0:00:05 > 0:00:08Tonight at Six:
0:00:08 > 0:00:10A stark warning from doctors and nurses -
0:00:10 > 0:00:14A&E departments can no longer cope with demand.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16BBC research shows that the number of people waiting too long
0:00:16 > 0:00:25in accident and emergency has doubled in the last four years.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28The ability of our system to cope, it has stretched
0:00:28 > 0:00:38us to our very limits.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41All this as the NHS prepares for what's expected to be the worst
0:00:41 > 0:00:42flu season in years.
0:00:42 > 0:00:43Also tonight:
0:00:43 > 0:00:53The Croydon tram crash - an official report says
0:00:54 > 0:00:55the driver possibly fell asleep.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56Seven people were killed.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57Palestinians clash with Israeli forces -
0:00:57 > 0:00:59there's growing anger after President Trump's
0:00:59 > 0:01:00controversial decision about the status of Jerusalem.
0:01:00 > 0:01:08California's wildfires spread as high winds are predicted -
0:01:08 > 0:01:10the mansions of the rich and famous are among thousands
0:01:10 > 0:01:13of homes threatened.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Three cheers for the Queen, as the Royal Navy commissions
0:01:16 > 0:01:21the biggest and most powerful warship built in the UK.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26Coming up in Sportsday, Cardiff misses out as Wembley is chosen.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31More reaction to that, as Brussels loses its matches over stadium
0:01:31 > 0:01:38issues.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00As the NHS prepares for what could be the toughest winter in years,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02new BBC research has revealed the pressure faced by A&E
0:02:02 > 0:02:03departments across the UK.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06The number of patients waiting more than four hours in A&E departments
0:02:06 > 0:02:08has more than doubled in the last four years.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11In the last year alone some three million patients had to wait
0:02:11 > 0:02:16more than four hours.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18The head of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said
0:02:18 > 0:02:20the service "was stretched to its very limits."
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Our health editor Hugh Pym has this report.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Many hospitals are struggling to cope with the A&E workload, but this
0:02:27 > 0:02:29one, Luton and Dunstable, has consistently hit its four-hour
0:02:29 > 0:02:32waiting time target for five years - so what's the secret?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34It is about getting the whole health economy
0:02:34 > 0:02:38involved, and that includes primary care, community care...
0:02:38 > 0:02:42A senior consultant told me it was all about
0:02:42 > 0:02:45managing patients as they moved from A&E into the hospital to ensure
0:02:45 > 0:02:48there were enough free beds for new arrivals.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51We have a team of people who are dedicated to this process
0:02:51 > 0:02:55and serve only this emergency department to get them
0:02:55 > 0:02:58through the hospital and the system and back out, so we can see
0:02:58 > 0:02:59new arrivals and new emergencies.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04It sounds simple, but it's taken this hospital time and a
0:03:04 > 0:03:07lot of hard work and with the right leadership to ensure that patients
0:03:07 > 0:03:10are brought into the hospital and through it, and then back home
0:03:10 > 0:03:11again, as efficiently as possible.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15But across the UK it's been a lot more challenging.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Over 3 million patients who visited UK A&Es waited
0:03:18 > 0:03:21over four hours in the last 12 months, according to BBC research -
0:03:21 > 0:03:25120% more since four years earlier.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28By comparison, the number of visits has only risen by just over 7%,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32to just under 27 million.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35The ability of our system to cope, it has stretched us to our very
0:03:35 > 0:03:45limits, so there is no more capacity in the system.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Staff are working really hard, our nurses, our doctors.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Haley from South Wales endured a lengthy wait for treatment
0:03:49 > 0:03:51after fainting and banging her head.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54She felt unwell and was advised to go straight to A&E.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57We phoned 111 first, just for some advice, and they went,
0:03:57 > 0:04:02"No, you need to go to A&E."
