:00:16. > :00:24.Good evening. This is BBC Newsline with Noel Thompson and Donna
:00:24. > :00:29.Traynor. The headlines this Wednesday evening...
:00:29. > :00:33.I a warning thousands could be made homeless by cuts in housing benefit.
:00:33. > :00:37.People are struggling to make ends meet on Jobseekers' Allowance.
:00:37. > :00:43.There is no money to pay for rent out of that.
:00:43. > :00:48.The search for a missing man that extends to the Antrim coast as his
:00:48. > :00:51.bicycle was found in Glenarm. The police investigation into a GAA
:00:51. > :00:54.club are some attack. Is a Dublin minister about to come
:00:54. > :00:56.to Belfast for the first time to commemorate the Somme? I'll have
:00:56. > :00:58.the latest. We hear from Michael O'Neill, the
:00:58. > :01:01.new Northern Ireland football manager who was officially
:01:01. > :01:04.introduced today. And it's another nasty night - wet
:01:04. > :01:14.and windy with a risk of minor flooding. Prospects for tomorrow
:01:14. > :01:15.
:01:15. > :01:18.though are looking drier. First to that warning about the effect of
:01:18. > :01:21.this week's cut in housing benefit. Critics of the policy say the
:01:21. > :01:25.reduction is likely to make thousands of people homeless and
:01:25. > :01:28.will affect people aged 25 to 34 who live alone. Typically, they
:01:28. > :01:36.will lose �40 a week which may mean they can no longer afford the roof
:01:36. > :01:41.over their heads. Julian O'Neill has been finding out more.
:01:41. > :01:45.The change to housing benefit is UK-wide, as part of the
:01:45. > :01:50.Government's welfare reforms. This street in south Belfast includes
:01:50. > :01:56.houses for private rent. Then one of them is a 33-year-old unemployed
:01:56. > :02:01.graduate. She asked not to be identified. Her rent is �300 per
:02:01. > :02:05.month, and the change in how Mont - - how much help she will get could
:02:05. > :02:09.have a drastic impact. They will cut by housing benefit by
:02:09. > :02:15.around 50 %, which will mean obviously I cannot afford to pay my
:02:15. > :02:19.rent anymore. I can't afford to make up that kind of shortfall from
:02:19. > :02:23.Jobseekers' Allowance. There is no way, there isn't enough extra money.
:02:24. > :02:29.I am struggling to make ends meet as it is. There is no extra money
:02:29. > :02:34.to pay rent out of that, as well. It is a cost-cutting move by
:02:34. > :02:38.Westminster. People on benefits aged between 24 and 45 will no
:02:38. > :02:42.longer get a higher category of housing allowance for the in the
:02:42. > :02:49.Rhone. Instead, they will get a lower rate based on of the Shearer
:02:49. > :02:55.Room and a house. Advice centres say the consequences are
:02:55. > :03:00.potentially dire because of the big numbers in rented accommodation.
:03:00. > :03:04.End Northern Ireland we anticipate between 70121000 people will face
:03:04. > :03:08.homelessness. That is a considerable number.
:03:08. > :03:17.They in Northern Ireland as a whole it there are about 42,000 people in
:03:17. > :03:23.private rented accommodation who are on benefits. Overall, as this
:03:23. > :03:28.tightens and the benefits reduced, there will be more than those
:03:28. > :03:35.7,000-12,000. Other reforms in the next two years
:03:35. > :03:39.will fat -- affect a far greater number of people, with experts
:03:39. > :03:42.predicting the impact in Northern Ireland will be as great, if not
:03:42. > :03:45.greater, than anywhere else. The search for the missing Kells
:03:45. > :03:48.man Samuel Campbell has moved to the Glenarm area, where his bicycle
:03:48. > :03:50.was found near the shoreline. The 49-year-old father of three
:03:50. > :03:52.disappeared on Sunday. The coastguard, police, lifeboat crews
:03:53. > :03:58.and mountain rescue teams all took part in today's operation, which
:03:58. > :04:05.they say is still very much a search for a missing person.
