scientists warn that the uk is already experiencing the disruptive effects, of climate change. increased rainfall, more sunshine and higher temperatures are now established features of our weather. climate change isn'tjust something that will happen in 20, 50 all we need to worry about towards the end about towards the end of the century.

we are seeing this very clearly in our observations now. 2020 was the third warmest across the uk, on record. also this lunchtime: team gb have secured two more medals at the tokyo games — bronze in trap shooting, and silver in the women's canoe slalom. it can mean so much for people and i hope people see women now as an event that is really high class, there were some amazing paddling out there. ., , ., ., ., ., ., there. tom dean who won two gold medals told — there. tom dean who won two gold medals told the _ there. tom dean who won two gold medals told the bbc _ there. tom dean who won two gold medals told the bbc he _ there. tom dean who won two gold medals told the bbc he can't - there. tom dean who won two gold medals told the bbc he can't stop i medals told the bbc he can't stop watching video of his wins. i had medals told the bbc he can't stop watching video of his wins. i had a hunch of my _ watching video of his wins. i had a hunch of my mum _ watching video of his wins. i had a hunch of my mum would - watching video of his wins. i had a hunch of my mum would put - watching video of his wins. i had a hunch of my mum would put on i watching video of his wins. i had a hunch of my mum would put on a | watching video of his wins. i had a i hunch of my mum would put on a big party. i think that shows how much it means to people back home and it's the olympics, it's so emotional, it's the biggest competition in the world. half—a—milion fewer people are now on furlough. but experts warn there could be job cuts, as government support eases. and doctors in cambridge,

prescribe videos to children with long—term illnesses. the films feature show other youngsters, offering support. the taste of mint and that's the last thing i can remember. just going, like, saying, "oh, minty," and then just gone. and coming up on the bbc news channel: covid—i9 strikes right at the heart of the tokyo olympics as the world champion pole vaulter sam kendricks test is positive and withdraws a day before track and field events start. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at midday. the met office says climate change is "already being felt" across the uk, and that 2020 was the third warmest year on record. in its latest report on the state of britain's climate, meteorologists say increased

rainfall as well as higher temperatures are now recognisable features of our weather. as well as being the third warmest year on record, 2020 was also the fifth wettest and the eighth sunniest. here's our science correspondent, rebecca morell. dramatic changes in our skies. in 2020, the uk experienced a year of extremes. from storms in february, which caused chaos across the country, to a summer heatwave where temperatures sweltered above 3a degrees for six consecutive days, and rain in october with the uk's wettest day on record. it is all charted in an annual assessment of the climate which found the uk is getting wetter, warmer and sunnier. we can see very clearly from our observations that the uk's climate is already changing, so climate change isn't something that will happen in 20, 50 or something we need to worry about towards the end of

the century, we are seeing this very clearly in our observations now. the report compared the most recent three decades with the 30 years before and found that on average the uk was 0.9 degrees hotter. for rainfall, the country was on average 6% wetter and 2020 was the eighth sunniest year recorded in the last 100 years. new defences are under construction, like this tidal barrier in lincolnshire, to cope with future storm surges. but the reality is flooding is having a devastating impact now with some homes being flooded again and again, changes that seem small having a big effect on people's lives. what's interesting about this report is there's lots of data in there, so there's lots of temperature records and percentage changes, but actually what we are seeing are the impacts — the impact to us as humans, to our businesses, to ecology across the uk. it really is being played out in front of our eyes.

come rain or shine, the world will be heading to glasgow later this year for the united nations climate summit and we'll find out if governments can rise to the challenge of cutting emissions to stop the worst effects of climate change. right now, the elements show no signs of letting up, with this week's flash floods taking the london by surprise. scientists will continue to track and analyse these events, but they warn that extremes are becoming the new norm. rebecca morrelle, bbc news. let's speak to our energy and environment analyst roger harrabin. the facts are in from the met office. we've got warmer winters, wetter summers. office. we've got warmer winters, wettersummers. is office. we've got warmer winters, wetter summers. is this man climate change? wetter summers. is this man climate chance? ~ , ~ wetter summers. is this man climate chanie? �* , ~ ., wetter summers. is this man climate chance? ~ , ~ ., ., ., change? absolutely. we are following a ulobal change? absolutely. we are following a global pattern _ change? absolutely. we are following a global pattern here _ change? absolutely. we are following a global pattern here and _ change? absolutely. we are following a global pattern here and every - a global pattern here and every heatwave is elevated by the amount the emissions our society. every rainstorm has the potential of being