0:04:02 > 0:04:05So we headed down, waited about an hour,
0:04:05 > 0:04:14then there was a telly to say seven-hour waiting time.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16About another hour or two passed and they said, no,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18six and a half hours waiting.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21But I got checked over and I was able to go home.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23So about five and a half hours, six hours, in total.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Scotland has seen the best A&E performance in
0:04:25 > 0:04:28the UK and is close to the 95% target for patients treated or
0:04:28 > 0:04:30assessed in four hours.
0:04:30 > 0:04:31England is behind, followed by Wales and then
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Northern Ireland.
0:04:34 > 0:04:44So, Mr Pollard, are you ready to leave today?
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Back in Luton they're working hard to move
0:04:48 > 0:04:52patients home when safe to do so, so freeing up beds for new arrivals,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54with senior social care experts working in the hospital assessing
0:04:54 > 0:04:55their needs.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Every single ambulance that's called out...
0:04:57 > 0:04:59The Department of Health covering England says more
0:04:59 > 0:05:01money has been allocated for social care and the NHS.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Health leaders including here in Luton have prepared for winter,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06but even so there are warnings nationally that the service
0:05:06 > 0:05:07will be sorely tested.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Hugh is here with me.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14We have just seen in your report, Hugh, how hard doctors and nurses
0:05:14 > 0:05:20are struggling, and that is before the flu season has hit us?Yes, the
0:05:20 > 0:05:24system was stretched last winter seriously and now the margins are
0:05:24 > 0:05:31even tighter. Some tell us they are already running at 98% capacity.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Beds are already defined before winter has even set in and the major
0:05:35 > 0:05:38flu outbreak predicted materialises. It may well not do so, of course,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and at one hospital the chief executive is looking at messages
0:05:41 > 0:05:45early in the morning, two o'clock, one weekend morning, because of
0:05:45 > 0:05:48concerns about the flow of patients and worries about the backlog that
0:05:48 > 0:05:52might have been building up. The Government is making clear money is
0:05:52 > 0:05:56being made available to the system in England for the winter ahead, and
0:05:56 > 0:06:08NHS leaders have welcomed that but say it has come too late. They are
0:06:08 > 0:06:11just hoping the planning they have set in train, and they say it has
0:06:11 > 0:06:13been very extensive, does hold up to the undoubted rigours and test
0:06:13 > 0:06:15ahead.Hugh, thank you very much.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17And if you want to find out what waiting times
0:06:17 > 0:06:20are like at your hospital service, go to the BBC's NHS Tracker
0:06:20 > 0:06:22page on the website - that's at bbc.co.uk/nhstracker,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26and put in your postcode.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Seven people were killed and more than 60 injured when a tram
0:06:29 > 0:06:33in Croydon crashed just over a year ago.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Today an investigation found the driver possibly dozed off just
0:06:36 > 0:06:37before the accident.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39The tram went around a tight bend three times faster
0:06:39 > 0:06:40than the speed limit.
0:06:40 > 0:06:47Our transport correspondent Richard Westcott reports.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Going three times the speed limit around a 90 degree bend,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52costing seven people their lives.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57Today the final report into the Croydon tram crash found
0:06:57 > 0:06:59that the driver probably dozed off at the controls.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Well, you can see just how tight this bend is.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06The tram was meant to be going around it at 13 miles an hour -
0:07:06 > 0:07:09one three, a snail's pace, like we are now.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12It actually went around the bend at nearer 45 miles an hour,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14and one of the survivors was standing exactly
0:07:14 > 0:07:16where I am standing now, just checking his phone.
0:07:16 > 0:07:22The injury I sustained on the tram that day just changed my life.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26It is more than a year ago, but for Taiye the memories are fresh.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I just put my phone away, and I held onto the pole
0:07:29 > 0:07:32in front of me and I said, God, please save my life.
0:07:32 > 0:07:38And I closed my eyes.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40There were some people still screaming and
0:07:40 > 0:07:42shouting under the tram because they were trapped.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44"Please don't step on me - I am still alive."
