they went to meet nhs and key workers in norfolk and gloucester. our royal correspondent nicholas witchell has more. it's the new way of doing things. face—to—face royal visits are on again, but for the moment at least, they are likely to resemble military parades, such are the demands of social distancing. but at gloucestershire royal hospital, the prescribed two—metre distancing was no barrier to the essential message of deep gratitude to everyone in the nhs. we do just get on with it. it's been a marvellous opportunity just to have a chance of seeing people who i know have been doing so much literally on the front line and having to endure an awful lot of stress and strain in their wonderful way. how they do it, i don't know. they're delivering everything,

in the most effective way. across in norfolk, prince william was out and about visiting king's lynn ambulance station. all clear from the temperature check, distances carefully observed, and from william, a former air ambulance pilot in east anglia himself, a similar message of thanks. i hope you know how appreciative everyone is of all the hard work and the hours that you put in. you do promise me you will look after yourselves. the senior royals playing their part, reflecting a nation's gratitude to all of those who have been on the coronavirus front line. nicholas witchell, bbc news. time for a look at the weather here's chris fawkes. it's been a case of deja vu as far as the weather has gone today with a further big thunderstorms across england and wales and there was one of them in salford, and north—west england has seen loads of storms on this is just the last three hours, pretty extensively across north—west england, some nasty ones in dumfries and galloway, loads of storms for the midlands, loads of storms across

wales and they are going to last for another few hours. the wales and they are going to last for anotherfew hours. the next wales and they are going to last for another few hours. the next few days, warm june sunshine but further downpours expected on the risk of localised flooding and it will continue to feel quite warm and humid. though showers and storms probably still with us as we run up over the next few hours towards the midnight hour, and perhaps a few of them across the irish sea, moving across the isle of man, northern ireland, into western scotland later in the night. otherwise, becoming dry but there will be low cloud across the north sea coast and it will feel muggy with temperatures between 11 and “i. will feel muggy with temperatures between 11 and 14. tomorrow, slowly brightening across the east, showers from the word go in western scotland and northern ireland but in the afternoon the big storms kick off and this time it is across wales, the midlands and southern counties of england where we are likely to see the biggest of the storms. 25 up to 35 millimetres of rain in an hour and from the heaviest ones, risks of localised flooding and there is more of that on thursday. this time the storms could be slow moving across wales, the midlands and southern

england. this amount of rain just increases the risk of seeing some flooding issues. away from the thunderstorms on thursday across england and wales, we will have a band of rain pushing north across northern england into scotland and northern ireland, feeling quite muqqy northern ireland, feeling quite muggy with temperatures in the low 20s and more thunderstorms to, is on friday, but this time the heavier storms will be lurking in parts of scotland. staying pretty stormy over the next few days. a major breakthrough after trials by team at oxford university find the first drug shown to significantly reduce the risk of dying from coronavirus. it isa the risk of dying from coronavirus. it is a cheap and widely available steroid. that's all from the bbc news at six , so it's goodbye from me , and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are.

hello and welcome to sportsday, i'm chetan pathak coming up on the programme... no spectators, no queen, but no surprises in the big race on the opening day at royal ascot. we're counting down to tomorrow's return as the premier league resumes behind closed doors. while still feel different hopefully what's riding on the game is important to football and the passion will still come through. and the uncertainty is over — no fans allowed but new york's governer confirms the us open will begin at the end of august hello, and welcome to sportsday. welcome to the programme thanks forjoining us. we start with royal ascot but not

quite as you know it. a crowd of 70,000 saluted frankie dettori and his mount stradivarius a year ago... but today, flat racing's biggest meeting got under way behind closed doors. for the first time in 68 years, even the queen wasn't in attendance. but there was still plenty of drama when the racing got under way and our sports news reporter laura scott was watching all the action. a totally different feel to ascot this year? what about the racing, no shock in the big race of the day? yes, no shock in the big race of the day? it's been really been yes, it's been really eerie. we've been outside one of the main gates and there's been only a handful of people here through the day. who would've typically been a hive of activity outside with the parade just behind me. people would have crowded in there to watch the royal procession. but there wasn't one this year. clearly, the queen unable to be here for the royal meeting. there really has been a very very airy atmosphere. we are only two

