Shannon Brown

A warm and sunny weekend is forecast across Devon and Cornwall, with temperatures reaching up to 23°C on Sunday, August 23. Barnstaple, Tiverton, Exeter, Okehampton and Plymouth are each expected to reach about 22°C, although cloud will develop during the day in most locations. The fine weather is forecast to give way to showers and possibly thunderstorms overnight into Tuesday.

Millions of ground bugs, also known as seed bugs, have invaded homes in Plympton after first appearing in gardens during hot, dry weather. Plymouth City Council says it has spoken with affected residents and the farmer believed to be the source, but agricultural-land legislation prevents it from taking enforcement action. The farmer is seeking professional advice, while the council says the insects are harmless, do not damage buildings and are likely to decline naturally as conditions change. Residents Becky and Charlie say the bugs continue to enter their home despite cleaning and pesticides, causing significant stress and preventing them from opening windows.

The 98.4-metre Aviva superyacht, built for British billionaire investor Joe Lewis, arrived in Plymouth Sound on August 17 after sailing from Gibraltar. Launched in 2017 and registered in the Cayman Islands, the vessel was designed by Reymond Langton and built by Abeking & Rasmussen. It serves as Lewis’s floating home and features a full-sized padel tennis court, with unusually spacious guest accommodation.

A man in his 40s was seriously injured in Plymstock after another driver blocked his car at traffic lights and smashed its windows with a metal bar. The victim suffered injuries to his face, head and arm and was treated at Derriford Hospital. Devon and Cornwall Police believe the men knew each other and are seeking witnesses or dashcam footage.

A 14-year-old boy suffered fractures to three vertebrae and a black eye after landing awkwardly on an airbag at Adrenalin Adventure Park in Plymouth on July 28. His father said the airbag appeared to become rigid on impact and that staff provided ice packs before the boy went to hospital. Adrenalin Leisure said it reviewed CCTV and inspected the equipment, finding no fault, and maintained that the activity was properly supervised and that the boy’s landing was uncontrolled. Follow-up scans are scheduled in Bristol in October.

A teenage rider was seriously injured when a black electric motorbike and a blue Ford Puma collided at temporary traffic lights on St Stephen’s Road in Saltash at about 10:15 a.m. on August 12. The rider was taken to hospital, and police said next of kin had been informed. The road was closed while road policing officers investigated, and witnesses or anyone with relevant footage were asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police.

The second night of Plymouth’s 2026 British Firework Championships will feature displays from Nemesis Pyrotechnics, AJ Pyrotechnics and The Fireworks Ltd, following performances by three companies on the opening night. Each 10-minute display is scheduled between 9:30 and 10:10 p.m., with judges and local care-experienced young people selecting the winners. Plymouth Hoe will also host music, rides, street performers, and food and drink stalls, while the event will be livestreamed for those unable to attend.

A garden fire on Colwill Road in Plymouth spread to a house, prompting five fire engines to attend. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, checked neighbouring properties and dampened down hotspots. One person was taken to hospital by ambulance as a precaution.

Plymouth is experiencing severe drought after months of limited rainfall, with dry parks and fields visible across the city, including Plymouth Hoe. The Met Office forecasts temperatures of 32C on Wednesday and 30C on Thursday, while nearly two-thirds of England remains in drought conditions. South West Water has imposed a hosepipe ban across its service area, and the Environment Agency says July was the driest in roughly 190 years. Officials warn of continuing impacts on farming, wildlife and rivers and have urged people to conserve water, while an amber heat-health alert is in force across South West England.

A toddler fell from a flat window on Union Street in Plymouth on August 6, 2026. Emergency services attended, a cordon was placed, and the girl was taken to hospital, where she was found not to have sustained significant injuries. Devon and Cornwall Police said no criminal offences were identified.

William Prance Road in Plymouth was closed in both directions after a collision involving three cars and a van near Tavistock Road and Brest Road. Devon and Cornwall Police said one woman was taken to hospital, while emergency crews attended the scene. The westbound carriageway reopened first, followed by the eastbound side at around 3:30pm, although traffic remained busy.

Plymouth is expected to have clear, hot and breezy conditions for the August 12 solar eclipse, with up to 95% of the sun covered locally and the event visible toward the west and north-west. The same evening will feature the British Fireworks Championship, while the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak overnight. Plymouth Hoe offers a strong vantage point for the eclipse and fireworks, although light pollution and forecast cloud later at night may limit meteor-shower visibility. A public viewing event with expert guidance and free ISO-certified solar glasses will be held near Yelverton.

Greenbank Road in Mutley, Plymouth, reopened on Wednesday afternoon, two days after a large house fire broke out on Cheltenham Place at about 4:45 a.m. on July 20. Fire crews from across Devon attended, while nearby residents were evacuated and later allowed to return. Structural work was required before investigators could examine the scene and determine the cause of the fire; police enquiries remain ongoing.

Emergency services responded to a welfare concern involving a man on the top floor of Regent Street Car Park in Plymouth after he moved to the wrong side of the railings. Nearby roads were closed while police negotiated with him, and he was brought to safety shortly before 11pm and treated for minor injuries. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife or blade in a public place and intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance, but was later released without charge.

Firefighters responded to two house fires in Plymouth during the early hours of July 20. Five fire engines attended a blaze on Estuary Way, where four residents evacuated and one person was assessed by ambulance crews without requiring treatment; the cause was thought to be accidental. Around 10 minutes later, eight engines were sent to a larger fire on Cheltenham Place in Mutley. That fire was extinguished, but crews remained at the scene because the building was considered unsafe to enter.

