Bus crashes after slipping on black ice as Met Office issues new Storm Goretti warnings

Drivers have been warned about black ice on roads amid multiple weather warnings across the country after a bus in Kent slipped off the road into a ditch.

Scotland remains under a snow and ice yellow weather warning until Thursday, but yellow weather warnings for ice covering almost all of the country, including England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, were in place on Wednesday morning.

There are thought to have been no injuries after the crash off the A28 in Ashford.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service warned: “Crews are reminding everyone to use extra caution when driving in cold temperatures as there could be black ice on the roads, so avoid sudden breaking and leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front.”

Commuters are also urged to check for further travel disruption after multiple flight and train cancellations.

Meanwhile, Storm Goretti, named by French meteorological service Meteo-France, is set to bring heavy snow, ice and wind to the UK. The Met Office has issued a number of weather warnings on Thursday, although France will suffer the most severe effects through to Friday.

Storm Goretti map: Where Britain will be hit by heavy snow and ice

The Met Office has issued fresh weather warnings as Storm Goretti is set to bring heavy snow to the UK later in the week.

Storm Goretti, named by French meteorological service Meteo-France, is the first storm of the year and is likely to cause difficult travel conditions in Britain, though France will be the most severely impacted.

The Met Office has issued yellow ice warnings for most of the UK, including Northern Ireland, for Wednesday morning after an Arctic air mass brought wintry showers across the country, including London and the home counties.

The UK’s forecaster has also issued a new yellow weather warning for snow across Wales, the southeast and west of England, and the Midlands on Thursday from 6pm until midday on Friday.

Mass cancellations to and from Amsterdam Schiphol airport are continuing for a sixth day due to snow and ice, with flights between the Dutch hub and UK airports on KLM cancelled. KLM grounded 600 flights to and from its hub on Wednesday.

British Airways has cancelled 10 flights linking Heathrow with Amsterdam, and a round-trip from London City airport.

Aberdeenshire council also declared a “major incident” as ongoing snow continues to cause travel disruptions and school closures.

Adam Stachura, the policy director at Age Scotland, urged people to stay at home where possible, according to The Telegraph.

He said: “With such cold temperatures and icy conditions ahead, try and make sure you have enough food and any important medications at home to reduce the need for unnecessary and potentially risky trips.”

The forecaster warned that roads and railways will likely be affected by longer journey times and some people might be injured if they fall on icy surfaces.

A yellow weather warning for ice covering almost all of England and Wales will remain in place until 10am on Wednesday, as the Met Office told Britons to prepare for further travel delays.

The Met Office has issued a yellow ice weather warning for Northern Ireland until 11am on Wednesday, as despite temperatures rising and skies clearing, a scattering of wintry showers will once again bring an ice risk overnight. Showers may give a fresh dusting of snow in a few places.

Icy patches on untreated wet surfaces are expected, which could lead to minor disruption, especially on Wednesday morning.

The Met Office has issued a yellow snow weather warning across Wales, the southeast and west of England, and the Midlands on Thursday from 6pm. Storm Goretti will likely bring heavy snow over higher ground in south Wales. In some areas, 5 to 10cm of snow may settle with the potential for up to 20cm in some locations, especially over higher ground. Strong winds may lead to some drifting of snow.

A yellow wind warning is in place across the south west of England as a deep area of low pressure will move across the south of the UK during Thursday and into Friday, bringing a mixture of rain, snow and strong winds. The warning is in place from 3pm until midnight.

Northern Ireland will see a yellow ice warning in place from midnight Wednesday to 10am Thursday after a band of rain clears through on Wednesday evening leaving temperatures to fall rapidly and bring an ice risk overnight, especially on untreated surfaces. A few showers will also persist across counties Antrim, Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh, adding to the ice risk in these areas with rain falling on frozen ground.

Snow and ice are likely to cause further disruption overnight Wednesday through Thursday morning for Scotland as the Met Office has extended a yellow weather warning til 12pm.

