since the 10th ofjuly. so far, over two million acres of forest [and have been scorched in the state. the temperature was much higher than the average, and also things like the soil moisture and the amount of precipitation is much lower than the average. what this means is it's much drier, much warmer, so when there is an ignition, then the fires have been able to persist and spread quite quickly, and endure. arctic fires are common between may and october but higher temperatures, blamed on climate change, have meant the fires this year have been more intense. global satellites are now tracking a swathe of new and ongoing wildfires within the arctic circle. smoke is affecting large areas, engulfing some places completely. cities in eastern russia have noted a significant fall in air quality, with many people seeking medical help. translation: smoke is a horror. you're choking and feel dizzy because the smell of the smoke

is very strong. the fires are releasing copious volumes of carbon dioxide, which scientists say will make our planet even warmer. that means wildfires like these will become even more common. ramzan karmali, bbc news. drivers in the us state of newjersey had a lucky escape when a runaway tyre caused a motorway crash. the tyre can be seen rolling along the road after coming off the back of a lorry. after going over the barrier, it struck a car in oncoming traffic. thankfully, no—one was seriously hurt. 0h, oh, my word! that's the first time i've seen those pictures, very striking and relieving to hear no one was hurt. now it's time for a look at the weather.

good afternoon. that was a painful watch but hopefully now for you some relief from the heatwave. the pictures aren't so pretty across the uk today. this is the river cam with umbrellas up because pretty wet weather has arrived for some of us. we have a weather front at the moment which is pretty much over the north—west of scotland extending into the south—east of england. it's producing some heavy and persistent rainfall. under the front, 1920, breezy across the uk today. —— 19—20 is the temperature. the front quietly slumps into northern ireland overnight, leaving us with a dry picture across scotland. misty and murky first thing on sunday. quite a humid close at night with temperatures in the mid teens, fresher than we have been of late. more sunshine for the north—east of england and for scotland tomorrow but look out for the thundery showers. wetter in the north of

ireland, rain in central england but the south—west and wales doing well with highs of 23 or 24. hello, this is bbc news with shaun ley. the headlines. prime minister borisjohnson pledges to fund a new high—speed rail route between manchester and leeds. president trump praises borisjohnson — and says talks on what he calls a "very substantial" us—uk trade deal are underway. the uk's biggest charitable funder of scientific research, the wellcome trust, says a no—deal brexit threatens the uk science industry. riot police fire tear gas at protesters in hong kong after tens of thousands march through the town where gangs attacked pro—democracy activists last weekend. gareth bale looks set to leave real madrid to join chinese club jiangsu suning, reportedly earning the player £1 millon a week.

now on bbc news, a look at the women making it in the world of motorsport. katherine legge is one of the very best, of the very few female racers. this season, for the first time, her team is all female. are you ready? in motorsport, it's a challengejust to make it into the car never mind the front of the grid. katherine legge has proved herself time and time again. i had to fight and claw my way through racing so i had to take every opportunity that was in my way and i have driven my fair share of bad cars as well, to get to where i am and i had to fight. she is also one of only a handful of women making a living behind the wheel. she is tough as nails. she has been through a lot in racing to get where she is at and she deserves to be where she is at. but chasing the highs of racing

brings with it huge risks. oh, no! i am not religious but i was praying to any god that would listen that she would just be alive. now she is part of a ground—breaking team, bringing together some of the best female drivers in the world. honestly i am surrounded by bad as women, driving with her and they all have extremely interesting resumes. as drivers all they care about is the chequered flag but as women they know they're racing for something more than just a win. so you know how i had this thing serviced, it still has that incessant squeak.

away from the well oiled world of motorsport, katherine legge is at home in atlanta, georgia. cycling the city's beltway with fellow driver and friend, andy lally. born in england, katherine legge had to settle here in the us to get her chance behind the wheel. when i first came here there were more opportunities for women over here and i think it is pretty even now, but at that time it was easier for me to get the opportunity here. the move to america may have given her opportunity but it has not all been an easy ride. i had to fight and claw my way through racing and take a real opportunity that was in my way and i have given my fair share of bad cars as well to get to where i am and i had to fight. as long as she is doing what she needs to do and performs well, and drives really fast and does not make mistakes there is no other different treatment to her. look at that puppy. whatever i do people notice, whether it is a good thing or a bad

