tv BBC News BBC News July 4, 2023 3:00am-3:30am BST
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live from washington. this is bbc news israel launches one of its biggest military operations in years. gun battles rage and tensions flare in the west bank city ofjenin. one of the eight pro—democracy activists targeted by the hong kong police speaks to bbc news and tensions appear to be easing in france as mayors hold rallies calling for an end to the violence hello. i'm sumi somaskanda. palestinian officials say around 3000 people have fled their homes in thejenin refugee camp in the occupied west bank as israeli forces
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launch a military operation. they have exchanged intense fire in the refugee camp and these are live pictures we are seeing from jenin right now where it is evening. 0fficials where it is evening. officials say the fighting has killed at least eight palestinians and injured more than 80. israel said it dealt a heavy blow to terrorist organisations but palestinians accused israel of war crimes. prime minister netanyahu said the operation will continue for as long as needed to restore calm and security. 0ur correspondent reports from jenin. the day ended as it had begun injenin — with battles raging. the israeli military had used a surprise drone strike in the early hours to target what it said was the headquarters of local militants. armed palestinians began fighting back from inside the city's crowded, decades—old refugee camp. hundreds of israeli soldiers are on the ground. the israeli military says they're seizing
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weapons and explosives. the israeli prime minister said action was overdue. translation: the israeli defence force began - an extensive operation last night against terrorism in jenin. in recent months, jenin has become a haven for terrorism. we are putting an end to it. palestinian medics have been struggling to reach the dozens of injured. israel says it's acting on precise intelligence and doesn't seek to harm civilians, but many have been caught in the crossfire. translation: what's going on in the refugee camp - is real war. there were strikes from the sky targeting it. every time we drive in with our ambulances, we come back full with injured people. gunfire you get those cracks of gunshots coming from thejenin refugee camp, which isjust up there on the hill. sometimes we get loud explosions as well. even though the israeli military has said that this is a closed zone, we're not allowed, as journalists, to get any closer, gunfire intensifies you can get a real
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sense from here ofjust how intense the fighting is. israeli security forces released these pictures, showing them rounding up suspected militants. in recent months, many palestinians who have carried out deadly attacks on israelis have come from this area. others have hid here. and even before today, jenin�*s seen repeated deadly israeli army raids. palestinian officials say enough is enough. translation: we are again. calling the international world to provide urgent international protection to our people and impose penalties against the occupation regime. and tonight, while this military operation isn't over yet, there was a reprieve for some palestinian families — the israeli military allowing them to leave the camp, some raising their hands or waving makeshift white flags in a gesture of surrender. yolande knell, bbc news, jenin. police in hong kong have taken
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the unusual step of publicly offering rewards for the arrest of eight exiled activists. they're accused of breaking china's national security laws, which came into force three years ago. if convicted, the pro—democracy campaigners could face life imprisonment. the extraterritorial application of the beijing—imposed national security law is a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world. we call on the hong kong government to immediately withdraw this bounty, respect other countries sovereignty, and stop the international assertion of the national security law imposed by beijing. that is from the security department. here's martin yip of bbc news chinese, whose has more on this story from hng kong: police are offering these rewards to any member of the public who can provide information on those wanted people and their related crimes, they say. some of these activists have previously been sought
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for other allegations such as electoral fraud but this is the first time that we hear from hong kong's national security police that they are wanted and the police are offering financial incentives for their capture. their alleged crimes according to police include collusion with foreign forces, advocating for sanctions against hong kong government, incitement to secession and subversion. some people have fled overseas and continue to engage in activities and endangers national security. i would like to point out one point, the national security law of hong kong has extraterritory effect. police have offered bounties for other types of crime but this is one of the highest being offered in recent times. they admit they may not be able to catch these people unless they return
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to hong kong. since the introduction of the hong kong national security law three years ago by beijing, some 260 people have been arrested including some high profile pro—democracy politicians, activists, media bosses and journalists. and others have left hong kong like these eight people. human rights watch have called today's arrest warrants an indictment of the once well—regarded hong kong law enforcement and judiciary and calls on foreign governments to offer protection to those who, in their words, are being threatened by beijing. one of the exiled activists targeted by hong kong's arrest warrants is anna kwok. she's the executive director at the hong kong democracy council here in dc and earlier, she joined me to talk about what happened. here is a portion of what she had to say. thank you very much forjoining us here in the studio.