0:07:44 > 0:07:45Investigators found other worrying facts.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Another tram nearly derailed on the same corner just
0:07:48 > 0:07:49nine days before, but it wasn't investigated properly.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52In fact nine drivers admitted they had used emergency or heavy
0:07:52 > 0:07:54braking on the same bend but were worried about
0:07:54 > 0:08:04reporting near-misses.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09It also talks of inadequate speed signs.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Half of the passengers were thrown out of the tram
0:08:12 > 0:08:14through smashed windows and doors - it was the main cause
0:08:14 > 0:08:16of injuries and deaths.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Investigators say tougher glass could save lives in future.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Since the accident, new speed signs have gone up
0:08:21 > 0:08:24and there is a new system that vibrates the seat if the driver
0:08:24 > 0:08:27closes their eyes for more than a second or so.
0:08:27 > 0:08:37Marilyn Logan lost her husband Philip in the accident.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44She is furious at the failure to act on previous speeding problems.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Very, very angry because these procedures should be
0:08:46 > 0:08:48there to protect the public, and that is not
0:08:48 > 0:08:49protecting the public.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54The company controlling the trams says it's putting things right.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57There's a number of lessons learned that we immediately put
0:08:57 > 0:09:01in place after the events, and that is better monitoring
0:09:01 > 0:09:06of our drivers, greater education of our drivers in terms
0:09:06 > 0:09:08of well-being, and working with Transport for London to make
0:09:08 > 0:09:11sure that the network is safer.
0:09:11 > 0:09:18The Croydon driver is still being investigated
0:09:18 > 0:09:24by police.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says he will be visiting Perrin, the
0:09:28 > 0:09:38capital of Iran, very soon, and that he will be raising the case of dual
0:09:38 > 0:09:45nationals being held in Iran. -- he will be visiting Tehran, the capital
0:09:45 > 0:09:57of Iran. He will in particular urge the release on humanitarian grounds
0:09:57 > 0:09:59of Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe a British-Iranian woman jailed for
0:09:59 > 0:10:01five years in Tehran. Our diplomatic correspondent, James Robbins joins
0:10:01 > 0:10:03me now.Yes, the Foreign Secretary Miss spoke and apparently implied
0:10:03 > 0:10:07she might have been training journalists there, but he then said
0:10:07 > 0:10:11if his words had been misunderstood he did not mean to say anything that
0:10:11 > 0:10:15she was in Iran purely on holiday. Boris Johnson has made clear he
0:10:15 > 0:10:18would be going very shortly. I suspect that means in the next few
0:10:18 > 0:10:24days. This is not the only purpose of his visit to Iran, trying to
0:10:24 > 0:10:27secure her release. He wants to build a better relationship with
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Iran on a whole raft of issues, and related issues, he will be raising
0:10:31 > 0:10:35with Iran. Concern about their activities in the region, in Yemen,
0:10:35 > 0:10:39in Syria, but they will also be reassuring them about Britain's
0:10:39 > 0:10:42continued support about the nuclear deal in Iran. It is obviously what
0:10:42 > 0:10:49he can help change the climate and perhaps produce a circumstance in
0:10:49 > 0:10:53which Mrs Ratcliffe and others might be released, but he is lowering
0:10:53 > 0:10:56expectations. He said in these and other consulate cases progress could
0:10:56 > 0:11:11be very difficult, so I don't think he is expecting big results.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12Palestinians have clashed with Israeli security forces
0:11:12 > 0:11:15during protests across the West Bank - it comes less than 24
0:11:15 > 0:11:17hours after President Trump's controversial decision to recognise
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21The leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas,
0:11:21 > 0:11:22has called for a new uprising.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24President Trump's move has been criticised by China,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27the EU and Britain, as Yolande Knell reports from Jerusalem.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Palestinians today preparing their own message
0:11:28 > 0:11:30for President Trump, venting their anger over his
0:11:30 > 0:11:36recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
0:11:36 > 0:11:42Clashing with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Meanwhile in Gaza, the Islamist Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh,
0:11:45 > 0:11:54upped the ante - demanding a new uprising, or intifada.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59So far, fiery rhetoric hasn't ignited protests on a grand scale,
0:11:59 > 0:12:04but these Palestinians in Ramallah really feared their chances
0:12:04 > 0:12:07of having an independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11could now be stamped out.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14He's making it only one side, and they're taking
0:12:14 > 0:12:18the opinion of the Israelis.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20This has ended the two-state solution, you know, the dream
0:12:20 > 0:12:24for us as Palestinians.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Palestinians see the changes in US policy on Jerusalem
0:12:26 > 0:12:28as a huge setback.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Donald Trump may say he is still committed to helping
0:12:31 > 0:12:34them end their conflict with Israel, but here they say he is
0:12:34 > 0:12:35no broker for peace.
