UK to be hit by more thunderstorms as yellow weather warnings continue

More areas of the UK have been warned to expect heavy rain and thunderstorms through the weekend and into next week as the Met Office issues fresh yellow weather warnings.

The forecaster issued two yellow rain alerts for Scotland and southwest England on Sunday as a thunderstorm warning was put in place for much of the UK on Monday.

The rain warning covering Scotland is set to be in place until noon on Sunday, while the warning for the South West will last until 9pm that day.

On Monday, the UK is braced for further thunderstorms as the Met Office issued a further yellow warning between 11am and 9pm.

The Met Office said people in these areas should prepare for the slight chance of power cuts and that homes and businesses could be flooded.

These thunderstorms could bring 15 to 20mm of rain within an hour in places, with perhaps as much 30mm in a few hours, according to the Met Office.

Chief meteorologist Andy Page said: “Intense rainfall will impact parts of the UK as thunderstorms move in from France.

“This weekend is expected to be busy on the roads as more schools in England and Wales break up for the summer holidays, so it’s important people keep up to date with the very latest forecast.

“There will be spells of more pleasant weather in parts of the UK through the weekend, with some sunny spells in between systems as they move through.”

Earlier on Saturday, an amber alert came into force for London, parts of the South and southeast England from 4am to 11am. Downpours were seen across the capital in what was the first amber warning issued for London since January 2024.

Sunday:

Remaining unsettled on Sunday with showers or longer spells of rain, some heavy and thundery in places. Fresher than recent days but still warm, particularly in any sunny spells.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

Low pressure lingers into early next week, keeping conditions unsettled with sunny spells and heavy showers. Showers will gradually ease by Wednesday, with temperatures staying close to the seasonal average.

Spellbinding Usyk lures Dubois into vicious KO and cruel lesson

This was abrupt, this was startling, and in a way, this felt cruel. Cruel is not a word one would instinctively associate with Oleksandr Usyk, but in the cauldron that Wembley Stadium became, the Ukrainian lured in the young pretender and knocked him out, stealing tens of thousands of Dubois’s fans in the process.

After their controversial first clash in 2023, when Usyk climbed off the canvas after a low blow that Dubois’s team swore was a body shot, this rematch brought a distilled clarity. There was nothing to contest, nothing to debate, nothing to appeal.

The narrative was that Dubois, two years more mature and in the form of his boxing life, might just be meeting a 38-year-old Usyk at the right time on Saturday. Yet Usyk, 11 years Dubois’s elder, looked decades wiser in pugilistic terms, as he taught Dubois a harsh sporting lesson in London. Dubois barely even had moments to speak of, while Usyk established a key weapon early on – a counter, southpaw cross – and punished his opponent repeatedly.

In that sense, the speed with which Usyk arrived at the knockout, just five rounds into this undisputed title fight, might have been strangely merciful. But, again, the decisiveness and abruptness with which Usyk snatched Dubois’s dreams from him felt almost… mean, to put it plainly.

Perhaps the only true “moment” that Dubois had came in the first round, when he cornered Usyk, and the crowd’s collective voice rose in anticipation, realising it might just have been the corner where Dubois annihilated Anthony Joshua in September – in the same stadium.

But on that occasion, Dubois was the one backed into the corner and countering. This time, he was the hunter. And while that sounds a threatening role, Dubois was easily defanged by Usyk, whose head movement and unpredictable lateral footwork made him an untraceable prize. There was also the fact that Usyk was happy to punch his way off the ropes when needed.

And in fact, it was under a similar circumstance that Usyk conjured the end.

After Usyk snapped back Dubois’s head, the 27-year-old ignited a firefight, in a bid to gain respect and arrest momentum. But as he sought to put Usyk under pressure, the pressure was reversed, as Usyk careened a right hook onto the chin of the younger boxer, sending him staggering to the canvas.

It was, in a way, a reversal of what Dubois did to Joshua in September. Yet in a more general sense, the scene became a replication of what Usyk did to Dubois in 2023: after Dubois climbed back up, the Ukrainian dropped him a second time, with this knockdown marking the end.

Switching up from the first knockdown on Saturday, it came from a left hook, jarring Dubois’s jaw and sending sweat flying through the cooling London night. This time, a dazed Dubois did not so much stagger as lollop to the mat. He was still semi-conscious, but there might as well have been no count; he was never going to beat it.

