:00:03. > :00:07.Hello, welcome to Midlands Today with Suzanne Virdee and Nick Owen.
:00:07. > :00:10.The headlines tonight. Gale force winds cause havoc on road and rail
:00:10. > :00:17.and 6,000 homes and businesses were without electricity as power lines
:00:17. > :00:26.blow down. A family ask for help to find out who started the fire that
:00:26. > :00:30.killed their loved one in his own home. The fire happened on the
:00:30. > :00:34.night of tat's 87th birthday and Andrew never got the chance to wish
:00:34. > :00:37.him a happy birthday. New figures suggest there's a tough start in
:00:37. > :00:41.store for the region's economy in 2012. And hot stuff ahead of
:00:41. > :00:47.Hotspur - Cheltenham Town tuck into a spicy chicken dinner as they
:00:47. > :00:51.prepare to take on mighty Spurs in the FA Cup.
:00:51. > :00:58.You can always dream and there's always an upset somewhere. If we
:00:58. > :01:06.get a bit of luck, you never know. Good evening, welcome to Thursday's
:01:06. > :01:12.Midlands Today from the BBC. Tonight. Gale force winds cause
:01:12. > :01:15.cause chaos on roads and railways, as dozens of trees are blown down.
:01:15. > :01:20.In some areas, power cables were severed, leaving 6,000 homes and
:01:20. > :01:23.businesses without power supplies. The worst incidents saw the
:01:23. > :01:27.southbound section of the M6 near Coventry closed after a lorry was
:01:27. > :01:33.blown over. Rail services were suspended between Birmingham and
:01:33. > :01:43.Lichfield after a train was hit by a tree. David Gregory has been
:01:43. > :01:47.
:01:47. > :01:51.following today's events. On the railways between Sutton
:01:51. > :01:57.Coldfield and Four Oaks her tree fell on to the roof of a passing
:01:57. > :02:03.train. The line has been closed and so far removed -- removing a fallen
:02:03. > :02:07.tree. Fortunately I came early to give myself Bencher time in case
:02:07. > :02:11.anything happened! I came over to visit relatives and I have no way
:02:11. > :02:15.of getting back now other than about four different buses.
:02:15. > :02:18.Junction 2 of the M6, and a lorry carrying waste overturned in the
:02:18. > :02:21.high winds. This then spilled out and fell onto the motorway below
:02:21. > :02:24.the junction, closing all lanes of the southbound M6. Despite fears
:02:24. > :02:28.that the accident damaged the bridge structurally, it has now
:02:28. > :02:33.been declared safe after inspection. But clear up of the rubbish
:02:33. > :02:37.continues. Around 6,000 people have been affected by power cuts.
:02:37. > :02:43.Electricity cables at Sandon near Stafford came down in the wind.
:02:43. > :02:48.Leaving a local pig farmer worried about his freezers of frozen pork.
:02:48. > :02:52.The fact that the meat is in freezers and we would have to get a
:02:52. > :02:56.generator in images could be out for a long pit of time. We do not
:02:56. > :03:00.open the freezers because of a winter in the longer we would have
:03:00. > :03:03.to throw it away. You've been sending us your pictures of the
:03:03. > :03:07.damage. This house in Newcastle- under-Lyme lost part of its roof.
:03:07. > :03:11.And plenty of trees have come down across the Midlands. Some on
:03:11. > :03:14.vehicles. Others, like this conifer in Willenhall, look set to follow
:03:14. > :03:18.it. And this scene in Telford is typical of the sort of damage
:03:18. > :03:21.caused by the high winds. Across much of the region, the clean-up
:03:21. > :03:29.has continued. Blocked roads have been re-opened as fallen trees have
:03:29. > :03:39.been removed. We have had a very busy 24 hours. We had missed and
:03:39. > :03:44.where the tree fell on to the car and blocked the road. We can get
:03:44. > :03:49.the latest on the travel situation. David is at New Street station.