0:12:35 > 0:12:45Meanwhile in Jerusalem the Israeli prime minister was jubilant.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50TRANSLATION:President Trump on himself forever with the history of
0:12:50 > 0:12:54our capital. His name will now be proudly displayed among other names
0:12:54 > 0:13:03in this city's glorious history. Many Israelis share his gratitude
0:13:03 > 0:13:05that the president has delivered on a long-term promise, recognising, as
0:13:05 > 0:13:12he said, the reality on the ground. TRANSLATION:Trump is a man who was
0:13:12 > 0:13:19sent from heaven to see the right things at the right time. -- say the
0:13:19 > 0:13:27ratings.But there are also concerns about violence.On one and I am glad
0:13:27 > 0:13:32he did that and on the other, I am a realist.This contested city is at
0:13:32 > 0:13:38the heart of divisions between Israel and the Palestinians, which
0:13:38 > 0:13:40President Trump insists he wants to mend. With more demonstrations
0:13:40 > 0:13:52planned, hopes of that seem remote. Yolande Knell, BBC News, Jerusalem.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53The time is 6:13.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Our top story this evening:
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Research by the BBC shows that the number of people waiting
0:13:58 > 0:14:01too long in accident and emergency has doubled in the last four years.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02And still to come:
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Tonight's the night that the UK City of Culture is chosen -
0:14:05 > 0:14:08we'll see why Swansea thinks it's in with a chance.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Coming up on Sportsday on BBC News, the power of the Premier League -
0:14:12 > 0:14:14English clubs have created Champions League history with five
0:14:14 > 0:14:30qualifying for the knockout phase this season.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33It's the the largest and most expensive warship ever built
0:14:33 > 0:14:35for the Royal Navy and today the Queen commissioned
0:14:35 > 0:14:37HMS Queen Elizabeth at a ceremony in Portsmouth.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40The ship, which won't take part in military operations until 2021,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42cost more than £3 billion and has become the
0:14:42 > 0:14:43flagship of the fleet.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Our defence correspondent Jonathan Beale has more.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55A day of pride for the Royal Navy and for the nation.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57The Queen has already named her.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Today she made her first visit on board to commission
0:14:59 > 0:15:03HMS Queen Elizabeth into service.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08Almost lost in the cavernous hangar, still waiting for aircraft.
0:15:08 > 0:15:15But for the Queen, this ship already holds a special place in her heart.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18As the daughter, wife and mother of naval officers,
0:15:18 > 0:15:24I recognise the unique demands our nation asks of you,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28and I will always value my special link with HMS Queen Elizabeth,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32her ship's company and their families.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37A true flagship for the 21st century.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40The raising of the White Ensign means she's now legally recognised
0:15:40 > 0:15:44as a Royal Navy warship.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Over the past few months, HMS Queen Elizabeth and her 700 crew
0:15:47 > 0:15:52have been testing her at sea.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54She's the first of two new carriers.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Russia has already described her as a large convenient target,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59but the Government insists she will be a potent
0:15:59 > 0:16:04weapon and symbol of British military power.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08This isn't just the largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10it's also the most expensive, costing more than £3 billion.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13The F-35 jets that will eventually fly off her will cost billions more
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and this at a time when the defence budget is under severe pressure,
0:16:16 > 0:16:24with the prospect of further cuts.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Today the only cuts being made were to the elaborate cake,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29made to mark the occasion, but the Navy is having to consider
0:16:29 > 0:16:32axing other ships in the fleet.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36They still believe it's worth it.
