example of example ef re- acclaimed example of re— wildling. that is a form of land management that aims to reverse the degradation of ecosystems and reverse the extinction of species. my guest is isabella tree, the co—owner of this knepp estate. as her passion for re— wildling represent an indulgence or a pathway to a healthier planet? isabella tree, welcome to hardtalk and thank you so much for inviting us to your estate here in sussex.— here in sussex. pleasure. absolute _ here in sussex. pleasure. absolute pleasure - here in sussex. pleasure. absolute pleasure to - here in sussex. pleasure. | absolute pleasure to have here in sussex. pleasure. - absolute pleasure to have you. i'm sorry it's a better weather. it

i'm sorry it's a better weather.— i'm sorry it's a better weather. . , , weather. it is actually still for me very _ weather. it is actually still for me very exciting - weather. it is actually still for me very exciting to - weather. it is actually still for me very exciting to be | for me very exciting to be here. but i am trying to understand what has happened to this land of yours. because when you arrived here, this was an intensively farmed land, wasn't it? it an intensively farmed land, wasn't it?— an intensively farmed land, wasn't it? . , g , wasn't it? it was. my husband charlie inherited _ wasn't it? it was. my husband charlie inherited it _ wasn't it? it was. my husband charlie inherited it from - wasn't it? it was. my husband charlie inherited it from his i charlie inherited it from his grandparents in his early 20s. this was back in the 1980s. every inch of the land was ploughed, it was producing arable crops and dairy, and we fully expected to be farmers for the rest of our lives. 17 years on, we were £i.5 for the rest of our lives. 17 years on, we were £1.5 million in debt, tearing our hair out, and realise that this is very marginal land. we are walking on 320 metres of clay of a bedrock of limestone, and it is an absolute pitch to farm. 50 an absolute pitch to farm. so ou an absolute pitch to farm. so you were _ an absolute pitch to farm. 50 you were literally an absolute pitch to farm. so you were literally close to going out of business? yeah, the farm was _ going out of business? yeah, the farm was a _

going out of business? yeah, the farm was a failed - going out of business? yeah, l the farm was a failed business. we did everything we could, we identified, we cried driven crops, we tried cows, we sold ice cream. we did everything we could, but always it was this clay that was against us. so let's just — clay that was against us. so let'sjust stop for a clay that was against us. so let's just stop for a second and look around. because what we are surrounded by now is a form of wildness.— form of wildness. yes, it is extraordinary, _ form of wildness. yes, it is extraordinary, isn't - form of wildness. yes, it is extraordinary, isn't it? - form of wildness. yes, it is extraordinary, isn't it? in l extraordinary, isn't it? in about 2004, 2005, this would have been a field of wheat. what we did, piecemeal over about six years was leave the fields after their last harvest, just left them open as stubble and allowed the seed to come in, allowed the hawthorn, blackthorn, dog rose, brambles to take off, allowed the saplings, the oaks to start naturally regenerating, and let that vegetation kind of takeoff. this is the kind of habitat that people look at

normally and consider absolute wasteland, considered good for nothing, but is is one of the most bio diverse habitats we have. 40 scrubbers just amazing for wildlife. have. 40 scrubbers just amazing forwildlife. i have. 40 scrubbers 'ust amazing for wildlifeh for wildlife. i know. you have cattle as _ for wildlife. i know. you have cattle as part _ for wildlife. i know. you have cattle as part of— for wildlife. i know. you have cattle as part of your - cattle as part of your intensive farming, you have some cattle. intensive farming, you have some cattle-— some cattle. what the dairy cows we _ some cattle. what the dairy cows we had _ some cattle. what the dairy cows we had because - some cattle. what the dairy cows we had because they l cows we had because they probably wouldn't be able to survive out here now. they are such a modern breed for the what we have chosen is old english longhorns. we may see some. they are amazing and look very much like they are —— their extinct ancestor, the rocks with these great sweeping horns. we needed to have an old reader that could sort of remember as it were genetically remember as it were genetically remember how to browse as well as gray's. all these browse lines you can see, the cattle will be eating this kind of thing in the winter.- will be eating this kind of thing in the winter. and it is not 'ust thing in the winter. and it is notjust cattle, _ thing in the winter. and it is notjust cattle, is _ thing in the winter. and it is notjust cattle, is it? - thing in the winter. and it is notjust cattle, is it? have l notjust cattle, is it? have wild ponies, dear, wild pigs, and there are no fences anymore. so these animals are

