Forecasts, local updates and affairs, explained.
Forecasters are calling it 'unseasonably warm', and Westminster is treating it like good news. But mild November weather masks hard truths about energy bills, flood readiness and public health — and the phrase itself is doing political work.
As the first hard freeze of November 2026 approaches, council gritting maps tell a story of rationed salt, squeezed budgets and rural roads left off the list. We look at how the routes are chosen, what councils say, and how to check your own commute before the ice arrives.
Amber warnings, swollen rivers and another round of sandbags have pushed flood defence back to the top of the political agenda. We trace the chain of responsibility from the town hall emergency bunker to the Treasury, and ask what resilience genuinely means for households facing a wet winter.
Dozens of warm hubs are switching the heating on across the UK this month, from library reading rooms to church halls and community kitchens. We round up what is launching, explain how to find provision near you, and look at why the offer varies so wildly from one council to the next.