Weather warnings remain in place as Storm Therese batters the island

Holiday hotspots Tenerife and Lanzarote continue to endure heavy rains and strong winds today as Storm Therese batters the Canary Islands.

Weather warnings remain in force for all of the Spanish archipelago today, March 20, with amber alerts in place for La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where winds are expected to reach up to 100km/h in mountainous areas.

Meanwhile Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are covered by yellow warnings for winds reaching 70km/h. Yellow coastal warnings are in force for all of the islands with force seven winds (50-61km/h) whipping up large swells.

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A special weather advisory has been issued by Aemet, Spain’s national weather agency, and remains in place until Sunday. Forecasting the weather for today, Friday, it states: “The frontal system will finish crossing the archipelago, extending rainfall to the eastern islands.

“Heavy, and locally very heavy, showers are possible into the early morning hours, particularly in southern Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Over the next few hours, a further increase in instability is expected, with showers that may be accompanied by thunderstorms and small hail in the western islands.

“These showers could be locally heavy or very heavy and persistent on the southern and western slopes of La Palma and Tenerife. Very strong gusts of southwest wind are also expected to continue, with a probability of exceeding 90 km/h on the summits and leeward areas of the larger islands. The rough seas will continue throughout the archipelago, with waves exceeding 5 meters in the same areas as on Thursday. “

It warns that the unstable weather conditions are likely to continue into the weekend. The stormy weather has triggered a swathe of warnings from the Canary Islands government, including issuing alerts and pre-alerts for heavy rain, landslides and flooding.

Schools in the Canary Islands have closed today with no in-person teaching taking place. On Wednesday, more than 20 flights were cancelled at airports across the Canary Islands while several more were diverted. Most of them were inter-island flights.

On Tiktok people have shared an insight into the weather in the Canary Islands, with one holidaymaker describing Tenerife as ‘Baltic’. It comes as Aemet recorded the lowest temperature in Spain at Teide National Park weather station on Thursday, where temperatures dropped to -4.5C at 1am, Canarian Weekly reports. Aemet currently forecasts daytime highs of around 18-20 degrees for the Canary Islands.

TikTok user @wendy.utbfashionbeauty4 posted a video on Thursday showing cloudy skies in Tenerife. She said: “This is currently Tenerife, let me tell you it’s absolutely Baltic. There is not letting up in this weather at all. Such a shame, not seeing one person on a sun lounger, everyone’s wrapped up, in coats, anoraks, it’s absolutely freezing, there’s no warm air whatsoever.” She added: “It’s just so sad for those who are landing, the weather app just shows rain, rain, rain.”

Another TikTok user @Payne Life shared a video of storms on the horizon in Lanzarote with the caption: “PoV: you picked the worst time to go to Lanzarote”.

He said: “Have you ever seen such a bleak-looking day”, before sharing clips of the rain and sarcastically saying it’s “beautiful”. Another clip shows torrential rain at the poolside with strong gusts of wind, which he said “looks like a hurricane.”

For more of today’s top stories, click here.

There have been calls to extend the vaccine programme in Wales after the deaths of two young people this week

Health officials have issued an update on meningitis cases in Wales as calls grow to extend the vaccine programme after the deaths of two young people. Two students have died and the number of cases of meningitis linked to an outbreak in Kent has risen to 29, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said as alerts have been issued, including to schools and universities in Wales.

Today Public Health Wales confirmed that so far this year, between January 1 and March 19, there have been five confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal infection reported in Wales and in the last five years the disease has claimed five deaths.

Between 2020 and 2025 five deaths in Wales were confirmed invasive meningococcal cases that are recorded – two in 2022, one in 2024 and two in 2025. Three were due to type B meningococcal bacteria, one to type W and one where type was unknown, PHW data shows. Make sure you never miss Wales’ biggest updates by getting our daily newsletter

PHW issued advice to schools, universities and GPs in Wales following the fatal meningitis outbreak in Kent.

Cases have been confirmed at two universities, Kent and Canterbury Christchurch, as well as a number of schools in the county.

The outbreak is thought to have originated in the Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury.

Students in Kent have been given, and are being offered, preventative antibiotics and the meningitis B vaccine to help prevent infection. Hundreds queued on campus for the jabs but around 100 students were turned away on Thursday. officials at the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus stopped letting people in “due to capacity”.

