:00:10. > :00:16.Getting the South West back on track ` the Prime Minister promises
:00:17. > :00:20.whatever it takes. Good evening and welcome to
:00:21. > :00:26.Spotlight. David Cameron was visiting the rail line at Dawlish to
:00:27. > :00:30.see the scale of the damage. If money needs to be spent, it will be
:00:31. > :00:34.spent. If the military can help, they will be there. We must do
:00:35. > :00:36.everything, but it will take time to put these things right.
:00:37. > :00:45.Tonight, we'll have reaction to his visit as critics question whether he
:00:46. > :00:49.can deliver on his promises. The flooding is costing the
:00:50. > :00:53.south`west between ?5 and ?7 million a day. The figures confirm new fears
:00:54. > :00:57.that the region will take longer to recover than had been first
:00:58. > :01:01.thought, with the tourist industry that Italy fundable.
:01:02. > :01:05.And, the threat to our wildlife, a charity steps in after hundreds of
:01:06. > :01:13.birds are found dead on our beaches as a result of the storms.
:01:14. > :01:17.The prime pledged the cash, resources and military to get the
:01:18. > :01:22.rail line repaired. On the second day of his visit to storm damaged
:01:23. > :01:25.areas of the south`west, David Cameron visited Dawlish to see for
:01:26. > :01:31.himself the scale of the work needed to get the line fixed. He also
:01:32. > :01:33.repeated the pledge to look at all the alternative options for
:01:34. > :01:36.re`routing the line. In a moment we'll have reaction to the Prime
:01:37. > :01:39.Minister's promises for the region, first Chloe Axford reports on day
:01:40. > :01:43.two of his visit here. David Cameron has spent his time in
:01:44. > :01:48.the south`west alongside engineers and rail workers are builders,
:01:49. > :01:51.police officers and soldiers. In short, the people whose job it is to
:01:52. > :01:55.get on and deal with the practical effects of the bad weather. The
:01:56. > :01:59.message he was at pains to get across in Dawlish this morning was
:02:00. > :02:02.this. When it comes to getting things back on track, the government
:02:03. > :02:06.will do whatever it takes to get normal service resumed. We have two
:02:07. > :02:10.recognise it is going to take time before we can get things back to
:02:11. > :02:15.normal. We are in for a long haul. But the government will do is
:02:16. > :02:19.everything it can to coordinate the resources. If money needs to be
:02:20. > :02:23.spent, it will be spent. If the military can help, they will be
:02:24. > :02:27.there. We must do everything, but it is going to take time to put these
:02:28. > :02:32.things right. In a nearby cafe, the promise of help got a mixed
:02:33. > :02:37.response. He speaks a lot of sense. The fact he has come to Dawlish, he
:02:38. > :02:41.cares. I think he has come here just to gain more votes. I can't see what
:02:42. > :02:46.he is going to do about it. He seems to be doing things, yes. Rather than
:02:47. > :02:50.sitting up at Westminster. The premise of them returned to
:02:51. > :02:53.Somerset, his second visit in seven days. This time he met emergency
:02:54. > :02:58.teams at the Flood control centre. He promised not to leave waterlogged
:02:59. > :03:02.flood victims high and dry. We are going to look at what we can do to
:03:03. > :03:05.help farmers and businesses suffering from the floods. That
:03:06. > :03:09.means insurance companies acting quickly and we will be on to them to
:03:10. > :03:13.do that, but we will also continue to consider whether wider help is
:03:14. > :03:19.needed for those businesses that have been very disrupted. While
:03:20. > :03:22.David Cameron can't control the tide or the weather, he has been keen to
:03:23. > :03:26.give the impression at least of having a firm grip on the fallout.