thing, so if i crash, then people are very quick to either have an opinion on you and as a girl in racing you are a bit like marmite, they either love you or hate you. i had to get my mum to send it out with my dad because he cannot buy it here... in this part it is notjust the cars that need to feel a. ——in this part it is notjust the cars that need to fuel. you have to keep the energy going not only for the 2a hours but all the way to the weekend. to get her through a race, she needs the right food. sunflower butter, almond butter, cashew butter. especially when she is about to compete and one of the world's most grueling endurance events. the 2a hour race in daytona. i have been doing it for a while and it seems to work. and it is energy bars that you can stack. there is more of a buzz around daytona as she is part of an all—female line—up, the first time in a generation there has been a women's team competing for the championship — and they are not here just to make up the numbers.

so far it has been received by everybody, really well because it is being taken seriously. we have the best female drivers in the world. it is not a gimmick. it is a viable race team and we are out there to prove that we can get the job done. so as a kid i was a bit of an adrenaline junkie and a bit of a tomboy, and i wanted to do something that was fast or dangerous or crazy. my mum hates racing, but she supports me in it which is key — but my dad comes to all the races. katherine learned to look after herself out on the car track and she enjoyed winning. she managed to make a bit of a name for herself by putting it on pole position in the uk and lewis hamilton was in the field then but katherine managed to be quicker than him on that.

literally every weekend since then has been racing, 365 days a year, 21w, every minute of every day. professional female drivers are still a rarity and the most famous form of racing, formula 1 and has been 43 years since there was woman starting a grand prix. and it was almost as long since winning stages at world championships. i did not know i was going to be a racing driver and i did not know if it was possible because there were not any females doing it at that time. what time do you land on thursday? two days before the race in daytona and she is at home with her boyfriend, zach. before she even told me that she drove a race car, within two minutes i said to myself something is very different about her, ijust knew it right away, the poise and confidence and everything about her.

everything i do, i have my way and it has to be exactly my way or i lose it. but there are some things that you cannot prepare for. for six, katherine legge. in 2006, she was racing in wisconsin when in a split second the risks of herjob became a reality. a huge crash! oh, no it is katherine legge. is it katherine legge's car? it is the biggest crash i have ever seen but it does not trigger anything in my brain so i have no emotion attached to it at all. the safety team quickly on the scene. my dad was there and apparently he was in the pay and so i landed upside down at a 188mph crash in my first thing i said was get me out of the car and the second thing

i said is tell my dad i'm 0k. they didn't because they said it could've been adrenaline keeping me going. they are quickly on the scene. i realise it was katherine and it was such a big shunt and that to be honest i am not really religious but i wasjust praying to any god that would listen that she would just be alive. got back to the medical centre and that is when my dad cried and then i told him it's not his fault if anything happens and we had the come tojesus bit. so you had frank conversations about the nature of your work? yeah. the big thing you see on the right side is the engine and gear that breaks off right there, and rolls down on fire and she is thankfullyjust bruised. it was one of the worst moments of my life and one of the best moments in my life.

literally, within 15 minutes, i was down in the depths and then sort of elated and it did not faze her at all. she has walked out of the medical centre and how are you feeling? a bit shaken but 0k, as you can see. sorry. here is another look at what happened. you can see the element going flying. i feel responsible that she chose that career so then i also feel that they need to be there just to support whatever happens. because i thought i lost her. and i didn't even know it could have been like that. because you bury it. you keep it down but i did, i thought she died. and we don't talk about it normally so that is why that just resurfaced.

but it is what she does and so you have to accept it. all right, let's get stuff loaded. drive safe. before hitting the track it is time to hit the highway. see, it is people like this. dayton is a 400 mile drive away and she is impatient to swap her road car for her race car. i am actually a little nervous about daytona because i think we have a legitimate chance of winning it and we have one of the best driver line—ups and one of the best cars and we have one of the best teams for sure and i want to win this race so badly. and we can do it. florida's iconic daytona speedway is her home for the next four days.

here she joins up with her team—mates from brazil, denmark and switzerland for what will be one of the biggest races of their careers. as soon as you get into the fast lane crossover and start making your way over but do not go through that pit box. i love to control everything and i cannot control the other drivers. that is another reason why you do not go off—line. they are quick and really good. christina has done the race before so there is a level of comfort there that i know she knows what it takes. also on the way in, i am hitting... honestly i am surrounded with bad as women, they all have extremely impressive resumes.

