The Met Office has issued an update on the outlook for the coming days

There’s a new week coming up and more rain in the forecast but weather experts say Tuesday looks to be the best day for most of us.

The Met Office says the coming days will bring unsettled and blustery conditions with showers across the whole of the country, which will ease into Tuesday.

Another weather system will arrive on Wednesday bringing more unsettled weather. Thursday is expected to be drier but spells of rain will move in later in the evening.

READ MORE: Northern Ireland has been relentlessly miserable this year and there’s no sign of it endingREAD MORE: ‘Exceptional’ rainfall brings one of wettest Januarys on record for Northern Ireland

Here’s what’s forecast for Northern Ireland in the coming days, according to the Met Office:

This evening and tonight:

Variable amounts of cloud this evening and overnight with scattered showers, occasionally heavy in the west. More in the way of drier weather across the southeast. Minimum temperature 2°C.

Monday:

A few bright or sunny intervals otherwise rather cloudy with scattered showers. Becoming drier in the evening with just the odd wintry shower. Maximum temperature 7 °C.

Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:

Dry and bright on Tuesday. Mostly dry on Wednesday but somewhat cloudier with chance of the odd wintry shower, and a cold southeasterly wind. Dry with some brightness on Thursday.

UK long range weather forecast: Friday 20 February – Sunday 1 March

Showers or longer spells of rain, as well as occasional strong winds, are most likely at first as Atlantic low pressure systems dominate in the vicinity of the UK. Some heavy rain is likely in places, with some snow probable at times, mainly on high ground in the north.

Temperatures varying from around, or a little above, average especially in the south to cold at times, mainly in the north. Although unsettled weather is likely to dominate at first, there will be some drier interludes between weather systems. These drier interludes will become increasingly likely and perhaps more prolonged through the period.

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EXCLUSIVE: Lord Haughey said the Scottish Labour leader’s gamble has benefited him and Keir Starmer at the same time.

One of Scottish Labour’s top donors has claimed Anas Sarwar’s call for Keir Starmer to quit was the “best Machiavellian plot” Labour has “ever hatched”. Lord Haughey said the Scottish Labour leader and the Prime Minister are both in a stronger position after Sarwar’s explosive intervention.

Sarwar sent shockwaves through Scottish politics on Monday after he demanded the resignation of his friend Starmer. He said the Labour Government had made too many mistakes and called for fresh leadership.

But the move shored up support for the PM, as Cabinet Ministers and Scottish Labour MPs lined up to support Starmer. A new poll has also found that Scots back Sarwar’s intervention.

Lord Haughey, a successful businessman who has donated millions to Labour, attended an emergency meeting of the party’s Scottish parliamentarians on Tuesday. Speaking on the Go Radio Business Show, the Sarwar ally spoke of the moment he watched the Glasgow MSP make the call at a dramatic press conference.

“I’m explaining it to my missus that, ‘no, this is a Machiavellian plot. Something’s going on here.’ And she’s like that, ‘don’t talk rubbish. This is what you say all the time’.”

READ MORE: Anas Sarwar hits out at MSP friendship with sex offender as he says paedophiles should be ‘shunned’READ MORE: Scots back Anas Sarwar over call for Keir Starmer to quit as Prime Minister

“What I said and what I implied is exactly what happened.”

The tycoon said both Sarwar and Starmer had been emboldened by the quit call:

“Anas, to be fair, showed true leadership. He didn’t need anybody behind him, [he] said exactly what he thought.

“He’s put it out there that we’re not a branch office of London. We’ve got our own opinion. We’re going to do what we’re doing here. And without cutting the umbilical cord, he kind of declared UDI for Scotland.”

“I’m sure that he felt a bit disappointed that ten or twenty other people didn’t fire in after him, but he decided whether to do it or not, this is what I think is right for the country.”

He said of the impact of the Starmer: “It smoked everybody out. So, within hours, every Cabinet Minister that may have been plotting, not been plotting, had to come out and back the Prime Minister. He goes into a meeting at night and gets a standing ovation in the way in, and a standing ovation in the way out.”

He added: “Today, Anas is in a much stronger position than he was last week and so is Keir Starmer.

“It’s going to go down as the best Machiavellian pot that Labour ever hatched.”

He said: “That’s a fact.”

Haughey also said: “I’ve said for years and years and years that maybe we should look at an independent Labour Party in Scotland.

“I think Anas went a long way to saying, ‘we’re going to operate as that anyway’.”

It comes after a new poll found Scots backing the Scottish Labour leader over his call for the PM to resign.