0:16:36 > 0:16:44We knew this ship was coming and her sister ship,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Prince of Wales, and the F-35s they will operate
0:16:47 > 0:16:50so we have been on a long, complicated, but committed journey
0:16:50 > 0:16:53to get to this point and the commissioning of the ship
0:16:53 > 0:16:54is a key milestone in that journey.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Work on the ship began before the youngest crew
0:16:57 > 0:16:57member was even born.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00But, like the Queen, she'll be expected to offer
0:17:00 > 0:17:01decades of loyal service.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02Built for the next 50 years.
0:17:02 > 0:17:08Jonathan Beale, BBC News, Portsmouth.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Severe gales and snow showers have caused disruption and left thousands
0:17:11 > 0:17:12temporarily without power as Storm Caroline
0:17:12 > 0:17:16sweeps in to the UK.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21Gusts of up to 90mph were recorded in northern parts of Scotland.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Flights and ferries have been cancelled while dozens
0:17:23 > 0:17:27of schools have been closed.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30There are calls tonight for a crackdown on excessive pay
0:17:30 > 0:17:32for university bosses, and the government agrees.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Bath Spa University is the latest to be caught in the controversy
0:17:35 > 0:17:37after it emerged that its Vice Chancellor received
0:17:37 > 0:17:44a pay-off amounting to £808,000.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Universities Minister Jo Johnson promised a new regulator, the Office
0:17:46 > 0:17:48for Students will tackle the issue.
0:17:48 > 0:17:58Here's our Education Editor, Branwen Jeffreys.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Bath spa is one of the smallest universities, proud of a tradition
0:18:02 > 0:18:07of art and design, but it only just gets into the top 100 despite the
0:18:07 > 0:18:14efforts of its last Vice Chancellor, Professor Christina Slade.The new
0:18:14 > 0:18:19residences will be built on glorious parkland is just outside the city of
0:18:19 > 0:18:31Bath. We are ready for the future. Bath Spa gave Professor Slade golden
0:18:31 > 0:18:39goodbye, they said £808,000 was value for money, her legal
0:18:39 > 0:18:43entitlement, but universities face growing pressure to explain.I do
0:18:43 > 0:18:48find some of these very large figure is hard to understand but there may
0:18:48 > 0:18:52be a justification. I'm not convinced the right benchmark is
0:18:52 > 0:18:56chief executive salaries in the private sector. I think universities
0:18:56 > 0:19:00are still different in many key respects from private sector
0:19:00 > 0:19:06companies.Sunshine and higher pay, that's what Australian universities
0:19:06 > 0:19:11offer to run an elite institution around half £1 million a year, so
0:19:11 > 0:19:16does that competition for vice chancellors justify high pay here?
0:19:16 > 0:19:22If you look at Australia in the elite group of eight universities in
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Australia, their top internationally ranked universities, three of them
0:19:26 > 0:19:30in the last few years have appointed vice chancellors who have come out
0:19:30 > 0:19:35of the British system.From next year universities in England will
0:19:35 > 0:19:39have to justify higher pay, all while trying to continue to make the
0:19:39 > 0:19:43case for high tuition fees. Universities talk in terms of global
0:19:43 > 0:19:48competition but for many students there are many more concerns - how
0:19:48 > 0:19:53to find the money for their living costs, what kind of job they might
0:19:53 > 0:19:58get to pay off their large tuition fee loans.We cannot get distracted
0:19:58 > 0:20:11from the the poorest students are graduating with £57 -- £57,000 worth
0:20:11 > 0:20:20of debt and students are choosing between heating and eating.Bath Spa
0:20:20 > 0:20:24is just the latest record in this row. Universities want the
0:20:24 > 0:20:36Government focus on their future funding, not their pay.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41The number of suspects arrested in terrorism investigations has
0:20:41 > 0:20:42reached a record high, according to new
0:20:42 > 0:20:43Home Office figures.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45400 people were held for terror-related offences
0:20:45 > 0:20:48in the year to the end of September, a jump of 54% compared
0:20:48 > 0:20:49with the previous year.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51The increase was partly due to arrests made following terrorist
0:20:51 > 0:20:53attacks in London and Manchester.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Police say a man, found strangled along with his daughter
0:20:56 > 0:20:58at his south London home, was a convicted sex offender.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01The bodies of Noel and Marie Brown were found on Monday.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Detectives are investigating a link with the sex offence,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05which happened in 1999, but say they had no evidence revenge
0:21:05 > 0:21:10was a motive for the murders.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13A fast-moving wildfire in southern California has hit the US state's
0:21:13 > 0:21:15main coastal highway and reached the Pacific Ocean, according
0:21:15 > 0:21:17to firefighters tackling the blaze.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Tens of thousands of homes, including some mansions
0:21:21 > 0:21:23belonging to celebrities, have been evacuated in an area
0:21:23 > 0:21:25north of Los Angeles.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27James Cook is there.