bigger because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture. there is no doubt mankind is behind the changes in the climate. but to be frank, what we are seeing in the uk, some people may like the heatwaves, others ate them, what we are seeing is very mild to what we are seeing elsewhere, so if you think of those floods in germany, denmark and holland, and particularly the heat dome in the usa which a lot of scientists have found terrifying because it was absolutely off the scale, completely not predicted under any of their projections. there is a report out today from the uk's former chief scientist and i will quote from it, he said and remember we are thinking about cutting greenhouse emissions to virtually zero by 2050, the quote from our chief scientist is, greenhouse gas levels are already too high for a manageable future for humanity. some won't agree with that

but that really is a very stark warning. but that really is a very stark warninu. ., ~ ,, team gb have secured two more medals at the tokyo olympics, taking the tally to 18. mallory franklin won silver in the women's canoe slalom while matt coward—holley took bronze in the men's trap shooting. but britain's two—time gold medallist helen glover, has ruled out rowing in another olympics, after the mother—of—three's hopes of a fairy tale finish at tokyo 2020, ended in a fourth place finish. our sports correspondent, natalie pirks is live in tokyo for us. yes, we have been spelt so far when it comes to medals about day six i would say has been a slow burner for team gb. i was at the canoe slalom earlierfor team gb. i was at the canoe slalom earlier for mallory franklin's brilliant run for silver, but for helen glover it wasn't to be. she and polly swann finished fourth in the women's pairs final. afterwards

she said her children had been her inspiration and she said her trying and failing is not a problem as long as you try. andy swiss are now reports on a day of ups and downs for team gb. from windsor leisure centre to the olympic final. mallory franklin was just five when a family day out sparked a passion for paddling. now the ultimate test. the canoe slalom is sport's wildest white—knuckle ride, and after weaving her way through the gates franklin powered into the lead. commentator: and that is a fabulous performance. - relieved? just a bit. the 27—year—old was in gold—medal position. with five more still to race, an agonising wait. could any of them beat her? well, they couldn't until the very last paddler. australia's jessica fox charging to gold. mallory franklin! but still silver for franklin, and in an event making

its olympic debut for women, it was particularly sweet. obviously it's amazing to have the medal, and i think that it can mean so much for people, and i hope that we will see more women now. it's an event that is really high—class, there was some amazing paddling out there. there was also success in the shooting. matt coward—holley was once a promising rugby player but after breaking his back as a teenager, he turned to a different sport. but he soon had a medal in his sights. bronze for the 26—year—old, which he later described as phenomenal. for british rowing's star duo, though, there was no fairy tale finish. the story of helen glover, who has had three children since the last olympics, and polly swann, an nhs doctor, has been one of the game's most compelling. but the longed—for medal didn't materialise, as they finished fourth in the final. afterwards, glover confirmed this would be her last games. and for both of them, the emotion was clear. the way we've attacked this project has been really exceptional. and i couldn't be prouder

of her and what we have done together. yeah, it's been a special ride. ijust want to say, logan, kit and bo, i love you so much. you've been the inspiration. i never saw myself getting back in a rowing boat until you guys came along. especially kit and bo in the lockdown. ijust want to say that you can do anything you want to do, and trying and failing is no problem, as long as you try. and there was soon more heartbreak. the lightweight women's double sculls, with britain third from the top, in a quite extraordinary finish. commentator: the italians are coming through. - the dutch are out. and it willjust be looking like italy, france. they were initially shown as a joint third but later squeezed out of bronze by 100th of a second. britain's fifth fourth—placed finish in the rowing. the word frustration doesn't come close. elsewhere, the pole vaulter sam kendricks, seen here winning the world title in 2019, has been ruled out of the games after the american