just free to roam.— anymore. so these animals are just free to roam. yes, we have a boundary _ just free to roam. yes, we have a boundary fence _ just free to roam. yes, we have a boundary fence around - just free to roam. yes, we have a boundary fence around the . a boundary fence around the entire estate so that the deer don't go on to the roads and caused problems. but essentially, they are freeroaming, they are sensibly living pretty much as animals would in the wild, and we want to see what species and painlessly find us. so we have nightingales, the densest population of nightingales probably in britain right here, thatis probably in britain right here, that is one of our most critically endangered species. we are probably the only place where turtledove numbers are rising. it where turtledove numbers are risinu. , , ., ., rising. it is entirely natural stop last — rising. it is entirely natural stop last year _ rising. it is entirely natural stop last year we - rising. it is entirely natural stop last year we had - rising. it is entirely natural| stop last year we had found rising. it is entirely natural. stop last year we had found a large tortoise—shell butterfly that was reading here that was thought to be extinct in britain 50 years.- thought to be extinct in britain 50 years. some local farmers might _ britain 50 years. some local farmers might say _ britain 50 years. some local farmers might say the - britain 50 years. some local. farmers might say the problem with isabella tree and her husband charlie is that they are allowing weeds to run riot, which spread into our farmland, they are allowing pest and predators to thrive, and they come to our land as well. are

come to our land as well. are ou a come to our land as well. are you a problem _ come to our land as well. are you a problem in _ come to our land as well. are you a problem in your neighbourhood? brute you a problem in your neighbourhood? you a problem in your neiuhbourhood? . , neighbourhood? we cut a buffer of about between _ neighbourhood? we cut a buffer of about between 50 _ neighbourhood? we cut a buffer of about between 50 and - neighbourhood? we cut a buffer of about between 50 and 100 i of about between 50 and 100 metres around our perimeter so that we are not allowing the sort of seed rain, the weed species so—called to go into farmland. that is not really a problem. what we are actually providing here is pollinating insects and natural controls. we are also replenishing the water table. we are also cleaning the water, preventing flooding, preventing destruction of arable land from flooding. we are doing all these other public goods, these ecosystem services that are really important to protect our farmland. i really important to protect our farmland. ., ., ., ,, really important to protect our farmland-— farmland. i want to talk much more about — farmland. i want to talk much more about some _ farmland. i want to talk much more about some of - farmland. i want to talk much more about some of the - more about some of the strategic challenges you face and perhaps how you fit into an international perspective. let's do that in your office, which is down the track, down there. �* , ., , which is down the track, down there._ isabella | there. let's go. yes. isabella tree,

there. let's go. yes. isabella tree. having _ there. let's go. yes. isabella tree, having walked - there. let's go. yes. isabella tree, having walked the - there. let's go. yes. isabella i tree, having walked the estate with you, having seen your passion and the scale of your ambition, it strikes me there is a basic question of priorities here. you have put the priority of healing the land and species regeneration above maximising food production.— above maximising food production. well, that is absolutely _ production. well, that is absolutely true. - production. well, that is absolutely true. what i production. well, that is| absolutely true. what we production. well, that is - absolutely true. what we have to remember here is that this was very marginal land, it was very, very difficult to be producing food intensively in a modern system on this land. but ou were modern system on this land. but you were doing it. wheat, - you were doing it. wheat, barley--- _ you were doing it. wheat, barley... about _ you were doing it. wheat, barley... about 70% - you were doing it. wheat, barley... about 70% of. you were doing it. wheat, l barley... about 70% of that went to feed animal livestock. i think the first thing we need to talk about if we are talking about food security is the amount of food waste. that is never brought into these conversations. it is never brought into this equation is the 30% to 40% of food that we waste, that is food —— fit for human consumption and we simply