A new Norstat poll of 1,001 people for the Sunday Times, conducted after Sarwar’s press conference, found 52 per cent backing the Glasgow MSP.

ARSENAL 4-0 WIGAN ATHLETIC: Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all got on the scoresheet as the Gunners eased past their League One opponents in the FA Cup

Arsenal reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in six seasons by thrashing Wigan. The relegation-threatened League One side were blown away by four goals in 16 first-half minutes as the Arsenal juggernaut kept rolling in all four competitions.

The complete mismatch was obvious right from the off and Arsenal were in a ruthless mood, with Noni Madueke putting them 1-0 up from the first of many Eberechi Eze through balls. It was 2-0 minutes later when Eze picked up a pocket of space and slid Gabriel Martinelli in down the opposite side and the Brazilian finished well into the corner.

A Jack Hunt own goal added insult to injury after Madueke and Bukayo Saka combined nicely down the right and Gabriel Jesus got in on the act by gathering Christian Norgaard’s ball over the top of a non-existent Wigan defence before chipping Sam Tickle for 4-0 in the 27th minute.

Kepa Arrizabalaga did have to be alert to save from Joe Taylor, but by then the game was already over as a contest. The second half passed by with little action as Mikel Arteta made substitutions to keep his players fresh. Here are the talking points from the Emirates Stadium.

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READ MORE: Arsenal star ruled out moments before FA Cup tie as Bukayo Saka statement issuedREAD MORE: Millionaire former Premier League owner stabbed in own home by masked robbers

1. Eze confidence boost

If there was one Arsenal player in need of this kind of game, it was Eze. The playmaker has found it tough in recent months, struggling to fit into Mikel Arteta’s structure and therefore finding himself on the bench more often than not. His positional flexibility has perhaps worked against him, but it is his tendency to drift out of high-intensity clashes that needs to be addressed.

Against a struggling League One opposition, there was none of those concerns and Eze thrived, dropping into space, locating pockets and sending deadly balls in behind the Latics’ flat (in a bad way) back five. Eze’s vision and weight of pass with both feet is a delight in pressure-off situations and he showed it here.

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2. Saka’s unfamiliar role

It wasn’t supposed to go like this. Arteta had to think fast after Riccardo Calafiori withdrew on the brink of kick-off. The Arsenal manager had wanted to experiment by playing Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield, but Calafiori’s absence shunted the youngster back to left-back and instead meant an unusual role for Bukayo Saka, who came into the starting XI for Calafiori.

With Madueke in Saka’s normal position on the right wing, the England star was fielded in central midfield alongside Eze and in front of Norgaard. It was an intriguing prospect and, with rotation and fluidity the order of the day against a much inferior opposition, Saka seemed to relish it, sometimes dropping deep and sometimes switching with Jesus to run beyond. Against opponents who employ a low block, packing the midfield with creators could be a ploy for Arteta to repeat.

3. Madueke in good form

Having an alternative to Saka on the right wing was clearly something Arteta craved when they shelled out £48.5million to sign Madueke from Chelsea in the summer and he is beginning to find some consistency to go with his undoubted talent.

His towering header in the 1-1 draw at Brentford on Thursday was unexpected, but the pace and curling finish past the goalkeeper against Wigan was much more in the winger’s wheelhouse. It took a Premier League goals panel to award him a goal in the 4-0 win at Leeds last month – and maybe now the floodgates have opened.

4. Glimpse of the future

With the game sewn up, Arteta gave William Saliba a rest, taking the centre-back off for 16-year-old Marli Salmon. The young defender came on as a substitute for his third senior appearance for the club, having also featured in the win over Portsmouth in the previous round.

Salmon also featured in the Champions League against Club Brugge earlier in the season and is an exciting prospect. “He can play as a centre-back or as a full-back and I’m delighted,” Arteta said back in December. In truth, there wasn’t an awful lot of work for Salmon to do, with the game drifting by without much action in the second half.

5. Quadruple still on

Arsenal remain in all four competitions and in good shape, in theory, to win them all. There are those, including the Mirror’s own chief sports writer Andy Dunn, who have argued that being knocked out of the FA Cup might not be the worst thing for Arsenal as they chase a first Premier League title in 22 years.

But with squad depth like this, and a draw like this, there was no realistic chance of the Gunners waving the white flag on Sunday. The Premier League remains the priority. They have a Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on March 22. They have a perfect record in the Champions League. The FA Cup is likely the fourth priority right now. But that’s not a bad place to be.

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The church went up in flames on Saturday afternoon with firefighters battling the blaze well into the evening.

A Scots village church was “deliberately” set on fire, according to police, who have now launched an investigation into the huge blaze which erupted yesterday afternoon in Falkirk.