The yellow snow weather warning is set to remain until midday on Friday, as the Met Office warned rain and snow look as if they will clear eastwards following the storm.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber cold health alerts for all of England until Friday at 10am, warning there could be significant impacts across health and social care services, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “As the colder weather sets in, it is vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.

“The forecast temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.”

Matthew Lehnert, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “As we begin the first full working week of the year, we face a range of winter weather hazards with snow showers and ice.

“In the north of Scotland, snow showers are expected to become more frequent on Sunday night, with some locations within the amber warning areas seeing a further 20 to 30cm accumulate by Monday morning.

“Elsewhere in the UK, snow showers, ice and frost are expected at times, but milder air will make attempts to spread eastward from Tuesday. This will mean rain becomes more likely in the south, but there is also the possibility of more organised snow along the boundary of the mild and cold air masses. Strong winds could also be a feature later in the week.

Hundreds of schools in northern Scotland will remain closed for a third day as much of the country braces itself for further snow and icy conditions. Some rural areas have been completely cut off and transport is severely affected by the weather.

Pupils in the Highlands were due to return from the festive break on Wednesday, but many will have an extra day off with more than 120 schools shut due to the weather conditions.

The snowy conditions disrupted road, air and rail travel across the country – with some train lines shut after heavy snow drifted onto the tracks.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has listed 24 travel disruptions as heavy snow continues to cause disruption to its services across northern Scotland.

While Network Rail advised that the line north of Edinburgh has reopened, LNER said “customers should NOT TRAVEL between Edinburgh and Aberdeen” as trains may be “delayed, cancelled or altered at short notice and/or experience overcrowding”.

Police Scotland said the impact of the snow is likely to be felt over the next few days in the north and northeast of Scotland, urging people to follow travel advice.

Assistant chief constable Alan Waddell said: “Local resilience partnerships are continuing to meet to co-ordinate and deliver the response to disruption experienced by communities in the north and north-east of Scotland following heavy snowfall over the weekend.

“We have been working closely with resilience partners across local authorities, other emergency service partners, transport partners, NHS and health and social care partnerships, and other local organisations to support communities affected by adverse weather and keep public services open where possible.

“Some services may be impacted by adverse weather and I would encourage the public to check on neighbours or relatives, if they are able to do so safely.”

Drivers warned not to drink at all as limit set to be slashed in England and Wales

Pubgoers who want to drive shouldn’t drink any alcohol at all, the government has said, after announcing plans to tighten the drink-drive limit in England and Wales as part of a new road safety strategy.

The strategy – which is the first of its kind in more than a decade – aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65 per cent by 2035, and by 70 per cent for children under 16.

The drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is currently 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, which is the highest in Europe alongside Malta.

Under the strategy, this may be reduced to 22 micrograms in England and Wales, bringing those nations into line with Scotland, which cut its drink-drive limit in 2014.

The strategy also proposes to require some convicted drink-drivers to have alcolocks fitted to their vehicles, and new powers to suspend driving licences for people suspected of drink or drug-driving offences.

While the blood alcohol limit has not been cut to zero, transport minister Lilian Greenwood urged pub-goers to leave their cars at home or have an alcohol-free beverage.

Asked whether people should just not drink at all if they want to drive, Ms Greenwood told Sky News: “That’s probably the best advice. If you’re going to drive, don’t have a drink. If you want to have a drink, leave your car at home.”

She added: “I’ve sat down with numerous families over the last 18 months, and they’re asking us to take action. Last year, 260 people were killed as a result of drink driving. That’s unacceptable.”

But she insisted that plans to tighten the drink-drive limit do not aim to stop people having a “great night out”.

“We don’t want to stop people from going to the pub and having a great night out. What we’re just saying is don’t take your car,” Ms Greenwood told Times Radio.

“So that might mean that you know, some places you’ll be able to take a bus or a taxi.

“In other places, you’re going out with a group of mates, one of you agrees to be the designated driver.