Then, it was Usyk’s turn to fall to the mat. He collapsed to his knees and covered his weeping eyes with his gloves. Moments later, he had the grace to check on Dubois.

Then came the humour. “Thirty-eight is a young guy, remember,” were Usyk’s first words after retaining the unified belts and regaining the IBF gold. “38 is only start.”

“I want to say thank you, Jesus Christ. I want to say thank you, my team and you – thank you so much,” he told a converted crowd, which screamed its own gratitude in response. Of course, it must not be overlooked that there seemed to be many Ukrainian fans in attendance, judging by the sonic soul emanating from the stands during the pre-fight national anthem.

But for those not of a Ukrainian background, how could you not be converted? To put it simply: this was not a normal performance. Boxers do not just do what Usyk does. As Dubois’s coach Don Charles conceded after the bout, Usyk is a “generational” talent.

This was known, yes, due to his Olympic gold medal, his undisputed cruiserweight reign, and his first undisputed heavyweight triumph – the latter earned with an epic victory over Tyson Fury last May. But this performance confirmed Usyk as perhaps the finest fighter of his generation.

There is no debating that he was the greatest cruiserweight of this generation, and now there is no debate that he is its greatest heavyweight – if there ever was, after his staggering 2024. Back-to-back wins over Joshua, back-to-back wins over Fury, and two stoppages of Dubois define just one part of Usyk’s resume.

So, treasure him while he is here to box, because although his performance suggests he could go on for years and years, and although he told you this is just the start, he is slowly approaching a deserved end to his career.

Dozens dead after Vietnam tourist boat capsizes

Dozens of people have been killed after a tourist boat capsized in a sudden thunderstorm in Vietnam.

At least 34 people died after the sightseeing vessel was turned upside down by strong winds during a tour of Ha Long Bay on Saturday, state media reported.

The Wonder Sea boat was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members. Authorities earlier reported that 12 people had been rescued, but revised the figure to 11. Another eight people remain missing.

A 14-year-old boy was among the survivors and said he was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull.

“I took a deep breath, dived, then swam up. I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat,” the boy, who had been travelling with his parents, told VietnamNet.

The newspaper said that most of the passengers were tourists, including about 20 children, from the country’s capital, Hanoi.

A witness told AFP news agency that the sky darkened around 2pm local time on Saturday (7am BST). He said there were “hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning”.

A picture showed two people sitting on top of the capsized vessel in choppy water as rescue workers arrived to help them.

Last week, around 10 people went missing after a boat capsized off Indonesia;s Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra province due to bad weather.

Eight others were rescued after the boat sank on Monday around 11am local time, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency said.

The boat had departed Sikakap, a small town in the Mentawai Islands, and was heading to another small town, Tuapejat. At least 10 government officials were among the 18 people on board the boat, according to reports.

Authorities deployed two boats and dozens of rescuers on Tuesday to find the missing people.

Woman dies at Tomorrowland days after devastating blaze on main stage

A Canadian woman has died at Tomorrowland festival just days after the festival opened despite a huge fire destroying the main stage.

Authorities in Antwerp are investigating the 35-year-old’s death after she became unwell at the festival grounds on Friday night.

A statement said emergency services resuscitated the woman, but that she later died in hospital.

The public prosecutor’s office in Antwerp said in a statement: “The prosecutor’s office immediately launched an investigation. Initial findings indicate strong evidence of a drug-related death. An autopsy and a thorough toxicology examination will provide definitive answers.”

It is the second tragedy that has struck the festival in recent days, after its main stage was destroyed in a fire earlier in the week.

Images shared on local news sites and social media showed flames and plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday. Fireworks seemingly ready for performances were also seen exploding into the air as nearby residents were urged to close all windows and doors until the fire was contained.

No members of the public were present at the time of the blaze, but 1,000 employees were on site.

Dozens of emergency teams were seen rushing through the festival grounds just after 6pm on the day of the blaze in an attempt to extinguish the flames and evacuate those inside the grounds. The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

Some of the world’s most popular DJs are due to appear on the stage over the weekend, including Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Fisher, Swedish House Mafia and Steve Aoki.

Organisers raced to build an alternative main stage, with the festival opening two hours later than planned on Friday.

