Queues of traffic were snaking down towards Seaham Hall beach by lunchtime as families from across the North East headed to the coast to cool off. By lunchtime, the main car park was effectively full.

On the beach itself, sunbathers stretched out on towels and deckchairs while children paddled and braver visitors took full‑body dips in the unusually warm North Sea. Some even donned their surfboards as the waves rolled in under cloudless blue skies.

Among those enjoying the sunshine were Will and Marie Wood, from Houghton, who said “It’s lovely to have this on the doorstep.”

Record May Heat for the UK

The Met Office has described this Bank Holiday as an “exceptional spell of warmth for May”, with a notable heatwave officially declared in parts of England.

Forecasts suggested highs of 33–35C in southern and central England on Monday, challenging – and likely surpassing – the previous UK May temperature record of 32.8C.

While the very hottest conditions have been focused further south, the North East has still seen temperatures topping 30C in places, well above the seasonal average for late May.

Meteorologists say the hot, dry and sunny conditions have been driven by an area of high pressure parked over the UK, drawing in warm air and keeping skies largely cloud‑free through the long weekend.

Heatwave Alerts and Health Advice

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a series of heat‑health alerts in response to the conditions, with amber warnings in force across parts of the Midlands, London and the South East, and yellow alerts covering northern England, including the North East. These alerts warn of increased risks for older people and those with underlying health conditions, and they urge the public to check on vulnerable neighbours and relatives, stay hydrated and avoid the midday sun where possible

BBC Radio 2 star Zoe Ball opened up about a bittersweet change in her personal life following her recent emotional admission about Strictly Come Dancing

Zoe Ball said she is seeing less of her daughter, following a recent change to her household. The BBC Radio 2 presenter and Norman Cook, better known as DJ Fatboy Slim, have two children together: Woody Cook, 25, and Nelly, 16.

During the most recent episode of Jo Whiley and Zoe’s Dig It podcast, the broadcaster, who recently revealed she had been turned down to become the new presenter of Strictly Come Dancing, compared Jo’s bustling household with her own, which has grown considerably quieter.

She explained: “Mine’s so quiet, it’s like ugh! It’s less and less because Nel is based more at her dad’s now because I think she’s got to that point of, ‘Ah can I just be in one place?’.

“All of her CSI revision notes are on the wall at her dads and it’s just [nice] not having to move from house to house, so she’s just spending more time there now.”

The transition, Zoe noted, has thankfully been simplified by the fact Norman resides close by.

“It’s great because it’s only around the corner and I can nip round at any time, which is great, and she can come here if she gets upset about anything like, ‘Mum, I need you’ but it’s less and less,” the 55-year-old said.

Last year, Woody confirmed he had relocated to Bristol, while his parents continue to live in their hometown of Brighton.

The reality star turned DJ and his family were devastated in 2024 after the death of both Zoe and Norman’s mothers. In an interview with the Daily Express in March 2025, he revealed: “Last year a lot of stuff happened as a family. The family is a little bit smaller than it was. So it’s given us time to spend more time together and re-evaluate. Life can be very busy. I live in Bristol.

“My family live in Brighton. My mum was always working in London. There wasn’t always time. And now – more than ever – it’s about making that time. Because you never know how long a life is. Sometimes I realise that my parents need me just as much as I need them to support me. I didn’t really realise that before. We’ve got each other.”

Advertisement

That same year, Norman opened up about a deeply emotional moment when his son Woody performed at Ibiza’s legendary Café Mambo for the first time, marking a poignant full-circle moment for the family.

Discussing the occasion on Heart Radio, he recalled: “Woody, my son, grew up in that booth. Like, we used to take him down when he was like three. Because we couldn’t get a babysitter. And so, he would play Lego.

“He would sit in the corner of the DJ booth and play Lego. And then when he got to be six or seven, he could see out the top of the DJ booth. And then one day he went, ‘Dad, I can see why you like your job’.

“He said, ‘It’s really exciting. Like the music’s loud and everyone’s shouting at you’, he said. And so he kind of grew up. And then there was… There came a moment where my son played in Mambo, and I’m not ashamed to say I cried when my son finally played.”

Hello and welcome to the League Two play-off final live blog as Salford City look to make history. The Ammies head down to Wembley to face Notts County looking to reach the third tier for the first time ever. It will be a monumental achievement for a club that has dominated the spotlight thanks to their Class of ’92 ownership.

