NEWS

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice across Northern Ireland, with motorists and early-morning commuters urged to take extra care due to the risk of icy conditions and possible travel disruption. The warning is in effect from 00:00 until 10:00 on Friday, 2 January 2026, and covers all six counties of the province — Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone. According to the Met Office, the warning follows a spell of rain, sleet and

Landowners across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to consider planting new native woodlands with the 2025 Small Woodland Grant Scheme officially open for applications. The announcement was made by Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir, who confirmed that the scheme will remain open until 7 January 2026 , providing financial support to help establish small-scale native woodland projects. The scheme is designed to support landowners in creating n

As the festive season draws to a close, residents in Ballymena and across Northern Ireland are being advised to prepare for a sharp drop in temperatures and the possibility of wintry weather in the coming days. According to the latest forecasts from the UK Met Office, the week from Monday 29 December 2025 to Monday 5 January 2026 will bring predominantly cold and dry conditions at first, transitioning to more unsettled patterns with a risk of snow toward the latter part of th

Belfast International Airport awarded Platinum level by BITC’s 2025 NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey. BITC’s MD Lisa McIlvenna presents the award to Belfast International Airport’s Evan Black and Kevin Napier. Belfast International Airport has been recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s most sustainable organisations after securing a prestigious Platinum rating in the 2025 NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey. The Airport, which is part of the VINCI Airports global netwo

Gary McErlain, Chair of the Lough Neagh Partnership The Chair of the Lough Neagh Partnership has urged DAERA Minister Andrew Muir to urgently reconsider a newly announced financial support package for fishermen, warning that it fails to reflect the true scale of loss suffered by the industry amid the ongoing environmental crisis at the lough. Gary McErlain said the £100,000 support scheme for Lough Neagh brown eel fishers, announced earlier this week, risks underestimating t

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has entered into a debate over which household recycling system works best, after the issue was raised at a meeting of a neighbouring council. Speaking in the council chamber at Mossley Mill on Monday evening, Antrim DUP councillor Paul Dunlop highlighted the differing approaches taken by local authorities. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has recently completed the roll-out of a triple-stacked wheelie box system to 25,000 house

A fourth suspected case of Bluetongue virus is under investigation in Co Down, after DAERA confirmed two further suspect infections in cattle during ongoing surveillance within Temporary Control Zones (TCZs). The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said the latest suspected cases were identified in two cattle on a second farm near Greyabbey, bringing the total number of premises with suspected infection to four. The development follows confirmation by the

Quagga Mussels (left) and Zebra Mussels (right) - (1.5x magnification) The first confirmed case of the highly invasive quagga mussel in Northern Ireland has been detected in Lower Lough Erne, triggering alarm among environmental scientists, politicians and local communities who depend on the lough for livelihoods, recreation and drinking water. The discovery has prompted sharp criticism of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) from Fermanagh and

WWF Award NI group photo L-R: Deputy Chief Constable Nigel Harrison (NPCC National Lead for Wildlife Crime and Rural Affairs), Dr Jon Lees (Northern Ireland Environment Agency), Emma Meredith (PSNI Wildlife and Animal Welfare Officer), Mark Wright (WWF), Kevin Lacks-Kelly (National Wildlife Crime Unit). A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) wildlife and animal welfare officer has been recognised at a national level for her role in safeguarding one of Northern Irela

Laura Harbard taking part from the comfort of indoors Eleanor Bentall (RSPB Images) Hundreds of thousands of people across the UK are being encouraged to take part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2026, as the world’s largest garden wildlife survey returns at a critical time for nature. Taking place from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 January 2026 , the annual Birdwatch invites people to spend just one hour observing and counting the birds they see in their garden, local green space,

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for Northern Ireland, with forecasters cautioning that “periods of heavy rain may lead to travel disruption and some flooding” between 00:00 on Sunday 14 December and 06:00 on Monday 15 December 2025. According to the warning, “outbreaks of rain will affect Northern Ireland Sunday and clear away on Monday morning.” The rain is expected to be “heavy and persistent at times with accumulations of 20–30 mm expected to develop

(L-R): Mick Campbell, Wrightbus Head of Sales (Key Accounts); NCT representatives Andy Thompson; Rob Sutcliffe; Anthony Carver-Smith; and David Conway; and John McLeister, Wrightbus MD of Sales for UK and Ireland. Ballymena-based manufacturer Wrightbus has completed six new ultra-low emission StreetDeck Ultroliner buses destined for the Midlands, following a partnership with Nottingham City Transport (NCT). The vehicles were recently inspected by NCT representatives during a

The Education Authority (EA) has confirmed that there are no plans for general school closures today despite the escalating weather situation as Storm Bram moves across Northern Ireland. A spokesperson for the EA said: “Following the escalation of the Storm Bram warning this morning, the Education Authority has discussed the situation with the Department. At this stage, it is not planned to issue general school closure notices.” “Instead, school principals are being encourag

The Met Office has issued both yellow and amber weather warnings for Northern Ireland today (Tuesday 9 December) as Storm Bram sweeps across the region, bringing the potential for widespread disruption. The yellow and amber warnings, which span from 9:00am to 10:00pm on Tuesday, cover the province, with the most severe conditions expected in western and northern areas where the amber warning applies. According to forecasters, “Storm Bram is expected to pass close to western I

Multi-agency preparations are underway across Northern Ireland ahead of Storm Bram, with a Met Office yellow warning in place for strong winds on Tuesday 9 December from 9am to 9pm. Forecasters warn that gusts of 50–60mph are expected widely, with the potential to exceed 70mph in the most exposed western areas. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has activated emergency response measures, as teams continue clearing road gullies, checking drainage systems and placing addit

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for Northern Ireland as Storm Bram — officially named by Met Éireann — is forecast to bring severe winds and heavy rain across the UK later on Monday and through Tuesday. The warning is in place from 9:00am to 9:00pm on Tuesday 9 December 2025, with forecasters urging the public to prepare for disruption to travel, power supplies and coastal areas. Storm Bram is expected to track close to western Ireland on Tuesday, generatin

A new suspected case of Bluetongue has been identified on a farm near Greyabbey, prompting the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to impose a second 20km Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) in Co Down. The case was detected during routine surveillance testing within the existing TCZ, established on 29 November 2025 around a holding near Bangor where the Bluetongue BTV-3 virus was first discovered. According to DAERA, the latest controls will take effect

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain  covering all six counties of Northern Ireland this Sunday, 7th December 2025. The warning, which is active between 8:00am and 3:00pm , cautions the public about the likelihood of heavy rainfall leading to some disruption across the region. . Anticipated Impact and Rainfall Totals A band of rain is set to sweep northeast across Northern Ireland during Sunday daytime. The primary concern is the volume of rainfall falling onto

Michael Meharg, Nicola Bothwell and Eimear Kearney accept the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Northern Ireland Awards Gold award on behalf of Lough Neagh Partnership for Best Public Affairs Campaign from Samantha Livingstone and Brittany Breslin of CIPR NI Committee. Lough Neagh Partnership has been awarded the prestigious Gold award for Best Public Affairs Campaign at the inaugural Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Northern Ireland Awards. The event, wid

Drains Bay on the Antrim coast A report on bathing water quality at Mid and East Antrim beaches during the summer was presented to the Borough Council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee at a meeting in The Braid, Ballymena, on Tuesday evening. Findings showed that following water quality testing on July 29, swimming was temporarily advised against at Portmuck, Islandmagee, due to faecal pollution. Committee members were told this can arise from sewage outfalls, combin