NEWS

Wednesday 16 September 2026 A Northern Ireland council has “strongly disagreed” with the proposed timetable for tougher air pollution limits, while councillors have raised concerns that additional costs could ultimately fall on ratepayers. Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s Environment and Sustainability Committee has considered its response to a Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) consultation on plans to tighten legal limits for harmful part

Northern Ireland farmers are being urged to watch their livestock closely for signs of bluetongue after the disease was confirmed in an animal in County Wexford. The case, involving an unvaccinated heifer, is the first detected in the Republic of Ireland during the 2026/27 bluetongue season. No cases have been confirmed in Northern Ireland this season, but the Ulster Farmers’ Union has warned that the infection’s arrival south of the border underlines the continuing threat to

Austen, Boelo and Chloe are the first names set to appear in severe-weather forecasts under the new 2026/27 storm list — with Shaun the Sheep also joining the line-up following a public vote. The names will be used by the Met Office and its Irish and Dutch counterparts for storms with the potential to cause significant disruption, helping people across Northern Ireland and neighbouring countries recognise approaching severe weather and prepare. This year’s choices include tri

Families and visitors of all ages and abilities have been given the opportunity to explore the wildlife and natural environment of Portrush’s East Strand through an event designed to make the coastline more accessible to everyone. The free Inclusive Biodiversity Day, held on Friday 28 August, brought together accessible outdoor activities, environmental education and adapted equipment at the Blue Flag beach. Organised by the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust (CCGHT) in

A yellow weather warning is in force across Northern Ireland today as forecasters warn heavy and thundery showers could bring flooding, travel disruption, lightning and hail. The Met Office warning takes effect from 11am on Sunday 30 August, with conditions expected to deteriorate as widespread showers develop later this morning and continue through the afternoon and evening. The latest Met Office warning currently shows the yellow thunderstorm warning remaining in force unti

Pictured at the Housing Centre’s own beehives in Belfast are the Housing Executive’s (L/R) Robert McClean, Stephen Lowry, Jennifer Hawthorne, Ronnie McCreanor and Conor McCombe. The Housing Executive is changing how it manages some of its green spaces across Northern Ireland, with reduced grass cutting, new wildflower areas and thousands of trees being planted each year as part of efforts to support bees and other pollinators. The organisation has become an official partner o

(L-R) Lisa McLaughlin, Harbour Master, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins and Robert Skelly, Chair of Coleraine Harbour Commissioners. A major £1.2 million project to secure the historic Barmouth Moles at the mouth of the River Bann has been completed, reducing the risk of tidal flooding, coastal erosion and disruption to vessels using Coleraine Harbour. Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins visited Castlerock Pier to see the finished marine engineering works, which were prior

CGI of the proposed IFA National Football Training Centre outside Ballymena Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has admitted that its decision that the proposed Irish FA National Football Centre at Galgorm did not require an Environmental Statement was unlawful and has committed to carrying out the assessment again. The significant development comes after Sarah and John Herbison threatened judicial review proceedings, challenging the council’s handling of the Environmental Im

Dog owners across Antrim and Newtownabbey are being urged to check the rules before exercising their pets in council-managed parks and open spaces, as new colour-coded signage is installed across the borough. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is carrying out the work in phases, with priority locations being targeted first. The signs are designed to make it clearer where dogs can be exercised freely, where they must be kept on a lead and where they are prohibited — with

Pictured are some of the Galgorm Estates Team, Head of Grounds Stephen Mackle, along with Jack L and Chris Millar. A prominent gateway between Ballymena and Galgorm has been transformed following a £150,000 investment which has seen hundreds of roses, hedges and silver birch trees planted around the well-known Galgorm roundabout. The two-year project by Galgorm Collection has combined major restoration work with extensive new landscaping, with the hospitality group saying the

DUP Agriculture Spokesperson Carla Lockhart MP Serious whistleblowing allegations involving animal welfare, biosecurity and environmental practices at Northern Ireland’s Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) should be subjected to a genuinely independent examination, a DUP MP has said. Upper Bann MP and DUP Agriculture spokesperson Carla Lockhart has questioned whether investigations into concerns at AFBI’s Hillsborough site can command public confidence when the organis

Northern Ireland has no identified link to a rare case of classical BSE — commonly known as mad cow disease — confirmed on a farm in Scotland, Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has said. The case was discovered on a farm in Dumfries and Galloway and identified through routine BSE surveillance. Movement restrictions have now been put in place while investigations continue to establish the origin of the case. Importantly, the affected animal did not enter the human food chain, a

Northern Ireland livestock farmers are being urged to remain vigilant for signs of bluetongue as cases of the disease rise sharply across Great Britain, with nearly 500 now confirmed and vaccine supplies coming under pressure. The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has warned that an increase in cases in Northern Ireland could have serious consequences for livestock movements, farm businesses and the wider agricultural supply chain. Nearly 1,000 individual animals have been infected

Sculptor and climate activist Eoghan Daltun, whose journey to rewild an area in Ireland is chronicled in An Irish Atlantic Rainforest A remarkable effort to transform an ecologically damaged West Cork farm into a thriving native rainforest will be explored in a new two-part documentary series beginning this weekend. An Irish Atlantic Rainforest follows sculptor and climate activist Eoghan Daltun, who has spent years rewilding land on the rugged Beara Peninsula and allowing na

Heavy showers and thunderstorms could cause travel disruption and flash flooding across Northern Ireland today after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning. The warning takes effect at 12 noon today, Wednesday 19 August, and remains in place until 11.59pm tonight. Some areas could receive up to 20mm of rain in an hour or less, while a few places may see as much as 30mm within two hours. Heavy showers moving from west to east According to the Met Office, a band of heav

A yellow weather warning is in force across Northern Ireland today as forecasters warn that intense thunderstorms could bring torrential downpours, lightning, hail and gusty winds. The Met Office warning covers all six counties and is in place from 11am today, Thursday 13 August, until 6am on Friday. While many places could escape the worst of the weather altogether, thunderstorms that do develop could produce 10–20mm of rain in less than an hour, with a chance of isolated lo

People across Northern Ireland are set to witness one of the most spectacular astronomical events visible here for decades this evening, when the Moon obscures around 93% of the Sun. The high-coverage partial solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August 2026 will provide the best eclipse coverage Northern Ireland is expected to experience until 2090. To mark the occasion, the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast is hosting a free public viewing event from 6pm un

Jenni Barkley, Belfast Harbour & Fern Keeney, Live Here Love Here 6 August 2026 Families across Mid and East Antrim are being encouraged to make the most of the region’s coastline this month as a popular environmental campaign returns with a packed programme of free and low-cost activities designed to help people reconnect with the sea while highlighting the growing problem of marine litter. The Healthy Oceans Healthy Minds campaign, organised by Live Here Love Here, is back

Northern Ireland's first floating oyster reef has been launched at Glenarm Marina in partnership with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. The innovative floating reef provides a sheltered home for more than 10,000 young native European oysters, helping to restore a lost marine habitat and support healthier seas. (All images and video © Ulster Wildlife) Northern Ireland’s first floating oyster reef has been launched at Glenarm Marina, creating a new home for thousands of nati

The Met Office has brought forward the start time of its yellow weather warning for Northern Ireland after heavy rain arrived earlier than first forecast. The updated warning is now in force from 9.15am until 9pm on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, with forecasters warning that heavy showers and thunderstorms could cause disruption to transport and outdoor events. Warning updated as rain moves east The Met Office said the warning was revised after a band of heavy rain developed across