:04:05. > :04:10.Natasha Sayee reports. On a wet and windy day, lifeboat
:04:10. > :04:15.crews searched the signs for any -- search for any sign of Mr Campbell.
:04:15. > :04:18.His bicycle was found about one mile load of Glenarm at spotted by
:04:18. > :04:22.a member of the public last night. It was propped up against this
:04:22. > :04:27.section of wall. The police have recovered it and Mr Campbell's
:04:27. > :04:33.family identified it as his. Yesterday police searched fields
:04:33. > :04:36.and hedges along his favourite cycling route. Mr Campbell's
:04:36. > :04:41.friends were amongst those searching, they did not want to
:04:41. > :04:46.appear on camera, but told us they were worried about the waves and
:04:46. > :04:49.strong currents in the area. The police say this investigation is
:04:49. > :04:54.still for a missing person, but want to repeat yesterday's appeal
:04:54. > :04:59.for information. He was last seen around 2:15pm on
:04:59. > :05:06.Sunday afternoon and was seen shortly after by his wife on the
:05:06. > :05:10.path. He left the house wearing a red cycled top, black leggings and
:05:10. > :05:14.riding a road bike. He has not been seen since. We are following lines
:05:14. > :05:18.of inquiry, but at the moment it is about any information people can
:05:18. > :05:23.give us about where he was last seen by them.
:05:23. > :05:28.This CCTV image shows Mr Campbell on Sunday. The police hope someone
:05:28. > :05:31.in the Glenarm area may remember seeing him and will contact them.
:05:31. > :05:33.The police investigation into a fire at a GAA clubhouse in
:05:34. > :05:36.Londonderry has been referred to the Police Ombudsman. Officers were
:05:36. > :05:40.criticised for saying the blaze wasn't suspicious when CCTV
:05:40. > :05:50.pictures showed two people outside the building just before it started.
:05:50. > :05:55.With more, here is our North-West reporter, Keiron Tourish. the fire
:05:55. > :05:59.at the Sean Dolan's GAA club caused considerable anger in the community.
:05:59. > :06:05.It is now estimated the repair bill will run into hundreds of thousands
:06:05. > :06:12.of pounds. Sinn Fein sake elements within the Republic Action Group
:06:12. > :06:18.Against drugs are suspect. There are reports a number of people were
:06:18. > :06:23.asked to leave after a fracas on the premises.
:06:23. > :06:28.There are people sometimes you feel they are above reproach. The plug -
:06:28. > :06:36.- the club acted in a proper manner, they asked these people to leave
:06:36. > :06:39.and if these people raised this cloud -- club to the ground because
:06:39. > :06:45.of that you get some understanding of the table people who would be
:06:45. > :06:49.that. Police initially believed the fire
:06:49. > :06:52.was not suspicious. The PSNI eventually changed their minds
:06:52. > :06:57.after footage showed people outside the club post shortly before the
:06:57. > :07:01.fire started. While that investigation continues, the club
:07:01. > :07:06.confirmed it is committed to rebuilding the complex.
:07:06. > :07:11.The committee meeting of the other night was all passionate about the
:07:11. > :07:15.rebuild, and at the end of the day it is about the kids and the
:07:15. > :07:19.opportunity to develop their culture through GAA and Sean
:07:19. > :07:24.Dolan's. The club was due to celebrate its
:07:24. > :07:27.70th anniversary this summer. This club will move forward, move
:07:28. > :07:34.Biggar, be stronger. Hopefully we'll keep the crowds and more
:07:34. > :07:38.people take up the game. It is competing against soccer in the
:07:38. > :07:42.city, but this will make it stronger, and the general consensus
:07:42. > :07:47.in the community is we will become bigger and better because of it.