The family of Juliette Kenny, a sixth former and one of the two young people confirmed to have died in the “explosive” outbreak in Kent are backing calls from the Meningitis Research Foundation to extend NHS access for the menB vaccine to teenagers and young adults.

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Reports say that around 700 staff and students were in the queue to get a vaccine at the University of Kent by 8.45am on Friday morning,

Pharmacies have been inundated with people wishing to pay for menB jabs privately.

Meningitis B vaccination is not routinely offered to children aged over two years or adults through the NHS in Wales. Health boards are asking people not to contact their GP surgery, or school immunisation teams to request the MenB vaccine.

University of Kent students returning to Wales may be offered preventative antibiotics and vaccination, if appropriate.

Eligibility for meningitis vaccine in Wales

Young people aged 13-14 years (school year 9) are routinely offered the MenACWY vaccine alongside the teenage 3-in 1 booster vaccine. It is a safe, non-live injection that protects against four strains of meningococcal bacteria (A, C, W, and Y).

These vaccines are free from the NHS as part of the national immunisation programme.

In a few areas, where the vaccine is not given in school, you will be invited to have it at your GP surgery.

Young people who are home-schooled or not in mainstream education may be offered the vaccine at their GP surgery or community vaccination centre. Appointments need to be made when due.

MenACWY vaccine eligibility also includes:

• Those who missed vaccination up to their 25th birthday.
• People with an increased risk of meningococcal disease due to an existing medical condition or treatment, travel, migration or their job.
• Close contacts of a confirmed case of meningococcal disease may also be recommended to receive the MenACWY vaccine.
• PHW says on its website: “It is important that young people who may have missed the MenACWY vaccine get it as soon as possible. This is important if they are planning to or are already attending college or university. Close mixing in confined spaces with lots of new people can increase the spread of infections. This is the perfect opportunity for infections such as meningococcal disease to spread.”

The introduction of a MenC vaccine programme in 1999 resulted in a significant reduction of meningococcal disease, PHW adds on it website.

This continued following the introduction of the MenACWY vaccine in 2015, with a further reduction in cases of MenC and MenW disease, .

In July 2025, the Hib/MenC vaccine given at 12 months was discontinued. This made the MenACWY vaccine given at age 13-14 the only MenC containing vaccine in the routine schedule.

Maintaining good uptake levels of the MenACWY vaccine is important to provide protection for young people.

PHW says this includes catching up on missed vaccinations. Uptake of the MenACWY vaccine also provides herd immunity. Herd immunity is when there is indirect protection by reducing the incidence of the disease across the population.

The Welsh Government was contacted for comment on calls to extend the meningitis B vaccine programme while in England health secretary Wes Streeting said there is “plenty of stock of vaccine supply in the country”.

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A Co Antrim man awaiting trial for murdering Chloe Mitchell today has now secured fresh legal representation, a court heard today.

Brandon John Rainey’s previous legal team walked away from the case last week stating that they had been “professionally compromised” and said the defendant had told them that he no longer wished them to represent him.

Rainey (29), of James Street, Ballymena, is currently awaiting trial and denies murdering the 21-year-old on June 3, 2023, and preventing the lawful burial of her remains.

The defendant was produced from custody to again attend the court proceedings while Ms Mitchell’s family and friends sat in the public gallery.

At Belfast Crown Court today, senior defence counsel Des Fahy KC told Madam Justice McBride that he has now come into the case to represent Rainey.

“I am here this morning, principally out of courtesy to the court, to inform the court that I have been recently instructed in the case as of yesterday (Thursday) and there is an application to transfer the legal aid certificate to my instructing solicitor (Phoenix Law),” said Mr Fahy.

“My position is that as of this morning I don’t have any papers. I was first approached yesterday (Thursday) and my instructing solicitor was instructed last Friday.

“I am out of courtesy letting you know that matters are in train and I have agreed to accept instructions. I understand that my solicitor will get receipt of the papers today (from the former solicitors). So those papers will be in transit today.”

With the trial listed to start after the Easter recess, Madam Justice McBride said there is an “urgency about this case proceeding” following representations by the Mitchell family that this case should be exempted from the strike and that was agreed by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA).

Mr Fahy replied: “I can tell you from The Bar that I will give this case my full attention once I have received the papers but as of yet I am not able to give you any indication how long that is going to take. I don’t have a sense of the extent of the papers.”

Senior prosecution counsel David Russell KC said he was grateful to Mr Fahy for the way he had outlined the defence position and said the case should be reviewed next Friday, March 27.

