welcome back to bbc news. let's get more on our top story. hurricane milton which is making its way towards the west coast of florida. five million people have been told to get out of its way. president biden says leaving was a matter of �*life and death'. nicole maul is the national spokesperson for the american red cross. nicole is in tallahassee, florida and told us how they've been preparing for something of this magnitude. ican i can tell you that the american red cross has been on the ground in florida and the south—east for more than two weeks in response first to hurricane helene and now

milton. we need to understand what the impacts will be across florida. there are shelters across the state for folks who are evacuating and i cannot stress enough how important it is, if you are being told to evacuate you absolutely need to follow his orders. we do not know what the storm can bring, we know it will be dangerous and they want folks to stay safe as possible. i5 and they want folks to stay safe as possible.— and they want folks to stay safe as possible. is it not too late? i read _ safe as possible. is it not too late? i read some _ safe as possible. is it not too late? i read some people - safe as possible. is it not too i late? i read some people saying they think it is too late and there are traffic jams they think it is too late and there are trafficjams on some of the major roads and a lack of the major roads and a lack of gas that people have been complaining about, some people are making the assessment that now they have left it too late. i had the wrong? you should be following the advice of your local emergency management. it will vary county by county the red cross and county and government have shelters open across the state. safety is your first priority, so anybody who is making this decision right now it should be talking with their emergency management. our red crosses are on the ground, i am in tallahassee and i can feel the

wind is picking up. we are not any direct impact area, i have met the people evacuating hint who are saying —— in northern parts of florida. we want them to be as safe as possible. saw; to be as safe as possible. sony preparations — to be as safe as possible. sony preparations for _ to be as safe as possible. sony preparations for so _ to be as safe as possible. sony preparations for so many - preparations for so many people. the ceo of the tampa aquarium is speaking to us. what are you doing to protect the animals in the aquarium? we are doinu the animals in the aquarium? - are doing all we can. the other day we moved a lot of the animals on the first floor up to higher ground to make sure they are safe from the tidal surge. we have a major choral restoration research programme thatis restoration research programme that is internationally recognised. on monday we relocated many types of the endangered coral. we loaded

them out as well. we are prepared for milton as much as we can. ~ ., , prepared for milton as much as we can. ~ . , , . , we can. we are seeing pictures ofthe we can. we are seeing pictures of the penguins _ we can. we are seeing pictures of the penguins that _ we can. we are seeing pictures of the penguins that you - we can. we are seeing pictures i of the penguins that you moved. what else did you have to do? penguins, they got a chance to go penguins, they got a chance to 9° up penguins, they got a chance to go up to their temporary home, sloths, we have birds. even jellies. we packed them up a little differently, then rescued the total being moved. animal care is top priority, although top priority is our staff and making sure our staff is safe and we are able to batten down the hatches and wait for milton. it batten down the hatches and wait for milton.— wait for milton. it looks like a hue wait for milton. it looks like a huge task- _ wait for milton. it looks like a huge task. in _ wait for milton. it looks like a huge task. in terms - wait for milton. it looks like a huge task. in terms of- wait for milton. it looks like l a huge task. in terms of your structure, your building, how protected is it? taste structure, your building, how protected is it?— protected is it? we are as protected _ protected is it? we are as protected as _ protected is it? we are as protected as can - protected is it? we are as protected as can be. - protected is it? we are as protected as can be. the | protected is it? we are as i protected as can be. the one blessing from helene was we learned a lot. there was historic tidal storms and

search, we hadn't seen that in 30 plus years of the building being opened as well as our conservation campus, so we went the extra mile this time. you can only go so far depending on how large the category is, but we take extra precautions to build barriers higher, seal things we didn't have to during helene, we are about as buttoned up as can be and some of us are going to write it out in downtown tampa as support our community as well as our animals on the other side. we have to leave _ animals on the other side. we have to leave it there, but good luck for the coming hours. it looks like you had taken a lot of measures, so good luck. i hope it all works out for you when the hurricane actually hits. we will have more on the situation in florida from our teams on the ground here on bbc news. do not go away. regular viewers may remember