:07:47. > :07:49.The club says it is determined to maintain its place at the heart of
:07:49. > :07:52.the community. Police have confirmed that the
:07:52. > :07:55.death of man whose body was found in his van in north Belfast
:07:55. > :08:01.yesterday is not being treated as suspicious. This follows a post
:08:01. > :08:05.mortem examination. The man, who's been named locally as Gary Patton,
:08:05. > :08:08.was from the east of the city. His body was discovered in his works
:08:08. > :08:12.van which was parked up on the kerb at the Greys Lane junction with the
:08:12. > :08:14.Shore Road. He had been there since Friday night and it's understood he
:08:14. > :08:17.had not been reported missing to the police.
:08:17. > :08:20.You are watching BBC Newsline. Still to come...
:08:20. > :08:25.Could history be made by a Dublin minister taking part in Somme
:08:26. > :08:35.commemorations at Belfast City Hall. And tis the season to recycle - so
:08:35. > :08:39.The Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott has defended his party's
:08:39. > :08:42.decision not to join with the Conservatives. The Tory chairman
:08:42. > :08:46.Lord Feldman claimed the UUP were wrong to reject his party's offer
:08:46. > :08:49.to merge. The Conservatives also say they will rebrand their local
:08:49. > :08:56.party in the coming months. Here is our political reporter, Stephen
:08:56. > :09:00.Walker. At a Stormont Reception for a local
:09:00. > :09:07.soldier, there was little sign today that these once brothers in
:09:07. > :09:11.arms may soon be political forces. The Conservatives had to --
:09:11. > :09:14.political enemies. The Conservatives proposed merging the
:09:14. > :09:19.Northern Ireland Tories will the calls the group -- Ulster Unionist
:09:20. > :09:24.Party. Not surprisingly, the UUP did not find the deal attractive.
:09:24. > :09:29.Their proposal was to disband the Ulster Unionist Party, and I would
:09:29. > :09:34.not recommend that to my party Executive and council. If I got a
:09:34. > :09:38.proposal did may have been -- that would have been workable, and would
:09:38. > :09:41.have put it to our membership, but as it wasn't there is no way I
:09:41. > :09:46.would disband the Ulster Unionist Party.
:09:46. > :09:50.Writing in today's Belfast Telegraph, the conservative German,
:09:50. > :09:55.Lord Feldman, said his offer was bold and generous and he said the
:09:55. > :09:59.Ulster Unionists had made a mistake by rejecting the deal. His position
:09:59. > :10:05.is shared by local Conservatives. I think they should have joined
:10:05. > :10:10.with us. They chose not to and I think that was a mistake. It is as
:10:10. > :10:15.simple as that? Yes. They have thrown away all of
:10:15. > :10:19.the schools, the expertise. You could have gone from the council
:10:19. > :10:23.chamber right through to a seat in the Cabinet. We will still offer
:10:23. > :10:28.that two people, but they could have been part of it.
:10:28. > :10:31.The UUP and the local Tories now go their separate ways. A new local
:10:31. > :10:35.Conservative Party supported by Central Office in London is
:10:36. > :10:39.expected to emerge in the coming months. With no MPs or MLAs, how
:10:39. > :10:44.hard will it be to make a political breakthrough?
:10:44. > :10:48.They have been here plenty two years, so all the people who have
:10:48. > :10:52.wanted -- may have wanted to vote Conservative have not done so and
:10:52. > :10:58.22 years, and I don't know why they would suddenly because they
:10:58. > :11:02.reinvent themselves in some new vehicle. Would people vote for
:11:02. > :11:07.something that is not quite at the Conservative Party, he led to vote
:11:07. > :11:11.for it? I don't see that happening. The Conservatives know it will take
:11:11. > :11:14.more than rebranding to change habits here, but if they stand in
:11:14. > :11:19.future elections they may be surrounded by some familiar faces.
:11:19. > :11:22.Who will be their rivals, rather than their allies.
:11:22. > :11:25.With the centenary anniversary approaching, it is time a Dublin
:11:25. > :11:33.minister was invited to Belfast to mark the Battle of the Somme at
:11:33. > :11:34.City Hall in Belfast. That is the view of the SDLP councillor, Pat
:11:34. > :11:37.McCarthy. Councillors are meeting about the
:11:37. > :11:40.invitation this evening, but not everyone agrees it is a good idea.