“Hopefully by then Mr Fahy will have been able to triage the papers and have some idea of where we are going,” added Mr Russell.

Madam Justice McBride said she was conscious the Easter was coming “and we need to get this case on as soon as possible after the Easter recess”.

The senior judge agreed to adjourn that matter until next Friday and said she expected to be addressed by Mr Fahy on a timeframe that he considered was necessary in taking the case forward.

Madam Justice McBride also agreed to transfer the legal aid certificate in the case from Ballymena-based James Ballentine & Son solicitors to Phoenix Law.

“I want to make it clear to the family who have attended today about the reasons which you obviously understand why this matter has not been able to proceed,” said Madam Justice McBride.

“But it is to be welcomed now that the defendant has engaged the services of a solicitor and senior counsel.

“Mr Fahy has given his commitment to the court to give this matter a priority and by next Friday hopefully we will be in a position to fix a date as to when this matter will proceed,” she added.

Chloe Mitchell’s remains were found days after she went missing. She was last seen alive on CCTV in Ballymena town centre in the early hours of June 3, 2023 and an extensive search operation was launched by the PSNI.

Detectives investigating her disappearance later launched a murder inquiry after human remains were discovered in the Co Antrim town.

This led officers to attend a flat in the James Street area of the town which prompted Rainey’s arrest.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

​The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has improved the rating from requires improvement to good for medical care and has re-rated urgent and emergency care as requires improvement at Scarborough Hospital, which is run by the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

​The NHS Trust welcomed the findings of the CQC’s assessment, which followed an inspection that was carried out in October, and highlighted improvements in care, particularly within medical care services.

​The CQC said it was “disappointing that issues we highlighted at the previous inspection still hadn’t been addressed and new breaches were found”.

​Inspectors said they found continued breaches of regulations in relation to staffing, good management, and complaints.

​Dr Karen Stone, medical director atYork and Scarborough Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We welcome the CQC’s report and are pleased it recognises the improvements we’ve made, particularly in our medical care services. It’s reassuring that inspectors saw the compassionate, person-centred care our colleagues provide every day.

​“The report also clearly sets out where we must continue to improve. We acknowledge the pressures our teams are working under, particularly within urgent and emergency care, where access, patient flow and ambulance handover performance must improve, and in medical care, where some patients have experienced delays in accessing specialist support.”

​In its inspection of urgent and emergency services, the CQC re-rated the ‘safe, effective, responsive and well-led’ categories as requiring improvement. Caring dropped from good to requires improvement.

​Inspectors found continued breaches of regulations in relation to medical staff training, access to services and consent, and the CQC also identified new breaches in relation to infection prevention and control, and assessing people’s needs.

​Karen Knapton, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: “In urgent and emergency care, it was concerning that people couldn’t always access care, support and treatment when they needed it. At the time of the inspection, the number of people admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arrival was 62 per cent, which was worse than the England average.

​“Additionally, ambulance handovers weren’t consistently carried out within the required timeframes due to high demand. Although hospital staff were working hard to try and see people in a timely way, only 40 per cent were handed over to the hospital within 15 minutes, compared with the national average of 65 per cent. The delay to people receiving appropriate care could put them at risk and put other people in the community at risk who required an ambulance.”

​Ms Knapton said: “However, in both departments, people told us that staff treated them with kindness, empathy and compassion. Across all wards, staff interactions with people and those close to them were consistently warm and respectful.

​“We have told the trust where it needs to make the necessary improvements and will continue to monitor both services to ensure people stay safe while this happens.”

​Commenting on the findings, the York and Scarborough NHS Trust’s medical director, Dr Stone, said: “We continue to take action across all areas highlighted, including strengthening training compliance, workforce capacity, infection prevention and control, medicines and environmental safety, and how we monitor and support patients while they are waiting.

​“I would like to thank all of our teams for their professionalism, kindness and dedication. We will continue building on the progress made and work closely with the CQC and our partners to provide safe, high-quality care for our communities.”

Adult passports will cost over £100 for the first time as the Home Office confirms an 8% price increase from 8 April

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Passport costs across all categories will rise substantially from next month following confirmation of proposed plans by the Home Office.

The Home Office has put forward an 8 per cent increase in UK passport prices, which could see an adult paying over £100 for the first time. The price of children’s and pensioners’ passports will also rise, with the changes scheduled to take effect from Wednesday, 8 April.