i think we are all super competitive in general and that i think we have a really strong line—up and it was really good and so it isjust an exciting opportunity for us. katherine is the one who has the most experience in this series and she needs to teach as much as she can so we are prepared for it so she is the big captain, british captain. katherine might be the captain on the track but it is american mike shank who is pulling the strings off it as their energetic team principal. she is tough as nails. really tough, she has been through a lot in racing and she deserves to be where she is at. she is a leader. and i count on her to lead and she stepped into that role seamlessly.

as the car's colours prove, racing revolves around sponsorship and money but none of this would be possible without a former us air force medic who became a successful businesswoman, and she's looking for the same success with this all—female team. it is an amazing feeling to stand next to this car after working for years to bring this whole effort together. sponsorship is maybe the hardest thing you can do in any sport let alone racing and let alone women, but trial and error, the door was slammed over and over on me for two years and i think itjust makes me feel like all that time paid off. in motorsport‘s fine margins practise makes perfect. the 2a hour event requires the four drivers to take it in turns in the car.

there could be ten or more driver changes and when every second counts, rehearsing pit stops as a team is just as crucial as getting to know the car and the track. we live by the motto, you want to take over the car in better condition then you received it so it is notjust about you, it is about the team. ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the world centre of racing. the team are making headlines before the race has even begun. one thing you said is that you guys are driving, racing for something more. yeah, we want to win. and are busier than ever meeting media, fans and sponsors. all while trying to remain focused on the serious business of racing. can't run you over, can i? i always erred on the side of... not wanting to be any different, the car does not know any difference. i want to be taken seriously

as a race car driver, i have done everything that the guys have done in order to be no different, really. and then to be in the limelight with this deal where we are actually saying, hey, look we are different and we do a good job, it is kind of a departure from the norm for me. 0k, how about right here? i am keenly aware of the influence i have over these young lives as others had over me because most women you see at a race track who are prominent are in lyrcra and draped over the front of the car. so i wanted them to know that you can be in racing and not do that. we brought diversity to the grittiest lane in anything you can do in life. i think this sort of transcends the track.

it is race day at daytona. it is a beautiful day for 24 hours of nonstop racing action. ladies and gentlemen... what makes this event special is that fans get to camp inside the circuit, although arguably they do not get much sleep. sleeping at night, you have tojust go until you pass out and the cars do not keep you awake any more. all of them are fantastic so very excited, i really want them to podium super badly. it makes me proud as i wanted to see a team of women, and hopefully do really well.

finally, after years of effort and meticulous preparation, it is time to get the all—female team racing for the very first time. are you ready? this is the rolex 24 hour, the twice around the clock classic begins now. endurance racing is a cat and mouse affair played out on a crowded track with four different classes of car. around the outside. miss the second day thanks. —— second apex. the pit stops, re—fueling and running repairs mean for mike and his team, it is 24 hours of tactical concentration. as a team they were starting to lose ground. and when katherine took over the car, they were in 11th position.

i got into the car and knew what i had to do. i hear on the radio, this is what we need lap time wise. now was a time for a change of gear, with skill and determination she somehow hauls the car to fifth place. daytona is gripped. she is doing a really good job out there now, that is probably the second or third fastest lap in that class out there at the moment. oh, that might be our leader, it is a black car. luck so often plays a role in this kind of racing and she was sent spinning. find out what happened. got hit. now back down to eighth, her response was impressive, lifting the car back up to third place when she handed over the car. in one stint she climbed an incredible 11 places. played a bit of catch—up when we got wiped out which was unfortunate but it was a good run to the front

so let's see if we can capitalise. i am going to go eat, get changed and showered and try and rest for a couple of hours and then get ready to head back. with nightfall, came the rain and with the rain, came chaos. it is beyond challenging, i mean, it is really tough. i think the caterpillar car is in good shape so i am hopeful but i am just stressed and tired. as dawn came, the conditions, if anything, got worse and race

organisers were forced to suspend racing. 7:22am eastern this morning, the red flag was thrown... in the commentary box one of the voices of american motorsport was only too aware of the dangerous. there was no choice but that race control stopped the race this morning because it was simply too wet. when the race did finally restart, the team lies in contention the team were still in contention but needed a big push in the most treacherous of conditions and it was katherine they turned to. she is a top—quality racing driver and a great british export and undervalued by the motorsport community in the uk and certainly by the mainstream. if she is bringing it home to the end and there is a chance at making up one position, especially a chance of getting on the top ten

of the podium, i expect her to be aggressive and i think she will go for it if she gets the chance. it was now all on katherine in the worst possible driving conditions, she had to push for places. this is as risky as racing gets. it was terrifying, it was like driving through thick fog at 160 mph, it was ridiculous and i did not want to wreck the car. take it easy coming in, you have a good break. first lap. the rotor is broke. we didn't know you hit the wheel, katherine. we are done. we can push it back and change it. i am truly sorry.