:03:27. > :03:30.Labour have called tonight for a speedy decision by the government on
:03:31. > :03:34.a reliable and resilient rail route in and out of the South West. The
:03:35. > :03:36.Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw wants a review into any alternative routes
:03:37. > :03:39.around Dawlish to be completed by the summer at the latest. Mr
:03:40. > :03:48.Bradshaw joins me now from Westminster. You must welcome the
:03:49. > :03:52.Prime Minister's commitment to throw all resources necessary to get the
:03:53. > :03:57.line open and to look at possible alternatives in the future. Yes, I
:03:58. > :04:00.welcome the new sense of urgency we have seen in the last two days, and
:04:01. > :04:03.also the language from the government about money being no
:04:04. > :04:07.object. But we must judge them on the delivery. We were made the same
:04:08. > :04:11.promises after the floods last winter. ?31 million was promised to
:04:12. > :04:15.improve the protection of the railways and that money still has
:04:16. > :04:20.not been livid. Let's judge on the delivery, rather than just the
:04:21. > :04:23.words. I spoke to the Department for Transport about that ?31 million,
:04:24. > :04:27.and they said they are still looking at the funding options for that. But
:04:28. > :04:31.they say the maintenance work at the Whitehall tunnel is part of the
:04:32. > :04:37.plan. You have the Prime Minister on the one hand saying the money is no
:04:38. > :04:40.object, and been the Department for Transport saying they are still
:04:41. > :04:43.looking at funding options. The Prime Minister was clear today that
:04:44. > :04:48.money should be no object, but we need to see that in reality. Why
:04:49. > :04:51.didn't Labour do more about this track and the vulnerability of it
:04:52. > :04:55.while you were in office, because there were plenty of warnings. In
:04:56. > :05:01.the late 90s the route was closed regular. The former Totnes MP led a
:05:02. > :05:10.long campaign for re`routing it, but in 2006, Derek take `` Twigg said it
:05:11. > :05:15.did not need re`routing. We have had the biggest capital investment since
:05:16. > :05:21.the Second World War... But you did not reboot the line. The advice from
:05:22. > :05:24.Network Rail was that the Dawlish line would be OK for the foreseeable
:05:25. > :05:33.future. They got that advice badly wrong. It was overoptimistic. The
:05:34. > :05:37.climate change experts in Exeter have told me for years that the line
:05:38. > :05:42.is not viable in the long term. Yes, we need to get it running in the
:05:43. > :05:47.short`term as quickly as possible, but we need an alternative for the
:05:48. > :05:50.well`being of the south`west. If Labour win next year's election,
:05:51. > :05:54.will you match the commitment that the primers that has made today to
:05:55. > :05:59.commit every resource needed, but also to look at every possible
:06:00. > :06:05.alternative? I have no doubt that we will. We set up the kit review after
:06:06. > :06:09.the terrible floods of 2007 which had 92 recommendations. They were
:06:10. > :06:13.being implemented until we left office. The government is not
:06:14. > :06:19.publishing its response any more. Ed Balls has said that the Labour
:06:20. > :06:23.government has spent more on capital investment. We desperately need for
:06:24. > :06:26.this outdated infrastructure. Ben Bradshaw, thank you. New figures
:06:27. > :06:29.compiled for the BBC suggest that the disruption caused by flooding is
:06:30. > :06:34.costing the region's economy between ?5 million and ?7 million a day. The
:06:35. > :06:37.figures for Devon, Cornwall and Somerset confirm new fears that the
:06:38. > :06:40.region will take longer to recover than had been first thought.
:06:41. > :06:43.Hoteliers in particular are already worried about the impact of
:06:44. > :06:54.cancellations for the half term holiday next week and for Easter.
:06:55. > :06:58.Simon Hall reports. It is the south`west's biggest
:06:59. > :07:01.industry, the tourist trade. Economists fear for it most
:07:02. > :07:05.following the storms. For a region which trades on its natural beauty,
:07:06. > :07:12.the negative publicity from the damage caused may be hard to
:07:13. > :07:16.counter. At Dukes in in Sidmouth they have already had bookings for
:07:17. > :07:19.Valentines weekend cancelled because of the storms, and are worried about
:07:20. > :07:26.the longer impact on visitor numbers. We have had some people who
:07:27. > :07:29.were due to come down for the Valentines weekend, and now some
:07:30. > :07:36.have been concerned about whether we are still here. An analysis for the
:07:37. > :07:39.BBC by one of the south`west's leading economists estimate the
:07:40. > :07:45.storms and flooding are costing the economy up to ?7 million a day.