The Home Office stated it will “move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation”. The fee increases are subject to Parliamentary approval.

In a statement, the Home Office said: “The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.

“The Government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications. The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders,” reports the Mirror.

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How much is an adult passport?

From 8 April, the cost of a UK adult passport, for standard online applications, could be set to increase from £94.50 to £102. Meanwhile, postal passport applications could increase from £107 to £115.50 for adults.

How much is a passport for children?

The standard charge for a child’s passport through online applications could rise from £61.50 to £66.50, whilst postal applications could increase from £74 to £80 for children.

How much is a pensioner’s passport?

A standard, 32-page concessionary passport is available free of charge for those who were born on or before 2 September 1929 and at the time of their application, hold any British nationality.

The government said: “Customers who naturalised or registered as British nationals will still qualify regardless when they naturalised or registered.”

Whilst the passport itself is free, there may be some delivery charges to return the passport or to send any supporting documents.

Will next-day services increase?

Whilst it’s always advisable to apply for a new or replacement passport as early as possible, a next-day premium service is available in the UK. However, the new charges from 8 April could see this increase from £222 to £239.50.

How much will overseas UK passports cost?

Those applying overseas for a UK passport online can expect an increase from £108 to £116.50 for adults and from £70 to £75.50 for children. Meanwhile, overseas paper applications will rise from £120.50 to £130 for adults and from £82.50 to £89 for children.

The previous occasion UK passport prices increased was on 10 April 2025, when they rose by approximately 7 per cent. An adult passport jumped from £88.50 to £94.50, whilst a child’s online application increased from £57.50 to £61.50. Prior to 2025, price rises occurred in April 2024 and February 2023. The 2023 increase was notably the first hike in five years.

The government has urged anyone requiring a new passport to apply well ahead of time, as the renewal process can take up to three weeks in the UK, or even longer during busy travel periods. For further details or to apply for a new or replacement UK passport, visit the government website.

Millions of people have a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation, which causes the heart’s upper chambers or atria to beat chaotically rather than in a smooth, coordinated rhythm. For many, the symptoms can be mild with palpitations, fatigue or breathlessness, but the greatest danger is something far more serious – a stroke.

Tucked inside the heart is a tiny pouch called the left atrial appendage. When the heart beats erratically, blood can pool and sit still in this pouch instead of flowing normally – and still blood tends to clot. If one of those clots breaks free and travels to the brain, it can block bloodflow and cause a stroke. Atrial fibrillation makes you about five times more likely to have a stroke. The question for researchers, then, has been whether that pouch could simply be taken out of the equation.

Researchers recently revealed one possible answer – a new technique, so far tested only in animals, in which a magnetically guided liquid is injected into the heart, hardening to permanently seal the pouch from the inside. Early tests in rats and pigs suggest that this method could one day lower the risk of stroke in people with atrial fibrillation.

Current treatments are effective but imperfect. Today, most patients are prescribed blood-thinning drugs, such as anticoagulants. These drugs reduce the ability of blood to clot and significantly lower the risk of having a stroke.

However, anticoagulants come with trade-offs. They increase bleeding risk, which can be dangerous for some patients – particularly older adults or those with other medical conditions such as stomach ulcers, hypertension, liver or kidney disease and cancer. Some people cannot tolerate them or must stop treatment because of bleeding complications.

Another option is a procedure called left atrial appendage occlusion, in which doctors implant a small device to plug the appendage. The most widely known devices are delivered using a catheter and expand like a small metal umbrella to seal the opening.

These devices can be effective, but they are not perfect. Because the appendage varies widely in shape and size between patients, rigid implants may not always create a complete seal. Sometimes a little blood can leak around the edges, and small clots can form on the surface of the device. The parts that hold the device in place can also damage the heart tissue.

The newly reported approach takes a radically different path. Instead of inserting a rigid implant, researchers inject a magnetically responsive liquid, sometimes called a magnetofluid, directly into the left atrial appendage through a catheter.

Once inside the cavity, an external magnetic field helps guide and hold the fluid in place, so it fills the entire appendage, even against the force of circulating blood. Within minutes, the liquid reacts with water in the blood and transforms into a soft “magnetogel” that seals off the cavity.

Because the material begins as a liquid, it can adapt precisely to the highly irregular shape of each patient’s left atrial appendage. In theory, this allows it to create a more complete seal than conventional rigid devices. The gel also appears capable of integrating with the heart’s inner lining, forming a smooth surface that may reduce the chance of a clot forming.