“I know from working with the pub trade, how many great low alcohol drinks there are out there now, most of our favourite brands produced in a low alcohol version, so people have lots of opportunities to do something, to choose a different drink when you want to go out and you know, and enjoy yourself in the pub.”

She also said there was evidence from Scotland cutting its drink drive limit that it did not have a “significant impact” on the pub trade.

Other planned measures to be consulted on include introducing mandatory sight tests once drivers reach 70, a minimum learning period for new drivers, and a crackdown on uninsured drivers and illegal number plates.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said 22 European countries have made “more progress than the UK” in reducing road crash deaths.

The number of people killed on Britain’s roads has generally declined since the 1970s, but the decrease has slowed since 2010.

There were 7,763 road deaths in 1972, 1,850 in 2010 and 1,602 in 2024.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy that devastates families and communities.

“For too long, progress on road safety has stalled. This strategy marks a turning point. We are taking decisive action to make our roads safer for everyone, from new drivers taking their first lessons to older motorists wanting to maintain their independence.

“The measures we are announcing today will save thousands of lives over the coming decade.”

The DfT said some drink-drive offenders may be required to have alcolocks installed in their vehicles as a condition of being allowed to drive again – devices which prevent a vehicle from being started or driven unless the motorist passes a breath test.

They are already used in several countries – such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and the US – in return for shorter driving bans.

Officials hope introducing sight tests for drivers aged 70 and above will help protect all road users.

Drivers are currently not subjected to mandatory tests once they obtain their licence, no matter how old they become, although they are required to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they are no longer fit to drive.

AA president Edmund King described the strategy as a “radical reframing of road safety”, while RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said it “can’t come soon enough” as he particularly welcomed the long-awaited reintroduction of casualty reduction targets and the possible use of alcolocks.

Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at charity IAM RoadSmart, said the measures are “robust policies to make our roads safer” following a “lost decade” in reducing deaths and serious injuries from crashes.

Karen Tyrell, chief executive of charity Drinkaware, said the proportion of drink-driving collisions which cause fatalities has nearly doubled since 2015, so it is “vital that this change is coupled with strong enforcement”.

Tumour samples from 1950s could explain why more young people are getting bowel cancer

Tumour samples that have been stored for more than 70 years could help solve the mysterious rise of bowel cancer in young people.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, affecting 44,100 people a year, it is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths.

While screening programmes have helped reduce cases in older adults, diagnoses among younger people have been increasing in recent years and are expected to double between 2010 and 2030.

But bowel cancer specimens from the 1950s, stored in the basement of St Mark’s Hospital in London, will be compared with modern-day cancer samples in a pioneering study by researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).

The team hopes to uncover how changes in diet, lifestyle and environmental exposures may be driving the rise in early-onset bowel cancer.

“People in the 1960s lived differently to people today. We believe that the exposome – the changes in diet, lifestyle and environmental factors we are exposed to – is contributing to the increase in cases and deaths from bowel cancers in younger adults,” Trevor Graham, professor of genomics and evolution and director of the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at ICR, London, said.

Holly Masters, 27, is one of a growing number of young people being diagnosed with the disease.

She was diagnosed with stage three rectal cancer more than four years ago after doctors initially diagnosed her with IBS.

“I’d known that something wasn’t right a year before my diagnosis. I had all the symptoms of bowel cancer,” she said.

The actor and access support worker from East Anglia was successfully treated with chemo-radiation, combined chemotherapy and major surgery.

“It did feel unfair to be diagnosed at such a young age. I lost all my innocence and realised how harsh life can be,” she said.

“I now have a stoma, which did take some getting used to and it took me a long time to accept the most difficult consequence-the fear that the cancer will come back. I have to live with the mental and physical effects of my diagnosis for the rest of my life,” she added.

The study, called the “Boomers Project”, will use preserved pathology specimens, which are still suitable for analysis.

