A man in his 40s was killed by a train near Welwyn North station after escaping from a custody van that was transporting him to a court hearing
Peter Hennessy UK & World News Editor and Tom Sanders
00:52, 29 May 2026
A man was struck and killed by a speeding train after fleeing from a custody vehicle transporting him from a police station to a court hearing, police have confirmed.
The man, who was in his 40s, broke free from the vehicle while it was stationary on the A1 motorway, Hertfordshire Police and British Transport Police (BTP) said in a joint statement.
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Following his escape, BTP conducted a search of the surrounding area, where officers discovered a casualty on the tracks close to Welwyn North railway station, reports the Mirror.
Two members of transport contractor staff were also taken to hospital during the escape attempt after “an altercation in the van,” though neither is believed to have sustained serious injuries.
Formal identification of the body is yet to take place, although police have confirmed that the man’s family has been informed of the incident.
The escape took place at around 9am on Thursday, the force added. Hertfordshire Police has since referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and a file has been passed to the coroner.
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Local resident David Elsdon, 82, who lives near the train station, said he had never witnessed such a large police presence and described the incident as “a bit of a shock.
“We were just out the front ready to leave for the town and inundated with a number of police cars coming along,” he told the BBC.
“I think we passed 10 in total before we got out on to the main road.” Enquiries are ongoing “to establish the full circumstances and officers will remain in the area while initial investigations continue”, according to a statement from a police spokesperson.
Spain and Saudi Arabia face off this evening, with pre-tournament favourites hoping to erase the embarrassment of drawing with minnows Cape Verde last time out.
The Saudis are coming off the back of an impressive draw with Uruguay. With both sides earning a single point from their first games, a win here would put either of them on the brink of the knockouts.
Luis De la Fuente will hope to win against another side low in the FIFA rankings this time round, after 64th-placed Cape Verde’s stunning rearguard action, led by 40-year-old goalkeeper Vazinho.
Saudi Arabia, ranked 59th, will look to reach the knockouts for the first time since the 1994 World Cup – also held in the USA.
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Date, kick-off time and venue
Spain vs Saudi Arabia is scheduled for a 5pm BST kick-off today, Sunday, June 21, 2026.
The match will take place at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Where to watch Spain vs Saudi Arabia for FREE
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TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on BBC One with coverage starting at 4.30pm BST.
Live stream: UK viewers can also catch the contest live online via BBC iPlayer or the channel’s website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Free highlights: World Cup highlights are available on FIFA’s official YouTube channel, along with BBC iPlayer and their websites.
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Spain vs Saudi Arabia team news
Young wingers Lamine Yamal, 18, and Nico Williams, 23, both came off the bench in Spain’s draw with Cape Verde after suffering late-season injuries. De la Fuente will hope he can start at least one of them – if not both.
Unai Simon will continue to start in goal, despite David Raya’s excellent performances for Arsenal this season.
Spain squad: Unai Simon, David Raya, Joan Garcia, Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo, Rodri, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Pedri, Gavi, Fabian Ruiz, Alex Baen, Yeremy Pino, Victor Munoz, Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, Borja Iglesias.
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Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored in Saudi Arabia’s famous 2-1 win over Argentina in Qatar 2022, could contribute to another giant-killing here.
Abdulelah Al Amri scored their only goal in the Uruguay match and will want to net again.
Saudi Arabia squad: Mohammed Al Owais, Nawaf Al Aqidi, Ahmed Al Kassar, Abdulelah Al Amri, Hassan Tambakti, Jehad Thikri, Ali Lajami, Hassan Kadesh, Saud Abdulhamid, Mohammed Abu Al Shamat, Ali Majrashi, Moteb Al Harbi, Nawaf Boushal, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Mohammed Kanno, Abdullah Al Khaibari, Ziyad Al Johani, Salem Al-Dawsari, Musab Al Juwayr, Alaa Al Hajji, Salem Al Dawsari, Khalid Al Ghannam, Ayman Yahya, Firas Al Buraikan, Saleh Al Shehri, Abdullah Al Hamdan.