Firefighters tackled separate house fires in Estuary Way, St Budeaux, and Cheltenham Place, Mutley, in Plymouth on July 20. Residents were advised to avoid the areas and keep windows and doors closed because of smoke. At the St Budeaux property, five appliances extinguished a bedroom fire after four residents evacuated; one person was assessed by ambulance crews but needed no further treatment. The fire service said the cause was thought to be accidental.

A female pedestrian suffered life-changing injuries after being struck by a car near the Stonehouse Bridge roundabout on Union Street, Plymouth, at around 9am on July 17, 2026. Emergency services took her to hospital, while police investigated the scene and local road closures remained in place until approximately 1:10pm.

A female pedestrian suffered life-changing injuries after being struck by a car near the Stonehouse Bridge roundabout on Union Street, Plymouth, at around 9am on 17 July. Emergency services attended, and the eastbound A374 was closed while Devon and Cornwall Police investigated. The road closures were lifted at approximately 1:10pm, although slow traffic remained.

Armed police attended a property on Granby Street in Devonport after reports that a man was carrying a knife and threatening others. The property was damaged, but no one was injured, and occupants had left before police arrived. The man left the property without further incident at about 11:30 p.m. and was arrested on suspicion of affray; he remained in police custody.

A new unauthorised Traveller encampment has been established at St Mary’s Playing Fields in Plympton. Plymouth City Council planned welfare checks, delivery of bins and toilets, and a legal process requiring the group to leave. The council also said an encampment at Frogmore Park had departed and been cleaned up, while the group at Prince Rock Playing Fields was allowed to remain for two weeks as a temporary negotiated stopping site under monitored conditions.

A hydrochloric acid vapour cloud was released from a tank at Kawasaki’s factory on Ernesettle Lane in Plymouth. The site was evacuated while three fire appliances responded, isolated the tank and used breathing apparatus and gas-monitoring equipment to secure the area. Two people were taken to hospital for precautionary checks, but no concerns were found.

A severely malnourished, dehydrated and wounded female dog was abandoned outside a closed veterinary practice on Outland Road in Plymouth. After being taken to an emergency veterinary practice, she was put to sleep because of the extent of her suffering. Devon and Cornwall Police suspect she may have been used as a bait dog or subjected to prolonged neglect and are seeking information, CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage to identify whoever abandoned and mistreated her.

Several nights of protests in Saltash over the presence of a convicted man who served time for possessing indecent images of children have escalated into antisocial behaviour. Devon and Cornwall Police said a police car was damaged on July 2, taking it out of service and reducing emergency-response capacity, while a nearby shop was forced to close early. Officers are allowing peaceful protest but say criminal activity will be dealt with robustly.

A man suffered a fractured eye socket, vision damage and serious facial injuries after being attacked on the dancefloor at Annabel’s Cabaret and Discotheque in Plymouth on February 1. Devon and Cornwall Police are seeking four men believed to have information and have released CCTV images. An 18-year-old man was arrested and released on police bail while the investigation continues.

Destiny Harrison, 24, and her five-year-old daughter Linnea died after being struck on a pedestrian crossing in St Budeaux, Plymouth, by a Nissan Qashqai driven by 76-year-old Brenda Marriott in March 2024. An inquest concluded that the deaths resulted from a road traffic collision, while police investigators estimated Marriott was travelling at 27–32mph and found no physical evidence that her driving fell below the standard of a careful and competent driver. No further police action or charges followed. Destiny's mother, Sally Harrison, disputes the conclusion, says the family has complained about the investigation and review process, and vows to continue seeking justice.

An inquest heard that Destiny Harrison, 24, and her five-year-old daughter Linnea died after being struck by Brenda Marriott’s Nissan Qashqai while crossing Victoria Road in Plymouth in March 2024. Marriott said the pedestrian lights were green and that the pair stepped into the road unexpectedly. Witnesses could not establish the light colour or observe the collision, while forensic investigators found no evidence to determine the vehicle’s speed or whether emergency braking occurred. Police and the Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was insufficient evidence that Marriott drove below the standard of a careful and competent driver. The coroner recorded both deaths as resulting from a road traffic collision, while Harrison’s family criticised the investigation and continues to seek accountability.

Human remains were recovered from the River Taw near Sticklepath during the search for 15-year-old Taylor Charlton, who disappeared near Barnstaple on May 8. His family has been informed, but formal identification has not taken place. Devon and Cornwall Police asked the public not to speculate and said there would be an increased police presence while enquiries continued. A 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder on June 12 has been released on police bail.

Three Plymouth secondary schools—Scott Medical and Healthcare College, Sir John Hunt Community Sports College and Stoke Damerel Community College—announced early closures during an amber heat alert, while other schools relaxed uniform rules and introduced measures such as extra water breaks, shade and sunscreen guidance. The Met Office forecast temperatures around 31°C in Plymouth, with possible thunderstorms, hail, heavy rain and gusts of 50–60 mph. The closures form part of wider disruption across England, as unions called for stronger heat protections and the Department for Education urged schools to keep pupils safe and comfortable while maintaining attendance where possible.

Plymouth’s first Gansey Gathering Sardine Festival brought traditional knitted fisherman's jumpers, sardines, music, crafts and community activities to the Barbican. Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Box and Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, the project has taught local knitters to make traditional seamless ganseys, with about 100 displayed at the event. The festival also commemorated sardines’ historic role in sustaining Plymouth during the English Civil War siege, when a shoal entered Sutton Harbour in February 1643 and helped the Parliamentarian city endure for several more years.