that a few months ago we feautured an exciting job opportunity — to work at the �*penguin post office' in port lockroy, antarctica. successful applicants would need to travel 9,000 miles to the south pole and adapt to unpredictable weather, constant daylight, sub—zero temperatures and penguin neighbours. the uk antarctic heritage trust advertised the role as part of a team that would be deployed to the port to monitor conservation efforts, restore historic buildings and run the island shop. i spoke to the lucky winner, george clarke, about whether it had quite sunk in yet... it is great, it is still quite surreal. but it is incredibly exciting, and really looking forward to it.— forward to it. how many candidates _ forward to it. how many candidates did - forward to it. how many candidates did you - forward to it. how many candidates did you beat| forward to it. how many - candidates did you beat off? i am honestly not sure the exact

number, there was a fairly interesting selection process. about 15 or 16 of us, and then they narrowed it down to a group of five of us, as well as other carpenters and conservator is you are going out. we have been training together and we are looking forward to getting out there now. ., ., . now. you said in a classically british way — now. you said in a classically british way it _ now. you said in a classically british way it was _ now. you said in a classically british way it was an - british way it was an interesting selection process. what did you mean by that? weird and wonderful tasks. we were putting up tents blindfolded, wearing oven mitts, we had to do all sorts of things. that was an experience in itself. tell me a little more — experience in itself. tell me a little more about _ experience in itself. tell me a little more about what - experience in itself. tell me a i little more about what prompted you to actually want to do this in the first place.— in the first place. why not? i was reading _ in the first place. why not? i was reading an _ in the first place. why not? i was reading an article, - in the first place. why not? i was reading an article, it - was reading an article, it seemed like an amazing opportunity to work with an

amazing charity, uk antarctic heritage trust, and ijust thought i'd go for it. to be honest with you, i didn't think it would go this far, yet here we are. , ., we are. due to depart. tell me a little more — we are. due to depart. tell me a little more about _ we are. due to depart. tell me a little more about what - we are. due to depart. tell me a little more about what you i a little more about what you actually have to do when you get there. we are running pictures and it is exactly as i described in the advert described, really isolated. tell me the sort of things you will have to do whilst you out there. ~' , ., will have to do whilst you out there. ~ ,, _ will have to do whilst you out there. ~' ,, _ , there. like you say, it is really isolated. - there. like you say, it is really isolated. a - there. like you say, it is really isolated. a small| there. like you say, it is - really isolated. a small island about the size of a football pitch. i am going to be running the post office, so i will be sorting through the mail, selling stamps, cancelling stamps, putting the antarctic at stamp on the postcards and letters, and sending them off, thatis letters, and sending them off, that is myjob. letters, and sending them off, that is mob-— that is my 'ob. how much mail did the that is my job. how much mail did they get? _ that is my job. how much mail did they get? only _ that is my job. how much mail did they get? only people - that is my job. how much mail did they get? only people out| did they get? only people out there around you? it is did they get? only people out there around you?— there around you? it is in the

hundreds. — there around you? it is in the hundreds. i _ there around you? it is in the hundreds, i know _ there around you? it is in the hundreds, i know that - there around you? it is in the hundreds, i know that for - there around you? it is in the l hundreds, i know that for sure. we get a small amount of letters to us, but most of the male is away from the island, from the visitor is able to come and see the beautiful scenery. i come and see the beautiful scene . ~ ., come and see the beautiful scenery-— come and see the beautiful scene . ~ ., ., scenery. i know you get to take a little basket _ scenery. i know you get to take a little basket of _ scenery. i know you get to take a little basket of goodies - a little basket of goodies along with you, not very much. what are you actually ticking along? what are you actually ticking alon: ? ~ , ., ~ what are you actually ticking alonr? g . ,, along? my main think was marmite. _ along? my main think was marmite. i— along? my main think was marmite, i have _ along? my main think was marmite, i have to - along? my main think was marmite, i have to be - along? my main think was - marmite, i have to be honest. and that is it?— marmite, i have to be honest. and that is it? yes, marmite, a sketchbook. — and that is it? yes, marmite, a sketchbook, reading _ and that is it? yes, marmite, a sketchbook, reading materials, things to keep us busy. we sketchbook, reading materials, things to keep us busy.- things to keep us busy. we are -la in: things to keep us busy. we are playing pictures _ things to keep us busy. we are playing pictures of _ things to keep us busy. we are playing pictures of the - playing pictures of the penguins that are all around the area. what have they said to you about that? so the area. what have they said to you about that?— the area. what have they said to you about that? so we had a trainin: to you about that? so we had a training weekend _ to you about that? so we had a training weekend where - to you about that? so we had a training weekend where we - to you about that? so we had a l training weekend where we were really lucky to have a top from a penguin expert. we are going to be observing their behaviour and nesting patterns, their