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what was your reaction when you heard the news? honestly i was shocked and blank for a moment because ijust got up at 6am and i saw my phone which blew up with messages asking me what my thoughts were on the arrest warrant. and i thought to myself, arrest warrant, why? apparently i have a bounty on my head, $1,000,000 hong kong dollar bounty and for a second i was shocked but in the second second i didn't really care because i thought that is exactly the kind of thing that the hong kong government and the chinese communist party would do, which is intimidate people into not doing anything and silencing them. and that is why immediately i thought ok, i should make this a big thing definitely talk about the transnational oppression going on here and the scare tactics as well as how the hong kong government is just trying to see at which point their hands will be
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smacked and told to back off. they have been trying to push that line lower and lower to see how far they can go to continue the human rights abuses internationally. in the end i actually became more motivated because i think, you know, the arrest warrant means that i am doing something right and i also realised in the press conference they highlighted previous calls for sanctioning national security judges and prosecutors in hong kong and that is exactly the work that i have to continue doing. we'll have more from anna kwok in the next hour. the us state department has issued a warning to americans that they should reconsider travel to china due to risk of wrongful detention. previously an advisory was in place only for the risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws. the updated advisory however included the warning of risking wrongful detention. while visiting beijing last month, secretary of state antony blinken said he raised the issue of three americans wrongfully detained in china. blinken added that negotations are in progress to bring them home.
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the travel advisory comes during a period of strained ties between the us and china. and as us treasury secretary janet yellen will gets ready to beijing. our asia business reporter monica miller has a preview. two sides have a lot to discuss including us concerns about a new chinese counterespionage law that went into effect on july one. the us has american and otherforeign july one. the us has american and other foreign countries july one. the us has american and otherforeign countries in the company —— in the country, could those penalties for regular business activities? ms yellen is also expected to meet with china's new economic team and expected to press upon them that washington is still committed to defending human rights and its own national security interest but she has to straddle an interesting balance here because she is also expected to try and find common ground with beijing on things like climate change and that the stress facing many emerging economies. a ban on the sale of u.s.—based micron
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technology memory chips would probably be one of the issues at the top of her list and this trip comes at a time when two weeks after the secretary of state antony blinken and went to beijing and met with the president and things like they started to sort of ease, that tension, but shortly after that meeting president biden was overheard at a fundraiser calling president xi a dictator tarnished the goodwill that had been done. but many people are looking at the economic side of their relationship to get it back on the right track between these two countries. after five days of violent protests in france, riots triggered by the police shooting of a teenager appear to be calming. still, french president emmanuel macron has asked to maintain a "massive" police presence on the streets. local officials have called for rallies to protest the violence and looting. our correspondent tom symonds sent in this report from nanterre. it's late and we have been
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for a drive around nanterre, the district behind me with lots of social housing blocks where the rioting first broke out following the death of that 17—year—old nearly a week ago now, after a police shooting. we've driven around the streets, very little happening, very quiet, very few people on the street and has to be said over the last few days of rioting has started much later in the evening, three or four o'clock in the morning, but so far not looking too bad. having said that the damage that's been done is still very evident on the streets with lots of burnt out cars, places where the road has been damaged by a burnt vehicle, across france 16,000 police officers are on duty tonight, no letting off of the policing. that's very much a position the french government is currently taking. emmanuel macron has said this is not a situation where whole neighbourhoods like this are rising up in some sort of rebellion, this is