Encouraging early results

So far, the technique has only been tested in animals. Researchers first evaluated the concept in rats and then progressed to experiments in pigs, an important milestone in cardiovascular research.

In the pig study, the magnetogel remained stable inside the appendage for 10 months with no evidence of a clot or leakage. The heart’s inner lining grew over the surface of the gel, creating a continuous, apparently healthy layer.

When compared with conventional metal occlusion devices in pigs, the magnetogel produced a smoother lining and avoided the tissue damage associated with anchoring barbs. Equally important, the researchers did not observe harmful biological effects in the animals.

Pigs are widely used in cardiovascular research because their hearts closely resemble human hearts, being similar in size, structure and function. Showing that the magnetofluid works safely in a pig heart therefore provides a valuable proof-of-concept. But it does not yet guarantee that the technology will be safe or effective in people.

Despite the promising results, the technique remains firmly in the experimental stage. Before human trials can begin, researchers must demonstrate long-term safety, refine how the material is delivered and ensure it behaves predictably in larger animal studies.

There are also some practical problems to fix. For example, the magnetic material can affect MRI heart scans, making parts of the heart harder to see. Problems like this need to be solved before it can be used in patients. Also, medical devices have to go through a lot of testing, so it will probably take many years before it can be used in real treatments.

If the technology ultimately proves safe and effective in humans, it could offer a new way to protect people with atrial fibrillation from stroke. A catheter-delivered liquid seal might provide an alternative for patients who cannot tolerate anticoagulant drugs and could overcome some of the limitations of existing occlusion devices.

Given that atrial fibrillation affects tens of millions of people worldwide, even modest improvements in stroke prevention could have a substantial impact on global health.

For now, the magnetic gel remains a laboratory innovation rather than a clinical therapy. But it highlights how advances in materials science and biomedical engineering are opening new possibilities for tackling one of cardiology’s most persistent challenges.

Denmark sent soldiers and explosives to Greenland in January so that it could blow up runways in the event of a US invasion, the country’s public broadcaster has said. 

Landing strips in Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq could have been targeted to prevent US military aircraft from landing soldiers and equipment if President Trump had followed through on threats to invade, DR reported.

Military aircraft also transported blood from Denmark to help treat the wounded in case of battle.

The emergency moves were allegedly made in the immediate aftermath of the US capture of Venezuela’s President Maduro, which demonstrated Mr Trump’s willingness to use US military might.

Mr Trump has long advocated for the mineral-rich island of Greenland – a self-governing Danish territory – to become part of the United States.

In the past, he has refused to rule out using military force to take the territory.

Denmark doubles down

The new report, based upon the testimonies of 12 main sources at the top of Denmark’s government and military, appears to show Copenhagen’s willingness to use force to raise the cost of any US action.

Denmark is said to have sought confidential talks with European allies after the re-election of Mr Trump in 2025 to shore up support against any annexation attempt.

A French official is quoted as saying that Denmark had decided to “play the game”.

Danish and European allies formed plans to send soldiers and military hardware to Greenland later in 2026, to show the US how seriously Europe took the defence of the island.

However, sources who spoke to DR claimed that US military action in Venezuela on 3 January of this year changed everything.

In the days after that military action, the US president repeated that the US “needs Greenland for national security,” going on to say he was “very serious” about it.

A more rapid European response now began, with an advance command of Danish, French, German, Norwegian and Swedish soldiers flying to the territory.

A larger, well publicised and announced, main force followed, as well as Danish fighter jets and a French naval vessel.

The deployment was presented as part of Danish-led joint military exercises called Operation Arctic Endurance, but the real reason was to prepare for and deter a possible US invasion, DR claims.

Denmark hoped that having soldiers with as many different flags on their arms as possible would deter US action.

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Sky’s Yalda Hakim unpacking in January what happened in Davos

Instead of just confronting Danish troops, Washington would have had to commit to major hostile action against multiple fellow NATO allies.

While it’s not clear if forces from other European countries would have fought against the US, Danish soldiers were reportedly given live ammunition and permission to engage.

The public nature of Operation Arctic Endurance and intense diplomacy by European leaders, including by the British prime minister, appeared to have worked.

Speaking in Davos at the World Economic Forum on 21 January, Mr Trump said the US “won’t use force” to take Greenland, though he reiterated that the US was “unstoppable”.