The alarm was raised at around 3.30pm on Saturday, February 14 when emergency services were alerted to a fire on Main Street in Camelon, Falkirk.

The fire engulfed St John’s Church, a derelict church. Crews including Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service raced to the scene and remained on site well into the evening, with the area being made safe at around 12:30am.

No one was hurt, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed, but the cause is not yet known. Diversions were in place on Hamilton Street and motorists and pedestrians were urged to steer clear of the area.

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No arrests have been made. Dramatic photos of the inferno appeared to show the devastating incident having nearly destroyed the church in its entirety.

Bright, orange, angry flames could be seen ripping through the building as smoke billowed into the air. Another aerial view image shows the roof completely caved, exposing the charred, blackened structure within.

Only the front façade appears to have remained somewhat in tact. Firefighters in full protective gear and helmets were seen blasting water onto the crumbling building while two appliances and more personnel stood guard.

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A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 3.30pm on Saturday, 14 February, 2026, we received a report of a fire at a derelict building on Main Street, Camelon.

“The fire is being treated as wilful and anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference number 1856 of 14 February, 2026.”

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The UK’s top prosecutor has warned “nobody is above the law” as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor faces a police probe over alleged leaks to Jeffrey Epstein.

Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, said “no, of course not” when asked whether he thought the royals were above the law. He added that he has “total confidence” that the police will be independent.

It comes as Thames Valley Police examine claims that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential reports while in his role as the UK’s trade envoy with the paedophile financier.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, he said: “Nobody is above the law… It’s my job to enforce the law, and I do so without fear or favour, and that is unaffected by the status of the individual concerned.”

The warning from Mr Parkinson comes as evidence of the former prince’s alleged involvement with Epstein has mounted, with more revelations published in the latest tranche of Epstein files.

According to emails released by the US Department of Justice, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to have forwarded official reports on trips to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam in 2010 and 2011 to Epstein, when he was a government trade envoy. Trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality.

Thames Valley Police’s prosecution will look into whether the sharing of this information constitutes misconduct in public office.

Peter Mandelson, the disgraced former UK ambassador to the US, also faces a police probe over allegations he sent market-sensitive information to Epstein while he was business secretary during the financial crisis.

The Metropolitan Police have searched two of Lord Mandelson’s properties as part of their investigation.

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Mr Parkinson told The Sunday Times that misconduct in public office was a relatively popular offence with which to charge a public officer.

He said: “From my perspective, I don’t find it a difficult offence to prosecute because the core of it is a gross breach of trust by someone performing the function of a public officer.”

If Mr Mountbatten-Windsor were to be charged after a new police investigation, he would become the first royal in modern times to face trial over a serious offence.

Last week, Prince William and Princess Kate spoke out publicly for the first time regarding the ongoing revelations, saying they are “deeply concerned” by the scandal, and their thoughts are with the victims.

And considering the Antoine Dupont-inspired visitors – of which his half-back, Matthieu Jalibert, maybe enjoying his best performance in the blue shirt – were 19-0 ahead after only 15 minutes, it was something of an achievement for Wales to limit the damage of the ensuing 65 minutes to 35-14. 

Indeed, the scoreline might not even have reflected the improvement in the Welsh from the insipid dross they delivered in the 48-7 annihilation against England eight days before. 

Their defence was better, their set-piece was in a different class and at last, after two games of not even scoring a point in the first half of their last two Tests, they gave the Welsh public something to cheer on before they went off to get their leek bovril. 

But still, they lost by 42 points and this was their worst defeat in Cardiff against France. Furthermore, it was their 13th Six Nations defeat in succession and their 21st loss in 23 games in the the championship since winning the title in 2021.  

Regardless of whatever signs of promise the red-shirted faithful carried out into the wet Welsh air on Sunday evening, this must now be regarded as one of the most dramatically quick downfalls in the history of any sport.

A third wooden spoon beckons and with the Welsh Rugby Union overseeing something approaching a civil war in the domestic game, it is all the governing body deserves. It is a shocking mess.

More to follow…

Scoring sequence 0-5 Gailleton try, 0-7 Ramos con; 0-12 Bielle-Biarrey try; 0-17 Brau-Boirie try, 0-19 Ramos con; 5-19 Carre try, 7-19 Edwards con; 7-24 Jalibert try, 7-26 Ramos con; 7-31 Marchand try, 7-33 Lopez con; 7-38 Attissogbe try, 7-40 Ramos con; 7-45 Attissogbe try, 7-47 Ramos con; 7-52 Ollivon try, 7-54 Ramos con; 12-54 Grady try.