Spain vs Saudi Arabia prediction
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Spain cannot afford anything other than a win here even if it doesn’t immediately rule them out of reaching the knockouts.
A win over Uruguay in the final group game could still see La Roja through, but if they drew against both Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia – how could they expect to beat Marcelo Bielsa’s men?
We do not see the Spaniards slipping up anyway. One of Williams and Yamal should start, to power their stuttering attack to a much-needed victory.
Inaki Williams is expected to start for Spain
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Head to head (h2h) history and results
Spain vs Saudi Arabia match odds
Saudi Arabia to win: 18/1
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Seven years after Avengers: Endgame broke box office records – and the hearts of fans around the world – Marvel has put together yet another epic big-screen crossover event.
Avengers: Doomsday marks the fifth instalment in the Avengers franchise, and is expected to be the cinema event of 2026, bringing back some of our favourite characters and introducing a whole new roster of superheroes to the MCU.
With months to go until the release, fans already have plenty of questions about the upcoming release. Namely, who is in the star-studded cast? What exactly is the plot of Avengers: Doomsday? And how did one actor’s abrupt departure lead to the entire film being rethought?
Here’s everything we can tell you about Avengers: Doomsday so far…
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What is Avengers: Doomsday about?
Marvel has already teased that Avengers: Doomsday will mark the beginning of the end for its multiverse saga, which began in 2021 with the TV series WandaVision.
Although there is official plot details are still being kept under wraps, the studio has said that the Phase Six movie sees “beloved heroes from three distinct universes” embarking on “a deadly collision course” and facing “an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered”.
In other words, we should expect to see characters from The Avengers, Thunderbolts, X-Men and Fantastic Four all teaming up to defeat the evil Doctor Doom.
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The cast of Fantastic Four: First Steps will all be returning for the new Avengers film
“We’re not talking too much about story, but I think people know that the story of Doomsday is inspired by a very famous comic run in which universes are colliding and Earths encounter one another and different timelines encounter one another,” Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige teased to Entertainment Weekly in April this year.
Who is in the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, and which Marvel stars are returning?
In March last year, Marvel hosted a mammoth five-hour livestream where they slowly revealed the sprawling cast of Avengers: Doomsday, which includes some of the biggest names in Hollywood – and pretty much anyone who has ever appeared in a Marvel film.
Meanwhile, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Lewis Pullman and Wyatt Russell will be representing Thunderbolts*, while The Fantastic Four’s Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will also be making their Avengers debut in Doomsday.
The biggest shock of them all came when stars from the X-Men films of the early 2000s were revealed to be joining MCU characters in Avengers: Doomsday.
Due to legal reasons, the Avengers and X-Men have never been able to share the screen together until recently.
Historically, 20th Century Fox had held the film rights to X-Men, stopping any potential crossovers, but since Disney’s acquisition of Marvel Studios, and then Fox, the two superhero groups can now appear on screen together (as evidenced in last year’s Deadpool & Wolverine).
As Wakanda serves as a major tactical and narrative hub, expect your favourite Black Panther characters to also appear in the upcoming film, too.
Letitia Wright in the first Black Panther film in 2018
Marvel/Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
Simu Liu will also be back as Shang-Chi, for the first time since 2021′s Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings.
Meanwhile, because no one ever truly stays dead in the MCU, Chris Evans will be returning as Captain America, although the circumstances around his comeback remain shrouded in mystery.
“I said I would only come back if there was a real reason, and in Doomsday, there’s a very real reason why these heroes need Steve Rogers,” Chris Evans revealed at this year’s CinemaCon, with Hayley Atwell also expected to return as Steve’s beloved SHIELD agent Peggy.