tested positive for covid. three australian athletes who came into contact with him are self—isolating. but it has been a memorable day for ireland as they won their first gold of the games. paul o'donovan and fintan mccarthy in the lightweight double sculls. although they are not getting too carried away. gold medal winning athletes, how does that sound ? it's all right, yeah. you can't complain, really! i heard the streets are filled with porter down in skibbereen, so i will be rowing through that now for the next while. and after ireland's first ever gold in rowing they have certainly got plenty to celebrate. water has been both a blessing and a curse for britain today. windsurfer emma wilson guaranteed a medal, we just won't know which colour until saturday. rowing ends tomorrow but we could see more success in the

swimming pool because british swimmers are through to all four of the finals. this has already been written�*s most successful swimming in —— successful olympics in swimming. our sports editor dan rowan caught up our sports editor dan rowan caught up with tom dean this afternoon. commentator: tom dean, - you've just won the olympic games on the 200m freestyle! tom, good to see you again. congratulations on everything that's happened in the last couple of days. how do you reflect on it now? the last two days have been like a whirlwind, like i can't even begin to explain, my phone's blowing up, all these amazing messages — so, so kind from everyone back home, everybody who stayed up to crazy hours in the morning to support. even now, it's not really sinking in, i woke up this morning, i looked at these two gold medals, and i thought, you know, they're actually mine, so it's amazing. and then to follow that up with the relay, i mean, how wonderful was it to have that as well and to get a second? honestly, you couldn't even write

this, i was saying to my sister on the phone the other day, this is a dream come true. the four guys i shared the podium with were, you know, the four best guys i could possibly imagine. commentator: tom dean and duncan scott _ just delivered gold and silver. how did you rate your chances of a gold medal coming into tokyo? i always knew it would take the swim of a lifetime to beat duncan. at 200, you know, he's a world—class athlete. so it was always going to be tight, but i think you've got to go into it backing yourself for that win. did you know the moment you touched the wall, or did you have to wait and look at the board? yeah, no, i did have to wait and look, because i breathe to the right on my event, i could see the korean and the brazilian swimmer, i couldn't see duncan, but i knew he has a strong last 100, so i thought, "just get your head down, kick as hard as you possibly can and make sure you don't mess up this finish." swimming is right up there, very, very competitive, so this is a major achievement, right, by britain? this is the pinnacle of our sport. you know, we don't have a world cup like football, or other sports which have other major events, this is it for us, and if we can put on a good show here,

i think it's going tojust bring up the sport within the country and get it into the limelight more, which is where it should be. watching that video of my family back home just meant the world to me, i can't stop watching it. i've seen it so many times, it had me in bits when i watched that video. it looked like half of maidenhead were there, it was amazing. i always had a hunch that my mum would put on a big party, she loves putting on a big party, so i think that shows how much it means to people back home, and, you know, this is the olympics, so emotional, this is the biggest competition in the world. he was asked how he will celebrate now and he said he will eat all the pizza. a man after my own heart. with all the brilliant sporting achievements happening around us, there has been less focus on covid. today the number of daily cases here in tokyo have risen to more than almost 4000 cases a day, double the rate it was last week. organisers say there is no evidence the

olympics is causing that because cases are rising nationally. there are up to more than 10,000 cases a day across the country now and in the last hour, the national broadcaster here has been reported that the state of emergency we are under in tokyo has been extended to four other areas. there are two olympics —related covid cases in hospital currently so the number of people linked to the games tested positive now so far is around 193 and that includes 20 athletes. back to the sport and in the women's hockey group a, there is a repeat of rio's final. great britain versus the netherlands, the world champions. 12 minutes left in that match and that was 1—0 to the netherlands. in the women's all—around final in the gymnastics, there will be a new olympic champion tonight because simon biles pulled out citing mental health reasons and we will wait to see how that will

affect sunday. she is due to go into macro or other finals including the floor where she has reigned supreme for many years. there are now less than two million people still on furlough, a drop of almost 600,000 since may, and the lowest level since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. the under—25s are leaving the scheme faster than any age group, but it's unclear whether these people are back in full time work or not. furlough is being reduced, with employers expected to pay more, but some worry this could trigger job losses as companies struggle to meet the costs. our consumer affairs correspondent colletta smith reports. it had been such a long time coming. and just sit at my desk after a whole 15 months, it was quite exciting. ten days ago, her life got busy again. after so long on furlough,