The Mobile traditional Fish & Chip Van, a familiar sight across Durham for many years, confirmed in an emotional social media statement that the business will not be returning.

In a Facebook post, owners Adele and Scott said: “As you may already know, we have had our business off the road for the last four months.

“It is with a heavy heart and much sadness that The Mobile traditional Fish & Chip Van has closed its hatch for good.”

Following a crash in October last year, the van has been out of action for the past four months.  

The owners said the insurance payout was not enough for them to reopen, bringing an end to “many happy years of frying”.

The post added: “So unfortunately after the accident, the payout hasn’t been what we hoped for so unfortunately, the decision has been made for us.

“After many happy years of frying, we, Adele and Scott, won’t be coming back and would like to thank you all for your support, loyalty, gossip, general chit chat, moans, groans, getting wet and cold, coming out in the snow, putting up with us and for all you whom turned in to our friends. We thank you all.

“We genuinely cannot thank our suppliers and everyone enough for the continued support through such hard times, which allowed our business to grow and succeed for all those years!

“Lastly, customers, a huge and massive thanks to you. Our amazing supporters and everyone who has helped us in any way, thank you for keeping us going.

“This is a very emotional farewell.”

Since announcing the news of the closure, customers have inundated the couple with support.

One person said: “You will definitely be missed; they were the best fish and chips about.”

While another person commented: “So sorry to hear this, the best fish and chips I’ve ever had.

“You have to do what’s best for you and I wish you all the best for whatever the future holds for you both.”

24 Hours in Police Custody will see the second part to a harrowing special released this week.

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Channel 4 has confirmed a huge change to its 24 Hours in Police Custody scheduling this week after its “worst ever” episode airs.

The landmark documentary has become a firm favourite amongst true crime fans over the years as it follows real life investigations within a local police force.

Capturing real life urgency in a race against time, viewers are plunged into intense chaos as they follow detectives investigating serious crimes that shock a whole community.

From the moment a harrowing call is made to police, viewers often witness an investigation from start to finish as horrific truths are uncovered.

Over the years, the show has been branded as the “best ever”, with fans eagerly awaiting new instalments. Just this month, Channel 4 released brand new episodes that had not been aired before, bringing harrowing new crimes.

Airing weekly at 9pm on Tuesday, the broadcaster has confirmed a change this week that 24 Hours in Police Custody fans will need to be aware of.

Instead of airing on Tuesday at 9pm, the next instalment will instead air at 9pm on Monday, February 16 followed by another true crime show 999 What Happened Next. Instead, Tuesday evening will see a documentary titled The Tony Blair Story.

Monday evenings episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody is set to follow on from last week’s instalment titled Horror House, which was a repeat, but equally harrowing, episode.

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Horror House part one saw a lone detective who was on the trail of a Luton man who sexually abused scores of young people in what was branded a “complex, disturbing pursuit”.

Viewers admitted it was a “tough watch” as one person previously wrote on social media: “Catching up on last night’s #24hoursinpolicecustody, the horror house part 2, and it’s so shocking, the worst I have seen!”

Monday evening will see part 2 of the special instalment as Bedfordshire Police’s largest operation into historic abuse continues.

Channel 4 teases: “24 Hours in Police Custody The Horror House part two: Will the victims of alleged historic child sex abuse finally get justice? Or will the suspect walk free, like he did before?”

This week will see another repeat episode as it is not yet known when new instalments will be released.

Episodes of the landmark documentary are also available to stream on Channel 4 online.

24 Hours in Police Custody Horror House part 2 airs Monday, February 16 at 9pm on Channel 4. Episodes are also available to stream online.

Police were called to Clyde Street shortly after 3am on Saturday after a report that a woman had been seriously sexually assaulted.

Two teenagers have been charged after a woman was allegedly raped in Glasgow city centre.

Officers from Police Scotland were called to Clyde Street shortly after 3am on Saturday, February 14, after a report that a woman had been seriously sexually assaulted.

The woman was taken to hospital. Two men aged 18 and 19 are due to appear in court on Monday in connection with the alleged attack.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 3.05am on Saturday, February 14, 2026, we were called to a report of a serious sexual assault in the Clyde Street area of Glasgow. The woman attended hospital.

“Two men, aged 19 and 18, have been arrested and charged in connection. They are due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday, February 16, 2026.”

Police said in an earlier statement that they had received a report of “concern for a woman”.

The area, close to the River Clyde, was taped off yesterday as investigations were carried out.

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The sports featured at the Winter Olympics defy gravity and physics. Many competitors move at breakneck speeds down steep, snowy inclines or careen across icy surfaces in a bid to set world records and earn their place on the podium.