The Independent has contacted Tomorrowland for comment regarding the death of the woman.

Festival spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told Brussels Morning: “She received first aid and was then transferred to the University Hospital of Antwerp.

“We were informed she passed away there. Our condolences go out to her family and friends. The Antwerp prosecutor’s office is investigating the cause of death and will update further on this matter.”

McIlroy overcomes the bizarre to conjure thrilling charge at The Open

“Oh god,” Rory McIlroy gasped as his ball fizzed a little higher than he anticipated. But then he burst into laughter, “I was on the golf ball!” The baffling moment on the 11th saw his second shot connect barely millimeters above a buried old golf ball, which proceeded to spit up and out of the ground at contact.

The most remarkable golf shot in one of the most remarkable rounds of golf, as a legion of McIlroy supporters weaved their way around the links on a baking day at Royal Portrush. McIlroy’s audacious charge towards the imposing presence of Scottie Scheffler at the top of the leaderboard may well fall short on Sunday, but his presence, as the Masters champion, back home in Northern Ireland, conjured a unique moment.

It epitomised how McIlroy remains one of the most engrossing athletes to watch in sport, all while Scheffler quietly dismantled both the course and field. There wasn’t a blemish in the world No 1’s round of 67, with his putter salvaging any minor wobbles. And while it secures a four-shot lead at -14 over Haotong Li at The Open 2025, the day belonged to McIlroy.

The 38-year-old stirred early on, putting together three birdies in his first four holes before that bizarre and glorious combined for a five-under-par round of 66 to position him tied for fourth at -8.

But after stumbling with bogey on 11 in strange circumstances, McIlroy soared on 12 with an eagle. A 56-footer, dribbling downhill and gathering pace all the time, the commotion in the stands could be heard as the ball gripped the correct line and dropped in the hole. McIlroy held his fist aloft. The putt could be heard from several holes away and instilled fresh belief among the thousands shuffling four or five deep along the ropes.

“This could be one of the coolest moments I’ve ever had on the golf course,” McIlroy remarked when recalling his eagle. “The roar when this ball was in was insane. It was insane all day, but the noise after that putt went in was incredible.”

And the freakish incident on 11: “It is the most weird, ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. Then my ball came out really weird and spinny. It came out so strange, like I thought I was going to get a flier, and I looked up at my ball, and I could see it spinning up against the wind. Just really weird – I had obviously no idea there was a ball anywhere close to my ball. It was so strange.”

The surreal circumstances and the noise also provided an unwelcome test for Jordan Smith, playing alongside McIlroy and only summon his best in a one-over-par 72 to drop back to -2 overall in a tie for 34th.

A candid Smith admitted he was taken aback by the “insane” crowds. But he soon settled into the round, in part due to McIlroy’s willingness to chat, something not afforded at the Masters to Bryson DeChambeau. The pair shared holiday plans for next week, with both booked for trips to the Greek islands. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many people in my life,” Smith added.

Sporting a top in a shade of red, it was easy to conjure images of Tiger Woods summoning thousands around 18 holes. And McIlroy’s impact here was similar. The deafening cheers only stopped briefly for each shot, with Smith’s shots greeted by more “Come on Rory!” shouts than applause for his own excellence at times.

Perhaps a little sheepish at the relentless support, McIlroy routinely showed his appreciation. A wave, a waggle of the putter, a second wave, then a third on the 15th green, gazing at the ocean in the background.

Even the mistakes were greeted with some glee from the supporters, who hurried into formation around his ball, eager for a closer inspection than possible when McIlroy graces the fairways. The sprawling horseshoe surrounding his recovery shot from the rough on 17 soon dispersed as McIlroy’s chip crashed onto the green. A tidy two-putt salvaged par before one last chance on 18.

A grimace spread across his face as the magic fizzled out, but even six shots behind, a gap bridged previously to win the TOUR Championship in 2022, McIlroy is still hopeful.

“I’ve got more than half a chance. I’ve got a chance. I need to get off to a great start like I did today, and if I can do that, anything can happen,” McIlroy concluded, before praising Scheffler.

“He’s inevitable. Even when he doesn’t have his best stuff. He’s improved so much with his putter. Yeah, it’s going to be tough to catch him tomorrow if he keeps playing the way he does. But if I can get off to a similar start to what I did today, get the crowd going, hopefully he tails out a couple groups behind me, and you never know.”