:11:40. > :11:45.Our political correspondent, Martina Purdy, is there for us this
:11:45. > :11:50.evening. History could be made tonight if
:11:50. > :11:53.the SDLP can convince the other parties it is time to end this
:11:53. > :11:58.division and extend an invitation to a representative of the Irish
:11:58. > :12:04.Government to come to Belfast to the Cenotaph for Somme
:12:04. > :12:08.commemorations and Remembrance Sunday. The councillor behind this,
:12:08. > :12:10.Pat McCarthy of the SDLP, didn't want to talk about it, but I have
:12:10. > :12:15.been talking to Sinn Fein and the DUP about it.
:12:15. > :12:21.No one spoke, but the message was clear of - it is time to move on.
:12:21. > :12:25.The Queen's visit to the National War Memorial last May alongside the
:12:25. > :12:29.Irish president marked a dramatic shift in historic relations. One
:12:29. > :12:35.that has this SDLP councillor thinking it's time Belfast City
:12:35. > :12:38.Council changes the way it honoured the world debt -- war dead, by
:12:38. > :12:47.including a Dublin minister in ceremonies to mark the Somme and
:12:47. > :12:50.Remembrance Sunday. Sinn Fein is unconvinced.
:12:50. > :12:54.All the parties sit on the historic Centenary working group which has
:12:54. > :13:01.been doing good work to plan. It is a little premature, we would like
:13:01. > :13:06.to see these matters being discussed in that group and how we
:13:06. > :13:10.proceed. Sinn Fein is yet to join other
:13:10. > :13:15.parties at the Cenotaph, preferring to have it Meyer's lay a wreath in
:13:15. > :13:20.a separate remembrance ceremony. The SDLP is open -- the DUP is open
:13:20. > :13:24.to the idea, provided there is consultation with the British
:13:24. > :13:30.Legion and protocols are observed. We do know the impact of the
:13:30. > :13:35.Queen's visit had to Dublin, we do not that was a building of the
:13:35. > :13:40.relationship between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, and
:13:41. > :13:46.between Northern Ireland. Their discussions in the Dail have
:13:46. > :13:49.revolved around British regiments, Irish soldiers who fought for
:13:49. > :13:53.freedom and the need to observe that contribution.
:13:53. > :13:57.So far, the closest an Irish Government minister has got into
:13:57. > :14:02.the Belfast Cenotaph was an impromptu tour last November, when
:14:02. > :14:05.the Taoiseach paid a courtesy visit accompanied by the Sinn Fein lord
:14:05. > :14:10.Mayor. What do you think? Do you think the
:14:10. > :14:14.SDLP will win the day? It could happen. They need a
:14:14. > :14:20.minimum of 26 councillors to back this motion. Alliance are on board.
:14:20. > :14:24.It is down to the DUP. They did have a party meeting ahead of
:14:24. > :14:28.tonight's debate. Sinn Fein wants the issue bounced back to the
:14:28. > :14:38.working group, but we will know soon enough. We will keep you up-
:14:38. > :14:39.
:14:39. > :14:43.It it is more than likely that this Christmas someone in your household
:14:43. > :14:47.had their heads stuck in a smart phone, computer or the video
:14:47. > :14:51.console playing a game. Love them or loathe them, gaining is the
:14:51. > :14:54.fastest-growing sector in the entertainment world. The 70
:14:54. > :14:58.billion-dollar global industry and won the Republic is trying to get a
:14:58. > :15:04.bigger slice of. Tomorrow night, we will have a special report from
:15:04. > :15:08.Dublin on how gaining in Ireland is bucking the gloomy economic trend.
:15:08. > :15:11.People are playing Cashel gains on the phone for 10 or 15 minutes on
:15:11. > :15:16.the bus on the way home and that is for the great growth explosion has
:15:17. > :15:23.been. It is also with the opportunity for Ireland is. We're
:15:23. > :15:27.going to say that a lot more women are playing games. I thought you
:15:27. > :15:30.were too smart for those sorts of things!