And talking of the dead never staying dead in the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. is back, too – only this time, it’s not as Tony Stark…
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Yes, Robert Downey Jr. is actually returning to the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday
The new Avengers film’s main antagonist – a genius scientist from the fictional Latveria, who seeks world domination – first made a cameo in the post-credits of last year’s Fantastic Four: First Steps, although at the time, his identity remained hidden behind his iconic mask.
Robert’s last Marvel film was 2019′s Avengers: Endgame, in which his character Tony Stark sacrificed himself to save the world.
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In March 2025, the directors of Avengers: Doomsday told Variety that the Oscar winner had been “immersed” in his new character, and was heavily involved in the creative process.
“He’s writing backstory, costume ideas,” Joe Russo said about Robert’s commitment to the franchise. “We were just on the phone with him this morning before we got here talking about it. He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters. He sees a real opportunity here with the character.”
Kevin Feige shared that Robert has been “ingrained in the fabric” of the MCU for so long that they couldn’t help but “talk about when and how and if there could be a return”.
However, when asked how the idea of bringing Robert back as Doom came about, he did tell Entertainment Weekly in April this year that: “It’s our universe. It’s a multiverse. We can do whatever the heck we want. He played the most iconic hero. Let’s have him play the most iconic villain.”
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Robert recently spoke to CBR alongside Joe Russo, and revealed that this film “landed in a place that I think will more than suffice” for fans.
“It’s not even about how I executed it,” the Oscar winner actor added. “It’s about the way it’s been structured, and the other characters.
“There’s something going on in Doomsday and forward that is literally the only antidote to: How do you not have these films be let down after an Infinity War and an Endgame? And boy, have we laboured long and hard to bring that down.”
As for why Doom’s face looks so similar to Tony Stark, we’ll have to wait until Avengers: Doomsday is released to find that out…
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Jonathan Majors was also originally supposed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, but his 2023 arrest led to major changes to the movie
Jonathan Majors in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania
After the heroes defeated Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, Kang looked set to play the newest big bad, with numerous appearances for Jonathan Majors having been slated.
In fact, Avengers: Doomsday was originally called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and was set to revolve around Jonthan’s time-travelling, multiverse-hopping superhuman character.
However, after Jonathan was arrested in 2023 under charges of strangulation, assault and harassment, Marvel was forced to drastically rethink their fifth Avengers film.
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Jonathan was eventually found guilty of one count of reckless assault in the third degree, and a charge of harassment as a violation. In April 2024, he was sentenced to 52 weeks of a domestic violence intervention program and probation.
Despite the controversy around Jonathan’s exit from the Marvel universe, studio boss Kevin Feige has always maintained that the pivot from Kang to Doom as a central villain was an entirely creative one.
“We had started even before what had happened to the actor happened, we had started to realise that Kang wasn’t big enough, wasn’t Thanos, and that there was only one character that could be that, because he was that in the comics for decades and decades,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in the summer of last year.
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Who is directing Avengers: Doomsday?
Robert Downey Jr. with Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo
Destin Daniel Cretton, the director of Marvel’s Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings and Wonder Man, was first set to helm the film, back when it was still being referred to as The Kang Dynasty.
In November 2023, Deadline reported that Destin had left the project to pursue other Marvel projects, including the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Taking over from Destin are brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, who previously directed the Captain America films The Winter Soldier and Civil War, as well as the Avengers films Infinity War and Endgame.
Originally, the Russo brothers turned down the chance to direct both Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, Secret Wars, due to the strain and energy of making such epic blockbusters.
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“Robert [Downey Jr] tried to talk us into doing it and we said, ‘No’,” Joe Russo revealed to Omlete last year. “We just didn’t have a story. We didn’t have a way in, right? We were resistant for a while.
“And then one day [Endgame writer] Steve McFeely, who’s one of our key collaborators, said, ‘I have an idea.’ And we went, ’That’s the story. That story has to be told. It’s a really powerful story.”