Scheffler’s greatness has always been understated and his pre-round routine hinted at more of the same. As Matt Fitzpatrick, who could only muster an even-par round of 71, to sit five shots back in third at -9, finalised plans on the putting green with Phil Kenyon, talk spread about Scheffler’s absence. He belatedly appeared from the bridge, just seven minutes before his tee time, without a coach or caddy. Just one ball and a few putts before checking his phone, and Scheffler was gone.

And after a stress-free third round to stretch his lead at the top, a fourth major on Sunday appears a formality.

“I like being out here competing,” Scheffler remarked, adding that a win on Sunday would be “fun”.

“This is why we work so hard is to have opportunities like this, and I’m excited for the challenge of tomorrow. Winning major championships is not an easy task, and I’ve put myself in a good position.”

When my friends were facing cancer, a community of people stepped up

When I was younger, I used to worry incessantly about my parents getting cancer. I’d lay awake at night, ruminating on what would happen to my brother and I if they did. Who would support us? Thankfully, both are still cancer-free, well into their seventies.

However, now that I’m a parent myself, I worry about my children. Many people believe that cancer only really happens to people in old age, but that’s just not true. One beloved friend’s daughter died of leukaemia in 2020, aged just five; an unthinkable horror that changed the lives of everyone who knew her and her family.

And with Macmillan Cancer Support reporting that almost 3.5 million people in the UK are living with cancer, I also worry about my friends – parents themselves, their lives touched by cancer. One friend sat me down in our favourite local café, our toddlers playing at our feet, to break the news that she was about to undergo a double mastectomy. We cried together.

Another friend, Sarah, a single parent to two teenage girls, was diagnosed with breast cancer the day before we heard that King Charles had cancer, and a month before the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, announced her own diagnosis in March last year. It seemed like cancer was everywhere.

As a result, Sarah put 2024 on hold – she missed her daughter’s last sports day and last concert at primary school and had to find a whole new way of co-ordinating family life.

“I’m lucky in some ways that my children are teenagers, so they are able to look after themselves to some degree – but I’m also a single parent, so there are some things that they can’t do, or struggle with, due to their age,” she tells me.

“I have even set up multiple alarms on our Alexa reminding them to put their packed lunches in their bags or leave for school, just in case I can’t get up.”

Sarah says she thought she knew quite a lot about cancer prior to her diagnosis, but now admits she “really didn’t”. She explains: “There are so many terms and procedures to understand – stages and grades, not to mention over 100 different chemotherapy drugs.”

Sarah tells me about the exhausting cumulative effect of chemotherapy, which she endured every three weeks during her cancer treatment: “After the very first lot, I slept for a few hours and felt much better pretty quickly. For my last rounds, I slept for 48 hours solid and even days later, I needed to have a nap in the middle of the day and was in bed by 8pm.”

Sarah’s now finished chemotherapy and, a year on from her diagnosis, is turning 50. She’s throwing a huge party to celebrate not only the birthday milestone, but getting over this “annus horriblis” – a year she couldn’t have gotten through without the people around her.

“People can do so much for us when we are unwell – and I am forever grateful,” she says. “I’ve been really overwhelmed by the support that my friends have given me; from ferrying around my children to and from after-school events and sleepovers when things get bad, to my 75-year-old neighbour mowing the lawn. One friend popped round with a huge pot of pasta sauce and I even had a gift box from a recruiter at work.”

What talking to my strong, resilient friends about their cancer journeys has made me realise most, is the power of community: for when we receive the worst news imaginable, what we need is people around us to see us through. A community of other women: friends, school mums, neighbours.

They had people willing to make them food, pick up their children, go shopping for them or to just sit with them and listen. They had support when they decided to raise money for cancer support charities, when they did fundraisers such as hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning.

It takes a village to raise a child – and that village will be with you every step of the way when you need them most.

Find out how you can help raise vital funds by hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning. Sign up now on the Macmillan website

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland.

Police arrest 55 protesters with ‘I support Palestine Action’ placards

The Metropolitan Police has arrested 55 demonstrators in central London holding placards which express support for Palestine Action, as dozens were detained at similar protests across the country.

It is the third weekend in a row in which protests against the proscription of Palestine Action as a terror group have ended in mass arrests in the capital, after 42 were hauled away by police last weekend.