wasted. we have to address that issue further for we start talking about the kind of areas that need for nature. but in our minds, marginal [and that can be productive for major is as important as food, because the two are completely intertwined.— the two are completely intertwined. �* ., intertwined. but how can you convince _ intertwined. but how can you convince people _ intertwined. but how can you convince people who - intertwined. but how can you convince people who are - intertwined. but how can you i convince people who are paying ever higher prices in the supermarket for basic food stuffs, even brad, how can you convince them that that is true? ~ ., true? we cannot continue intensively _ true? we cannot continue intensively farming - true? we cannot continue intensively farming as - true? we cannot continue intensively farming as we | true? we cannot continue - intensively farming as we are. we know that if we continue ploughing our lands, we are wasting topsoil, losing topsoil at a massive right, 60 habits —— harvests are left in the planet, according to some statistics, the un statistics. so we have to shift to a regenerative form of agriculture and that is working with nature rather than against it. if with nature rather than against it. ._ with nature rather than against it. , _ with nature rather than against it. if i may say so, this isn't about regenerating - it. if i may say so, this isn't - about regenerating agriculture, this is about getting the land to word again, ray wilding. re—

wilding is working with rigidity of aquaculture. it is workin: rigidity of aquaculture. it is working hand _ rigidity of aquaculture. it is working hand in _ rigidity of aquaculture. it 3 working hand in glove with food production. we always need prime productive [and for agriculture, absolutely for food production, but we also need [and for nature, we need to clean our area, need to clean our water, we need to ring back biodiversity and we need to produce enough food. we do not need more area for food production, but we need to think much more cleverly about how we produce food and how we are going to sustain those systems. have to remember that the planet is on fire. what is going to be a hugely important and resource in the future. we have to think of how we can get water systems back that will actually sustain agriculture. though we are thinking about wetlands as being a source of water for the future, cleaner water, helping to purify our rivers. we know that is a terrific problem in terms of pollution, but it is also going to be a way that we can store carbon. wetlands are some of

the most impressive carbon sinks we have in the planet. talk a lot about the future of the planet, but are you and your husband in this business partly to make money? because clearly, you found a way, given the way the government has transitioned it grants for land management towards environmental care and management, you are now in a position where you can make serious money here, and your message seems to be rewilding as a way to make good money. it was a real surprise to us. remember, we were trying to get out of farming because it was a loss—making business. it has been a complete surprise to us, the income streams that have become available. are we now have an ecotourism business, it is not huge in terms of infrastructure or the numbers of people that are involved, but we make £1 million a year from the small business. isn’t from the small business. isn't there a danger— from the small business. isn't there a danger that _ from the small business. isn't there a danger that ultimately good product give agricultural land will be taken out of production because it is

actually so profitable now to consider re— wilding? actually so profitable now to consider re- wilding?- consider re- wilding? good agricultural _ consider re- wilding? good agricultural land _ consider re- wilding? good agricultural land will - consider re- wilding? good agricultural land will always be profitable. that is not at risk. this was marginal [and that was losing money. we are seeing in europe, across europe we are seeing 30 million hectares of land, an area the size of belgium every three years falling out of agricultural production on marginal [and because it is just not profitable and there is no lifestyle in, there is no hopein is no lifestyle in, there is no hope in it forfarmers. so they are leaving the land. so what do we do with this land? we just abandon it or do we do something much more interesting and put freeroaming animals in, do we restore natural water systems and let something much more dynamic happen which will benefit biodiversity and carbon storage. these are really important vital ecosystem services that humanity needs. it is notjust let's bring back some birds and butterflies. it is fundamental to the life—support system on earth. i