The brothers have been tight-lipped about the film’s finer details, although they did tease: “We love villains who think they’re the heroes of their own stories. That’s when they become three-dimensional and when they become more interesting.
“And when you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a well-shaped three-dimensional character for the audience.”
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Is there a trailer for Avengers: Doomsday?
Marvel has slowly been releasing teaser trailers for Avengers: Doomsday, each of them themed around a different hero.
At CinemaCon in April, they did release a trailer for the press – and industry pros lost their minds over it.
Back in December, an official teaser premiered, depicting Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers in full dad mode, cradling a baby above a crib, hinting that in his alternate universe, he and Peggy got their happy-ever-after ending.
A second trailer saw the X-Men back in comic-appropriate attire, featuring Ian McKellen back as Magneto alongsidde Patrick Stewart’s Professor Charles Xavier and James Marsden as Cyclops.
Following this, a third teaser depicted the return of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, calling on his father Odin to help in the upcoming war.
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The most recent trailer brought us a crossover between Wakanda and the Fantastic Four, with the short clip featuring Ben Grimm, AKA The Thing, introducing himself to the Wakanadans.
Is there a release date for Avengers: Doomsday?
Avengers: Doomsday is officially scheduled to release in cinemas on 18 December 2026.
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If this date sounds familiar, that’s because it is also when Dune: Part Three is also scheduled to hit cinemas.
This has already caused upset among fans and cinema owners, who have voiced their concerns that the clash could cause audiences to pick just one film to see on opening night, as well as limiting IMAX screenings.
Are there any other Avengers films in the works?
An Avengers: Doomsday sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, will hit cinemas almost a year to the day later, on 17 December 2027.
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If you can’t wait until then, Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into cinemas on 31 July 2026 – and promises to introduce plot points and characters from the upcoming Doomsday movie.
Families will get the chance to meet and be photographed with the marmalade-obsessed bear
A bear who is obsessed with marmalade is heading to a popular Cambridgeshire railway station later this year. Nene Valley Railway (NVR) in Wansford, near Peterborough, continues to bring joy to families with all of its fun events.
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On Sunday, August 23, the railway will welcome Paddington Bear for the day. A NVR spokesperson said: “We know that family days out can quickly become expensive, which is why we have made a conscious decision not to increase our Day Pass prices for this event.
“We want as many families as possible to be able to enjoy meeting Paddington whilst also experiencing everything the railway has to offer.”
Visitors will get the chance to meet Paddington, as well as enjoy journeys on the heritage train services. By purchasing a day pass, families will be able to enjoy unlimited hop-on, hop-off on the trains, giving them the chance to enjoy the trains at their own pace.
Paddington will be making several appearances throughout the day, where people can capture a photo with one of Britain’s most beloved children’s characters. To book a day pass in advance, people can do it on the Nene Valley Railway website.
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has been informed
A stinger was deployed and an officer drew his weapon in an attempt to stop a suspect vehicle in Co Derry which was later found abandoned over the border following a chase, the PSNI has said.
In a statement, local policing Inspector Hewat said it was spotted on Buncrana Road at around 12.30pm on Saturday before the “driver made off toward the city at dangerous speeds and with a deflated rear tyre”.
A chase followed and, as the police attempted to force the car to stop, it “collided with an uninvolved member of the public’s vehicle, causing damage but, thankfully, no reported injury”.
In an attempt to stop the “dangerous” vehicle, a stinger device was deployed in the Creggan area.
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Mr Hewat continued: “Fearing for his own safety, one officer drew his weapon, but the driver of the Mercedes swerved and made off, narrowly avoiding another member of the public’s vehicle as he did so.”
The car was found abandoned “just over the border minutes later”.
“It is only by sheer luck that this vehicle was not involved in a more serious collision,” he added.
The PSNI is liaising with An Garda Síochána in the search for the driver and they are carrying out forensic tests of the car.
