Astha Saxena

Heavy rain is forecast across 19 areas of the UK as a north–south weather split develops over the weekend, with southern and eastern regions expected to see warm sunshine while Scotland and Northern Ireland face cloud, breezy conditions and heavy downpours. The most persistent and intense rainfall is expected in western Scotland, particularly the West Highlands, where totals could exceed 100mm. Weather maps highlight widespread wet conditions across Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England, while eastern Scotland benefits from a rain‑shadow effect. Affected locations include Wick, Inverness, Fort William, Aberdeen, Perth, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Argyll, Caithness, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Yorkshire, Carlisle, Plymouth, Cornwall, Cumbria and Lancashire.

A major wildfire near La Bisbal d'Empordà in Catalonia forced the lockdown of 12 municipalities and kept 12,000 residents indoors as more than 200 firefighters and 11 aircraft worked to contain the blaze. Authorities warned residents to avoid travel to the affected areas to ease emergency operations, while regional leaders stressed the severity of the situation. The fire, potentially sparked by roadworks, comes amid increasingly severe wildfire seasons in Spain, with extensive damage and displacement recorded in recent years due to climate‑driven heat and drought.