she was over the moon to get the call asking her to come back. i was originally supposed to come back before the december lockdown. and when the country went into lockdown at that point, i did feel a bit insecure to the point of the fact that, will i be able to come back because i had been anticipating that initial return to work? so i did worry a little bit. staff here have been brought back gradually as business has increased. but across the uk, nearly 2 million people are still off at work. furlough comes with a £66 million price tag for the government, but from next month, businesses are going price tag for the government, but from next month, businesses are going to price tag for the government, but from next month, businesses are going to have price tag for the government, but from next month, businesses are going to have to price tag for the government, but from next month, businesses are going to have to start price tag for the government, but from next month, businesses are going to have to start paying price tag for the government, but from next month, businesses are going to have to start paying more for every member of staff still not back in, and that means some difficult decisions can't be put off any longer. jo runs a small promotions company in stockport and says decisions about who to furlough have been really hard. ml; says decisions about who to furlough have been really hard.— says decisions about who to furlough have been really hard. my team have been with me — have been really hard. my team have been with me for _ have been really hard. my team have been with me for a _ have been really hard. my team have been with me for a long _ have been really hard. my team have been with me for a long time, - have been really hard. my team have been with me for a long time, you i

been with me for a long time, you know_ been with me for a long time, you know them — been with me for a long time, you know them well and their family circumstances, you are trying to weigh— circumstances, you are trying to weigh up— circumstances, you are trying to weigh up some of their financial circumstances, who can you keep men, who can _ circumstances, who can you keep men, who can you _ circumstances, who can you keep men, who can you not?— who can you not? because the business has _ who can you not? because the business has changed - who can you not? because the business has changed so - who can you not? because the - business has changed so dramatically still on top, she has had to let one person go. we still on top, she has had to let one person go— still on top, she has had to let one erson to. ~ ., ., , ., , .,' person go. we had a member of staff that has been — person go. we had a member of staff that has been with _ person go. we had a member of staff that has been with me _ person go. we had a member of staff that has been with me every - person go. we had a member of staff that has been with me every few - that has been with me every few years. _ that has been with me every few years. but— that has been with me every few years, but i really felt that it was an account — years, but i really felt that it was an account management role, and i felt that— an account management role, and i felt that wasn't what the business was going to need. as felt that wasn't what the business was going to need.— felt that wasn't what the business was going to need. as furlough winds u . was going to need. as furlough winds u- over the was going to need. as furlough winds up over the next _ was going to need. as furlough winds up over the next two _ was going to need. as furlough winds up over the next two months, - was going to need. as furlough winds up over the next two months, lots . was going to need. as furlough winds up over the next two months, lots of| up over the next two months, lots of companies may use it as a moment to cut staff numbers. we companies may use it as a moment to cut staff numbers.— cut staff numbers. we are seeing a lot of clients _ cut staff numbers. we are seeing a lot of clients that _ cut staff numbers. we are seeing a lot of clients that are _ cut staff numbers. we are seeing a lot of clients that are trying - cut staff numbers. we are seeing a lot of clients that are trying to - lot of clients that are trying to bring in measures like part—time working, reduced hours, temporary pay cuts et cetera as an alternative to people losing theirjobs. but if those things can't be agreed, then the fallback will be simply people being made redundant. but the fallback will be simply people being made redundant.— the fallback will be simply people being made redundant. but her boss simon sa s being made redundant. but her boss simon says it — being made redundant. but her boss simon says it cannot _ being made redundant. but her boss simon says it cannot be _ being made redundant. but her boss simon says it cannot be back - being made redundant. but her boss simon says it cannot be back to - simon says it cannot be back to business as usual. brute