:07:46. > :07:50.Kevin Butler, who was an adviser to the Bank of England, expects the
:07:51. > :07:54.problems to include fitful in shops down, college issues causing delays,
:07:55. > :07:59.passengers on trains and road suffering delays and cancelling
:08:00. > :08:01.journeys, the sodden ground meaning building work is delayed, and
:08:02. > :08:08.fishermen being unable to get to see. Undoubtedly their weather is
:08:09. > :08:12.affecting footfall in the shops, and consumer spending is important in
:08:13. > :08:15.the West Country. Unfortunately, perceptions may be that the West
:08:16. > :08:18.Country is cut off at the moment, but it will improve as the weather
:08:19. > :08:22.improves through the year, and I hope that things will return to
:08:23. > :08:26.normal. Following the storms, any losses for the region's tourist
:08:27. > :08:32.industry this year would be keenly felt as it follows a very strong
:08:33. > :08:36.visitor season last year. It is particularly unfortunate that this
:08:37. > :08:39.damage to the economy comes as the south`west is finally starting to
:08:40. > :08:43.recover from the long economic downturn. Even more worryingly, the
:08:44. > :08:48.weather is showing no signs of relenting yet.
:08:49. > :08:52.Tonight, the Prime Minister announced that he is cancelling his
:08:53. > :08:55.visit to the Middle East next week to try and resolve the floods
:08:56. > :08:58.crisis. He also said he is setting up a new Cabinet committee to
:08:59. > :09:05.oversee the recovery. Martyn Oates is with me now. Good news for the
:09:06. > :09:08.South West then? He opened his press conference by building on that
:09:09. > :09:12.financial pledge he made at Dawlish this morning saying that across the
:09:13. > :09:16.country money is no object in this relief effort. He says that Network
:09:17. > :09:20.Rail are working 18 hours a day to mend the breach in the track at
:09:21. > :09:24.Dawlish and that capacity will increase on the Somerset Levels to
:09:25. > :09:29.pump water out more quickly. And this is a bigger role for the Armed
:09:30. > :09:32.Forces? Yes, he says the government will now be contacting councils in
:09:33. > :09:35.flood stricken areas and asking them if they want the military to come
:09:36. > :09:40.in, rather than waiting for the Council is to request it. His advice
:09:41. > :09:44.to local authorities is not to think twice, the military are there to
:09:45. > :09:48.help. He also says that we are to be clear about what the military are
:09:49. > :09:52.going to do to help may arrive. He said when they arrived in Somerset,
:09:53. > :09:56.apparently the County Council were not sure how best to use them. And
:09:57. > :09:59.he announced a number of schemes to help people recover from the floods.
:10:00. > :10:03.There are a specific number of schemes to help householders,
:10:04. > :10:07.farmers and businesses to recover from the floods. He said there will
:10:08. > :10:11.be a big review to look at where flood defence schemes should be
:10:12. > :10:14.placed in future. He also said there should be a particular emphasis on
:10:15. > :10:17.transport infrastructure. Thank you.
:10:18. > :10:20.On the subject of the future shape of our railway, politicians and
:10:21. > :10:23.business leaders in Plymouth are relieved that the Prime Minister
:10:24. > :10:26.says all options for a possible inland rail route will be
:10:27. > :10:29.considered. He met them during his visit to the region after it emerged
:10:30. > :10:39.Network Rail had already identified Okehampton as their preferred route.