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a situation where individuals, often quite young people, has decided to stand up and take these actions on the, these violent often, actions often late at night and emmanuel macron has called them delinquents and has appealed in one case for the parents of those children to make sure that their children are at home. now today we're to see emmanuel macron beating elected now today we're to see —— emmanuel macron meeting elected representative and mayors from all over france as he begins the process of getting down to some answers to solve the questions that this violence has caused. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. whether you are on two wheels or four, whether you are on two wheels orfour, travelling whether you are on two wheels or four, travelling through kingston can be a bone shaking ride. just ask anyone here. and it is the impact on driving
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habits that makes the potholes more dangerous still. you habits that makes the potholes more dangerous still.— more dangerous still. you see --eole more dangerous still. you see peeple driving _ more dangerous still. you see people driving on _ more dangerous still. you see people driving on the - more dangerous still. you see people driving on the wrong . people driving on the wrong side of the road to avoid potholes or speeding to get to the top of the hill before it comes down.— the top of the hill before it comes down. ., , ., ., ., comes down. tim owns a garage here and sees — comes down. tim owns a garage here and sees a _ comes down. tim owns a garage here and sees a steady - comes down. tim owns a garage here and sees a steady stream l here and sees a steady stream of automotive casualties. iirla of automotive casualties. no broken of automotive casualties. fir? broken springs like this where they just broken springs like this where theyjust snap because they have gone into a pothole and the extra sudden jolt can share them. the extra sudden 'olt can share them. ~ , ., , .., them. will we see a significant im act? them. will we see a significant impact? we — them. will we see a significant impact? we won't _ them. will we see a significant impact? we won't do - them. will we see a significant impact? we won't do it - them. will we see a significant impact? we won't do it all- them. will we see a significant impact? we won't do it all in i impact? we won't do it all in one no. impact? we won't do it all in one 90- we _ impact? we won't do it all in one go. we know— impact? we won't do it all in one go. we know that - impact? we won't do it all in one go. we know that there | impact? we won't do it all in | one go. we know that there is impact? we won't do it all in i one go. we know that there is a significant backlog, if you like, of road repairs. just in essex but across the country. in an area of competing pressure forfunding and in an area of competing pressure for funding and a limited budget, it seems the problem of potholes will not be going away anytime soon. you're live with bbc news. japan may be one step closer to discharging tons of treated water from the fu kushima nuclear disaster site in the pacific ocean.
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it's a controverial plan, opposed by neighbouring countries including china. on tuesday, the director—general of the international atomic energy agency will visit the site, and present a final report to japan's prime minister. after that and another study, the water could start to go into the ocean. it's a crucial step in fully decommissionning the fukushima site. the disaster happened following a 2011 earthquake and tsunami that severely damaged the nuclear power plant. live now to our correspondent shaimaa khalil in tokyo. great to see you. what do you think that we can expect from the report. how certain can they be that it is safe to release the water into the ocean? i release the water into the ocean? ~ ., ., ocean? i think that there are two key things. _ ocean? i think that there are two key things. one - ocean? i think that there are two key things. one is - ocean? i think that there are two key things. one is that l two key things. one is that they'll be looking at the liquid processing system. this is essentially where the contaminated water goes to the purified, to be treated, and have more than 60 radio nuclear
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rods removed from it. one tricky part is that there's one radioactive particle that cannot be removed. it's hydrogen based and is stuck to the water. another thing is that they'll be looking at it. the company in charge of the daiichi nuclear power plant, the government always maintained that the water would be treated and the tritium in the water would be well below the water would be well below the international concentration levels. so the iaea experts who have been around and looking at this for months now are going to conclude their findings. their assessment of that process of treating the water and then rafael grossi will the final report to the japanese prime minister, fumio kishida. but we also expect him to go to japan himself. but in general, we expect that this is going to back the government's plans to release the water later this summer, which is something