simon says it cannot be back to business as usual.— simon says it cannot be back to business as usual. we have had to let a number— business as usual. we have had to let a number of— business as usual. we have had to let a number of our— business as usual. we have had to let a number of our staff - business as usual. we have had to let a number of our staff go, - business as usual. we have had toj let a number of our staff go, when we were— let a number of our staff go, when we were not— let a number of our staff go, when we were not sure of how long furlough _ we were not sure of how long furlough would last. but over the last year— furlough would last. but over the last year we have seen a number of our employees leave the industry due to the _ our employees leave the industry due to the uncertainties around hospitality. to the uncertainties around hospitality-— to the uncertainties around hositali . ., ., ., , hospitality. for those who have been out of the workplace. _ hospitality. for those who have been out of the workplace. a _ hospitality. for those who have been out of the workplace. a long, - hospitality. for those who have been out of the workplace. a long, hoping j out of the workplace. a long, hoping to get back to normal, the prospect of redundancy is daunting. —— out of the workplace for so long. scientists warn that the uk is already experiencing the disruptive effects, of climate change, with increased rainfall, more sunshine and higher temperatures. climate change isn'tjust something that's going to happen in 2050 or we need to worry about towards the end of the century. we are seeing this very clearly in our observations now. and coming up on the bbc news channel, joy for ireland — it's a first—ever olympic gold in rowing for the nation, on a day when the women also picked up a rowing bronze.

a liverpool football fan who suffered life—changing injuries during the hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989 has died at the age of 55. the inquest into andrew devine's death concluded he'd been unlawfully killed. it makes him the 97th victim of the tragedy. nick garnett is at anfield for us this afternolon. hi. andrew devine was 22 and a lifelong liverpool fan when he went to watch them play at hillsborough in the fa cup semifinal. the injuries he received were life changing, he needed round—the—clock care and used a wheelchair for 32 years until he died two days ago in hospital surrounded by his family. today liverpool players paid tribute to him by holding a 97 second silence at their preseason training ground in austria. the reason that

his death is able to be recorded as unlawful killing 32 years after he was injured has been given by the coroner of liverpool, andre rebello. he gave the cause of death is not only pneumonia but brain and crush injuries, which were a direct result, he said, of what happened at hillsborough. he said it was proportionate, reasonable and sufficient for him to adopt the findings of the inquest into the other 96 victims of the disaster, and as such he ruled that andrew devine had been unlawfully killed. margaret aspinall�*s son james devine had been unlawfully killed. margaret aspinall�*s sonjames died at the game. today she paid tribute to another one thinks his name should be added to the memorial behind me. that is entirely up to the family, obviously. that's a discussion between the family, whether they like his name put on this. they might have a different view. but, you know, who wants to put another name on this memorial? 96 is enough.

no's family, who have cared for him ever since he was injured, have released a statement, saying their collective devastation is overwhelming, but so too the realisation that we were blessed to have andrew with us for 32 years since the hillsborough tragedy. clive? nick, thank you for that, nick garnett live at anfield. president biden is expected to announce that federal workers will soon be required to confirm they've been vaccinated orface more testing. the number of coronavirus cases in america is rising, with the director of the national public health agency, the cdc, warning cases have more than tripled since mid—june. our north america correspondent peter bowes has the story. there's a growing sense of urgency. about half the population is fully vaccinated, but infection rates are rising, the delta variant is spreading rapidly, and the number ofjabs in arms is still much lower thanjoe biden wants to see.

the president is about to announce that all government workers and contractors be vaccinated against covid—19 or be required to submit to regular testing. we still have a lot of people not vaccinated. the pandemic we have now is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. so please — please, please, please — if you're not vaccinated, protect yourself and the children out there. it's important. all americans are being advised to wear facemasks again — indoors, in public spaces — in parts of the country with substantial or high transmission rates. that applies to 67% of counties — up in just 24 hours from 63%. some of the big tech companies, such as facebook and google, have said their staff must be vaccinated before stepping back into the office. netflix has reportedly made jabs compulsory for all cast and crew members on us productions. the enforcement of

vaccination policies is now a huge challenge facing much of corporate america. private companies have to make the decision whether they're going to mandate vaccination, or if they're not going to mandate it, they'll allow people to come into work not vaccinated but insist on verification. but the private companies are the ones that would have to do the verification because the government hasn't stepped in to do that. so i think there is a role for government here that has not been filled adequately. with millions of americans onlyjust getting used to life again as it used to be, there's a growing unease that the pandemic is far from over. peter bowes, bbc news, los angeles. a lockdown in sydney in australia has been extended by another month as covid cases continue to rise. the state of new south wales has recorded 239 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily rise since the start of the pandemic. people living in eight hotspots in sydney are being ordered to wear

masks and they must stay within five kilometres of their homes. portsmouth football club have released three academy players following an investigation into the alleged use of racially abusive language in a social media chat group. the club began an inquiry after images allegedly showed some players posting offensive images and words in a private under—18 team chat group after england's defeat by italy in the euro 2020 final earlier this month. all three players have the right to appeal against the league one club's disciplinary process. yesterday, helen glover returned to the olympics to defend her coxless pairs title 18 months after giving birth to twins — the first mother to qualify for the british olympic rowing team. bbc sport africa's michelle katami has been speaking to other medal winning mothers from kenya about the challenges facing them on the long journey back to competition after childbirth.