have one big question about one element of it, and that is your use of livestock, and, therefore, your continued use of meat. george mondeo, the activist and environmentalist we have had on hardtalk, he would say that fundamentally, to quote him, livestock is a phenomenally profitable means of producing food. you still, in essence, are producing meat. farmed meat in a way. is this not a flaw in your approach? george is absolutely right about meat being an intensive livestock management being a kind of very private way... it is unethical, unsustainable on every level. but what we are seeing here in this rewilding project is animals acting as drivers of a system. they are integral to the restoration of this land, the way they browse

and trample and disturb the soil creates leashes for other life. the way there tongue and your iron actually infiltrates the ground thanks to dung beetles and all the other microbes helping the macrobiotic species helping to bring those nutrients back into the soil, is restoring the soil, which also helps the soil store carbon. so they are part of the whole nutrient carbon cycle. you can't divorce large herbivores from the nutrient system. d0 herbivores from the nutrient s stem. . ., herbivores from the nutrient system-— i i herbivores from the nutrient - system-— i do, system. do you eat meat? i do, but i am very — system. do you eat meat? i do, but i am very careful _ system. do you eat meat? i do, but i am very careful about - system. do you eat meat? i do, but i am very careful about the l but i am very careful about the meat i eat. we all have to eat far less meat but we have to be very careful aware meat comes from. ~ ., ., ., from. would you eat all the meat that _ from. would you eat all the meat that is _ from. would you eat all the meat that is available - from. would you eat all the meat that is available on i from. would you eat all the | meat that is available on this particular estate? because it is notjust the longhorn cattle that we have seen. there are wild pigs here, even wild ponies here. would you eat them

all? �* , ,., , ., ponies here. would you eat them all? �* , ., ., ., all? absolutely. you have to tell a story _ all? absolutely. you have to tell a story here _ all? absolutely. you have to tell a story here about - all? absolutely. you have to tell a story here about how. tell a story here about how integral these animals are to the ecosystem, and if, as we are, having to manage them, because there is no apex predator here and we need to keep the numbers to certain levels that are going to maximise biodiversity, then we need to be absolutely upfront about eating them. you need to be absolutely upfront about eating them.— about eating them. you are auoin about eating them. you are going to — about eating them. you are going to eat _ about eating them. you are going to eat pony? - about eating them. you are going to eat pony? one - about eating them. you are l going to eat pony? one day, es, we going to eat pony? one day, yes. we will- _ going to eat pony? one day, yes, we will. yes. _ going to eat pony? one day, yes, we will. yes. your- going to eat pony? one day, | yes, we will. yes. your critics would say that _ yes, we will. yes. your critics would say that you _ yes, we will. yes. your critics would say that you and - yes, we will. yes. your critics would say that you and your. would say that you and your rewilding project care least for one particular species, and thatis for one particular species, and that is the human being. because people and communities are not your focus. because people and communities are not yourfocus. you, i believe in recent years, have been a very active campaigner of... against significant new housing developments that were slated for neighbouring pieces of land slated for neighbouring pieces of [and close to yours. you don't want to see expanded housing development in an area of the southeast of england

where new housing is desperately needed for communities, for young people who cannot afford homes to live anywhere near you. why are you, in that sense, so selfish? absolutely not against housing in the southeast of england it has to be in the right place, where the 3,500 house development is proposed seven miles from the nearest train station, it has no structure, on a road that is already congested and highly polluted, it is absolutely in the wrong place. we desperately need housing but we have to have it on the right place. but housing but we have to have it on the right place.— on the right place. but when ou said on the right place. but when you said against _ on the right place. but when you said against this - you said against this particular housing development you claimed would destroy our ability to connect with nature for ever, it comes back to priorities, you sound like somebody who does not really care about the needs of so many ordinary people who do is desperately need housing? figs ordinary people who do is desperately need housing? $5 i desperately need housing? as i say housing _ desperately need housing? as i say housing in _ desperately need housing? " i say housing in the right place we absolutely have to target