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that's causing huge anxiety here injapan among the public. when you hear "radioactive water released into the sea", thatis water released into the sea", that is pretty scary. what do people injapan think? what do people injapan think? what do people injapan think? what do people in the region think? remember, this is water that has been used for years now after the disaster of 2011 to cool the core of the reactors that melted after that tsunami. this water has been piling up. it's been mixing with rain water, ground water, and essentially, it's been stored in these huge tanks that have now, essentially, dominated that site of the fukushima daiichi plant site. and so, some of this water has been treated. and now it's going to be diluted and then into the sea. but a lot of it is still at a level, a radioactive level that's not ready to go. the government assures people that it is going to be notjust treated, but also diluted, and tested, before it goes into sea. but that is one thing. the
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perception of the public of this water going, especially the fishing community in fukushima, they're still quite concerned. fukushima, they're still quite concerned-— fukushima, they're still quite concerned. , ,, ., concerned. this is supposed to lead to the _ concerned. this is supposed to lead to the decommissioning l concerned. this is supposed to | lead to the decommissioning of fukushima. just quickly, is that realistically going to happen any time soon? he. that realistically going to happen any time soon? no, i think it's _ happen any time soon? no, i think it's going _ happen any time soon? no, i think it's going to _ happen any time soon? no, i think it's going to take - happen any time soon? no, i | think it's going to take years, if not decades. this is a huge amount of water. i mean, think about 500 olympic swimming pools worth of water. and it's not going to go into the ocean all at once. so that's going to take time. but they're also still at the very early phases of putting in robotic cameras into the actual debris, the radioactive debris, to see what they're dealing with. that's also going to take a huge amount of timejust also going to take a huge amount of time just to know what to do with this debris. so yes, the releasing of the water is going to be the start of the decommissioning process, but it's going to take a very, very long time, and i think this is what is worrying people here in japan, but also the japanese neighbouring countries, whether it is south korea or china.
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they're quite concerned. china has actually called this decision, "extremely irresponsible". decision, "extremely irresponsible" .- irresponsible". our correspondent - irresponsible". our- correspondent reporting irresponsible". our correspondent reporting from tokyo, thank you very much. former us president donald trump is facing indictments in florda, georgia and new york, yet he remains at the top of the polls for the 2024 republican president nomination. a poll from quinnipiac university released late last month saw the former president receive 49% support among registered republican voters in pennsylvania. florida governor ron desantis came in second, receiving 25% support. in the critical state iowa, voters are also expressing strong support for trump. in the last hour, i spoke to marc caputo, from the messenger. great to have you on the show. so you have written an article about how the indictments against the former president could help him win iowa and the gop nomination. why do you think these cases against him could give him a boost? for think these cases against him could give him a boost?- could give him a boost? for a lona could give him a boost? for a longtime. — could give him a boost? for a long time, the _
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could give him a boost? for a long time, the republican - could give him a boost? for a l long time, the republican party has been animated by the idea that the media is out to get them. the democrats are out to get them. the department of justice is out to get donald trump. and and behold, he got indicted by the department of justice. in the old days, we came up with just the general idea that if you got indicted, let alone indicted twice — once in a state court and once in the feds — it probably ends the four—year campaign. it's quite the opposite in the republican primary. i'd written a story last week about how a number of pollsters had conducted focus groups. they were looking at polling. they were saying his support increased. so we decided to look really closely at iowa. iowa was just the springboard and all—important first race. and in our interviews with people, this is what the grassroots were saying as well. �* , , .., what the grassroots were saying aswell. �* , , ., , as well. are republican voters in iowa as well. are republican voters in iowa and — as well. are republican voters in iowa and beyond _ as well. are republican voters in iowa and beyond at - as well. are republican voters in iowa and beyond at all - in iowa and beyond at all concerned about the possibility of the former president running for the gop and the presidency while actually having to be on trial? i