:15:30. > :15:34.Now, sport and the new Northern Ireland football manager was
:15:35. > :15:38.officially introduced today. Stephen Watson can tell us more.
:15:38. > :15:42.Michael O'Neill is the first Northern Ireland manager to
:15:42. > :15:45.actually reside in Northern Ireland since Bertie Peacock in the 1960s.
:15:45. > :15:49.Today, the new man in charge outlined his vision for the future.
:15:49. > :15:52.His priorities? Changing results and changing the minds of some
:15:53. > :15:56.players, those who have opted to switch to the Republic of Ireland
:15:56. > :16:03.and others like former captain Aaron Hughes, who retired from the
:16:03. > :16:07.international game prematurely. Michael O'Neill settled into the
:16:07. > :16:15.Northern Ireland hot seat very comfortably today. His aim, he says,
:16:15. > :16:19.is to bring back the glory days with everyone on board.
:16:19. > :16:23.important thing is that I will bring an openness to the job. I
:16:23. > :16:29.will focus on making the national team are fully inclusive for all
:16:29. > :16:34.players that are eligible to play. The eligibility issue is of vital
:16:34. > :16:36.importance to a meal. He wants players born in Northern Ireland to
:16:36. > :16:44.represent Northern Ireland and is hoping to increase his talent pool
:16:44. > :16:48.by luring players like James McLean back into his squad. All these lads
:16:48. > :16:52.have played their youth football here and their representatives at
:16:52. > :16:55.all at a younger age groups. It is important that we look after those
:16:55. > :16:58.players and into those players and that they see the benefit of
:16:58. > :17:02.playing for Northern Ireland and having long and distinguished
:17:02. > :17:06.careers for Northern Ireland as to possibly been on the fringes of the
:17:06. > :17:11.Republic of Ireland's international squad. It is no secret that we have
:17:11. > :17:13.to grow our own players and make sure that the players we do grow,
:17:13. > :17:18.maintain their allegiance to Northern Ireland and develop that.
:17:18. > :17:21.We have to try and build a club at the scale within the international
:17:21. > :17:25.set-up, not a Labour in the full squad, but also in the underrate
:17:25. > :17:29.set up and develop a real smooth the path way for the younger
:17:29. > :17:32.players to come through and play for Northern Ireland. Have the
:17:32. > :17:37.ambition and desire to come through and play for Northern Ireland as
:17:37. > :17:40.well. Now, Michael O'Neill has the scars, the shirt and the biggest
:17:40. > :17:45.job in Northern Ireland football. All he needs now is some good
:17:45. > :17:48.results. Absolutely. Michael O'Neill's first game in charge is a
:17:48. > :17:52.friendly against Norway at Windsor Park at the end of next month
:17:52. > :17:57.before the all-important first World Cup qualifier away to Russia
:17:57. > :18:07.in September. A 42, a O'Neill is the youngest national manager in 35
:18:07. > :18:12.years. Michael O'Neill began his playing career with Coleraine back
:18:12. > :18:15.in 1984. It was not long before the fresh faced mid- fielder was
:18:15. > :18:20.headhunted by Newcastle United. Even back then, he did not seem
:18:20. > :18:24.fazed about moving on to bigger and better things. Not really. It is a
:18:24. > :18:27.fantastic opportunity and something I have always wanted to do. I don't
:18:27. > :18:32.have any reservations at all. will go on to become Newcastle's
:18:32. > :18:36.top goalscorer in his first season at son James's Park. He also learnt
:18:36. > :18:43.31 international caps for Northern Ireland, scoring four times for his
:18:43. > :18:48.country. All the stages, all was in there. A little flick from a meal.