:10:40. > :10:43.Neil Gallacher reports. The Prime Minister's intervention
:10:44. > :10:46.being held today as crucial came after he had visited Plymouth to
:10:47. > :10:51.hear about the massive rail implications further down the line
:10:52. > :10:54.from the Dawlish breach. Plymouth politicians and business leaders are
:10:55. > :10:59.insistent that any inland rail route that is built to back`up the
:11:00. > :11:04.mainline on the coast is fast and direct. They backed a route that was
:11:05. > :11:08.proposed in the 1930s. This would go inland from a point near Newton
:11:09. > :11:12.Abbot, go behind Teignmouth and Dawlish, and rejoin the main line on
:11:13. > :11:17.the X history. Plymouth feels the option that Network Rail told the
:11:18. > :11:23.BBC was their preferred route, which would see trains to London head out
:11:24. > :11:28.West and then branch east from the Olsen towards Tavistock, as
:11:29. > :11:34.currently proposed, and then go along the old track to join today's
:11:35. > :11:36.freight line at Malden, and then curve around Okehampton towards
:11:37. > :11:42.Exeter. The Prime Minister said all options will be considered. In
:11:43. > :11:47.Plymouth today, those words brought a sense of relief. This is our
:11:48. > :11:52.moment to get the railway we need. By all means get the current coastal
:11:53. > :11:56.route up and running. Of course we need that. We need that as soon as
:11:57. > :12:00.possible, but for the immediate future, for the immediate future we
:12:01. > :12:06.need a decision, and we need to get on with the Dawlish inland route.
:12:07. > :12:10.That view chimes with opinions from Dawlish where there is a fear that
:12:11. > :12:13.any route through Dartmoor might eventually eclipse the coast route
:12:14. > :12:17.altogether. In West Devon, the council leader said he was excited.
:12:18. > :12:21.This could go on for months or years.
:12:22. > :12:24.Homes and families on the Somerset Levels are still suffering from
:12:25. > :12:29.rising floodwaters tonight. The village of East Lyng has seen water
:12:30. > :12:32.rise by more than 12 inches in the past few days, and some have now
:12:33. > :12:43.abandoned their homes. Andrew Plant has this report.
:12:44. > :12:51.Some of Somerset's most picturesque countryside now under five feet of
:12:52. > :12:58.water. That is his front door. In the back garden of this home, a
:12:59. > :13:03.prized possession. It was left standing in the rush to save people
:13:04. > :13:08.and pets before the water came in. The worst it has been by a long way.
:13:09. > :13:14.The family that were here have fled. Their neighbour says someone
:13:15. > :13:20.has already tried to break in. The locks have been damaged. There is
:13:21. > :13:24.nothing left in there to steal. It is all floating around, it is all
:13:25. > :13:29.ruined. This was the house over the road on Saturday. Neighbours working
:13:30. > :13:36.to make a protective wall. This morning, that water is now afoot
:13:37. > :13:40.deeper. These tiny palms are working flat out, and still the situation is
:13:41. > :13:48.tense. Everything feels like it could just crumble at any second.
:13:49. > :13:52.This is part of the plan. Lorries lined up with huge pumps on their
:13:53. > :13:57.backs. Giant machinery, making sure the Somerset Levels have better
:13:58. > :14:04.weapons to fight this war on water. This is the king said Schwartz ``
:14:05. > :14:08.Khin Sedgemore drain. They are building a solid platform which will
:14:09. > :14:12.house eight of those huge plates we have seen over the last few weeks.
:14:13. > :14:16.At high tide when the river has trouble flowing out to sea, they
:14:17. > :14:20.will suck up the water off the Somerset Levels and blasted out into
:14:21. > :14:26.the river and straight out to sea. That will ease the whole system
:14:27. > :14:30.here. A couple came in early today because they needed toothbrushes.
:14:31. > :14:38.They had to leave everything they had. Nearby in Bridgwater, the
:14:39. > :14:43.relief effort has supplies, the essentials and basics which for many
:14:44. > :14:48.are now floating in dirty water. The only way to this farm means walking
:14:49. > :14:51.the plank. With luck, this defence will be the difference between
:14:52. > :15:03.living at home with water outside every window, or having to escape as
:15:04. > :15:06.it finally pours inside. Hundreds of birds have been found
:15:07. > :15:09.dead on beaches across the region following the relentless storms.
:15:10. > :15:13.Many have become exhausted from the high winds and lack of food. Some
:15:14. > :15:16.have been coated in oil that has been washed in. Janine Jansen has
:15:17. > :15:21.been to the West Hatch RSPCA centre in Taunton where rescued birds are
:15:22. > :15:26.being treated. There are reports that hundreds of birds have been
:15:27. > :15:29.found dead on our region's beaches. Around ten rescued birds a day are
:15:30. > :15:36.coming in here to West Hatch, and this is the holding area where many
:15:37. > :15:40.birds are waiting to be cleaned. There are guillemots, puffins and
:15:41. > :15:45.razorbills. One of the worst places was Chesil Beach in Dorset, but also
:15:46. > :15:52.dead and oiled birds have been found in Kingsbridge, Seaton and Lyme Bay.