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Mr Hewat said: “As is standard procedure when a police firearm is drawn, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has been informed and their inquiries are ongoing.”
Police are appealing for anyone with information or relevant footage to contact them.
Four years ago, any effort to watch a game together was met with the same stubborn toddler resistance as suggesting a midday nap. Suddenly, here we are, knee-deep in Panini swapsies, reeling off an all-star French attack, pointing out the flags and badges of all 48 nations. Shiny Brazil!
Of course, the medium through which he is engaging with this World Cup is different from our childhood experiences, which in turn are different to our parents’. “Grandad saw Pele at Goodison Park?” Poignant for Grandad because he’s an Evertonian, impressive for the little one because his favourite YouTuber – Chuffsters – pulled a 99-ranked Pele icon card.
This isn’t a bedtime-friendly World Cup for those this side of the pond – we’ve not yet stayed up late and there’s no dashing into school early, class teacher wheeling out a chunky television to catch Senegal shock France.
Instead, this World Cup is about climbing into our bed at first light with his little brother, listing yesterday’s fixtures and predicting which star player is going to score – a thirst fulfilled through highlights packages. A hearty hit of goals before breakfast.
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Waking up last Wednesday was like Christmas morning. Every clip unwrapped the gift of another stunning display. Kylian Mbappe,Erling Haaland,LIONEL MESSI GOT A HAT-TRICK! Because, despite being the same age as most of their parents, it’s still Messi who resonates for today’s kids – his shirt dotted across Sunday morning playing fields.
But for all that’s different, the core things stay the same.
Filling out sticker books and writing on wallcharts, unboxing football figures – we’ve two Bradley Barcolas, if anyone needs? – hours spent pretending to be Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham in the garden, trying to recreate the tournament’s greatest goals. This will be the summer we buy a new fence.
It’s seeing your heroes come alive on screen and falling in love with unexpected new ones. Where can you find a Vozinha shirt?
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To enjoy the game through the eyes of your kids is to see it in a different light. One of wonder and a million questions, those you haven’t thought about for decades. An experience completely ignorant to the ills of modern football, to politics, ticket prices or hydration breaks. Just the pure magic of the game, an innocent curiosity to know more about it, the uncontrollable desire to ‘Siuuuuu!’ down supermarket shopping aisles.
Football can be tribal and divisive but at its heart is a sport that unites, whether that’s supporters from across the globe embracing each other in a Mexico City fan park or a dad and his young lads gathered around a sticker book in Manchester.
Because the World Cup is a phenomenon that transcends generations. My grandpa died earlier in the tournament – his last interaction with the boys was to post some England stickers picked up with his weekly shop. The sadness of losing him sated by a small, thoughtful gesture – that will be how they remember him.
Whether our young football anorak will remember the tournament too, who knows, and it doesn’t really matter. Such is the glorious childhood gift of living in the moment, perhaps next week he’ll have moved on to something else, maybe we’ll be chasing Pokemon again. And we’ll enjoy that together too.
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But right now, what a beautiful satisfaction it is to experience this World Cup through his wide-eyed wonder, to treasure this passion we share.
So, here’s to this summer. For me, this is the one that will last forever.
Saudi Arabia squad: Mohammed Al Owais, Nawaf Al Aqidi, Ahmed Al Kassar, Abdulelah Al Amri, Hassan Tambakti, Jehad Thikri, Ali Lajami, Hassan Kadesh, Saud Abdulhamid, Mohammed Abu Al Shamat, Ali Majrashi, Moteb Al Harbi, Nawaf Boushal, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Mohammed Kanno, Abdullah Al Khaibari, Ziyad Al Johani, Nasser Al Dawsari, Musab Al Juwayr, Alaa Al Hajji, Salem Al Dawsari, Khalid Al Ghannam, Ayman Yahya, Firas Al Buraikan, Saleh Al Shehri, Abdullah Al Hamdan.
