News
Flooding concerns remain but change is on the horizon
Temperatures are anticipated to drop by the end of the week, leading to chillier conditions.
The UK is currently under a large number of flood warnings, with a total of 100 warnings in place across the country.
As of now, 97 flood warnings are in effect in England, while three warnings have been issued in Scotland, as the UK's wet winter season persists.
Further rainfall is expected, with an additional 5-10mm of precipitation forecast to fall across the region by Wednesday, exacerbating the existing flood situation.
However, a change in the weather pattern is anticipated later this week, with colder conditions expected to prevail.
By the end of the month, there is a possibility that high pressure may bring more stable weather conditions to the region.
Certain areas of the UK have experienced record-breaking rainfall this year, with Cornwall and County Down reporting their wettest January on record.
The southern parts of England, Northern Ireland, and eastern Scotland have been particularly affected by the wet weather.
The majority of flood warnings are currently in place for areas surrounding Dorset and Somerset, where both river flooding and groundwater flooding are occurring.
Based on recent trends, it is unlikely that the number of flood warnings in these areas will decrease significantly in the near future.
In other parts of the country, flood concerns exist along the River Trent and the River Severn in the Midlands, although the number of warnings is expected to decrease as the floodwaters recede.
The River Trent has overflowed its banks at Beeston Weir in Nottinghamshire, as seen on Tuesday.
Cardinham in Cornwall has recorded rainfall every day so far this year, indicating the persistent nature of the wet weather.
Katesbridge in County Down and Aboyne in Aberdeenshire received nearly four times their average January rainfall, and this trend is continuing into February, with Aboyne already exceeding its average monthly rainfall.
Despite the wet conditions, it is unlikely that this winter will surpass the rainfall records set during the winter of 2013-14.
In the south-west England and South Wales region, the winter of 2013-14 saw 691mm of rainfall, resulting in widespread severe flooding.
In contrast, the combined rainfall for December 2025 and January 2026 totals 415mm, making it unlikely to approach the record.
This winter has drawn parallels with the winter of 2013-14, particularly in terms of the damage to the main railway line at Dawlish, which connects south-west England to the rest of the rail network.
Similar to the storms in February 2014, which destroyed the sea wall and left the track suspended in the air, this winter has seen a section of the sea wall collapse, causing disruption to the railway.
A high-pressure system in Scandinavia has been blocking the movement of low-pressure systems over the UK, resulting in prolonged wet weather.
Since around January 17, this high-pressure system has remained in place, preventing low-pressure systems from moving eastward.
As a result, these low-pressure systems have become slow-moving, bringing persistent wet weather to the UK, with south-westerly winds in the south and south-easterly winds in the north.
It is worth noting that not all areas have experienced equal amounts of rainfall, with some regions remaining relatively dry.
North-west England and western Scotland, for example, had a drier-than-average January, while parts of the Highlands have received as little as 1mm of rainfall so far this month.
The Scandinavian high-pressure system is expected to shift this week, allowing colder air to move into the region and potentially bringing hill snow to the north.
By next week, the weather pattern is expected to return to more typical winter conditions, with the Atlantic jet stream moving back to its usual position near north-west Scotland.
While rain will still be present, the wettest weather is expected to shift back to western Scotland, and the south-west of England can expect drier and sunnier periods between weather systems.
Looking ahead to the end of February, there are indications that an area of high pressure may bring more settled weather to the region, although this is still speculative.
Record-breaking rainfall has been reported in parts of the UK, with some areas exceeding century-long records.
It has been a decade since the devastating storms that damaged the Dawlish railway line.
The naming of storms, such as Chandra, follows a specific protocol, which is used to identify and track significant weather systems.
Entertainment And Arts
Spielberg Contributes $25,000 to Van Der Beek’s $2 Million Crowdfunding Campaign
The relatives of the deceased actor, known for his role in Dawson’s Creek, have expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the $2m fund.
A donation of $25,000 (£21,000) has been made by film director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, to a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $2m (£1.6m) for the family of late actor James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek, who passed away at the age of 48, is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children, and the crowdfunding effort to support his family has now exceeded its initial target of $2m.
Other notable donors include Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldana, who contributed $2,500 (£2,108), and director Jon M Chu, who gave $10,000 (£8,432) to the cause.
A statement from the organizers of the fundraiser, Friends of the Van Der Beek family, expressed gratitude to all contributors, stating that their support is deeply appreciated.
The statement highlighted the significance of the donations, saying that the kindness shown by contributors is beyond words.