:15:53. > :15:56.It has been an exceptional year. It started way before Christmas with
:15:57. > :16:03.seals coming in. We are full to the annals of grey seals. They are
:16:04. > :16:06.taking up some of our bird pool space which is causing us real
:16:07. > :16:11.problems. We are having to juggle animals around just to fit them in
:16:12. > :16:15.and give them the right conditions as they progressed through the
:16:16. > :16:19.rehabilitation system. More than 50 birds have so far been brought in to
:16:20. > :16:25.be cleaned. They are not really bad. They have small amount of oil on
:16:26. > :16:32.their chest and wings, but it is not that bad. Staff here believe the
:16:33. > :16:36.ferocity of the waves has whipped up pockets of oil in the sea. Many of
:16:37. > :16:43.the birds are thin and exhausted. These killer marts are almost ready
:16:44. > :16:49.to be released. `` guillemots. They have had their final wash. They have
:16:50. > :16:54.been here for a couple of weeks and we are now doing the final tests on
:16:55. > :17:00.their waterproofing. They won't be released until the weather improves,
:17:01. > :17:05.but there is no letup yet. Five more birds came into night and nine more
:17:06. > :17:08.are due tomorrow. Other news now, and a charity is
:17:09. > :17:12.claiming people on average wages in the region would need to take home
:17:13. > :17:15.around ?22,500 more a year, just to keep up with rising house prices.
:17:16. > :17:19.The report from Shelter reveals the South Hams in Devon is one of the
:17:20. > :17:23.most expensive areas to live. It comes a day after a group of young
:17:24. > :17:26.people from South Devon who are priced out of the property market
:17:27. > :17:35.travelled to Westminster to lobby the housing minister. Anna Varle
:17:36. > :17:38.reports. Charlotte has been homeless for
:17:39. > :17:42.months, despite working full`time as a carer. She can't afford rental
:17:43. > :17:49.prices, never mind getting on the property ladder. I am just under
:17:50. > :17:55.?600 a month. To rent in Totnes just for a room it is between ?300 ` ?450
:17:56. > :17:59.a month, sometimes not including bills. Once you have paid bills and
:18:00. > :18:08.the necessities of feeding yourself, getting yourself to work, I am left
:18:09. > :18:12.with nothing. Research from the charity Shelter shows the gap
:18:13. > :18:16.between wages and house prices continues to grow. It says the South
:18:17. > :18:20.Hams is the most expensive place to live in the region. You would need
:18:21. > :18:28.to be earning ?29,000 more than the average salary to buy here. That is
:18:29. > :18:32.over ?47,500. The cheapest place to buy is in West Devon, where you
:18:33. > :18:37.would only need to earn ?33,000 to get on the property ladder. In the
:18:38. > :18:42.late 1990s, a property like this would of course due on average
:18:43. > :18:49.around five times your salary. In 2012, this figure rose to ten times
:18:50. > :18:53.your income. Charlotte's situation is not uncommon. Sasha was 15 when
:18:54. > :18:57.she left home. Being in full`time education, she found she could not
:18:58. > :19:04.afford rent and food. She is now living with a friend, but the mental
:19:05. > :19:08.stress has taken its toll. I had extreme sleep paralysis. I had to
:19:09. > :19:15.just push through, and each night I would have horrible nightmares.
:19:16. > :19:17.Extreme stress, I would wake up and feel exhausted. Then I would have to
:19:18. > :19:24.carry on with my education. Keep whooshing through. To highlight the
:19:25. > :19:28.issue, Charlotte, Sasha and a group of other young people travel to
:19:29. > :19:30.Westminster yesterday to try and persuade the housing minister to
:19:31. > :19:34.address the shortage of affordable homes.