where we will have housing. and that has to be where we have infrastructure, transport, we cannot have people getting into cars to get to work to get to school. and we have to restore our ecosystems, in the face of climate change, and pollution and disease. we have to get population of wildlife being able to connect together again. or we will see a complete collapse and what remains of our wildlife. collapse and what remains of ourwildlife. in collapse and what remains of our wildlife.— our wildlife. in this densely populated _ our wildlife. in this densely populated part _ our wildlife. in this densely populated part of— our wildlife. in this densely populated part of england, | our wildlife. in this densely - populated part of england, you are saying, the 1,400 hectares you currently ari wilding you want that to massively expand? you want much more land want that to massively expand? you want much more [and devoted to the ecosystem that you are trying to produce here? absolutely. i5 trying to produce here? absolutely.— trying to produce here? absolutel. , . ., , absolutely. is that realistic? we have the _ absolutely. is that realistic? we have the agreement - absolutely. is that realistic? we have the agreement that absolutely. is that realistic? - we have the agreement that 3096 we have the agreement that 30% of terrestrial landmass has to be devoted to nature by 2030,

thatis be devoted to nature by 2030, that is seven years away. so we have to look at this really seriously. the great american biologist ian wilson said if we are going to support biodiversity and this is what our own species depends on, then we have to devote 50% of terrestrial landmass to nature. we have to take this really seriously. we have to take this really seriously-— we have to take this really seriousl . . ., , ., seriously. without wishing to be personal— seriously. without wishing to be personal and _ seriously. without wishing to be personal and anyway - seriously. without wishing to be personal and anyway you | seriously. without wishing to - be personal and anyway you come at this with someone with the privilege of owning a very substantial chunk of land substantial chunk of [and coming from a particular background which let us be honest is one of comfort and privilege. do you think there is anything indulgent about what you and your husband charlie are doing? we what you and your husband charlie are doing? we cannot do this altruistically, _ charlie are doing? we cannot do this altruistically, we _ charlie are doing? we cannot do this altruistically, we cannot - this altruistically, we cannot do itjust out of a one because it makes us feel good, it has to work as a business. we could not survive without it. as an estate that employs over 50 people now, it has to make

sense financial sense, but it is applicable, it is notjust people who have thousands of hectares that we wilding can affect, we wilding really is on affect, we wilding really is on a spectrum, you have the wildest lands, yellowstone national park set one end you do not need so much intervention, and you have the middle, but you can rewired your garden, a window box your roadside verges, all of us have a part to play in storing nature across the landscape and we have to connect to... you have just — we have to connect to... you have just written _ we have to connect to... you have just written a _ we have to connect to... you have just written a new - we have to connect to... you have just written a new book a practical guide to we wilding it has upset people because your messages everyone has a responsibility to in gauge in this notion of rewilding, rebuilding ecosystems and some who garden, who love gardening, within the human intervention in their little green space is what makes it beautiful, have said that your notion of

letting it all go wild runs contrary to everything that the spirit of gardening represents. what is your message to them? well, i would see that we really need to understand how ecosystems work, we need to put nature at the forefront of our mind, even when we are gardening. so, if you understand how a system works, if you look at the wider countryside see how dysfunctional and unstable and at risk it is, from collapse, you cannot consider it beautiful anymore. you cannot consider it beautifulan more. . beautiful anymore. really? some ofthe beautiful anymore. really? some of the most _ beautiful anymore. really? some of the most famous _ beautiful anymore. really? some of the most famous gardeners i beautiful anymore. really? some of the most famous gardeners in | of the most famous gardeners in the uk would agree with you, alan titchmarsh says he has listened to you and he says i would hate to see a hundred years of british gardening thrown out of the window because people think the only way forward is to leave our gardens to go wild. he says people are being brainwashed that gardeners should only exist for birds, bees and other