:03:49. > :03:52.have just been into the station and the record Sutton Coldfield and
:03:52. > :03:56.Lichfield is still suspended because of the tree that fell on
:03:56. > :04:01.the train. Heading south at a Birmingham New Street there are
:04:01. > :04:05.intermittent delays of up to an hour on the route down through
:04:05. > :04:08.Coventry towards London. Across the country as a whole there are
:04:08. > :04:15.similar problems. Wherever you're going on the railway tonight, the
:04:15. > :04:19.advice is to check before you travel. What about the roads?
:04:19. > :04:24.lorry has caught a lot of problems. The southbound M6 at junction to
:04:24. > :04:29.was due to reopen just about now. But for many road and rail
:04:29. > :04:33.commuters tonight he will be really difficult to get home. Three if you
:04:33. > :04:37.are travelling on the train up to Lichfield, you should be up to use
:04:37. > :04:43.your ticket a local bus services and there should be some
:04:43. > :04:53.replacement buses operating as well. Some good news. 6000 homes and
:04:53. > :04:54.
:04:55. > :05:00.businesses without power earlier on and that is down to 1500 tonight.
:05:00. > :05:08.Our weather presenter Ben Rich joins us now. Ben, which areas saw
:05:08. > :05:12.the worst of the weather overnight? You can see the tide isobars across
:05:12. > :05:19.a region. Asda's shares moved through from the North West today
:05:19. > :05:25.was the unstable air their cavers but violent, gusty winds. The
:05:26. > :05:30.strongest gust was 59 mph. It looks a bit calmer through the next few
:05:30. > :05:34.days and I will have the full forecast later in the programme.
:05:34. > :05:37.And for the very latest on the weather and all the details on the
:05:37. > :05:47.travel situation where you are, listen to your BBC Local radio
:05:47. > :05:47.
:05:47. > :05:50.station. The family of a man murdered in an
:05:50. > :05:54.arson attack on his flat in Worcester have spoken about their
:05:54. > :05:57.loss for the first time. Andrew Heath died after he was trapped
:05:57. > :06:00.inside his home by the fire last month. His family and police today
:06:00. > :06:04.appealed for help in catching his killer.
:06:04. > :06:08.A family left simply asking why? 52-year-old Andrew Heath was killed
:06:08. > :06:11.in the early hours of December 14th, as a fire, which had been started
:06:11. > :06:13.deliberately, engulfed his flat, blocking his only means of escape.
:06:13. > :06:22.Today, Andrew's elderly parents, sister and cousin travelled from
:06:22. > :06:28.Eastbourne to appeal for help in finding his murderer. I cannot
:06:28. > :06:31.understand why anyone would do this. They have taken and drew from us
:06:31. > :06:36.and the fire had destroyed all of his most treasured possessions and
:06:36. > :06:39.to us it feels as if he has been eradicated. West Mercia Police have
:06:39. > :06:46.a dedicated team of 40 officers investigating the murder. One line
:06:46. > :06:53.of enquiry they are looking at is Andrew's social interaction online.
:06:53. > :06:59.For a man of 52 years of age, he was very active online. He used on-
:06:59. > :07:03.line Messenger, Facebook and other sites. We are keen to be contacted
:07:03. > :07:09.by anybody who knew Andrew Heath online or off-line. Outside
:07:09. > :07:14.Andrew's flat today, tributes from three weeks ago still remain.
:07:14. > :07:19.At around 6pm on the evening before he died, Andrew Heath went
:07:19. > :07:24.downstairs to his neighbours for a meal. He returned to his flat two
:07:24. > :07:30.hours later. He then spent an hour online but what police want to know
:07:30. > :07:34.is exactly what happened between 9pm and three top 57 the following
:07:34. > :07:40.morning when Mr Heath called emergency services to save his flat
:07:40. > :07:45.was on fire. The fire happened on the night of De's 87th birthday and
:07:45. > :07:49.Andrew never got the chance to wish him a happy birthday. Others like
:07:49. > :07:53.to ask anyone who knows what happened that night to please come
:07:53. > :07:56.forward to help the police and help our family find some answers.