:18:48. > :18:50.He has come from a field of three candidates that were notable
:18:50. > :18:55.candidate so and passionate and fans will be looking forward to him
:18:55. > :18:59.as someone who will bring passion to the team. He is someone who is
:18:59. > :19:02.at the forefront of people's minds in terms of his achievements in
:19:02. > :19:06.football and we will give him our full support. He is playing career
:19:06. > :19:11.were taken to Scotland and the United States as well as back home
:19:11. > :19:14.to Glentoran before he made the big step into management. First, in
:19:14. > :19:17.Scotland for three years with Brechin city, before joining
:19:17. > :19:21.Shamrock Rovers three years ago. That is where he achieved his
:19:21. > :19:25.greatest success as a manager, guiding them to two League titles
:19:25. > :19:28.and set and a cup glory. He also made history by being the first
:19:28. > :19:32.manager of the League of Ireland team to reach the group stages of
:19:32. > :19:39.the Europa League. Now, O'Neill faces a tough challenge of
:19:39. > :19:43.transferring his success at club level to the international stage.
:19:43. > :19:46.He will not find us for digging out into the out! Michael O'Neill be
:19:46. > :19:50.hoping that the instant impact in his new job that namesake Martin
:19:50. > :19:53.O'Neill is having at Sunderland. Last night, they beat Wigan four-
:19:53. > :19:57.to-one for a fourth win in six games since O'Neill took over. The
:19:57. > :20:01.win included a first goal for former Derry city striker James
:20:01. > :20:04.McLean which we saw a little earlier. All four of the goals were
:20:04. > :20:09.a bit special. The comprehensive victory has taken O'Neill's team
:20:09. > :20:15.into the top half of the Premier League table. I am delighted with
:20:15. > :20:18.the spirit of eating. Really delighted. If that was not one
:20:18. > :20:24.person one day, it would be someone else the next day and the feed off
:20:24. > :20:29.each other from that viewpoint. A magnificent performance. It is a
:20:29. > :20:33.terrific run for us and it has given us just a wee bit of
:20:33. > :20:38.breathing space. That is all it has done. Obviously, there is a long
:20:38. > :20:41.way to go. This again the inter-county Gaelic
:20:41. > :20:46.football season gets under way with the McKenna Cup. The competition is
:20:46. > :20:49.viewed by many managers as a chance to experiment head of the National
:20:50. > :20:59.League and Championship. For one former All Star from Derry, it is
:20:59. > :21:02.an opportunity to go back on the field after a long injury lay-off.
:21:02. > :21:07.For the past few months paddy Bradley has been a permanent
:21:07. > :21:17.fixture in the chairman. He has pushed himself harder than ever to
:21:17. > :21:22.bounce back from a knee injury that threatened his career. Today is my
:21:22. > :21:27.hundred and 15 session. Have been going for a five times a week and
:21:27. > :21:32.early in the mornings. I want to make sure that whenever I did be re
:21:32. > :21:38.at that I did it properly. If anything did happen, will at least
:21:38. > :21:42.I couldn't say I skipped corners. The 30 eight is one of the most
:21:42. > :21:51.talented forwards in arrogant. After all this individual work, he
:21:51. > :21:55.now needs gain time. Under pressure, you hear you get that feeling.
:21:55. > :22:00.Playing against Cavan and Jordanstown and Donegal, I will see
:22:00. > :22:08.where and in terms of fitness. I would use the McKenna Cup to get
:22:08. > :22:11.much that this back. Some experienced players are or leave
:22:11. > :22:17.out the McKenna Cup and extend the winter break. By one of our heavy
:22:17. > :22:22.weights is back and is ready to go. And an awful lot of people will be
:22:22. > :22:27.glad to see him back. Martin O'Neill has a magic touch but does
:22:27. > :22:35.Michael O'Neill have it? Absolutely. I have none for a long time and Jim
:22:35. > :22:38.Magilton. Both are very deep -- very talented manager. I am
:22:38. > :22:48.delighted to see Michael get the job and his shrewd guy Amble Dear
:22:48. > :22:50.