Salford head into the game on the pitch as favourites but will be outnumbered by Notts fans at Wembley. City have sold a fraction of the tickets of their opponents but that may play in their favour. Notts supporters already feel they have one foot in League One. Salford will be hoping they can show that promotion is won on the pitch, rather than in the stands.

Stay tuned for live updates…

Matheus Nunes (Man City): Nunes enjoyed a superb season at full-back, starting more games (32) and playing more minutes (2,865) than in his first two seasons at the club combined (26 starts, 2,327 minutes).

City were far better off with him in the starting XI – they won 66% (W21 D8 L3) of the games he started, compared to 33% without him (W2 D1 L3).

Nunes completed more passes in the opposition half than any other player this season (1,153) while among full-backs he had the joint most open play assists (5), made the most line-breaking passes overall (275), as well as completing the most passes in the final third (600). He was also the full-back with the most ball carries (514) and carry distance – well over 5,000m.

Gabriel (Arsenal): One of the odder statistics of 2025-26 is that Arsenal central defender Gabriel Magalhaes ended the season with more Premier League goals and assists combined than the likes of Jorgen Strand Larsen (5) and Bernardo Silva (6) and as many as Bournemouth striker Evanilson (7).

Of his seven goal involvements (3 goals, 4 assists), six unsurprisingly came via set-pieces as the Brazilian caused chaos in opposition boxes, helping the Gunners to score a record 19 corner goals in 2025-26.

It is, of course, at the other end where Gabriel really stands out, ending the season with 17 clean sheets, which was more than any other defender despite being absent from eight starting XIs in 2025-26.

Arsenal conceded just 20 goals in 2,751 minutes with him on the pitch, an average of one every 138 minutes, which was the best by an Arsenal defender to play 2,000+ minutes since 2003-04, when Sol Campbell went 140 minutes between goals going in with him on the pitch.

William Saliba (Arsenal): Alongside Gabriel, who else but Saliba? The pair are forging a legendary Premier League central defensive partnership, losing just 15 of the 117 games they’ve played together for Arsenal and the Gunners concede on average a goal every 44 minutes more frequently when they aren’t playing together since 2022-23.

Only Gabriel kept more clean sheets (17) than Saliba (15) during the 2025-26 Premier League season, with Arsenal conceding a goal every 131 minutes with Saliba on the pitch, the second-best of any defender this season behind… well, you guessed it, Gabriel.

On the ball, Saliba was accomplished, completing 92.9% of his passes, the third-best of any player to attempt 2,000 or more. He completed 67 passes per 90 minutes; on record since 2003-04, the only Arsenal defender with more in a season is Saliba in 2023-24 (69) and 2024-25 (71).

Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth): The sight of Truffert flying down the left-hand side of Bournemouth‘s flank is well known to Cherries fans and it is borne out in the data – the Frenchman was the only player to make more than 50 overlapping runs in the Premier League in 2025-26. It wasn’t just on the outside either – he ranked in the top-five for underlapping runs, too.

Truffert was one of only three players to win possession in the defensive third 100+ times (105), while he was top for both interceptions (48) and for tackles (103) among full-backs.

He also made the most progressive ball carries of any full-back (279) and progressed the ball close to two miles upfield with ball carries, the second-most of any full-back.

He was the only Bournemouth outfield player to start all 38 matches of their historic Premier League campaign.

Peter Murrell, the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, has pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh (May 25)

Peter Murrell was once at the centre of Scotland’s political leadership as the husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. As the Scottish National Party’s long-serving chief executive, he oversaw the party’s rapid rise in popularity and a major surge in membership around the 2014 independence referendum.

Murrell had been in charge of the SNP’s day-to-day running since 1999, after previously working in the constituency office of former leader Alex Salmond, although he was never an elected politician. He met Sturgeon through their involvement in the party in the late 1980s, with their relationship becoming public in 2003.

The couple married in 2010 in Glasgow, as Sturgeon rose through the ranks after first being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. The SNP entered government in 2007, with its rise often credited in part to Murrell’s organisational leadership, before making significant electoral gains in 2011.

After the late Mr Salmond’s resignation in 2014 following the result of the independence referendum, Sturgeon was elected unopposed as successor.