:07:56. > :08:02.Anyone with any information is asked to contact West Mercia Police
:08:02. > :08:05.immediately. A murder inquiry is under way after
:08:05. > :08:08.the body of an elderly woman was found at a cottage in
:08:08. > :08:12.Worcestershire. The woman, who has not yet been formally identified,
:08:12. > :08:15.was found dead yesterday morning at the cottage on the outskirts of
:08:15. > :08:25.Bewdley. West Mercia Police have set up an incident room and say
:08:25. > :08:36.
:08:36. > :08:39.they currently have more than 40 people working on the case.
:08:39. > :08:42.New figures suggest there's a tough start in store for the region's
:08:42. > :08:45.economy in 2012. The latest quarterly survey from the West
:08:45. > :08:48.Midlands Chambers of Commerce shows fewer manufacturing firms are
:08:48. > :08:51.expecting rising sales or the opportunity to take on extra
:08:51. > :09:00.staff.The news came as the Prime Minister paid a visit to a new
:09:00. > :09:05.Enterprise Zone in Herefordshire. These perks are destined for the
:09:05. > :09:10.American market but the home market is a different story. We are
:09:10. > :09:14.pushing hard and putting effort and investment into overseas market.
:09:14. > :09:19.This company employs 220 people here in Walsall and makes machines
:09:19. > :09:22.like this one which will be used in hospitals to sanitise medical
:09:22. > :09:26.equipment. It is the kind of company that the government says
:09:26. > :09:31.can help drive the economy but it is not growing as quickly as last
:09:31. > :09:37.year, so it is employing fewer new members of staff. But echoes what
:09:37. > :09:42.other businesses are experiencing. Page survey by the region's six
:09:42. > :09:49.Chambers of Commerce shows that 35% of firms said their work force had
:09:49. > :09:53.grown between July and September but the number fell to 31% in the
:09:53. > :10:01.following three months. 23% of manufacturers cited inflation as
:10:01. > :10:06.the biggest concern. But firms like Jaguar Land Rover are on the up and
:10:06. > :10:11.Staffordshire's JCB has seen sales rise. Birmingham Paul Ince --
:10:11. > :10:14.double ring has just reported one of his best Christmases ever.
:10:14. > :10:19.Visiting the Herefordshire today, the Prime Minister said the private
:10:19. > :10:24.sector is growing. The businesses I was talking to today expanding onto
:10:24. > :10:27.the site include many businesses taking on more people. Of course it
:10:27. > :10:32.is a difficult year but that does not mean the government should
:10:32. > :10:36.stand back. It is time to roll parsley 10 helpers as Craig shops.
:10:36. > :10:40.But in a region that has seen employment for faster than anywhere
:10:40. > :10:45.else in the country, the Shadow Work impinges Minister says more is
:10:45. > :10:50.needed. We have more than our fair share of the nation's unemployed
:10:50. > :10:53.and low-skilled. Might I admitted that we knew more than our fair
:10:53. > :10:57.share of the resources that the government is making available.
:10:57. > :11:00.This firm is among those hoping that 2012 does not bring more of
:11:00. > :11:04.the same. With us now is Jerry Blackett from
:11:04. > :11:08.Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. It's all a bit confusing, isn't it?