:19:35. > :19:38.The treatment of two whistle`blowers by bosses at Torbay Hospital may
:19:39. > :19:41.deter staff from speaking out in future, according to a leading NHS
:19:42. > :19:44.investigator and health unions. However, the news that the
:19:45. > :19:46.hospital's chief executive has been suspended while her behaviour is
:19:47. > :19:59.investigated has been welcomed. Sally Mountjoy reports.
:20:00. > :20:03.Paula has been suspended while the board looks into concerns raised at
:20:04. > :20:06.an employment tribunal. Two women had accused her of nepotism over the
:20:07. > :20:10.appointment of her daughter's boyfriend to a job at the hospital.
:20:11. > :20:15.The tribunal said the hospital trust have tried to cover up the claims
:20:16. > :20:18.and victimised the women who had blown the whistle. Health unions say
:20:19. > :20:22.it is right to suspend the Chief Executive while she is under
:20:23. > :20:27.investigation, but the case will deter NHS staff from flagging up
:20:28. > :20:33.their worries in future. Many trusts are facing serious financial crises
:20:34. > :20:37.in the south`west, and staff have got to have the confidence to be
:20:38. > :20:41.able to point those things out when they arise, and if they see members
:20:42. > :20:46.of staff elsewhere who have suffered a detriment and have to go to and
:20:47. > :20:50.implement tribunal, it will not give them the confidence to come forward.
:20:51. > :20:55.Robert Francis wrote the pivotal report into the care failings that
:20:56. > :20:59.led to the deaths of hundreds of patients in Stafford. He says what
:21:00. > :21:02.is happening at Torbay Hospital is an example of oppressive behaviour
:21:03. > :21:10.that is hugely damaging to the confidence of staff alternating
:21:11. > :21:13.raising concerns. The South Devon board insists those who speak out
:21:14. > :21:17.will be treated fairly. The issues here are nothing to do with health
:21:18. > :21:20.care. The health care here is excellent, but we agree that people
:21:21. > :21:25.should have the ability to raise concerns without fear, and so we
:21:26. > :21:29.would encourage any staff with concerns to raise them with us and
:21:30. > :21:34.they will be treated very fairly when we investigate. Local union
:21:35. > :21:40.officials say staff have been left appalled and worried by the
:21:41. > :21:41.whistle`blowing case, and says the trust has much to do to restore
:21:42. > :21:45.confidence. It's like a plot from EastEnders `
:21:46. > :21:48.that's how the case of a Plymouth woman who cancelled her brother's
:21:49. > :21:52.wedding because she didn't like his fiancee was described in court
:21:53. > :22:02.today. The woman was jailed for what the judge said was her spiteful and
:22:03. > :22:06.vindictive conduct. And Duffy arriving at court today,
:22:07. > :22:10.not keen to discuss the call she made last year, cancelling her
:22:11. > :22:15.brother David's wedding because she didn't like his choice of bride. The
:22:16. > :22:21.court heard 20 days before the ceremony was due to take place, she
:22:22. > :22:25.called Plymouth register office here pretending to be his fiancee. She
:22:26. > :22:31.cancelled the wedding and then called her brother saying I have
:22:32. > :22:34.saved you on the divorce. Distressed, the couple alerted
:22:35. > :22:36.police. Duffy later admitted she wanted to cause upset and
:22:37. > :22:42.inconvenience to her brother's fiancee. The court heard there were
:22:43. > :22:47.disagreements over the care of Duffy's mother. The prosecution said
:22:48. > :22:51.it was like a lift from an East plotline, only this was the sad
:22:52. > :22:55.reality that confronted the complainers in the case. Duffy
:22:56. > :22:58.pleaded guilty to harassment without violence, and was sentenced to eight
:22:59. > :23:04.weeks in jail. She was also given an indefinite restraining order against
:23:05. > :23:10.Sandra Hardy. As for the couple, they did rebook the ceremony and,
:23:11. > :23:20.unsurprisingly, Duffy was not on the waiting list. `` guest list.
:23:21. > :23:22.In tonight's football, there are two important matches for local clubs
:23:23. > :23:25.with bottom`of`the`table Yeovil take on fellow strugglers Millwall in the
:23:26. > :23:28.Championship. And, in League Two, Chris Hargreaves' Torquay side face
:23:29. > :23:31.Northampton, the only team beneath them in the table, after the game
:23:32. > :23:34.passed a pitch inspection this afternoon. It'll be Chris's first
:23:35. > :23:37.home game since taking charge five weeks ago.