Questions were raised at the time about the close working and personal relationship between husband and wife, but they insisted there was a strict division of power within the party’s governance.

Speaking in a documentary released last year, Mr Salmond said he had privately expressed concerns to the couple that the press would exploit their relationship if things went badly for the SNP.

Eventually, the couple’s position came under increasing scrutiny in later years amid questions about party finances and transparency.

During the latter years of Sturgeon’s leadership, some within the SNP had complained of a lack of transparency around the party finances. In June 2021 the then-first minister said she was “not concerned” about the finances despite two high-profile resignations.

Allegations were made that hundreds of thousands of pounds raised for Scottish independence campaigning was diverted elsewhere.

Then, in July 2021, Police Scotland said they were opening an investigation after seven complaints were made in relation to SNP donations.

The situation escalated sharply after Sturgeon’s resignation as First Minister and SNP leader in February 2023. Murrell subsequently stepped down as chief executive following a dispute over membership numbers, including reports that around 30,000 members had left the party in a year.

In April 2023, police searched the couple’s home near Glasgow and SNP headquarters as part of the ongoing investigation, before Murrell was later arrested with embezzlement and charged.

In January 2025, Sturgeon announced the end of their marriage, saying they were separating “with a heavy heart” and that they “still care deeply for each other and always will”. Murrell, 60, has not publicly commented on the developments.

Additionally Sturgeon stepped down as Glasgow Southside MSP before this year’s Scottish Parliament elections in May.

On Monday May 25, Murrell was remanded in custody at the High Court in Edinburgh after pleading guilty to embezzling £400,310.65 from the Scottish National Party between August 2010 and October 2022.

The majority of Muslims will be celebrating Eid al-Adha on May 27.

The festival is one of the two blessed Eids celebrated as Muslims. It follows the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage period, and is also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice”.

Performed after the Eid prayer, Muslims around the world come together to take part in Qurbani – the ritual sacrifice of livestoc, typically a sheep, goat, cow, or camel – reflecting the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim and his unwavering obedience to Allah.

Qurbani commemorates the faith of Prophet Ibrahim, who was willing to sacrifice his son Ismail in obedience to Allah’s command. It provides a means for Muslims to reach the level of submission he showed to Allah.

A damaged chemical tank in Southern California cracked over the weekend, which authorities were hopeful would relieve pressure and reduce the risk of an explosion.

Some 50,000 residents in Garden Grove, a city of roughly 170,000 about 40 miles (60 kilometers) south of downtown Los Angeles, have been evacuated and are waiting for a resolution. The tank overheated Thursday and began venting vapors, leaving local and state officials scrambling to evade a worst possible scenario at the aerospace company site.

No injuries have been reported.

Fire officials planned to send in a team overnight to determine if the pressure has been relieved, which would reduce the worst-case scenario of an explosion, Orange County Fire Authority interim chief TJ McGovern said in a video posted late Sunday to the agency’s X account.

Atmospheric modeling showed an active leak from the tank as of Sunday night, McGovern said.

Firefighters have repeatedly sprayed the tank with water in an attempt to cool the chemical inside, methyl methacrylate, which is used to make plastic parts. The tank’s interior reached 100 degrees (37.7 Celsius) Sunday, an increase of 10 degrees Fahrenheit (5.5 Celsius) since Saturday, according to Democratic state Sen. Tom Umberg.

Fire officials over the weekend discovered the tank had cracked, lowering the potential for a devastating blast.

Officials working to prevent a disaster

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday and said he asked President Donald Trump to issue an emergency declaration to bolster federal support for local and state officials.

The tank at GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft, holds 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (22,700 to 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate used to make plastic parts.

Monitoring tests found air pollution around the evacuation zone was within normal limits and specialized equipment is being used to ensure gas is not released, state and federal environmental officials said Saturday.

The first goal of firefighters is to cool off the chemical inside the tank to prevent a leak or explosion.

Drones were monitoring temperatures at 10-minute intervals to watch for any spikes. Containment barriers have been set up to prevent the chemical from getting into storm drains or reaching creeks or the nearby ocean in the event of a spill, Orange County Fire Authority division chief Craig Covey said on social media.