New plans for the cleared site sought permission for 17 “commercial business units” distributed across three, two-storey blocks located along the site’s boundaries.
Associated parking was proposed centrally within the site with 28 spaces, with access taken from Mainsforth Terrace and vehicles being “required to exit through the existing site access along Burbank Street (north).”
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Proposed planning uses for the business units included “research and development of products or processes”, industrial processes and storage and distribution uses, with ancillary first floor office units associated with respective ground floor uses.
During a council public consultation on the plans there were objection comments from four separate residential properties, with concerns raised about the location and scale of the buildings, traffic parking and highway safety, noise impacts and more.
Although the development passed several key planning tests, Hartlepool Borough Council’s planning department had recommended the application for refusal over its scale and design.
A report published ahead of the planning committee noted the development’s “extensive scale and mass” and said it would “create an undue, overly dominant and unsympathetic development that fails to respect the character of the application site and wider surrounding area.”
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Arguments for and against the proposal were put forward at a planning committee meeting on June 17, 2026, at Hartlepool Civic Centre.
A representative for the applicant said technical issues, including flood risk, drainage and highway safety, had been resolved and that the council’s economic development team “actively supports the scheme”.
The applicant’s agent added the refusal recommendation from council planners was a “matter of planning judgement” and listed the benefits of the scheme, including regenerating a derelict brownfield site, local investment and jobs and enhanced biodiversity.
Council planners argued that the plans would “not be compatible with the character and appearance of the site and the surrounding area”, in conflict with planning policies.
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However following debate an alternative motion to approve the application, against the refusal recommendation of council planners, was proposed.
After being put to a final vote, the plans were approved by a majority of councillors present.
The heat is likely to impact health and daily lives of those within the warning area
12:36, 21 Jun 2026Updated 12:50, 21 Jun 2026
Parts of the UK are under an extreme heat alert with forecasters predicting near 40C temperatures. The Met Office has expanded an Amber heat warning into next week, which will likely impact residents of affected areas.
The alert is in place for Monday, June 22, until Thursday, June 25, and covers South East England and parts of Wales. The incoming heat is a result of band of pressure that is currently migrating from France. While the alert is not in place for Scotland, high temperatures of up to 30C are to reach the country next week.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree, said: “The forecast heatwave is developing into an impactful severe weather event, with record breaking June temperatures and very high humidity. The combination of heat and humidity will be oppressive and bring impacts across society from public health and infrastructure, to power and water supplies.”
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Temperatures will quickly rise on Monday morning (June 22) and are forecast to reach 34C in southern parts of England. heat will rise further into Tuesday (June 23), with highs of 37C forecast for southern England and 35C southeast Wales.
Conditions are set to peak on Wednesday and Thursday (June 24 and 25) when temperatures are expected to climb to 38C. By Friday conditions will be less hot, with highs of 33C forecast across eastern areas.
It is now likely the current highest temperature on record for June will be broken, this being 35.6C recorded in Southampton in June 1976 and Camden Square in June 1957.
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Forecasters say that the heat will not be specific to day time, as “Tropical Night” temperatures are set to remain in the low twenties. The warning highlights potential health impacts for the wider population, not just those vulnerable to extreme heat.
Crabtree added: “As well as very high daytime temperatures, there will be consecutive nights where temperatures do not drop below 20C, which is called a Tropical Night. This will make it very hard for people to recover from the daytime heat, exacerbating the heat stress impacts.”
This extreme heat alert is not in store for Scotland, but residual warm air is set to move upwards, bringing scorching temperatures next week. The latest figures from WX Charts show areas in the north of Scotland reaching 26C by next Tuesday in Edinburgh and the east coast.
By Wednesday, temperatures are to reach 25C predominantly below the Central Belt. However by Thursday, the UK’s extreme heat will finally arrive in Scotland, with areas furthest south set to reach a sweltering 30C.