:11:08. > :11:16.One minute there are signs of real hope, the next minute it's all doom
:11:16. > :11:20.and gloom. What's the truth of it? It is a bit of everything. We have
:11:20. > :11:24.a bitter fatigue out there. Last year businesses felt it would be
:11:24. > :11:29.tough and it was but we would have there bounce-back this year. But
:11:29. > :11:35.demand is still weak. Prices is rising and inflation is becoming a
:11:35. > :11:40.worry. Why is that such a problem? It is hurting profitability. The
:11:40. > :11:45.profit margins are getting so tight that businesses are running hard
:11:46. > :11:50.just to stand still. Raw-material costs, rail fare increases, the
:11:50. > :11:54.threat of wage inflation, all of it is hitting confidence. Businesses
:11:54. > :12:02.are not confident enough to go out and interested we are to create
:12:02. > :12:05.jobs. Andy eurozone factor? Massively destabilising. 50% of our
:12:06. > :12:13.exports go to Europe. He does not help when you see the euro in such
:12:13. > :12:19.a terrifying state. All of that leads us to this data which shows
:12:19. > :12:24.confidence really nothing and jobs not been created. And this region
:12:24. > :12:29.needs jobs. We are the only region that has seen private sector
:12:29. > :12:34.employer no riches. How optimistic are you for 2012? I am optimistic
:12:34. > :12:38.because we have a great spirit of enterprise. The love of start-ups
:12:38. > :12:43.in this region is increasing markedly. People cannot care worker
:12:43. > :12:47.and they are starting their own businesses. The design credentials
:12:47. > :12:51.in this region are terrific. I think if we can build on that and
:12:51. > :13:01.get out and export. It is a big world out there, get out and have
:13:01. > :13:12.
:13:12. > :13:15.A post mortem examination has confirmed a couple found dead at
:13:15. > :13:18.their home had been stabbed to death. The bodies of 42-year-old
:13:18. > :13:21.Mark Chandler, and 46-year-old Karen Climpson were found at their
:13:22. > :13:25.house in Cheadle in Staffordshire on Monday. Police say they are not
:13:25. > :13:34.looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths and are
:13:34. > :13:38.treating it as a domestic incident. The plans to offer free parking to
:13:38. > :13:44.shoppers in Coventry were thrown out today. The proposal involve
:13:44. > :13:54.waiving charges to motorists are spending more than �10 in shops.
:13:54. > :13:57.
:13:57. > :14:00.The council said it could leave a �10 million black hole in budgets.
:14:00. > :14:04.But Coventry city centre looking reasonably busy for a wet and windy
:14:04. > :14:08.day, but over the last five years the number of shoppers has fallen
:14:08. > :14:11.by 6%. With 43 empty shops it's led to calls for free parking for
:14:11. > :14:18.shoppers. The call for free shoppers' parking comes as the cost
:14:18. > :14:24.of car parking in Coventry has steadily risen. The idea has been
:14:24. > :14:29.brought to welcome by traders that we spoke to. No more than a pound
:14:29. > :14:33.to park for the whole day. People coming into town they have to pay
:14:33. > :14:37.for parking was a baker to a supermarket they get free parking.
:14:37. > :14:43.I think any incentive to encourage people into the city centre to
:14:43. > :14:50.shoppers a fantastic idea. There has been a steady rise in the cost
:14:50. > :14:57.of parking in the city centre. In 2007, it cost around �2 to park for
:14:57. > :15:01.three hours. In this car park today it now costs around �3. Back
:15:01. > :15:06.coincides with a fault of the number of people using car park of
:15:06. > :15:10.about 20%. The council stresses the economic downturn has played a big
:15:10. > :15:20.part in that fall and says the idea free parking is both unworkable and
:15:20. > :15:23.unaffordable. If you imagine just one person with one �10 where they
:15:23. > :15:27.have bought an Apple somewhere, chewing them somewhere else,
:15:27. > :15:32.newspapers, Ross, coffee and somebody would have to check that
:15:32. > :15:35.it had all been done in the same day. The cost would be enormous.
:15:35. > :15:37.With supermarkets and out of town shopping centres offering free
:15:37. > :15:41.parking it's difficult for city centres to compete, but Coventry's
:15:41. > :15:43.hoping a spruce up for the Olympics and other schemes will make it a
:15:44. > :15:47.more attractive shopping destination.
:15:47. > :15:51.An additional 500 police staff look set to lose their jobs in the West
:15:51. > :15:55.Midlands. It had been predicted that 2,250 posts could go under
:15:55. > :15:58.budget cuts, but that figure now appears to have risen. The increase
:15:58. > :16:01.was revealed at today's meeting of the police authority, as Bob
:16:01. > :16:04.Hockenhull reports. Budget cuts mean the West Midlands
:16:04. > :16:10.force, the second largest in the country, must save �126 million by
:16:10. > :16:17.March 2014. Previously it's been estimated 2,250 posts will need to
:16:17. > :16:22.go by then. But today a revised figure of 2,764 was published at
:16:22. > :16:30.today's West Midlands Police Authority. It's an increase of 500,
:16:31. > :16:36.but senior figures were anxious to play down its significance.