:23:38. > :23:41.Fingers crossed that the weather holds for that. Not only have we had
:23:42. > :23:49.wind and rain to contend with, we have now had some snow in the
:23:50. > :23:53.region. Yes, good evening. The main threat
:23:54. > :23:57.for us tomorrow is the wind picking up again. It was lively enough in
:23:58. > :24:03.the small hours of the morning, but tomorrow there will be even stronger
:24:04. > :24:07.gusts of wind, possibly up to 70 mph. Inland, 50 or 60 mph, but those
:24:08. > :24:12.could be damaging gusts of wind. The only saving grace with this band of
:24:13. > :24:19.rain is that it is moving quite fast. We have just been hearing the
:24:20. > :24:21.showers that have been falling wintry over the last couple of
:24:22. > :24:26.hours. There are more to come overnight tonight. We are between
:24:27. > :24:29.weather systems, but we have tracked in some cold air. The white you can
:24:30. > :24:33.see on these charts shows you where the snow is likely to be. It is
:24:34. > :24:36.mostly across Northern Ireland and Scotland, but every now and then, a
:24:37. > :24:40.wintry showers will come further south, which will be a problem for
:24:41. > :24:47.the next couple of days. This is the area of low pressure. Mostly rain
:24:48. > :24:51.coming out of this, but a sharp band of heavy rain sweeping across the
:24:52. > :24:55.south`west of England. Plenty of ice bars on the chart, which means some
:24:56. > :24:59.very windy conditions, and it also means some big seas with waves
:25:00. > :25:04.increasing in height again right through into the evening. On
:25:05. > :25:08.Thursday, or more wintry showers that will be blown in on that brisk
:25:09. > :25:13.breeze. Even to quite low levels there is a possibility of wintry
:25:14. > :25:16.showers to the day on Thursday. Focusing on tonight, already we have
:25:17. > :25:23.seen some snow, and a few more snow showers to come will stop it is
:25:24. > :25:26.mainly over higher ground, and by the morning, just slightly less cold
:25:27. > :25:32.that means most of those showers will turn out to be rain. The winds
:25:33. > :25:36.will ease for a short while before picking up again tomorrow, and
:25:37. > :25:41.tomorrow we start the day at around a couple of degrees above freezing.
:25:42. > :25:44.Slightly miles along the coastline. The band of rain tomorrow will be
:25:45. > :25:48.quite intense for a short while as it sweeps across the south`west, but
:25:49. > :25:53.it moves pretty fast and by the afternoon there will be some
:25:54. > :25:56.sunshine and showers, and then those showers yet again turning
:25:57. > :25:59.increasingly wintry. It is the strength of wind we are most
:26:00. > :26:09.concerned about rather than the, and those gusts could be up to 70 mph.
:26:10. > :26:12.Up to 10 degrees is likely for a short while tomorrow, but once that
:26:13. > :26:16.main area of rain moves through, templates will start to go back down
:26:17. > :26:21.again as the cold air returns `` temperatures. Still several flood
:26:22. > :26:28.warnings in place. Two are severe. There is the phone number for the
:26:29. > :26:35.Flood agency. Or you can go to their website.
:26:36. > :26:38.Quite strong gusts of wind for the Isles of Scilly, with rain moving
:26:39. > :26:57.through quite quickly. A scattering of showers following behind.
:26:58. > :27:10.Some dangerous waves for our beaches yet again. The winds are likely to
:27:11. > :27:11.increase on the north coast to give even higher waves, possibly 20 foot
:27:12. > :27:28.waves crashing on to our shores. Quiet on Thursday, but still with
:27:29. > :27:29.the risk of some wintry showers. More wet weather returning on
:27:30. > :27:35.Friday. Have a good evening.
:27:36. > :27:40.Your BBC local radio station will have the latest updates on the
:27:41. > :27:46.weather, so do stay tuned. Join us again at 10:25pm. Good night.