0:21:27 > 0:21:34James.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39California is used to fires but even here, this is not normal. Years of
0:21:39 > 0:21:44drought have left this state parched. Here there's barely been a
0:21:44 > 0:21:48drop of rain for six months and this tranquil valley has seen some
0:21:48 > 0:21:52terrifying scenes.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56The American west was never really tamed. The weather here was always
0:21:56 > 0:22:00wild and dangerous, and after years of drought it now seems worse than
0:22:00 > 0:22:05ever. This is the largest and most destructive of the blazes, in
0:22:05 > 0:22:10Ventura County north of Los Angeles. Last night it looked as if a volcano
0:22:10 > 0:22:15was erupting, the hillside glowing like a lover. And with daylight the
0:22:15 > 0:22:20damage became clear. The tinder dry ground turned to ash. Swathes of
0:22:20 > 0:22:25Southern California now look like this, the fire swept through here
0:22:25 > 0:22:35rapidly, charring
0:22:38 > 0:22:40everything in its path and turning this area into a wasteland. It only
0:22:40 > 0:22:42consumed vegetation here, down in the valley below now they are
0:22:42 > 0:22:44worried about homes. In the exclusive Los Angeles suburb of
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Bel-Air yesterday they attacked the fires aggressively, working hard to
0:22:46 > 0:22:51save scores of homes.The house will be on fire soon, unlike what are you
0:22:51 > 0:22:55talking about? You said it was far away last night. He was like, don't
0:22:55 > 0:23:02look outside, a whole mountain was on fire.Celebrities such as the
0:23:02 > 0:23:05musician Lionel Richie and the socialite Paris Hilton were among
0:23:05 > 0:23:12those forced to flee. Every firefighting aircraft in the United
0:23:12 > 0:23:16States has been summoned to California and they are making a big
0:23:16 > 0:23:20difference.We are not quite out of the woods yet but here in daylight
0:23:20 > 0:23:25we will do everything we can to hit it hard, fast and safely, and then
0:23:25 > 0:23:30we will look to see by the end of the day what we can do in terms of
0:23:30 > 0:23:36providing information.In times of crisis, extraordinary moments of
0:23:36 > 0:23:42compassion. Here, a man runs to rescue a rabbit. He seems in
0:23:42 > 0:23:46distress but one little life has been saved. At least four major
0:23:46 > 0:23:53fires are burning across the state. More fierce winds are forecast and
0:23:53 > 0:23:57worst may be to come.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01The UK's City of Culture 2021 will be announced within the hour
0:24:01 > 0:24:04at a ceremony in Hull, the current title holder.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Coventry, Paisley, Stoke-on-Trent and Sunderland are all
0:24:05 > 0:24:08in the running along with Swansea.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11As our Wales Correspondent Sian Lloyd reports, Swansea is a city
0:24:11 > 0:24:14once famous for copper and coal - now it wants to make
0:24:14 > 0:24:18its name for culture.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20The city by the sea.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25Swansea has seen its fortunes turn like the tide.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27A sweeping shoreline shapes Swansea Bay, but its past
0:24:27 > 0:24:32was dominated by heavy industry.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35A busy port, it suffered in the bombing of the Blitz.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37In the words of its most famous son, Dylan Thomas,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40"an ugly, lovely town".