hatching patterns, we are all going to be doing observations and wildlife service to keep in eye on the penguin colony that we are going to be living alongside —— wildlife surveys. at five o'clock we will be in the middle east to give us the latest on the phone call between president biden and benjamin netanyahu, there are so much concern and worry about a potential next wave of israeli attacks on iran. the latest on that. we will be back live in florida. let me show you the tracking shot, it is about 200 miles off the coast of florida, down to a category four, a whisker away from category five. you can see the weather beginning to close in on the ground and get worse, thatis on the ground and get worse, that is one of the bridge is going out of temper. we will talk live on the programme to the mayor of sarasota, who will

join us live on bbc news. we will also have the latest from westminster and we note the final two to bp choice by the members of the conservative party to work at their next leader. —— the final two to beat the choice. hello there. we are seeing a bit more rain today particularly across northern england and north wales. but the weather is going to be changing in the next couple of days because whilst it is going to be turning drier, the temperatures are going to be falling as well and we will have some frost around too. these are the temperatures we've got this afternoon. 17 still possible with some sunshine and fewer showers in the south—east but it is getting colder further north. that's because we are starting to see a northerly wind picking up through the day. that's going to drag down colder air across the whole of the country eventually. follows this band of patchy rain that's going to sink southwards across england and wales this evening and overnight. clearer skies following as those stronger winds transfer southwards through the north sea. could be a few wintry showers over the tops of highland

and grampian and a touch of frost in other parts of scotland. further south, those temperatures held a bit higher because we'll still have some cloud, a bit of rain first thing on thursday morning. that moves away and following that some showers coming into northern ireland, around some western coasts, down the north sea coast and into northern scotland. but many places will have a drier day. it'll feel cold, though, particularly in the stronger winds down the north sea coast. temperatures of 11 degrees in glasgow again, but only 12, quite a significant drop across southern parts of england and wales. that colder air will remain in place across much of the country as we head towards the end of the week. instead of a northerly wind, we will have westerly wind in scotland bringing cloud in from the atlantic and some outbreaks of rain and drizzle. elsewhere the wind will be much lighter, it is likely to be dry, there will be some sunshine, could be a touch of frost to begin the day and we still have that cold air so temperatures typically only 11 or 12 on friday. what about the weekend? a few changes on the way. we've got that area of low pressure and some weather fronts bringing some wetter

weather into scotland and northern ireland overnight into saturday morning. and this band of rain will move its way south into england and wales, some showers breaking out ahead of that. sunshine and a few maybe wintry showers over the mountains coming into northern parts of scotland. with that wetter weather around we have temperatures ten degrees again in glasgow and 1a celsius in london. so still on the cool side and those temperatures may not change too much on sunday. but we'll have high pressure building in and so it will be dry with some sunshine, early mist and fog.

live from london. this is bbc news. hurricane milton the biggest storm to hit florida in a century heads towards the coast five million people are urged to

get out of the area. these are the live pictures calmish now but they're expecting wind speeds of 165 miles per hour and storm surges up to four metres high. homes and businesses are being boarded up in preparation with the us government telling residents to prepare for the "catastrophic" impact. iam i am live in miami. we are at an evacuation centre where people from the south west coast of florida have arrived to write out the storm, this as final preparations are under way across the gulf coast. lam in i am in haifa on a day were dozens— i am in haifa on a day were dozens of— i am in haifa on a day were dozens of has below rockets are fired _ dozens of has below rockets are fired into — dozens of has below rockets are fired into northern israel and on a — fired into northern israel and on a day— fired into northern israel and on a day were president biden of the — on a day were president biden of the united states has been speaking to the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu ——

hezbollah — the next conservative leader will be a choice