Some studies have already shown that early-onset cancers seem to behave more aggressively than bowel cancers in older people. As a result, the outcomes for young patients are often poor, according to ICR.

Scientists have been unable to determine why bowel cancer is becoming more common in young people, but changes in diet, exposure to environmental pollutants such as microplastics and even changes to the microbiome – bugs living in the bowel – are all possible theories.

Environmental exposures, such as an unhealthy diet or smoking, can shape the DNA inside the cancer in unique ways.

The researchers plan to use genome sequencing techniques – including novel approaches developed at ICR – to map how the DNA is altered in the cancer specimens from the 1950s compared to cases from the present day. The comparison will show how environmental exposures have changed over the past decades.

If successful, the project could pave the way for a larger-scale investigation and inform new strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Professor Kevin Monahan, gastroenterologist and co-director of The St Mark’s Centre for Familial Intestinal Cancer, said: “We have a lot to learn about the causes of bowel cancer in young people, and why this has been increasing in recent decades.

“We don’t yet know whether it’s one factor or many ranging from diet and genetics to microplastics and sedentary lifestyles. What’s striking is that many younger patients show no obvious signs of poor health yet are being diagnosed with aggressive forms of bowel cancer. We believe that our unique resource of historical tumour samples at St Mark’s Hospital will open a window to new approaches to prevention of bowel cancer in the young.

“A healthy diet and regular exercise, as well as speaking to your GP if you have new bowel symptoms such as bleeding from the back passage, or a change in how often you open your bowels, remain some of the most important ways of reducing the risk of bowel cancer.”

Why Bethell was England’s best and worst decision of the Ashes

There’s always tomorrow, and Jacob Bethell will be there.

Everything, apart from the scorebook, has always looked right with Bethell. Declared a prodigy since birth, he counts Sir Garfield Sobers as a family friend, Brian Lara as an advocate, and Ian Bell as a believer. Lara saw Bethell at 11 and said he was “much better” than he had been at that age. While Bell called him the best 17-year-old he had ever seen. It’s high elbows. It’s popped collars. It was quality, that’s been waiting for the quantity to arrive.

Bethell is arguably England’s greatest and worst selection decision in this Ashes. A year ago, with barely a run under his belt in domestic cricket, England plucked him out of Warwickshire’s team where he at batted No 7 and stuck him in at three for the Test series against New Zealand. It’s worth remembering how left-field that call was. No one predicted it, and no one, really, believed in it.

But England were right. Three half-centuries in three Tests, including a 96 at Wellington, proved England had found their man. This was peak McCullum-and-Stokes midas touch.

But if England have been fantastic at identifying talent, they have been less so at developing it. Because Bethell then stopped playing. An IPL deal led to him missing the Zimbabwe Test, meaning Ollie Pope, the man who had been in possession of the No 3 spot, got another chance and against a weak attack, scored 171. Pope then followed it up with another century against India, before his returns waned.

Nevertheless, England knew they wanted Bethell. So he was kept around and warmed the bench rather than playing domestically. A decision both Bethell and England later conceded was wrong. In his innings today, he faced more balls than he did across the entirety of the 2025 season.

But because England tethered themselves to Pope, the decision to make the swap never arrived until it was too late, with Pope’s confidence scuppered in the process. He was stripped of the vice-captaincy after the summer and England refused to confirm who would walk out at No 3 in the Ashes. They didn’t back the man they wanted, Bethell, and they didn’t back the man they didn’t want, Pope, either. It was the worst of all worlds.

From the outside, the decision didn’t seem too egregious. Bethell scored an ODI century against South Africa, but was run- and match-shy outside of that. The white-ball tour of New Zealand was considered to be a ready made stage for Bethell to make his case with Pope absent, but in three ODIs Bethell made 2, 18 and 11.

