunday, August 30.

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Picnic in the Park events are staged at the Bandstand in Ward Park and run from 3pm to 5pm. Attendees can bring a picnic if they wish, plus their own chairs and blankets, but the organisers ask that they either take their rubbish home, or use one of the recycling hubs at the park.

Gazebos aren’t permitted, and while dogs are welcome, they must be kept on a short lead at all times. Ward Park is a short walk from Bangor Station, and there are several car parks in the vicinity, and there is an accessibility area at the park for wheelchair users.

“We want everyone to have a great time, so would ask those attending to be respectful of each other and their surroundings, and to be mindful of local residents when parking,” said Kieran.

“I’d like to thank our Festival volunteers, who have done a wonderful job in helping our team manage each park event over the past ten years, and will be out in force again this summer. And of course a huge thank you goes to the audiences who support us and return year after year. We hope the sun shines for them this summer, but even if it doesn’t, we can guarantee some great live music.”

For the full Picnic in the Park line-up, and details of all Open House Festival events, go to www.openhousefestival.com.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter.

The packed grandstands of about 150,000 fans cheered Hamilton raucously as he crossed the line and moved ahead of Antonelli.

Hamilton said: “Wow. OK. I like it. I love this place. I love this crowd. I can’t express to you how big a dream it is, and the flow you can get into around this place if you can get the set-up in the right place.

“We’re ahead of Mercedes. They have so much power, these guys. We did not expect we would be competing for the front row, so it’s an amazing surprise. I’m ecstatic.”

Ferrari had a difficult race last weekend in Austria, despite Hamilton taking his first win for his new team in Barcelona the race before that, but the seven-time champion said some small upgrades to the car had helped them get back on top.

“We brought some tiny bits here,” he said. “I am really pleased to get pole. It was only 10 milliseconds or something like that and the team really deserve it.”

Antonelli said: “It was so close and it was a shame. There was a little bit left on the table but it was a decent lap. Congrats to Lewis and we focus on tomorrow now. Ferrari have done an incredible step forward so it is going to be incredibly tough. Lewis is in great form. We like the challenge. We will go for it.”

Verstappen said he thought Hamilton and Antonelli “look a bit quick” to challenge in the sprint.

“It was very close, it could easily have been P3 or P6/7. But we are on the good side. We are still not where we want to be. A few things to figure out to find more lap time and we will try to do that after the sprint.”

Leclerc was 0.327secs behind Hamilton and said he was still trying to understand why he was not finding himself as comfortable in the new car as his team-mate.

“Lewis is more often at 100% of the potential of the car, which I’m not,” Leclerc said. “I have to work on everything, really.

“I am struggling to be consistent at my 100%. I just don’t feel the car as well as I want.

“We are extremely surprised in general. We were expecting a much bigger gap to the cars in front.”

Russell, who needs a good run of races to narrow the gap to Antonelli, was a similar margin adrift – 0.346secs behind the Italian.

“Story of the year, always on the back foot. Usually in Q3 I can make a step but today it wasn’t the case. We need to understand why that is,” Russell said.

Norris was 0.364secs off pole, and just 0.032secs ahead off Piastri, but that was a decent result given he was hampered by a broken brake duct, which was fixed just before his final run.

He said: “It was (hampering) me throughout. For the final run we fixed it, but the car was completely different and way better again. By the time I got the feeling for the final lap I felt like I could have pushed way more. So, just unfortunate today, but the pace was still there or thereabouts.”