The force confirmed on Saturday it had started making arrests after demonstrators wrote the message “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” on white placards and held the signs aloft before being surrounded by police officers at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square.

The Metropolitan Police said 55 people were arrested under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for holding the signs in support of the banned group.

Some were carried away by officers, while others were led away in handcuffs. A small number of counter-protesters held up placards which said “there is no genocide but there are 50 hostages still captive”.

The Met said 70 people were arrested at similar demonstrations in Parliament Square over the past two weekends.

A further eight people taking part in a separate Palestine Coalition march were arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation, the Met said, along with one for a racially aggravated public order offence and one for breaching Public Order Act conditions.

Avon and Somerset Police confirmed it had arrested 17 people under the Terrorism Act and a number of placards were seized during a protest in Bristol.

“We will always aim to enable peaceful protest, however where criminal offences are committed, including those related to proscribed groups, we will intervene,” the force said.

Greater Manchester Police said 16 people were arrested on suspicion of support of a proscribed organisation, adding that they remained in custody for questioning.

In Truro, Cornwall, eight people were detained for holding the same signs, according to organisers Defend Our Juries.

Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement that around 30 protesters were involved in a peaceful demonstration.

The force added: “A number of placards which were contrary to the law remained on display despite police advice.

“Eight people, two men and six women, were arrested on suspicion of offences under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000. They remain in police custody.”

The coordinated action comes ahead of a High Court hearing on Monday in which the co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, will ask for the green light to challenge the home secretary’s decision to ban the group under anti-terror laws.

Yvette Cooper announced plans to ban the organisation after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on 20 June, an incident claimed by Palestine Action, which police said caused about £7m worth of damage.

The ban means that membership of, or support for, the direct action group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the Terrorism Act 2000.

A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said: “Just a few weeks ago, being arrested under the Terrorism Act was the stuff of nightmares.

“Now it’s a badge of honour that people are wearing with pride – the mark of resistance to genocide and standing firm for our democratic freedoms.”

An increased police presence was planned in Westminster for the Defend Our Juries demo in Parliament Square, the separate large-scale march to Whitehall by the Palestine Coalition and a static counter-protest by Stop the Hate.

Ahead of the protests, deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan warned his officers would be on alert over the use of chants similar to that of “death to the IDF” led by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury Festival.

He said: “This is also the first large-scale protest on this issue since Glastonbury Festival where offensive chanting led by an artist on one of the stages prompted a police investigation.

“Investigations are also underway, led by Met officers, following similar uses of the same chant in London.”

He went on: “At previous protests, the area between the main march and any counter-protest has seen the most heated exchanges. Officers will be particularly alert to conduct, including chanting, in this area and will be working with stewards to ensure crowds keep moving past this point,” he said.

“Where they become aware of behaviour that crosses the line from protest into criminality, they will intervene and take appropriate action.”

Mr Adelekan said those expressing support for Palestine Action “will likely be committing an offence and will very likely be arrested”.

He added: “I would urge those people to consider the seriousness of being arrested under the Terrorism Act and the very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances – that such an arrest is likely to have for their future.”

He said the best way for protesters to stay within the law is to avoid “threatening, abusive and insulting language” or any support for banned groups.

Zelensky offers Putin fresh peace talks after weeks of Moscow’s missile strikes

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has offered Vladimir Putin fresh peace talks after weeks of relentless Russian missile attacks.

Mr Zelensky offered Moscow another round of ceasefire negotiations for next week, saying he wanted to speed up ending the conflict.

It comes after weeks of relentless Russian strikes on Ukraine, including over 300 drones and 30 missiles launched on Friday night.

“Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire,” Mr Zelensky said in his evening address to the nation. “The Russian side should stop hiding from decisions.”

Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul over the past five months. They have agreed to swap prisoners but made no breakthroughs in ending almost three and a half years of conflict that started with Russia‘s 2022 invasion.

Mr Zelensky said Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation at both talks in Istanbul, had sent the Russian side the offer to hold the meeting next week, but gave no more details.

US president Donald Trump, who has sharpened his tone against Russia in recent weeks amid worsening air strikes on Ukrainian cities, threatened harsher sanctions on Russia earlier this month if a peace deal was not reached within 50 days.