:16:36. > :16:40.latest projection you see news that figure slightly up. But indeed he
:16:40. > :16:43.could move slightly down as other changes that we are undertaking
:16:43. > :16:46.kicking as well. Under the revised cuts estimate, the West Midlands
:16:47. > :16:52.force would have 115 fewer police officers than first predicted. 277
:16:52. > :16:54.fewer backup staff. And 122 fewer community support officers. Those
:16:55. > :16:58.representing rank and file police staff said they understand the
:16:58. > :17:07.pressure to reduce budgets but warned that the scale would have an
:17:07. > :17:10.impact on the service to the public. We have to be open and honest with
:17:10. > :17:16.the public to tell them that we closed fewer staff the service that
:17:16. > :17:20.we offer will have to be reduced. This new higher figure has emerged
:17:20. > :17:25.at a time when the police force is looking to find a private sector
:17:25. > :17:28.partner to help run some services. The chief constable said today that
:17:28. > :17:32.that would revolutionise the way the forces run here in the West
:17:32. > :17:35.Midlands. And it will be an operation that will have to rely
:17:35. > :17:40.increasingly on technical advances to fight crime to compensate for
:17:40. > :17:43.the reduced numbers of officers. Motorists heading from the Midlands
:17:44. > :17:48.to London are being warned to change their route this weekend, as
:17:48. > :17:50.part of the M6 and M1 motorways are closed at a crucial junction. From
:17:50. > :17:55.tomorrow night, the Catthorpe Interchange near Rugby, where the
:17:55. > :17:58.M6 meets the M1, is being closed for 36 hours. It's because a
:17:58. > :18:04.flyover, which takes traffic onto the M1 is being demolished. The
:18:04. > :18:08.closure will mean lengthy diversions. Here's Peter Plisner.
:18:08. > :18:11.Preparing for the demolition - above and by the side of two of
:18:11. > :18:15.England's busiest motorways. With the new viaduct complete and
:18:15. > :18:25.already in use, this weekend the race will be on to remove the old
:18:25. > :18:30.one. I am standing on what used to be the fast lane of the M6 heading
:18:30. > :18:34.southbound before we join the M1. We can you road complete the job
:18:34. > :18:38.now is to demolish the old viaduct and that will happen over the next
:18:38. > :18:42.three days. Costing more than �21 million, the new viaduct was needed
:18:42. > :18:50.because, quite literally, the old one was falling down. For more than
:18:50. > :18:55.a decade, props like this have kept it in use. Just under 5000 tons of
:18:55. > :19:00.concrete will be taken in demolition waste and we have
:19:00. > :19:03.workers operating in a co-ordinated operation. And this bridge
:19:03. > :19:07.demolition, also on the M1, shows just what will happen over the
:19:07. > :19:10.weekend - instead of blowing it up, contactors will nibble away at the
:19:10. > :19:13.concrete until the bridge has been completely removed. But the
:19:13. > :19:16.demolition will mean lengthy diversions for some drivers. There
:19:16. > :19:26.will be closures of the M1 northbound between junctions 19 and
:19:26. > :19:29.
:19:29. > :19:33.20, and southbound between 19 and 18. Three days does not so much to
:19:33. > :19:38.demolish a large structure like this. Are you confident you can do
:19:38. > :19:42.it? Absolutely. We have a very good team on board to ensure it is a
:19:42. > :19:46.success. And if it is, both motorways should be fully open
:19:47. > :19:50.again by noon on Sunday. Cheltenham Town will aim to become
:19:50. > :19:53.FA Cup giantkillers on Saturday when they play premier League high
:19:53. > :19:58.flyers Tottenham. They'll have to overcome a gap of three divisions
:19:58. > :20:01.to do it. But The Robins are in form - and they're in good heart
:20:01. > :20:05.after being treated to their favourite meal out. As Dan Pallett
:20:05. > :20:08.reports. Look what the FA Cup's cooked up
:20:08. > :20:16.this year. For Cheltenham Town, every cup game means a slap-up feed
:20:16. > :20:22.at their favourite chicken restaurant. It's become a tradition.
