Laura Hill

GCSE results will be available through schools from 8am on Thursday, 20 August 2026, although individual collection times vary. For the first time, many students can also access their grades through the Education Record app from 11am, following a trial involving 95,000 students in Manchester and the West Midlands. Students unable to attend school may arrange delivery by email or post, or nominate someone with a signed letter and photo ID to collect the results.

Nearly 71.3% of England has been classified as being in drought after the driest July since records began and a parched start to August. New drought areas include the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Kent and East Sussex, and Solent and the South Downs, while the North East and Yorkshire are under prolonged dry weather classification. A fifth summer heatwave is expected to bring temperatures up to 36C, worsening pressure on rivers, reservoirs, agriculture and wildlife. About 45 million people live in drought-affected areas and 27 million customers face hosepipe restrictions. Officials warn of crop and animal-feed shortages, wildfires and damage to wetland and peatland habitats; reservoir levels are at 69% and only 14% of rivers remain at normal levels. The Government says it is supporting farmers, reducing water leakage and pursuing nine new reservoirs, but forecasters expect predominantly dry conditions through August and into September, with any near-term rainfall unlikely to end the deficit.

A nine-year-old girl died after being found seriously injured at Elliot Industrial Estate in Arbroath shortly before midnight on August 3, 2026. Three patients were taken to Ninewells Hospital, while Police Scotland detained a 35-year-old man known to the girl and said they were not seeking anyone else. Officers are treating the death as suspicious, maintaining a cordon and forensic examination at the scene, and appealing for information as the local community mourns.

Betfred has begun consulting on the closure of 132 UK betting shops, affecting more than 600 jobs and reducing its estate to about 1,100 locations. Chief executive Jo Whittaker attributed the decision to higher employer National Insurance contributions, wage inflation, increased gambling taxes and broader economic uncertainty. The closures follow similar reductions by Paddy Power and William Hill owner Evoke, amid tax changes that include a rise in remote gaming duty to 40% and a new 25% online sports betting duty scheduled for 2027.

Weather models indicate that Yorkshire will experience a fourth heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 34C and lasting until late July. The prolonged hot spell has prompted health alerts, wildfire warnings across the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales, and concerns over persistent tropical nights affecting major cities. An Atlantic system may later bring thunderstorms, while the Met Office forecasts a slight easing of temperatures into the high 20s by the end of the week.