eunice sum and janethjepkosgei know plenty about winning. both are former world champions. it's not the only thing they have in common. they also know how difficult it is to be an elite athlete and a mother. when i was still young, i was told, "don't get pregnant, because your career will end." it was a bit difficult, like, to train, to bring the body back to the track. they think, "ah, you are finished." the two kenyan middle—distance runners have been firm friends for over a decade and have come to rely on each other for child support. 2016, the rio olympics, my child was here with her, and it was easier maybe even for me to communicate to my daughter through janeth. my mind was set for the games. even so, they have not always been totally honest with each other. i asked eunice, "have you really stopped breast—feeding?" and she told me yes, and it was a lie. with such a huge price to pay for becoming a mother, perhaps it's no surprise that only two female athletes have ever

successfully defended an olympic title after giving birth in between games. one of those is the cameroonian triple jumper francoise mbango. kenya's faith kipyegon is aiming to emulate her by winning the 1500m title in tokyo. it means a lot to me, going to tokyo as a mum. i am going there with a strong mind, carrying the flag of kenya and also carrying a flag of my daughter behind me. kipyegon is drawing inspiration from the 2019 world championships, where she watched mothers shelly—ann fraser—pryce of jamaica and american allyson felix making their way into the gold. shelly—ann had a son on the track, but i left my daughter at home. for me, i can't concentrate too much when the baby is there, so it's better when she is at home. despite having the support of her family, the 27—year—old agrees the idea of an informal mums club with athletes assisting each other is a good one.

it will motivate and encourage the mothers that everything is possible. i think it is something so nice, having a club for mothers in athletics, because we can exchange our experience, you know? as eunice sum prepares for her third olympic games, she will again be relying on her friend for support. when you are a young mum, there are so many things which, like, you don't know. our friendship has grown beyond athletics. she's not even like a real friend, she's like a mum. michelle katami, bbc news, nairobi. doctors at addenbrooke's hospital in cambridge have begun prescribing children with long—term illnesses videos to watch. the films feature other youngsters with the same condition, describing what the medical treatment is like and offering moral support. here's our science correspondent richard westcott. theyjust, like, put the anaesthetic in... these videos are being

prescribed on the nhs. you can taste mint in the back, and that's the last thing i can remember. just, like, saying, "oh, minty," and just gone. made by children with long—term health problems for other children who have just been diagnosed. i am very scared of the actual needle. it took me about two hours to have one injection done in year eight. one injection! telling them what they went through. sometimes you are really in a lot of pain, _ |and then it can go back to normal, | then pain, then normal, then pain, and it carry on going on and on. oh, julia, you get the assist. i can't use my hands because i don't want to touch the ball. nathan has now got his condition under control, so he's helped make the video to treat others. what did you think was the most important thing you had to tell people, as someone who's actually gone through the illness? make them realise that you can be all right, because now i'm fine. since like 2016, i have had this medicine, and it is helping me.

because when i was younger, like, when i was ill, i didn't really... i thought no—one could really understand. so it would have probably helped if i'd had videos of people that did understand. this is for the children to watch the video, but how useful do you think it will be for the parents? even better, because often, although there is social media out there, often you find these parents in isolation, i was in isolation to begin with. the new video treatment has been pioneered by doctors at addenbrooke's hospital in cambridge. feeling better and coping better is not only about medication. it is not only about the doctor prescribing things. it is also about helping you cope with your day—to—day challenges, with your peers, with your school. and i think that's what this broader view of each condition gives these kids — ways that they can go and play sport, that they can have sleepovers, that they can do things that normal children do, where, to be perfectly frank, doctors and nurses don't have such a good insight into.