Before the final match of the series, a video emerged of England, including Bethell and his captain Harry Brook, out for a drink the night before a game. It wasn’t a disaster, but with only one innings left before the Ashes to make his case that he should be England’s man, a 50 per cent sleep score and a slightly foggy head didn’t reflect well on an environment doing its utmost to get the best out of a young talent. The pumping music in the background also undermined England’s briefing that the group had just stopped off for one on the way home from dinner. How dare you use my own lies against me.

As such, this unbeaten innings of 142 on day four of the final Test was both an example of what could have been for this series, but also what will be for the future. A 360 player both in the modern sense and the traditional. To balls on off-stump he defended cleanly, when they got too straight he clipped and when they were too wide he punched. A call and response cricketer with an answer for everything.

Following his innings in Melbourne, where he made a match-winning 40, he wasn’t happy with his bat path, and so ahead of Sydney he made a technical tweak which allowed him to score more freely today. He opened his stance a touch, and it worked.

He’s 22, has hardly played a game of cricket this year, but is in full control and understanding of his own game. Brains, brawn, technique. If you can’t get giddy in moments like these then what’s the point.

When he lifted the spin of Beau Webster over the infield for four, the moment finally arrived. He had been in the nineties for 24 balls and on 99 for seven, as Australia played the game and brought everyone in. The tension built, as the whole crowd knew what was playing out in front of them. An “I was there” moment that was one run away.

In the crowd also were his family. As the ball ran away to the boundary, the ground erupted and Bethell embraced his teammate Brook, then stood with his arms aloft towards his mum, dad and sister. His dad, Graham, was in tears. Why wouldn’t he be?

This is a caveat-free day for Bethell and his family. A day of joy, that is to be celebrated and nothing else. So too for England fans around the world who have a new shiny toy to be enjoyed for years to come.

But for the England management, it prompts a question of them as well as praise, because as Bethell showed today, timing is everything.

Inside the living traditions of the Pyrenees of Catalonia

The Catalan Pyrenees is rightly celebrated as one of Europe’s great year-round adventure playgrounds. The region is packed with the kind of sensational ski resorts that make it one of the continent’s great winter destinations, and when the snow melts it transforms into a green, lake-dotted hikers’ idyll. What’s less well-known is that beyond the famous trails and peaks, the hills of Catalonia contain towns and villages alive with tradition, where the people enthusiastically maintain vibrant cultural practices some of which stretch for hundreds of years.

Take, for example, the Patum of Berga, a tradition that’s been celebrated annually during the feast of Corpus Christi for more than six centuries. Originally staged to teach people about the Holy Scriptures, the Patum has evolved over time into an intense and riotous carnival, which always lives up to its former name: Bullícia del Santíssim Sagrament (frenzy of the Blessed Sacrament). These days, locals crowd the streets to watch processions and performances featuring drummers and Guites (figures with a dragon’s head, giraffe’s neck, mule’s body, and horse’s tail), angels and mace-wielding demons, giants dancing to traditional Catalan melodies, and simulated battles in which the heroes always triumph. Because of the annual differences in the Easter cycle, it doesn’t have a fixed date but always takes place between the end of May and the end of June (in 2026, the main festival runs June 3rd-7th).

Similarly raucous is the fiery summer Fallas festival in the high Pyrenees, which celebrates the summer solstice. The festivities take places in 17 villages, each of which has a slightly different tradition but all of which involve young people lighting two-metre-long flaming torches on high points in the mountains. They then walk towards their villages, dancing and drawing patterns with the lighted torches, guided by a local leader, until they reach a bonfire in the central square, which they light with the torch and traditional dances are performed.

Fire is a consistent theme across many of the longstanding traditions of the Catalan Pyrenees. Over in the village of Les in the Val d’Aran, Falles are quite different. The Crema de Eth Haro, which takes place on the eve of Saint John’s Day at the end of June, involves the burning of a tall fir tree trunk that was planted the year before. While the trunk burns, young people spin balls of fire called halhes (made of cherry bark and wire), the sparks of which are thought to bring the fire to every corner of the village.