As the interior temperature rises, methyl methacrylate converts from a liquid to a gas and increases the pressure, according to Purdue University engineering professor Andrew Whelton, who said the crack could mean product or pressure is being released, reducing the chance of explosion.

“Think of a soda can. If you leave it in a hot car it can explode,” Whelton said. “But if you put a hole in the can, the product is released and the can itself doesn’t explode.”

Firefighters are unlikely to consider making a hole in the tank, fearing a spark that might ignite the volatile and flammable gas. An explosion that could spread the chemical over a broad area and send shrapnel flying would be the worst-case scenario, he said.

Dealing with displacement and health concerns

Aerial photos taken by The Associated Press showed streets in the area were empty Sunday, while several evacuation shelters were open. At a high school in neighboring La Palma, people slept in cars or on mats and sleeping bags on the asphalt.

Garden Grove is next to Anaheim, home to Disneyland’s two theme parks, which were not under evacuation orders. Park officials said they were monitoring the situation.

Exposure to methyl methacrylate can cause serious respiratory problems, neurological problems and irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, according to fact sheets about the chemical.

Whelton said if an explosion occurs, it will be crucial to conduct detailed air monitoring specifically for methyl methacrylate and not just generic tests for volatile organic compounds as officials did after a 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which released more than 115,000 gallons (435,000 liters) of vinyl chloride after officials blew open five tank cars and burned the chemical.

Orange County health officials said the chemical is easy to smell and people may notice it over a large area without being harmed.

Residents taking legal action

Some Garden Grove residents filed a class-action federal lawsuit Saturday against GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, which operates the facility where the tank is located. Lawyers for the residents argued that regardless of what happens, property values in the surrounding community are sure to be impacted.

GKN Aerospace did not comment on the lawsuit but has apologized to residents and businesses forced to evacuate. It said Sunday it was “working around the clock to mitigate the risk of a leak.”

GKN Aerospace agreed in 2025 to pay state regulators more than $900,000 to settle violations involving recordkeeping, permitting issues and nitrogen oxide emissions, according to a report on the South Coast Air Quality Management District website.

___

Associated Press journalist Ethan Swope in Garden Grove, California, contributed to this report.

Prediction: 17th

Leeds looked like they would struggle early on, but manager Daniel Farke turned it around, so both he and his players deserve great credit.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin proved a very shrewd signing on a free transfer from Everton, while, as expected, the Elland Road bearpit played its part.

If there was a disappointment, it was the timid performance in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley.

The main mission, however, was Premier League safety and that was achieved with something to spare.

What I said in August: “Someone has got to buck the growing trend of ‘three up, three straight back down’ from the Championship’s promoted sides, so I am going to say Leeds will break that glass ceiling.”

Fire crews from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to Station Road in Grassington on Sunday (May 24) at around 7.10pm, following reports of a fire involving a BBQ in the boot of a car.

According to the fire service, when they arrived, the BBQ had been removed from the car into the open air by the people in the car.

No one was injured during the incident, and the car wasn’t impacted by the fire.

Firefighters from Grassington extinguished the fire in the BBQ and left the scene shortly after.

A spokesperson for the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “A crew from Grassington responded to reports of a BBQ on fire on a pavement.

“This was a fire to a BBQ which had been put in a cardboard box in the boot of a car.

“On discovery, the occupants had removed the box and BBQ to the open air.

“The car was not impacted by the fire. Crews used a hose reel jet to extinguish.”

This was the second incident involving a BBQ in Grassington on Sunday, after firefighters also attended an incident in woodland at around 8.30pm.

This particular fire was damped down using knapsack sprayers.

Next held on Saturday (May 30) the event will feature stalls across Middle Street, the Masonic Hall on John Street, and the Foundation for Good on Trafalgar Street.

Cllr Kathryn Rooney, who organises the markets, said: “I’m excited to welcome back regular traders as well as lots of new ones, your support ensures the markets keep going and growing in size and bring people back in to our town centre”

Geordie Bangers will make their debut at the market as well as popular Grandpa’s Fish Bar from Lanchester, which will also be bringing its food to the market for the first time.

The market will also be held on July 25, September 26, October 31, and December 5.

A wide selection of stalls will be on offer, including hot food vendors serving burgers, pizza, and doughnuts.

Are you going? Let us know what you think of the markets in the comments.