:20:22. > :20:26.Have you done this evidence of Iraq? Yes. It seems to be working.
:20:26. > :20:29.Yes, everyone enjoys it. Manager Mark Yates wants Cheltenham to
:20:29. > :20:36.relax and enjoy themselves this week - because on Saturday they
:20:36. > :20:41.face Premier League Tottenham and a gulf of three divisions. We are
:20:41. > :20:44.under no illusions about the quality that they have. What ever
:20:44. > :20:49.team that goes out there in a white shirt will be full of
:20:49. > :20:54.internationals with pace, power and quality. We are not going to Burton
:20:54. > :20:58.ourselves with too much of how good they are. And Cheltenham are
:20:58. > :21:05.already smiling. They're second in league two and have lost just once
:21:05. > :21:09.in their last 15 league games. Their cup run is an added bonus.
:21:09. > :21:14.Whatever the outcome might think we will enjoy it. We have worked very
:21:14. > :21:17.hard to get where we are and now it is a case of enjoying the next few
:21:17. > :21:26.days, enjoy Saturday playing with some of the best players in the
:21:26. > :21:31.world and seeing what we can do. be after a shed at the end? Yes,
:21:31. > :21:34.though the kit man does not like it! The third round of the FA Cup
:21:34. > :21:43.always serves up at least one surprise - Cheltenham Town are
:21:43. > :21:45.hoping they can provide it. Lots of light to them. And BBC
:21:45. > :21:48.Radio Gloucestershire will begin their build-up in Saturday's
:21:48. > :21:52.breakfact show. Steve Kitchen's Matchday starts at 1.30, with full
:21:52. > :21:55.match commentary and all the reaction from White Hart Lane.
:21:55. > :21:58.The Tamworth goalkeeper Jonathan Hedge says he'll be checking the
:21:58. > :22:01.weather forecast before Saturday's FA Cup tie at Everton. The Everton
:22:01. > :22:08.goalkeeper scored this amazing goal during last night's 2-1 home defeat
:22:08. > :22:15.by Bolton Wanderers. And his opposite number at the non-league
:22:15. > :22:19.side says he'll be prepared for anything at Goodison on Saturday.
:22:19. > :22:24.It was blustery and windy conditions at Goodison Park last
:22:24. > :22:28.night and it bounced about 20 feet up in the air. The keeper try to
:22:28. > :22:32.scrabble bag and it ended up in the back of the net. I think Tim Howard
:22:32. > :22:36.was a bit surprised as he did not celebrate whereas he was me I will
:22:36. > :22:39.be running all the way around the ground!
:22:39. > :22:42.And we'll have more on the build-up to Tamworth's big day in tomorrow's
:22:42. > :22:46.programme. Many of us will have ventured to a
:22:46. > :22:49.panto over Christmas but how many of us regularly support our local
:22:49. > :22:52.theatres? It's often not cheap, and with many of us watching the
:22:52. > :22:56.pennies, theatres and arts venues across the region have come up with
:22:56. > :23:01.a new way to lure us to more live performances. Satnam Rana has been
:23:01. > :23:06.meeting some who have already signed up to it.
:23:06. > :23:09.Three theatregoers with a passion for the arts. Sandra, Dot and Lorna
:23:09. > :23:19.have always attended performances at The Belgrade in Coventry but now
:23:19. > :23:19.
:23:19. > :23:22.they're going to commit a little more. We have not seen these before.
:23:22. > :23:25.They have signed up to the I Like Theatre resolution - effectively a
:23:26. > :23:32.pledge card promising to attend three or six shows across several
:23:32. > :23:36.venues. There's no discount involved, just a commitment.
