it turns cloudy through the afternoon and we will start to see some rain working on. a range of temperatures, quite chilly across eastern areas but starting to see something a bit milder in the west with temperatures in stornoway up to 11 by the end of the day. stornoway sticking out into this milder air, coming to a saturday night and into sunday. these south—westerly winds will really boost our temperatures. for sunday, a lot of cloud around and we will start to see some heavy rain setting up into the highlands of scotland. we will need to watch that over the next few days because there will be some large accumulations of rain. away from that, a lot of cloud but some bright and sunny spells breaking through and sunny spells breaking through and the temperatures as well, we have not seen anything like this all week. up to around 12 or 13 pretty widely. once that milder air has worked its way and it will stay with us well into next week as well with temperatures often reaching double figures. a lot of cloud around, maybe a few patches of rain later in the week and was the following weekend. that is when we will start to see more changeable weather

conditions. one day cold, followed by a milder day the next. that is how the weather is looking. thanks, chris. and that's bbc news at six. you can keep up with all the latest developments on bbc website. now it's time to join our colleagues for the news where you are. hello and welcome to sportsday. the first steps on the road to the world cup — thomas tuchel and the other home nations managers were in zurich today for the qualifying draw. sliding down the table and singling out one of his spurs players, ange postecoglu isn't the only manager feeling the strain in the premier league. and once change for england in new zealand, pott�*s pace could be key, as they target a clean sweep in the test series. also coming up on sportsday... a defining weekend in the women's welterweight division, that could lead to an all british

unification fight next year. and we speak to the british driverjamie chadwick, on the inaugral season of her go—karting series and also the next chapter in her own racing career. good evening and welcome along. the path to the 2026 world cup has become slightly clearer for the european teams looking to qualify for the tournament in mexico, canada and the us. firstly, the home nations have avoided each other in today's draw in zurich, with the fifty four teams split into 12 groups, let's look at who the home nations will have to face next year, i say slightly clearer because of the complication of a number of teams involved in the nations league

quarterfinal in march. we'll go through them alphabetically, northern ireland are in group a, with either germany or italy to face depending on who wins in the nations league, slovakia and luxembourg are the other sides. scotland are also in a smaller group of four, and they will face the loser of a the nations league quarterfinal between portugal and denmarkand also greece and belarus. wales are looking to qualify for back to back world cups for the first time, belgium the top seeds in their group, and there's a long trip to kazakhstan to navigate. they also play north macedonia and liechtenstein. and england should have a fairly straightforwrd campaign, with serbia, albania, latvia and andorra, all four home nations managers were in zurich for the draw, let's hear from them all, starting with the new england head coach thomas tuchel. we have to take this very seriously,

it's our first fixture, england and latvia, a new challenge for all of us. we are clear favourites against andorra. but qualification is key now, qualification is top priority, we have to be serious, we have to be determined and we have to show what we're up for in this group of five to win it. ~ . , . ., ., to win it. we are expected to in a 4-team to win it. we are expected to in a new grow) — to win it. we are expected to in a 4-team group because _ to win it. we are expected to in a 4-team group because we - to win it. we are expected to in a 4-team group because we have l to win it. we are expected to in a i 4-team group because we have the 4—team group because we have the qualifiers— 4—team group because we have the qualifiers against greece in march. we knew_ qualifiers against greece in march. we knew we were going to face tough matches, _ we knew we were going to face tough matches, it _ we knew we were going to face tough matches, it doesn't matter, it will be tough — matches, it doesn't matter, it will be tough. greece, we will get to know_ be tough. greece, we will get to know very— be tough. greece, we will get to know very well over the next year and belarus is a tough place to plax _ and belarus is a tough place to play if— and belarus is a tough place to .la , ., , , and belarus is a tough place to play. it has been a tough period, it is a aood play. it has been a tough period, it is a good draw _ play. it has been a tough period, it is a good draw but _ play. it has been a tough period, it is a good draw but i _ play. it has been a tough period, it is a good draw but i would - play. it has been a tough period, it is a good draw but i would have - play. it has been a tough period, it. is a good draw but i would have said that if_ is a good draw but i would have said that if you _ is a good draw but i would have said that if you had — is a good draw but i would have said that if you had given— is a good draw but i would have said that if you had given as _ is a good draw but i would have said that if you had given as every - is a good draw but i would have said that if you had given as every best l that if you had given as every best team _ that if you had given as every best team there — that if you had given as every best team there i_ that if you had given as every best team there. i am _ that if you had given as every best team there. i am really— that if you had given as every best team there. i am really looking i team there. i am really looking forward — team there. i am really looking forward to— team there. i am really looking forward to this, _ team there. i am really looking forward to this, excited - team there. i am really looking forward to this, excited to - team there. i am really lookingi forward to this, excited to work with— forward to this, excited to work with the — forward to this, excited to work with the group _ forward to this, excited to work with the group and _ forward to this, excited to work with the group and we - forward to this, excited to work with the group and we are - forward to this, excited to work with the group and we are all. forward to this, excited to work. with the group and we are alljust looking _ with the group and we are alljust looking forward _ with the group and we are alljust looking forward to _ with the group and we are alljust looking forward to it, _ with the group and we are alljust looking forward to it, that's - with the group and we are alljust looking forward to it, that's the l looking forward to it, that's the honest— looking forward to it, that's the