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while actually having to be on trial? ., , ., ., trial? i mean, if you mentioned it - one person _ trial? i mean, if you mentioned it - one person said _ trial? i mean, if you mentioned it - one person said he'll- it — one person said he'll probably run and actually win the iowa caucus from jail. another person i didn't quote said that if he winds up with an ankle monitor, he should wear that with pride. i did write a previous story that most experts, most people who are familiar with criminal court cases, federal court cases, especially ones that are involving classified information, which triggered an entire array of additional processes of review and discussion and court hearings, they believe that the former president, if he's tried or when he's tried, is likely to go to trial after the november 2024 elections, so that's the speculation. but it's pretty well founded. 50 speculation. but it's pretty well founded.— speculation. but it's pretty well founded. speculation. but it's pretty wellfounded. ., ., , , well founded. so what does this groundswell _ well founded. so what does this groundswell of _ well founded. so what does this groundswell of support - well founded. so what does this groundswell of support mean i well founded. so what does this| groundswell of support mean for the other candidates? so the florida governor ron desantis or tim scott. is there enough time for them to possibly gain enough ground to win iowa? yeah, there's enough time. the question is — is there enough support for them? and does more time equal more support? what
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we've seen is the theory of the case for president trump or former president trump losing, has repeatedly come up, or has repeatedly been disproven, at least as we're looking at all of the public polling or nearly all of the public polling. there's just this constant drum beat over the years "oh, he's lost control of the republican party." "republicans won't party. " "republica ns won't support party." "republicans won't support him any more." ron desantis the florida governor, i live in florida, has been widely seen as that alternative. but so far, we have seen lower levels of support, or better said, have seen lower levels of support, or bettersaid, ron desantis losing support, after the announcement, rather than gaining against donald trump, and donald trump's support levels picking up, at least in the public polling we've seen, after the indictments. and it's starting to look like there's notjust starting to look like there's not just a starting to look like there's notjust a correlation between the indictment and the support for donald trump and the primary. there's a causal link thatis primary. there's a causal link that is one of the reasons his support is increasing is because of the indictments. have republicans shown any openness to go with someone
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else? , ., , ., ., else? they have shown it. you hear it in _ else? they have shown it. you hear it in focus _ else? they have shown it. you hear it in focus groups. - else? they have shown it. you hear it in focus groups. we'vel hear it in focus groups. we've seen it actually earlier when you would talk to republicans. but one of the things that was brought home to me in talking to these republicans across iowa — i spoke to nearly two dozen. these are people who are not affiliated with campaigns. they're county gop chairs, they're consultant, they're they�* re consultant, they�* re veteran they're consultant, they're veteran grassroots activists, was that this indictment, not only brought people home who were sort of trump maybes or maybe trumpers. but those who were in the trump fold were just further energised and angered. there is an open question about whether this level of anger and emotionalism can sustain through january can sustain throuthanuary when the caucuses are going to be. we'll have it wait and see. but it's a possibility that there could be two other indictments coming down the pike, and if past is prologue, it doesn't look like donald trump is going to lose support in the republican primary. perhaps the opposite, he could increase it. do perhaps the opposite, he could increase it—
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increase it. do you think iowa represents — increase it. do you think iowa represents the _ increase it. do you think iowa represents the other - increase it. do you think iowa represents the other primary| represents the other primary states? i represents the other primary states? ., �* states? i wouldn't say it represents _ states? i wouldn't say it represents them. - states? i wouldn't say it represents them. we i states? i wouldn't say it i represents them. we have states? i wouldn't say it - represents them. we have to understand that with the republican primary, with a presidential primary, it's not just one race. but a series of pitched battles that are sequential at first. there's iowa. then new hampshire. there's nevada and usually iowa and new hamp shire weed out the other candidates who can't make it. right now, if the polling is accurate, and that's a big if, because it's early, as we said. if the polling is right, donald trump will tell you he's going to win all four. no non—incumbent republican, heck, non—incumbent republican, heck, no non—incumbent democrat, has wound up losing all four races or all four states and then become the nominee. and a better way to say that is in the republican side, the nominee always wins either iowa or new hampshire. no—one has ever won both as a non—incumbent. technically, donald trump is a