:23:36. > :23:43.thought it would be something new and exciting to do, something a bit
:23:43. > :23:46.different. A great idea and a good new year resolution. It's all the
:23:46. > :23:53.idea of this man - artistic director of Stan's Cafe Theatre in
:23:53. > :23:58.Birmingham. We are all working together so much more now that it
:23:58. > :24:02.is an idea about bringing theatres together. It has come out of the
:24:02. > :24:05.theatre committee wanting to reach more people. Many organisations are
:24:05. > :24:08.facing budget cuts and this resolution card could be the answer
:24:08. > :24:18.to retain audiences. Here at the Belgrade, audiences were down 14%
:24:18. > :24:21.last year compared to the previous year. Box office is any one form or
:24:21. > :24:25.PHI income we also have local- authority funding and funding from
:24:25. > :24:28.the Arts Council and all of those incomes are under pressure. From
:24:28. > :24:33.our point of view we feel we are in good nick to be facing these
:24:33. > :24:38.challenges but it is going to be very interesting times.
:24:38. > :24:43.Belgrave it is not the only venue taking part. Across the region, 29
:24:43. > :24:46.venues and companies are taking part in the initiative. So, these
:24:46. > :24:56.three ladies will have plenty of choices this year - and partipating
:24:56. > :24:58.
:24:58. > :25:03.organisations have a better chance of keeping audience numbers up.
:25:03. > :25:07.And where are you off tonight? A moth to the pantomime! Stand-in for
:25:07. > :25:10.one of the Adli sisters! Well, let's talk weather again now - it's
:25:10. > :25:20.been causing all sorts of problems. How are things looking for tonight
:25:20. > :25:20.
:25:20. > :25:25.Some improvements. But it has felt like dazed each of year again today.
:25:26. > :25:29.We saw the problem that Dublin's caused. We still have one flood
:25:29. > :25:33.warning on the River Severn in Shrewsbury at the moment but to the
:25:33. > :25:38.next few days those problem should ease because it is mostly dry wit
:25:38. > :25:42.lighter wind. We have seen plenty of low pressure this week. This is
:25:42. > :25:46.the one responsible for the stormy conditions last night and this
:25:46. > :25:51.morning. But high pressure is starting to build from the West and
:25:51. > :25:54.that will settle things down through the next few days. We still
:25:54. > :25:59.have won a two showers feeding him from the north-west. As we go
:25:59. > :26:05.through the night they will fade away. The wind will lessen and
:26:05. > :26:09.under clear skies it will turn quite cold. Perhaps a bit lower in
:26:09. > :26:14.the countryside. The Met Office have issued a yellow warning for
:26:14. > :26:20.ice. As temperatures drop away they could be slippery surfaces tomorrow
:26:20. > :26:24.morning. A cold, frosty start but a bright start and quite calm as well.
:26:24. > :26:31.We will see a little bit more in the way of cloud feeding him from
:26:31. > :26:36.the West by the end of the afternoon.She should stay dry with
:26:36. > :26:41.temperatures up to seven or eight Celsius. Tomorrow evening, things
:26:41. > :26:47.will turn a bit breezy but nothing like the last few days. A few bits
:26:47. > :26:50.of brain as well. As we head into Saturday, here it is the ridge of
:26:50. > :26:56.high pressure exerting its influence and settling things down
:26:56. > :27:00.as we head into the weekend. For Saturday and Sunday is to be main
:27:00. > :27:10.the fine and dry. Quite a lot of cloud at times and temperatures up
:27:10. > :27:13.
:27:13. > :27:16.to nine or ten Celsius but the wind That is a relief! A look at
:27:16. > :27:19.tonight's main headlines. The deaths of three elderly patients at
:27:19. > :27:23.Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport - a male nurse is arrested. And
:27:23. > :27:26.gale force winds cause havoc on road and rail - 6,000 homes and
:27:26. > :27:33.businesses were without electricity. That's all from us this evening,