hours after recent finished but it's very silent here. the traffic on high street actually louder than anything on the race course today. there are clear signs that it isn't your normal royal ascot. lots of sign on the road for social distancing and temperature checks on the way into the car park. in fact, only around 500 people are allowed inside the race course. i was not one of them. one of them was was commentatorjohn hunt and he spoke to me about what a strange experience it was in there. well, i was walking around i probably saw only ten people throughout the day. obviously, social distance. we all came up with the same word to describe it. weird. when you think through the gate, royal ascot week 300,000 people down to a couple of hundred. and we only saw where we we re hundred. and we only saw where we were high on the seventh floor, a dozen or so all day long. no atmosphere. when that racing went off on running of course was actually great and we were focused on that. tremendous performance on

the track. just do not see anybody, hear anything in particular, halfway through the afternoon we an emergency vehicle which startled us. because it was a break of the silence. all very, very strange i must say. as he says it was strange but there was some great racing that happened today. no big shock in the end of the big race of the day. no, exactly. a short prize favourite in the kings steaks did win. it never actually won at ascot before. so there were some? surround him but he cruised to victory. showed that blistering speaking that he has. earlier in the day the queen and stea ks, earlier in the day the queen and steaks, circus maximus just in a photo finis terra bellum written by frankie to tori. but deep tory a crowd favourite did not chop a victory in the day. on frankly darling and the rebel stakes. he said afterwards if he just needed a

couple of italian espressos to gmr. each one of the jockeys that really draws on the crowd atmosphere and clearly that it isn't one here today. although they are only a few people here to see it he did give his trademark flying dismount which would have delighted the people watching from home. there was a trouble for jockeyjim crowley today. a brilliant day one for him. it will be a surreal week here. but there will be no forgetting this royal ascot. what a day forjim crowley two. thank you. it's notjust royal ascot. the pandemic will continue to change the way most sports look as they return. this time tomorrow, the premier league will finally be back, aston villa against sheffield united will already be under way, albeit with no fans in the stadium. and that of course won't be the only thing that's different when it resumes. our reporterjoe lynskey joins me now. the wait is nearly over. it's worth reminding ourselves as the premier league prepares to restart how things shut down

in one eventful week in march. by tomorrow, when they kick off again it'll be 100 days since the last top flight match between leicester and aston villa. on wednesday that week, arsenal's match with man city was called off because players had been in contact with an infected person. and on the friday the premier league was suspended the day before a full round fixtures. since then we've seen the bundesliga return and teams here slowly resume training. and that could only happen alongside an intense testing programme for players and staff. six positive cases were found in the first few days, but that has stabilised since then and in the latest round just two cases were confirmed. but that low number is obviously still significant in contact sport,

because it was later revealed one of those two positive cases had played for norwich city in a friendly against spurs over the weekend. now tottenham said the norwich player had no close contact with their squad. that was in line with the governments guidance of being within two metres of a confirmed case for 15 minutes or more. confirmed case for 15 minutes or more. but where sport is concerned there isn't universal agreement on this in the scientific community. less tha n less than eight metre for a couple of minutes or less than half a metre. at all would be considered a contact. so in my sport in boxing, if two people have been sparring together and they got very close then that would be considered contact. the other boxer didn't have the culvert would then have to go into isolation for 1h days. you can see how that analysis

would cause problems in football. incidentally today, that norwich player tested negative and the club say they'll be checked again, including for antibodies, before their first match on friday. what can the premier league learn from other leagues around europe in particular the bundesliga which has returned so successfully? all these matches are behind closed doors as we know by now, we've seen that in germany and spain. we've seen that in germany and spain. and that playing empty stadium has thrown up an interesting quirk in the bundesliga, where far fewer teams are winning when they play at home. you can see 11 home wins in 55 games is less than half the rate before shutdown. that could be alarming for clubs at the bottom of the premier league, many of whom insisted on the home and away format, rather than using neutral grounds.