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non—incumbent. if he wins all four, i don't want to say lights out, but let's face it, it's lights out for everybody. what are the other campaigns saying to you about the strength of support that donald trump has? for strength of support that donald trump has?— trump has? for a while, it was like, this _ trump has? for a while, it was like, this is _ trump has? for a while, it was like, this isjust _ trump has? for a while, it was like, this isjust a _ trump has? for a while, it was like, this isjust a sugar- like, this isjust a sugar high. the problem with that theory is that the sugar never ended, or maybe there's just a constant supply of sugar. so they all believe that maybe there's some sort of moment that they could have. maybe the trajectory could change. maybe republicans will realise, winnability or electability is a factor and donald trump has too much baggage, because the reality is, while these indictments do appear to help him in the primary, they don't appear to help him in a general. that is independents don't like it. so that is an argument that they're trying to make implicitly and explititly. thank you forjoining us and talking about your reporting tonight. talking about your reporting toniaht. . ~ talking about your reporting toniaht. ., ,, i. before we go, we want to take
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you back to live pictures from the city ofjenin in the occupied west bank. there is smoke over the city there. israel has launched one of the biggest military operations in years there. we've seen gun battles raging and tensions flaring in the city. they've been exchanging intense fire, israeli force, with palestinian militants. according to officials, the fighting has killed at least eight palestinians and injured more than 80. now, the israeli government is saying that it has dealt a heavy blow to terrorist organisations. palestinians are accusing israelis here of war crimes. the prime minister, binyamin netanyahu, has said thatjenin is a nest of terrorism that needs to be stamped out. he said, "this operation will continue for as long as needed to restore calm and security." at the same time, palestinian officials are saying that about 3,000 people have fled their homes in thejenin refugee camp in the occupied west bank amid the fighting and the violence. it's a volatile situation and as morning is breaking there, we'll see how things develop.
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that's the show at this hour. thank you for watching bbc news. hello there. weather conditions are remaining on the unsettled side for the time of year, all thanks to low pressure. we could see some pretty wet weather across the south and the south—east of the country through tuesday. probably the best of the sunshine a bit further northwards. but even here, for much of the rest of the country away from the south, there'll be plenty of showers around, too. now we've got two weather fronts around. this one's a weakening one in the north. this one is a developing one. and this is going to bring some wet weather to southern britain through this morning. and the rain will pep up, become heavier, in fact, as we head through the morning across the south and the south—east, maybe some thundery bursts in there. this weather front across scotland and northern ireland will be weakening as it moves southwards, and on either side, it'll be sunshine and showers. these sorts of temperatures are below par for the time of year, but depending on how much sunshine we get in the south does depend on the temperatures.
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at the moment, it looks like it could be quite wet. temperatures around the mid—teens for the southeast. so we could see some significant disruptions to play at wimbledon with this rain, which will tend to last through the afternoon, perhaps into the evening, turning heavier as it develops into an area of low pressure. it does look like the low countries will bear the brunt of that. elsewhere, it's clear spells and a few showers to start wednesday. so there's that area of low pressure heading towards denmark, deepening as it does so. for us, we're in between weather systems on wednesday, so not a bad day, i think. there will be plenty of sunshine from the word go, but then showers could develop anywhere. most of them will be across scotland and northern ireland, closer to this area of low pressure, and some of them could be heavy, maybe thundery for western scotland. temperature—wise, maybe a degree or so up because the winds will be lighter and maybe some more sunshine around, so up to 21 degrees. and then for thursday, this area of low pressure starts to push towards the west of the country. higher pressure begins to build towards the near continent. so i think thursday, not a bad—looking day. we start to switch our
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winds up from the south. that will be drawing up some warm airfrom france and iberia. so, with more sunshine around, winds coming up from the south, we could see higher temperatures, 22 or 23 degrees there. this is the pressure set—up for the end of the week, friday and the weekend. a deep low out to the west. this weather front will bring some thundery rain to the west of the country. but for england and wales, we'll be drawing up a southerly wind. so it could be quite warm on friday, with some sunshine in the south, but with low pressure nearby, there will always been an increasing threat of showers and thunderstorms.
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