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The Amber alert highlights the potential rise in water safety incidents due to resident seeking respite in coastal areas. Those heading to the sea should be mindful that surface temperatures are not as high as those seen in mid-summer. Sudden impact with cold water can lead to shock, which in turn raises heart rate and could trigger panic.
Samantha Hughes is the National Water Safety Partner at the RNLI. She said: “If you find yourself struggling in the water, remember to Float to Live: tilt your head back so your ears are submerged, relax and control your breathing. You may need to gently use your hands to help you stay afloat, and it’s ok if your legs sink—everyone floats differently.
“Where possible, always choose a lifeguarded beach, and swim between the red and yellow flags. In a coastal emergency remember to call 999 for the coastguard.”
Millions of people could be affected by the two medications
The Met Office has issued a rare amber heat warning for Monday to Thursday across parts of Wales and South England. It warns that the general population are likely to experience some symptoms and people that are ‘vulnerable’ to heat have been urged to take extra precautions.
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Two commonly prescribed medications have been highlighted as particular areas of concern during the heatwave – beta blockers and metformin. Used by millions throughout the UK, both drugs can increase dehydration risk in hot weather, interfere with the body’s temperature control, or hide warning signs of heat-related conditions.
The British Heart Foundation states that beta blockers are among the most widely prescribed treatments for heart and circulatory problems, frequently used to treat irregular heart rhythms, angina and high blood pressure. By slowing the heart rate, this medicine – generally prescribed for heart conditions or high blood pressure – can hinder the body’s natural cooling systems, making users considerably more vulnerable to overheating.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has warned: “Blood pressure medicines such as ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, or calcium channel blockers can also make it harder for your body to regulate temperature, especially during sudden hot spells.”
Research from 2022 also found that people on beta blockers or antiplatelet medication could be at greater risk of heart attacks during hot weather than in cooler conditions. Beta blockers specifically demonstrated a 65% stronger association between high temperatures and heart problems.
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Metformin, insulin and other diabetic medications can increase your susceptibility to dehydration while masking the early warning signs. If left untreated, dehydration can lead to worsening symptoms and in extreme cases may cause kidney and urinary problems, seizures or even damage to the brain.
Important symptoms of dehydration:
feeling thirsty
headache and feeling light-headed
dark yellow, strong-smelling pee
peeing less often than usual
feeling dizzy or lightheaded
feeling tired
a dry mouth, lips and tongue
sunken eyes
Dehydration can be simple to treat by drinking fluids or using oral rehydration solutions bought from pharmacists. People taking beta blockers or metformin shouldn’t stop their medication just because it’s getting warmer. However, they need to act quickly if they start noticing any signs of dehydration or symptoms related to heat illness.
Those aged over 75 already face heightened susceptibility to temperature-related ailments including heat stroke, heat exhaustion and dehydration. Family members are being encouraged to keep a close eye on their elderly relatives during spells of hot weather, especially if they’re on these medications.
The MHRA has recommended that anyone on medication should check their patient information leaflet or have a word with their pharmacist to verify whether sun sensitivity is noted as a possible side effect.
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The Met Office has issued a rare amber warning for extreme heat, in force from 1am on Monday 22 June until 23:59pm on Thursday 25 June. It represents the most serious heat warning the Met Office has released in four years, with the last one having been issued in August 2022.
Officials have cautioned of a “widespread impact” on both the public and infrastructure, warning that some employees may need to modify their working patterns during this spell. The warning additionally notes: “The wider population are likely to experience some adverse health effects including sunburn or heat exhaustion and other heat related illnesses.”
England fans will be keen to follow the Three Lions’ progress despite time differences (PA)
Of course, you do have to factor in the time difference, with the kinder kick-off times including slots at 6pm BST and 8pm BST, while there are games throughout the night for UK viewers.
Here’s how you can watch every game at the 2026 World Cup on the BBC and ITV – and STV in Scotland.
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