The region is also home to some rich culinary traditions with long histories. Take, for example, the Carnaval de Solsona, a quirky, nine-day celebration where giant puppets parade through the streets, pranks unfold in the squares, and the whole town gathers for communal meals. Alongside the playful chaos, locals come together to share hearty winter dishes and regional specialities made from Solsonès produce, from rich stews to pork-based favourites. It’s a festival that blends satire, pageantry and food, bringing generations together around long tables in the main square to celebrate community, seasonality and the enduring flavours of the region.

For those looking for a rich sense of lived history, the Pyrenees of Catalonia are not just about festivals and food, the buildings are magnificent too. For an astonishing insight into life in the 12th and 13th Centuries, head to the beautifully preserved Romanesque churches in the Vall de Boí, near the border with Aragon. In all of Europe, Catalonia has perhaps the greatest collection of Romanesque murals; some of them in the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona, others in situ in these nine stunning churches. Don’t miss Sant Climent de Taüll, which was consecrated back in 1123; its atmospheric interior and beautiful tower are a portal to distant time through video mapping.

Plan your sustainable trip to the Pyrenees of Catalonia at visitpirineus.com/en

Man who died with dementia aged 24 leaves brain to science

A 24-year-old man with dementia who died over Christmas has left his brain to science.

Andre Yarham, who lived in Dereham, Norfolk, was just 22 when he went to the doctors after his mother Samantha Fairbairn noticed he was becoming forgetful or displaying inappropriate behaviour. He was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a rare form of the disease caused by a protein mutation.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Fairbairn said her son had chosen to leave his brain to research in a bid to prevent more families from suffering the impact of what she called the “cruel disease”

“If in the future that can help one family get a few more years with their loved ones then, that would be worth it,” she said.

Ms Fairbairn, 49, first noticed changes to Mr Yarham’s behaviour in November 2022, when she said he would increasingly forget things.

Scans revealed unusual shrinking to his brain, and he was referred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he was diagnosed with dementia.

Ms Fairbairn told the BBC she felt “a range of emotions, from anger, sadness – sadness for him”.

She said she wanted people to be aware that dementia “doesn’t discriminate against age,” adding he “must have been one of the youngest”.

Mr Yarham went into a care home in September last year after his needs became too challenging for his family to manage, and just over a month later was in a wheelchair.

A month before he died, he lost his speech and was only making noises. But his mother said he kept his “personality, his sense of humour, his laughter and his smile,” until the very end.

He died on 27 December, and his brain has now been donated to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for research.

“Dementia is a cruel, cruel disease,” said Ms Fairbairn. “And I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

“People with cancer, they can have radiotherapy, they can have chemotherapy, and people go into remission and can lead a fruitful, memorable life. With dementia, there’s nothing.”

Teenager ‘fell out back of ambulance’ onto busy motorway

A teenage girl reportedly fell from the back of an ambulance on the M6 and was taken to hospital.

The incident caused huge delays after part of the slip road to Lancashire was forced to close for nearly two hours.

Emergency services were called to the site of the incident at junction 32, where the M6 southbound leads to the M55, on Tuesday just after 5pm.

The girl was taken to hospital but is not thought to have suffered any serious injuries.

Lancashire Police said: “At 5.17pm on Tuesday 6 January, we received a report that a teenage girl had fallen from the back of an ambulance on the M6 southbound to M55 slip road.

“She has been taken to hospital but is thankfully not thought to have suffered any serious injuries.

“The motorway was closed for a short period and has now fully reopened.”

Officers said the road had closed “due to a road traffic collision” and advised drivers to find an alternative route due to the major disruption caused by the closure.

The road reopened about two hours later at 7pm.

North West Ambulance Service said: “At 17.16 yesterday evening, a female patient exited a moving ambulance that was travelling on the slip road between the M6 and M55.

“The patient was treated on scene and taken to hospital with suspected minor injuries. Thankfully, no one else was injured.

“We are working with Lancashire Police and wish the patient a speedy recovery.”