Cambridge wood closed as wildlife trust says trees are 'unsafe'
The charity thanked visitors for their patience and it added their safety was its "top priority". It said other areas of the Fulbourn Fen remained open. Ash dieback, which is a fungus and originated in Asia, has spread across the country, the trust said. It has led to "the death of thousands of trees and heads to branches dying, and leaves become blackened".
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The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Yellow weather warnings for July thunderstorms that failed to materialise
Living in central Bedfordshire on the edge of East Anglia, now subject to a long drought, repeated Met Office yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms in July were welcome. The gardeners with empty water butts were positively enthusiastic. In a 10-day period when there were repeated yellow warnings, a large area of southern and eastern England was subject to an amber threat, with Leighton Buzzard firmly in the middle of the danger zone. To be fair it did rain during the amber alert – there were a series of small showers and one clap of thunder. Altogether, though, it was barely enough water to wet the parched ground. Watching the weather forecasts on both the ITN and BBC late news during that period, the track of the storms repeatedly differed on the maps displayed by the two channels by 50 miles, and as much as 100, across Bedfordshire, Cambridge and eastwards. It is clear that the forecasters were using different computer models and their summaries sensibly came with the warning 'do not take the track of these showers literally' – just as their maps showed the storms drifting over Bedfordshire. Finally when the warnings ceased it rained hard in the middle of the night, when the 'odd rogue shower' had been mentioned in passing. Relief at last.
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Closures planned to move pump after A421 flooding in Bedfordshire
Work to move a pumping station that flooded, causing a major road to become completely submerged, is entering its final phase.A section of the A421 in Bedfordshire was closed for nearly three weeks after torrential rain in September.A number of road closures will be in place during the summer as engineers move the pump system uphill. What happened to the A421? One of the key east-west routes linking the M1 near Milton Keynes to the A1 near Cambridgeshire was closed for three weeks in September after severe levels of up to 8ft (2.4m) were recorded on the stretch at Marston Moretaine, and National Highways teams cleared 72 million litres of equipment was used to clear the water - the equivalent of about 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools - before work began to resurface and repair the Fellows, regional director for National Highways, said: "I think it's important to recognise the disruption and inconvenience this issue has caused to drivers, local residents and those that rely on this section of road." Why did it flood so badly? Firstly, the region experienced extremely heavy rainfall in a very short space of time. In Bedfordshire, a month's worth of rain fell in under 46 and schools were closed and homes and businesses the A421, the pumping station at Lower Shelton - designed to prevent the road from flooding - became submerged and stopped could not remove the rising water, which settled like a lake under a bridge and across a significant stretch of carriageway. What is happening to the pumping station? National Highways decided to move the pumping station to a higher position to avoid the risk of future flooding."Relocating the pumping station to higher ground and the installation of a new pump will help prevent emergency road closures on the A421, benefiting road users and the local community," said Simon Amor, head of scheme began in February to replace the control system, which involved building new foundations further up the bank.A temporary safety barrier was erected on the eastbound entry slip road to allow the work to be carried out. What road closures are in place this summer? As workers install the new control system, a slip road onto the A421 will be closed to allow them to operate eastbound entry slip road at Marston Moretaine will be closed from 20:00 BST on Monday, 28 July through to 06:00 on Thursday, 31 same section will be closed during the same hours from Monday, 4 August to Thursday, 7 wanting to enter the A421 eastbound from Beancroft Road are asked to travel westbound along the A421 towards the M1 junction 13, then turn and head back in the easterly signs will be in Highways said once this phase is complete, they will need to close the A421 eastbound carriageway "to allow for safe removal of old equipment".This date will be confirmed nearer the time. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Telegraph
22-07-2025
- Telegraph
Channel migrant crossings to double if Starmer crackdown fails
The number of illegal migrants crossing the Channel is forecast to double this year unless new government measures can curb the flow, independent modelling shows. The research by Richard Wood, one of Britain's top modelling forecasters, takes account of not only weather and sea conditions but also includes asylum grant rates, illegal immigration flows into Europe and dinghy size. His analysis, originally based on five years of data up to the end of 2024, has been accurate in forecasting the numbers reaching the UK so far this year based on 'favourable' weather conditions. More than 23,000 migrants have reached the UK this year, the highest in the first six months of any year since the first arrivals in 2018, which is nearly exactly what Mr Wood's good weather model predicted. He has now updated his analysis, based on the latest asylum grant rates, increasing dinghy size and immigration flows into the EU, and re-run the modelling based on weather data over the past 16 years. The data suggest that unless Sir Keir Starmer is successful in his attempt to stop the people smugglers, migrant crossings will rocket this year. The Prime Minister has negotiated a 'one in,one out' deal with the French by which illegal migrants coming to the UK will be swapped for people who are able to come here legally. If the weather is as good as it was in 2024, when there was a surge in crossings in the second half of the year, then the total number reaching the UK by the end of 2025 will be 44,628, according to Mr Wood's model. This is just below the number of migrant arrivals in 2022, the highest on record, when 45,774 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats. If, however, the weather is as bad as it was in the second half of 2023, then the total number crossing will be as low as 36,965. This would still be the second highest total on record. The data provide a benchmark against which the Government's new policy measures could be judged to establish if they have an effect on reducing the crossings. Mr Wood said: 'With the 37th UK-France Summit including various deterrent and enforcement pledges for reducing small-boat crossings, these predictions may serve as a useful benchmark against which progress can be assessed.' As well as the 'one in, one out' deal struck with Sir Keir, France is preparing to introduce tougher tactics where officers from an elite police unit will intercept the people smugglers' boats at sea within 300 metres of the coast in an attempt to stop them leaving the coast. They have also been experimenting with jet skis laying nets to snag the dinghies' propellers. Last week, Sir Keir secured a pledge from Friedrich Merz, the Germany's chancellor, that the country would introduce a new law by the end of the year to enable police to seize boats for use by people smugglers in the Channel. The model, which is currently being peer-reviewed for publication in a migration journal, draws on data from sources including the Met Office, Channel Coastal Observatory, Home Office and European Border and Coast Guard Agency. It predicts the daily number of small-boat migrant arrivals for scenarios based on weather and sea conditions, EU illegal immigration, and other factors which may have a deterrent effect. It has two parts: the first that estimates the probability of a day being 'viable', and the second that estimates the number of migrant arrivals on such viable days. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: 'What we already know for sure is that 2025 to date has been the worst year in history for illegal immigrants crossing the channel – it's up 50 per cent versus last year. 'The Government's laughable claim to smash the gangs lies in tatters. Now they think that confiscating mobile phones and sending a tiny number of people to France will make a difference 'Only a removals deterrent will end this madness – where every illegal immigrant is immediately removed upon arrival to their country of origin or to a safe third country. But Yvette Cooper and Keir Starmer are too weak to do that.'