in an instant, the team's race was effectively over. everybody was going off and crashing into each other and unfortunately i was one of them. you know, i did my best, but out there, you cannot see and we had a brush with the wall. with the rest of the season to consider and any points potentially priceless, katherine stayed in the car as the mechanics went to work. i feel gutted for her because i know she was hoping to win it and up until that time they were about fifth, i think, and in with a good chance.

the team did manage to get the car back out before the weather forced the race to be called off early for the first time in its history. they finished in 12th position. that is exactly what happens, we should have taken what we had and dealt with it at the time, we would have finished fourth or fifth. the story of my life, isn't it? scrappy and clawing my way to the top only to mess that up. she is tough and pretty fearless and we are happy, we are lucky to have her. you have seen a little bit of everything in this race, highs and lows and positives and negatives. the emotion. we are prepared to do it again. 0nwards and upwards.

good afternoon. after the scorcher last week, many of us have been left with soggy saturday. there is a weather front at the moment extending from north to south across the uk, and chances are if it is raining where you are at the moment, it will have been for most of the day and it will stay that way through the coming hours. 0n thursday, we potentially set a new all—time record for the uk at the botanic gardens in cambridge. it is provisional because the reading will have to be closely checked but we should have it verified within the next week or so. what a difference from the images weather watchers we re from the images weather watchers were sending us of blazing sunshine and blue skies. this is the picture from his things where we have the weather front packed up. from his things where we have the weatherfront packed up. these from his things where we have the weather front packed up. these skies are grey and it is much clearer, high temperatures of 19 degrees through the afternoon and pretty

breezy as well across much of the uk but for eastern scotland, away from the weather front, there but for eastern scotland, away from the weatherfront, there is but for eastern scotland, away from the weather front, there is decent sunshine to come, gloriously in the northern isles. thicker cloud for northern isles. thicker cloud for northern ireland, wales in —— and the south—west feeling well. for the south west of scotland and the north west of england, the rainfall total starting to mount up and as the weather front will only move slowly in the next 24 hours, we could say 100 millimetres in some spots before we are done. this evening and overnight, still raining across northern england, parts of the midlands and the south—east. the rain pulls away from scotland and moved to northern ireland. misty and scotla nd moved to northern ireland. misty and scotland over night and still quite muqqy' scotland over night and still quite muggy, temperatures in the mid teens in some spots but much fresher than it has been lately. wetter for northern ireland on sunday, sunshine and the south—west, dryer for scotla nd and the south—west, dryer for scotland but showers developing through the course of the day.

hopefully brighterfor through the course of the day. hopefully brighter for north—east england and parts of east anglia. promising for wales and the south—west of sunshine is what you're after. to the south—west of the uk, the picture set to change dramatically next week as a deep area of low pressure approaches. strong winds for coastal regions, heavy rain on monday and then the low pressure will push into the middle of the uk, winds will become lighter on tuesday and wednesday, but some areas will get persistent rain. it looks like things will become more settled towards the end of the week ahead, and perhaps it will be warmer again, too.

this is bbc news, i'm shaun ley. the headlines at 3:00pm. prime minister borisjohnson pledges to fund a new high—speed rail route between manchester and leeds. it's time we put some real substance into the idea of the northern powerhouse rail. that's why we're here this morning. we want to inject some pace into this so that we can unlock jobs and boost growth. president trump praises borisjohnson — and says talks on what he calls a "very substantial" us—uk trade deal are underway. the uk's biggest charitable funder of scientific research, the wellcome trust, says a no—deal brexit threatens the uk science industry. the mp for sheffield hallam, jared 0'mara, says he is to resign as a member of parliament — to deal with personal issues. riot police fire tear gas at protesters in hong kong after tens of thousands march through the town where gangs