we've seen teams here and in germany come up with ideas to try and bring a fans feeling into the stadium, but on current evidence, it's just not the same. we know in german football the crowd, the atmosphere and stadiums like berlin, clubs where the atmosphere is everything take the fans away, and the home advantage goes. very unusual to be watching with no fans. they've felt quite flat and maybe for the home team is quite hard to raise their levels when that normal home support isn't there to try and match. so, the first fixture of the premier league restart will be just coming up to half time this time tomorrow. manchester city against arsenal starts later in the evening, and there is an interesting football narrative to accompany this match — one surrounding the managers, pep guardiola of manchester city, and mikel arteta, the arsenal boss. arteta was part of guardiola's

coaching team before going to the gunners, and as football comes back, this too will be an emotional reunion. so excited. for the fact to see him, to see him again, one of the nicest persons i ever met. he was an incredibly important part of our success incredibly important part of our success in the last years. we are looking forward to see him. it's phenomenal and as a coach yeah, i've learned so much from him. we spent some amazing moments together, some difficult ones as well. experience next to him has been incredible. experience next to him has been incredible. so nine games left to play for most teams, the first few weeks of this will be about when liverpool can seal their first league title in 30 years. they effectively need six more points to win the league, two wins potentially. but if manchester city lose to arsenal tomorrow, that means liverpool need

just one victory. they could do that at goodison park in a merseyside derby behind closed doors at 7pm on sunday night. we look forward to that one. just good to see. it's actually in a change in the coming days. it's actually in a change in the coming days. staying with the premier league, discussions are under way about fans attending matches again, according to the chief executive richard masters. he hasn't put a timeframe on the return but says talks are happening with the governement. for now, with no spectators allowed, he's again asked fans not congregate outside stadiums however tempted they might be. it's very important that that happens. and i think players and managers and clubs are making it clear to their supporters to stay away. to watch at home, follow the game at home, listen on the radio, watch on tv if you can. by turning up watch on tv if you can. by turning up to the game you are potentially putting it at jeopardy. up to the game you are potentially putting it atjeopardy. something we've worked really hard for it which is to play those matches home and away. also your own season

ticket may be atjeopardy as well. please stay away and enjoyed the match is at home. does the premier league have any plans to hold test events where fans can social distance? we are very keen to see fa ns distance? we are very keen to see fans back in the stadium at the earliest possible juncture. when fans back in the stadium at the earliest possiblejuncture. when it safe and appropriate to do so. we started discussion with governments alongside other sports as well about how that might happen. we will make ourselves available to do any testing that's required in the process to get there. we are hopeful that fans can come back at the earliest opportunity but only on a phased basis, perhaps. but only when it safe and appropriate to do so. next to scotland and what's described as the biggest single investment there in women's football. businessman and philanthropist james anderson has given a quarter of a million pounds to help the women's game through the coronavirus pandemic. the chair of scottish women's football has been telling me about the impact that single donation is going to have:

it's hugely significant. it's the single biggest initiative in women's football in history. it's actually fantastic. it's pretty emotional, actually because we've seen the growth of the game quite significantly over the past few yea rs. significantly over the past few years. especially after world cup and to have mr anderson who is a philanthropist who is already donated money to the main scheme last week. to actually recognise the important of women sport is just wonderful. what have you been hearing during this pandemic from clu bs hearing during this pandemic from clubs in terms of their concerns for the future? are elite and, glasgow city hoop word judge to compete in the quarterfinal of the women's champions league. that dates been we aren't even back when yet. importance. 4 ~ ~ ~ importance. and ss ~ ~ ~ importance. and the , ~ ~ ,,, ~ 0 we