:22:50. > :22:54.Kerry the chop. A not too much pressure. This week many of us will
:22:54. > :22:58.be making annual trip to the 10th to dispose of Christmas trees, as
:22:58. > :23:01.well as wrapping paper cards, cardboard boxes and all the rest of
:23:01. > :23:08.the festive debris. At present, people bring less material to be
:23:08. > :23:10.some recycled at this time of year. The last morsel of Turkey is
:23:10. > :23:13.probably history now, but many people will be thinking about what
:23:14. > :23:17.to do with their Christmas decorations. Many people in this
:23:17. > :23:21.part of Belfast, there Christmas- tree end up here at this recycling
:23:21. > :23:26.plant of the or more road. There is obviously a lot more waste around
:23:26. > :23:32.this time of year. In January, people are -- fewer people to
:23:32. > :23:35.recycle. Has it been a busy few days? As you can see, there is a
:23:35. > :23:40.constant flow through the side. People who do use the site's use
:23:40. > :23:49.them very well. We would encourage as many people as possible to come
:23:49. > :23:54.here. Recite cling rates shop around the New Year? It is really
:23:54. > :23:58.easy to recycle. You can recycle cards, cans, and bottles. There is
:23:58. > :24:02.no reason why people could not be recycling this. In the long term,
:24:02. > :24:08.it isn't helping are recycling rates, but it is also in acting
:24:08. > :24:14.upon your rates bill. Belfast has some tough recycling targets?
:24:14. > :24:19.Absolutely. In 2012 and 2013, we have to divert a lot of waste from
:24:19. > :24:24.landfill sites. This is like trees and paper. If we do not hit the
:24:24. > :24:27.starters, we will be faced with quite large fines. We have about
:24:27. > :24:30.14,000 tonnes extra the more we already have and that exercisable
:24:30. > :24:36.effort from the people of Belfast to get the finger out and help us
:24:36. > :24:41.meet these targets. Thank you. The traditional date when you should
:24:41. > :24:44.take down your decorations is sixth January. That his two days away and
:24:44. > :24:54.if all this miserable weather has made to feel a bit down, think
:24:54. > :25:11.
:25:11. > :25:15.about this, but is 365 days to go Both the All unfortunately it is
:25:15. > :25:19.still raining and a lot of place at the moment. In some places it has
:25:19. > :25:29.been raining all day. Thank you for your tweeds update me on the rain
:25:29. > :25:29.
:25:30. > :25:34.falls situation. Are warning is still in force and it will remain
:25:35. > :25:39.in force until midnight tonight. Not only the rain today, but also
:25:39. > :25:43.some strong when macro. There is a strong crosswind on the A1 between
:25:43. > :25:49.Belfast and eerie. There have already been reports of flooding.
:25:49. > :25:53.They have been reports of flooding in macro and Ballymena and line.
:25:53. > :25:55.The heavier rain is now more less to the south of Belfast and is
:25:55. > :25:59.starting to clear from the north and it will continue to do so
:25:59. > :26:03.tonight. These pictures were taken at Ballycastle today. The wind is
:26:03. > :26:07.still a feature of the weather a particularly along the North Coast,
:26:07. > :26:13.it will continue to gust to have the night. GUS could reach up to 65
:26:13. > :26:17.mph. The rain will move away, and it will become drier. It will not
:26:17. > :26:21.be especially cold, with no frost or ice. It will be windy to start
:26:21. > :26:27.tomorrow and will ease as the day goes on. Fortunately, especially in
:26:27. > :26:32.the west, a much drier picture. Those winds will still be gusty,
:26:32. > :26:36.especially in coastal areas around County Antrim and may disrupt some
:26:36. > :26:40.of the ferries to Scotland. Gradually, it will ease and because
:26:40. > :26:43.they are strong first thing, a means the showers will blow then
:26:43. > :26:47.quite far south mainland. There could be showers just about
:26:47. > :26:51.anywhere and as the day goes on, there will be more sunshine around
:26:51. > :26:55.and it will be much drier, particularly for western areas. At
:26:55. > :26:58.that of the chill in the wind, temperatures around eight or nine
:26:58. > :27:02.degrees. Temperatures may drop low enough for a touch of frost in
:27:02. > :27:07.places. There is matter whether on the way. Back into double figures
:27:07. > :27:17.on Friday, a little bit of dampness around, but not too much rain this
:27:17. > :27:19.
:27:19. > :27:23.This been a warning from housing experts have thousands of people to