THE MET Office has issued yellow weather warnings for strong winds and heavy rain across parts of the UK later this week, with gusts of up to 70mph and travel disruption expected.
On Friday, yellow warnings for strong winds will be in effect from 6am to 10am for eastern parts of Northern Ireland and from 8am to 3pm for southwest Scotland and parts of Wales.
The Met Office has warned that winds could reach 70mph on exposed coasts and 60mph more widely in the affected areas.
A separate yellow warning for rain will be in place from 6am to 6pm for southwest and northeast Scotland, with forecasts of 30-40mm of rainfall in some areas and up to 70mm over higher ground.
The Met Office has warned of possible travel disruption, power cuts, and flooding.
Mike Silverstone, Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, said: "The weather will be turning milder for much of the country from Thursday, but this transition heralds the start of some potentially more impactful wind and rain."
Saturday is expected to be drier, though the South East may see some lingering rain.
More rain and wind are forecast from Sunday, and the Met Office has said there is potential for further warnings as details are confirmed in the coming days.
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.