forms of life, they should belong to us.— forms of life, they should belong to us. well, that is very short-term _ belong to us. well, that is very short-term thinking, | belong to us. well, that is - very short-term thinking, isn't very short—term thinking, isn't it? because here we are with a global crisis, that is going to affect our very survival, and alan titchmarsh is thinking about his patios and his decking. we have to look at... to be fair he is not about decking and patios but he is about managing what he regards to be a beautiful environment, created by man, with intervention, the sorts of intervention, the sorts of intervention you are arguing against? intervention you are arguing aaainst? ~ ., intervention you are arguing aaainst? . ., ., ~ against? we have to think, the lanet is against? we have to think, the planet is on — against? we have to think, the planet is on fire, _ against? we have to think, the planet is on fire, we _ against? we have to think, the planet is on fire, we have - against? we have to think, the planet is on fire, we have to i planet is on fire, we have to think gardens for the future that will not require huge of fertiliser, peat, compostand watering, we have got to think of how we can have beautiful gardens absolutely for sure, but with low inputs, low water, and that are productive for wildlife and for insects and for everything else on which

this planet depends, including carbon sequestration. d0 this planet depends, including carbon sequestration.- carbon sequestration. do you want us all — carbon sequestration. do you want us all to _ carbon sequestration. do you want us all to feel _ carbon sequestration. do you want us all to feel guilty - want us all to feel guilty because monte don and another famous gardener says i sense a degree of gilt about all of this at the moment and i just wonder whether you actually —— you think we should feel guilty? i you think we should feel uuil ? ., ., , guilty? i wonder if that is monte don _ guilty? i wonder if that is monte don feeling - guilty? i wonder if that is monte don feeling guilty| monte don feeling guilty himself, i do not want people to feel guilty because i do not think that serves any purpose, i think what rewilding does, though, it is a story of hope, and it turns people on. we have tens of thousands of people now visiting knepp estate and our mailbag is astonishing from the amount of people who come here and say i was so overwhelmed by the planetary crisis until i have come here and have seen how nature can be behind and so 20 years if you just let as i now want to do my own thing, can i contribute to this movement. and it is people who

want to wild their churchyards, their gardens the window box and that is hugely galvanising and that is hugely galvanising and inspiring, we can all be part of this movement. it is notjust part of this movement. it is not just for part of this movement. it is notjust forfarmers and part of this movement. it is notjust for farmers and for not just for farmers and for large notjust for farmers and for large landowners. it is for everybody. large landowners. it is for everybody-— large landowners. it is for everybody. large landowners. it is for eve bod. ., ~ , everybody. you keep calling it a movement, _ everybody. you keep calling it a movement, isabella, - everybody. you keep calling it a movement, isabella, it- everybody. you keep calling it a movement, isabella, it is. everybody. you keep calling it a movement, isabella, it is al a movement, isabella, it is a movement you are seeing internationally? i'm just wondering whether you really feel knepp estate as part of something much, much bigger? it really is and we need a revolution. we have got a crisis on our hands and we have to change that is coming from a ground of mindset change, we are looking at europe, where there is incredible rewilding projects, yellowstone of europe just kicking off in the campaign charlie is chair of. we have the cover valley and portugal being reviled it, everything from tiny pockets of land in the netherlands being reviled at. it is really

showing the way, there is twice as many wolves now in europe as there are in america and almost ten times as many brown bears which are a cousin of the grisly than in north america. europe is showing the way. as to how we can live with wild landscapes again, and apex predators, so the whole shebang, the whole hierarchy of life is now kicking off in europe and we are showing a densely populated countries can now live with that wild landscape. now live with that wild landscape-— now live with that wild landsca e. ., ., landscape. finalthought, in this interview _ landscape. finalthought, in this interview have - landscape. finalthought, in this interview have said - landscape. finalthought, in this interview have said to l landscape. finalthought, in. this interview have said to me several times, we have to understand our planet is burning. and you describe this in a way as some sort of reaction to the urgency of the climate change challenge. i would put you in a way, the existential urgent climate emergency, surely, overwhelms what you are doing. because however hard you try to

reintroduce lost species to this particular chunk of land, if warming is happening at the speed and at the scale that we believe it is, no amount of efforts like yours, are going to undo the damage to ecosystems that we face? don't you feel overwhelmed by this? what knepp estate has shown, that nature has the answers, that nature has the answers, that can rebound as quickly as it has here, less than 20 years, if we can show that our soils are storing carbon at a rate faster than newly planted woodland, then we know the answers to biodiversity loss and climate change are right here. and if we can expand this idea rewilding to every spare inch of land that is not under agricultural production or underdevelopment, then we have got the answer to climate change and biodiversity loss. isabella tree, it has been a