honest truth _ looking forward to it, that's the honest truth. i'm _ looking forward to it, that's the honest truth. i'm not _ looking forward to it, that's the honest truth. i'm not trying - looking forward to it, that's the honest truth. i'm not trying to. honest truth. i'm not trying to answer. — honest truth. i'm not trying to answer. i_ honest truth. i'm not trying to answer, i genuinely— honest truth. i'm not trying to answer, i genuinely feel- honest truth. i'm not trying to answer, i genuinely feel this i honest truth. i'm not trying to| answer, i genuinely feel this is honest truth. i'm not trying to i answer, i genuinely feel this is a group _ answer, i genuinely feel this is a group we — answer, i genuinely feel this is a group we want _ answer, i genuinely feel this is a group we want to— answer, i genuinely feel this is a group we want to go _ answer, i genuinely feel this is a group we want to go and - answer, i genuinely feel this is a group we want to go and win. i answer, i genuinely feel this is a group we want to go and win. til group we want to go and win. 4—team group suits us as a group we want to go and win.- 4—team group suits us as a and it li—team group suits us as a and it gives us a lot of time to prepare and thejune gives us a lot of time to prepare and the june fixtures are gives us a lot of time to prepare and thejune fixtures are difficult because we have so many players who play in the efl and the season finishes so early, fifth or 6th of may sometimes and then amass them to play in the tenth or 11th ofjune. not having that challenge is a thing for us and we tend to play our best football in september, october november and i think we will be ready for when the games come around in september. it is ready for when the games come around in september-— in september. it is november next ear when in september. it is november next year when we _ in september. it is november next year when we know _ in september. it is november next year when we know the _ in september. it is november next year when we know the 12 - in september. it is november next year when we know the 12 group i year when we know the 12 group winners who go automatically to the world cup. then there will be a play—off round to decide the other four european nations to get into the world cup. our football correspondent john murray was at the draw in zurich and we went through some of those qualifying matches coming up next year,

starting with the task that thomas tuchel faces in getting england to the world cup. from the moment that england were going to be in pot one, it was likely england would end up with a group like this in terms of the make—up. if you look at the current world rankings they are all below 30th in the world. and i think with england in fourth place, the expected new manager effect with thomas tuchel coming in. remember you have to finish top of the table to qualify automatically for the 2026 world cup. but i think with those four opponents, i think england will be strong favourites to do just that. it is a five team group, which was the likely outcome for england and also for wales as well. but i think it is good for thomas to kyl and craig bellamy, for that matter, that they both go straight into the action in march with world cup qualifier is and don't have to wait until the autumn.