It also noted that the outpouring of support has been a source of comfort during a difficult time, serving as a reminder of the power of love, community, and the enduring legacy of James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek was perhaps best known for his starring role in the popular US teen drama series Dawson's Creek, which aired from 1998 to 2003, although he remained associated with the show until 2023.
Although Van Der Beek and Spielberg never collaborated on a project, the late actor's character in Dawson's Creek was a fan of Spielberg's work, with posters of films like ET and Schindler's List featured in his bedroom.
At a Dawson's Creek cast reunion event last year, Spielberg paid tribute to Van Der Beek by sending a video message.
In the message, Spielberg said, "Dawson, you made it," and jokingly added that he hoped to one day have a room like Dawson's, filled with memorabilia from his films.
Van Der Beek passed away on Wednesday after a battle with bowel cancer.
He had been dealing with the diagnosis since August 2023 and publicly disclosed his condition in November 2024.
The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the family with medical expenses, which had depleted their funds.
The statement from the organizers concluded by saying that the family is currently taking time to grieve and be together, and thanked everyone for their compassionate and generous support in honoring James Van Der Beek's life.
News
Zimbabwe Shocks Australia with Muzarabani’s Exceptional Performance
Zimbabwe secured a stunning 23-run victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup, with Blessing Muzarabani playing a key role by taking 4-17.
In the current T20 world rankings, Zimbabwe occupies the 12th position.
The Men's T20 World Cup is underway in Group B at Colombo.
Zimbabwe's innings concluded at 169-2 after 20 overs, with Bennett scoring an unbeaten 64 off 56 deliveries, while Green claimed 1-6.
Australia's reply ended at 146 after 19.3 overs, as Renshaw top-scored with 65 off 44 balls, and Muzarabani took 4-17.
The match resulted in a 23-run victory for Zimbabwe.
A standout performance from Blessing Muzarabani, who took 4-17, helped Zimbabwe secure a thrilling 23-run win over Australia in the T20 World Cup.
After being set a target of 170, Australia found themselves in trouble at 29-4, but a 77-run partnership between Matthew Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell for the fifth wicket gave them hope.
With 34 runs needed from the last two overs, Renshaw's dismissal for 65, caught off Muzarabani with eight balls remaining, essentially sealed the game's outcome.
The result has left Group B finely balanced after two matches each, with Australia trailing Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka by two points, ahead of their meeting with Sri Lanka on Monday.
Initially, Zimbabwe's approach to batting first at the R. Premadasa Stadium appeared overly cautious.
Brian Bennett's innings of 64 not out from 56 balls, including seven fours, was played at a strike rate of 114.28, as he anchored the Zimbabwean batting.
In contrast, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ryan Burl adopted a more aggressive approach, scoring 35 off 21 and 30 balls, respectively.
A late surge from Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza, who scored 25 off 13 balls, including the team's only six on the final ball, provided a boost to their total.
Australia's target seemed achievable, given their total of 182-6 in their previous win against Ireland.
However, the Australian batting line-up was severely dented by the loss of key wickets, including Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Tim David, courtesy of Muzarabani and Brad Evans.
A partnership between Renshaw and Maxwell offered some respite, but when Maxwell fell for 31, dragged on to Burl, the pressure mounted on Australia.
Muzarabani's return to bowl the penultimate over proved decisive, as he removed Renshaw, and Zimbabwe subsequently wrapped up the win.
There are calls for the ICC to review the rules regarding 12th men.
For more information, including notifications and social media updates, visit BBC Sport.
A blogger who participates in the FPL is also competing in the T20 World Cup.
News
FA Cup Finalists Outside the Big Six Since 2008
As the FA Cup resumes this weekend, assess your understanding of past finalists that have competed from beyond the Premier League’s top six clubs.
This weekend, the FA Cup resumes with 32 teams remaining in contention for the historic trophy, which has been awarded for 155 years and will be presented to the winner in May.
Historically, the Premier League's top six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham – have dominated the FA Cup, claiming 32 titles out of the last 37.
However, in recent years, teams outside of this elite group have experienced some notable victories in the competition.
Since 2008, 10 teams from outside the traditional 'big six' have advanced to the FA Cup final – can you identify all of them?
For more quizzes, visit our Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes sections, where you can also subscribe to receive the latest quizzes directly on your device.
We have a quiz question tailored to each Premier League team – test your knowledge and see how you score.
Can you recall every team that has won the Women's Champions League?
Which players have made the most appearances in the Premier League – can you name them all?
Explore our Sports Quizzes page for a wide range of challenging and engaging quizzes.
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