Denmark is due to head to the polls on 24 March after the country’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called snap elections.

Opinion polls suggest Ms Frederiksen has received a much-needed popularity boost over her handling of the Greenland-US crisis, after public dissatisfaction over rising living costs and welfare pressures.

As The Press reprted in December, 4D Capital Partners LLP (“4D”) announced the acquisition of York Handmade Brick Company, which is based at Alne, near Easingwold, the multiple award-winning manufacturer of bespoke and premium handmade bricks.

Recommended reading:

As The Press previously reported, the firm won the Sustainability category in the prestigious 2025 Brick Awards for its brickwork at York Racecourse.

York Handmade’s winning entry featured work at the new Bustardthorpe Stand and Roberto Pavilion at York Racecourse.

Now 3 Circle Square, in the heart of Manchester’s innovation district, has been named the best new building in the annual Manchester Chamber of Commerce awards.

York Handmade supplied 385,000 specially manufactured bricks for 3 Circle Square in one of the most significant contracts in its 37-year history.

The contract was worth £580,000 and was a resounding endorsement of York Handmade’s decision to invest £1.5m in brand-new machinery.

3 Circle Square, which was master-minded by leading Manchester-based developer Bruntwood, is a stand-alone brick-built building, close to Oxford Road.

Designed by Bridge Architects of Manchester, it offers flexible office space and bespoke programmes of business support, helping creative, digital and technology businesses to form, scale and grow. It was completed last year.

Russell Bridge of Bridge Architects said: “The brick choice for 3 Circle Square was critical to the facade design’s success, which incorporated both standard and long format bricks.

“York Handmade’s Thirkleby Blend was selected to achieve the desired detailing. The regular brick faces facilitated a consistent appearance in relation to deep opening reveals, mortar jointing, soldier course and arch detailing, and the formation of perforated brick ventilation panels.

“Aesthetically the red multi-toned brick complements the wider site context, while the distressed water struck texture adds character and visual interest when viewed up close.”

Guy Armitage, the managing director of York Handmade, said: “We are absolutely delighted that 3 Circle Square has won such a prestigious award. It is a magnificent building and are so proud to have played a part in its success.

“This was a massive project for us, especially in the context of these challenging economic times. It has been a tremendous boost for our factory and a great honour to contribute to a pioneering and innovative development which has redefined Manchester’s cityscape for the 21st century.

“Significantly, the non-standard bricks we supplied are for 3 Circle Square are Water Struck Thirkleby Blend, part of our Viking range and a stunning example of what we are able to manufacture with our new plant, commissioned in 2023.”

2. Releasing equity for home improvements

If you’re a UK homeowner aged over 55 and exploring ways to fund home improvements, you could also consider a lifetime mortgage – the most widely used form of equity release. It’s still a mortgage secured against your home, but it works differently from traditional borrowing, allowing you to release a portion of your property’s value as tax-free cash.

With a lifetime mortgage, you can choose whether or not to make monthly repayments. In this case, interest will roll up over time and is added to the loan, meaning the total amount owed increases over time. The full balance is typically repaid when the last homeowner passes away or moves into long-term care and is usually achieved through the sale of the property.

Interest roll-up means unpaid interest is added to your loan, and future interest is then calculated on this higher amount. This is known as compound interest.

The Equity Release Council, the industry body that sets consumer-protection standards for equity release products, requires all providers who follow its rules to allow customers to make voluntary partial repayments each year without incurring early repayment charges. The exact amount you can repay is set by your mortgage lender.

It is important to know that by releasing equity from your home today, you will reduce the value of your estate. If you qualify for means-tested benefits, then releasing equity could also affect your current entitlement.

Thinking about funding your renovations with equity release? The Telegraph Media Group Equity Release Service, provided by Royal London Equity Release Advisers, could help.

• Use their free calculator to see how much tax-free cash you could release.
• Request a free guide by post or email.
• Speak to their Information Team and book a no-obligation appointment with a qualified adviser.

Equity release is a significant financial decision, and it’s a requirement to get professional advice so you can understand how it works, whether it suits your circumstances, and what it could mean over the long term.

The Information Team at Royal London Equity Release Advisers will be able to answer any general questions you may have but can’t give advice. Instead, they will help to book a no-obligation advice appointment with an adviser to speak with someone about your specific needs and circumstances.