pleasure to visit your knepp estate. thank you very much for joining me on hardtalk.- joining me on hardtalk. thank ou. hello. thanks for tuning in to our weather forecast for the next ten days. and i can tell you straightaway that there's absolutely no let—up to the kind of weather we've been having for weeks now. so, once again, early august is going to be changeable, on the cool side, with rain at times. and if we look at the recent satellite picture, you can see weather systems, a daisy chain of them, lining up in the atlantic and heading our way. and through the course of this week, crucially, quite a strong jet stream across the atlantic. also pointing in our direction, you can see even some dips in the jet stream, or troughs, as we call it in meteorology. and that means that cooler air at times will be streaming in from the north.

i think thursday will be a particularly cool day across the north of the country, whereas the warm weather is reserved for the southern climes. 0nto the forecast, then, for monday, and extensive cloud after a wet sunday night. the morning temperatures around eight o'clock on monday will be typically in the high teens across england and wales. that's because this is tropical maritime air. but in the north of scotland, after a clearer night, quite a bit fresher there first thing. but i think the overall message for monday is one of cloudy skies, bursts of rain now and then almost anywhere across the country. but yes, through the layers of cloud, there will be some bright or sunny spells poking through. and i think at times, we'll be getting them across the south and the south—west of england, possibly to the east of the pennines, but they may be brief here. and that's how we're going to end monday, so on a cloudy note and with rain at times. now, tuesday admittedly is going to be a better day. it's not going to be bad at all, i think,

across many parts of southern and eastern england — some sunny spells, lengthy spells of sunshine in fact. 21 for london, maybe a few showers in the north of england and scotland. but the next low pressure will be sweeping in and will park itself over the uk on wednesday, and quite an angry—looking area of low pressure there. potentially some strong winds blowing across parts of southern england, even near—gale force around some of the coasts. in the north of scotland, i think the weather will be better. clearly, most of the rain is across england and wales during the course of wednesday and the temperatures around 18—20 degrees at best. now, once that area of low pressure clears away, and it will do, eventually towards the east, into scandinavia, behind it, this back edge will see colder winds coming in from the north and i think quite chilly around the north coasts of scotland, maybe along the north sea coast. inland, we'll feel that breeze as well. temperatures still will nudge up to around about 20 degrees or so in the south, maybe in one or two sheltered spots further north, too.

but i think showers will arrive on thursday and friday to summer. some of the showers could even be quite heavy and maybe even the odd rumble of thunder towards the end of the week. and look at those temperatures — 15 in aberdeen, 17 in belfast, high teens in the south. now, let's have a look at the forecast. so, this is the following weekend, so we're well into august here. again, similar weather, quite changeable. and now i'm going to go a little bit further, deeper into august, if you like. let's see what the jet stream is doing. so, this is a rough idea of what the jet stream might be, how it might be behaving, and it looks as though it will be generally close to the uk, and at times, south of us, which means this unsettled weather will continue. bye— bye.

anywhere near you. why are you, in that sense, so selfish?

live from london, this is bbc news. the death toll is rising: more than 40 are killed by a deadly blast at a political rally in northwest pakistan. rishi sunak is set to announce a multimillion—pound funding package for a new carbon capture project in scotland. refugees and activists tell the bbc china is pressuring uyghurs living abroad to spy on human rights campaigners. and later in business,

new zealand cracks down on young people vaping as it extends anti—smoking regulations. hello. a very warm welcome to the programme. we start in pakistan. at least 44 people have been killed in a suicide bombing at a political rally in pakistan. more than 100 people were also injured in the explosion in the northwest bajaur district near the border with afghanistan. it happened at an event organised by islamist party, jui—f, a major party which forms part of the government coalition in pakistan's parliament. it's not yet clear who might be responsible for the explosion, but authorities have warned the death toll may still rise further. live now to tamanna salikuddin.