But as exciting as these events are for spectators, they also place competitors at serious risk of injury. This is something we have been reminded of after US alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn fractured her leg during a horror crash just seconds into her downhill run in the Milan Cortina games.

Of course, this isn’t the first time a Winter Olympian has suffered injury at the Games. Four athletes have died during Winter Olympic events or in preparation for them – most recently, Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died after colliding with a wall during a training run at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

But of the 15 sports disciplines featured at this year’s Winter Olympics, a few stand out in terms of their riskiness to competitors:

Skiing and snowboarding

Of the snow-based events, skiing and snowboarding appear to be the most risky.

In alpine (downhill) skiing, there’s a 75% risk of professional athletes suffering at least one injury per season. And the majority of these are trauma injuries from a fall or collision. Male alpine skiers are at greater risk of overall injury and upper-body injuries, while women are a greater risk of knee injuries.

Video analysis of alpine skiing injuries shows that almost all occur when the skier is turning or landing from a jump. When you consider Olympic athletes are on the edge of doing what is possible, this is hardly surprising.

Turning and landing also put the knees into a particularly vulnerable position. The forces placed on them can be the equivalent of bearing up to three times a skier’s bodyweight.

This is one of the reasons why knee ligament injuries are common in skiing. Male skiers are at greater risk of medial collateral ligament injuries – a ligament that plays a key role in stabilising the knee. The same study showed that female skiers are almost three times more likely to suffer an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. This ligament plays a key role in standing and bending the knee.

If you were to look at 100 skiers in a single season, around eight female skiers will experience a severe ACL injury. Vonn had ruptured her ACL just days before competing in these Winter Olympics, illustrating just how harsh the sport can be.

Finger, hand and wrist injuries are common too. These typically happen during falls – either from crashing into an object or while trying to break a fall. Falling with a ski-pole in hand can cause a specific injury known as “skier’s thumb”. This causes damage to the ligament that helps stabilise the thumb.

While finger injuries are an inconvenience, they certainly don’t mean that athletes can’t continue to compete. The Italian skier Sofia Goggia proved this in 2022 when she broke multiple fingers during an event, had surgery overnight, then returned to the slopes the next day.

À lire aussi :
Three common injuries skiers should watch out for this season

Snowboarding also accounts for a large number of injuries – including from falling on outstretched arms, as well as spinal and head injuries. As snowboarding events become more extreme, with athletes performing death-defying tricks and pushing the boundaries of what is possible, this could result in even more injuries per season.

Sledding

Of all the risky winter events performed on ice, bobsleigh, luge and skeleton all rank near the top in terms of injury risk.

“Sled head” is the aptly named condition used to describe the catalogue of symptoms affecting athletes competing in these sports. These include headaches, dizziness and brain fog arising from the multiple small impacts the head receives as athletes rattle down a track.

Approximately 13–15% of athletes in sledding sports also report experiencing concussion at a high-level competition such as the Olympics.

Due to the explosive start needed in sled events, particularly bobsleigh, muscle and tendon tears and ruptures can be common. This creates a problem for bobsledders because the event requires an explosive start, placing the legs’ large hamstring and quadriceps muscles under a lot of pressure. Similar injuries are also seen in sprinters.

Cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is far less extreme that its downhill counterparts, but still results in plenty of injuries.

The most common are repetitive strain and overuse injuries, such as shin splints, damaged knee ligaments and stress fractures in the feet. It’s estimated that for every 1,000 hours of cross-country skiing an athlete does, they will sustain an average of around four injuries.

Then there’s also the risk of frostbite, even on the most intimate parts of an athlete’s anatomy – as the Finn Remi Lindholm found out in Beijing in 2022.

Curling

When we think of extreme winter sports, we certainly don’t think of curling. Predictably, curlers suffer far fewer serious injuries than most other winter sport competitors.

But injuries from overuse are common. These are particularly caused by being in the “tuck” position used to deliver the curling stone, since the knee has to flex beyond 90 degrees.

Similar issues arise in the spine and the shoulder from the frantic sweeping of the ice – with team sweepers typically covering over 1km per match. Interestingly, men are more likely to get injured in curling than women, although the reason isn’t clear.

Physical injuries aren’t the only risk to athletes. Over 42% of athletes competing at the Winter Olympics report suffering from a respiratory illness. This can affect their balance, which may increase the risk of falls and sustaining injury.

So, as you watch the athletes doing their thing, it’s worth remembering they may be hiding all sorts of aches and pains – and may be one slip or fall from a season- or career-halting injury.