0:24:40 > 0:24:44Now Swansea is aiming for a revival.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50A cultural revival.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Internationally renowned composer Sir Karl Jenkins is one
0:24:53 > 0:24:56of those backing this bid.
0:24:56 > 0:25:06His story started here in Swansea.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16I was born in 1944 and the town was devastated in the war
0:25:16 > 0:25:19by the bombing so it's had one kind of serious period of regeneration
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I suppose, but I think it could do with a helping hand
0:25:22 > 0:25:23now and it deserves it.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27The shape of the arts and culture here is changing.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Swansea wants to design itself as a forward-looking digital city
0:25:29 > 0:25:30where talents can flourish.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33This art college workshop is a creative hub, which Swansea
0:25:33 > 0:25:35would like to see more of in the future.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36It definitely inspires me.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39From the architecture, it's very urban in the town centres.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40There's lots of art around everywhere.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Then you walk down more to the coast and it's a completely different
0:25:43 > 0:25:50atmosphere all in one place.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52# I see the buildings.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57# Cluttering the skyline.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00# Built by miners on a pittance of pay.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01# They worked together, never on Sunday.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05# That was not their way.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Swansea is trading on its sense of place and heritage
0:26:08 > 0:26:10but as cultural ambassador Mal Pope says, its people
0:26:10 > 0:26:11are at the heart of it too.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14You know, we've built this city in the past
0:26:14 > 0:26:16on copper and steel and coal, but to actually build the future
0:26:16 > 0:26:19of the city on culture, what an amazing opportunity
0:26:19 > 0:26:21that is for our kids.
0:26:21 > 0:26:30# And these are golden days...
0:26:30 > 0:26:32After losing out to Hull last time, Swansea hopes these
0:26:32 > 0:26:34will be its golden days.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Sian Lloyd, BBC News, Swansea Bay.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41And the winner of the City of Culture 2021 will be
0:26:41 > 0:26:48announced here on BBC One, on the One Show, at 7 o'clock.
0:26:48 > 0:26:58Time for a look at the weather.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Heard -- we heard of Storm Caroline
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Heard -- we heard of Storm Caroline earlier, what's the latest? Storm
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Caroline is moving away to Scandinavia but it is allowing this
0:27:08 > 0:27:13cold air to push down, and see this little trough here, it will bring
0:27:13 > 0:27:17snow showers, already starting to develop in the last few hours across
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Scotland. Some significant snow is likely through the night tonight
0:27:21 > 0:27:25from Scotland into Northern Ireland, driven by these gale force gusts of
0:27:25 > 0:27:32wind. Be prepared for further disruption in the Northern Isles but
0:27:32 > 0:27:36as we go through the night tonight the emphasis is with the showers on
0:27:36 > 0:27:40zero and west facing coasts. A cold start of the day and the showers
0:27:40 > 0:27:44will be fairly widespread as well, even at eight o'clock in the
0:27:44 > 0:27:48morning. It is worth bearing in mind if you have to be out on the roads
0:27:48 > 0:27:54early on, particularly the further north you are, because the ice could
0:27:54 > 0:27:58cause some issues. This is eight o'clock in the morning, through
0:27:58 > 0:28:03Scotland and Northern Ireland. They tend to filter down through the
0:28:03 > 0:28:08Irish Sea, and across Wales as well. Further south and west, more of a
0:28:08 > 0:28:16wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow. Notice how I haven't mentioned the
0:28:16 > 0:28:20east too much and that's because it will be predominantly dry but don't
0:28:20 > 0:28:23befall, it will feel quite miserable out there when you factor in the
0:28:23 > 0:28:31wind. So, top temperatures struggling really. Factor in the
0:28:31 > 0:28:36wind and it will feel better out there. Will we see that much change
0:28:36 > 0:28:40as we go into the weekend? It looks like Saturday will start off cold