to the welsh, belgium, the biggest obstacle in their group and what an adventure that lies ahead. one of the furthest outpost of european football, kazakhstan, for the welsh fans to get to? taste football, kazakhstan, for the welsh fans to get to?— fans to get to? we know this week chelsea going _ fans to get to? we know this week chelsea going there _ fans to get to? we know this week chelsea going there and _ fans to get to? we know this week chelsea going there and the - chelsea going there and the temperatures when they were there, there are times of the year you wouldn't want to have a match there in an ideal set of circumstances. there is the issue of the travel for wales but belgium and the group, if you go back to euro 2016 and since as well, but possibly belgium, even though clearly the strongest team in the group, perhaps not as strong as they have been.— they have been. obviously still dangerous- — they have been. obviously still dangerous. scotland _ they have been. obviously still dangerous. scotland in - they have been. obviously still dangerous. scotland in one - they have been. obviously still dangerous. scotland in one of| they have been. obviously still. dangerous. scotland in one of the smaller groups, they have a nations lead play—off in march, portugal and denmark, they are in the finals of the nation's league. i'm not sure if steve clark will be happy with that? that is agreed that scotland could

look at and really feel that they will have a chance of finishing top. they will have very familiar opponents because they have got to play greece in march one in the nation's league play—off. they will play greece four times next year. the match against belarus does have potential complications there. it would be likely to be played in neutral territory, which is what belarus have been doing of late in the aftermath of the conflict between ukraine and russia. and also, the issue of travelling. what about the tartan army, will they be able to get to the match? with northern ireland, when they played them in the nations league, there were issues the visas when they came to northern ireland. there are implications for those two matches. we know his coming to northern ireland, they have given themselves a chance against slovakia and luxembourg, but germany or italy for

the northern irish in the group? when michael o neill spoke to me earlier they said they will fancy their chances against any opponent in windsor park. it is tough and you would expect that team, whoever it turns out to be, be the team who qualifies automatically, but for northern ireland, there is the prospect of finishing second in the group and getting into the play—offs. and northern ireland are also in the position, like wales, where if they are not able to finish in the top two, there is another route into the play—offs through their performances in the most recent nations league. i think northern ireland can have confidence, particularly the way their recent form has been in that competition. john murray there, who also spoke to the fa chair,

going to be 48 teams there and there is a better chance of qualifying. john murray there, who also spoke to the fa chair, debbie hewitt, in zurich and asked her about the decision to back saudi arabia as hosts of the 2034 world cup despite the kingdom being criticised for its human rights violations, women's rights abuses and the criminalisation of homosexuality. it wasn't a difficult decision. it was a very thorough process. we spent a lot of time with the saudis, understanding their approach to the tournament. we asked a lot of questions, they gave us a lot of time and they gave us a lot of commitments. the important thing is we will now work with them over the next ten years, leading up to the tournament to make sure those commitments are delivered from both sides. from ourside, make sure commitments are delivered from both sides. from our side, make sure we give them the right groups to consult with and giving input

ourselves. we were reassured by the answers we got and we think this is about a partnership. staying with international football, scotland women's head coach pedro martinez losa has been sacked after they failed to qualify for next summers european championship. they lost 2—0 on aggregate to finland in the play—offs this month, they also missed out on last years world cup. he had been given a new deal by the scottish fa taking him through to the 2027 world cup, but the decision has been taken to end his contract early. busy weekend of domestic football coming up, with silverware to be won at hampden park on sunday it's an old firm scottish league cup final, chris mclaughlin reports. in the last round, celtic were at their scintillating best. this, goal numberfive their scintillating best. this, goal number five of six they put past aberdeen to secure their place in the final. it was tighter when rangers took on motherwell the following day, but the holders did

enough to set up a hampden showdown with their greatest rivals. they go into this in good shape, unbeaten in nine, including last night's draw against tottenham. you nine, including last night's draw against tottenham.— nine, including last night's draw against tottenham. you need to build somethin: against tottenham. you need to build something with _ against tottenham. you need to build something with the _ against tottenham. you need to build something with the squad _ against tottenham. you need to build something with the squad out - against tottenham. you need to build something with the squad out of - something with the squad out of experiences. it is good experiences like this but also out of the bad moments and the mistakes