flash

EUROSTAR is set to slash the price of tickets to as low as £35 – with five destinations included in the epic sale.

The iconic train service connects London directly to countries such as France, Belgium and The Netherlands and travellers will soon be able to secure bargain trips.

Providing an easier alternative to flying, the railway to Europe can whisk Brits to Paris in just over two hours and to Amsterdam in under four.

And as part of a major flash sale, passengers will be able to snag Eurostar tickets for as little as £35 to the two popular destinations – along with Lille, Rotterdam and Brussels.

The discounts, which went live on the Eurostar website on September 9, will be bookable until September 14 at 10:59pm.

The one way standard class tickets can be snapped up for rides on specific travel dates between September 23 and December 18.

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The eligible travel timeframe means the discounts are perfect for planning a bargain trip over this year’s October half term break or a Christmas treat.

The autumn school holiday is set to begin around the second to last weekend of October, running through to the first weekend of November, providing the perfect slot for those with kids to book a discounted Euro getaway.

However, some dates within this window are subject to a “blackout”, during which discounted tickets aren’t up for grabs.

There are also some dates that travellers are unable to book, as Eurostar services are set to be halted for engineering works.

Unavailable dates include September 25, October 2, October 9 and November 1 for trains from St Pancras to Paris.

Meanwhile blackout dates for trains from Paris to London include September 27, October 5, October 25 and November 1.

Sharing news of the £35 sale online, Eurostar confirmed that a discount code isn’t needed to benefit from the price reductions.

The low prices are already live on eligible journeys and dates – so all you have to do is add the tickets to your basket.

“Down in the dumps at your desk? Grab a second helping of holiday with adult tickets for just £35 one way. Travel for less in Eurostar Standard to Paris, Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam direct, or Rotterdam direct,” the Eurostar website says.

“You don’t need a Eurostar promo code. Simply book to travel in Eurostar Standard from London between 23 September and 16 December 2026. But you’ll have to be quick – our sale ends on 14 September at 22:59.”

While Eurostar run similar flash sales throughout the year, the company has confirmed that a Black Friday sale won’t take place.

So now is the time to strike if you’re after cheap tickets for a December city break.

A BELOVED 90-year-old lido has been forced to shut early this summer due to flash flooding.

Season ticket holders have been directed to a nearby lido, where they will be able to swim free of charge.

Letchworth Lido in North Hertfordshire has cut its summer season short due to local flash flooding and torrential rain.

In a statement on its Facebook page, Letchworth Lido said: “We are sorry to confirm that, due to the impact of localised flooding, Letchworth Lido will remain closed and will not reopen for the remainder of this season.

Bookings were set to be taken up until Sunday, September 6 at the heated lido, however, it will now reopen in winter for its seasonal ice rink.

Letchworth Lido had initially shut on August 27 due to “unforeseen circumstances”, where closures were expected to remain in place during the following week.

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This was the second time in just over a year that the pool had shut, with facilities also closed in July 2025 after flooding required a clean-up operation.

The historic heated outdoor swimming pool, located on Norton Common in Letchworth Garden City, originally opened in 1935 as a beloved destination for local residents.

Over 27,000 people attended the 50metre heated lido last summer, with facilities that also include a learner pool, sunbathing area and a cafe.

Customers with bookings before the closure announcement will be contacted directed and offered a full refund for all cancelled sessions.

Season ticket holders for Letchworth Lido will also be able to transfer their ticket to the nearby Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre to swim between now until Sunday.

The Doggy Splash sessions that were planned to take place at Letchworth Lido will now also be held at Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre on September 11, 12 and 13.

Letchworth Lido continued to say: “We’re very sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience caused by the early closure and thank customers for their understanding.

“We look forward to welcoming you back to Letchworth Lido later this year when it transforms into our festive ice rink.”

Sept. 1 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall Tuesday at the Texas-Louisiana border, moving inland toward the northwest with gusty winds and heavy rainfall.

The National Hurricane Center said a tropical storm warning was in effect from Port Bolivar, Texas, to the Vermilion/Cameron parish line in Louisiana. As of Tuesday afternoon, wind speeds had slowed to about 50 mph after measurements of about 60 mph at landfall.

“Continued weakening is expected during the next day or so, and Edouard is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression tonight and dissipate by Wednesday night,” the NHC said.

The storm’s small size will lessen its impact, CNN reported. “Locally significant flash flooding” is possible in southeast Texas, and river flooding was also possible. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated the state’s Emergency Operations Center to prepare, mobilizing more than 1,500 personnel.

The storm is expected to produce 3 to 7 inches of rainfall with some totals up to 12 inches for parts of the upper Texas coast inland through east-central Texas, the NHC said. There is the potential for 2 to 4 inches in far southwest Louisiana.

Tornadoes are possible through Tuesday evening across parts of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas.

A storm surge/tide combination could cause normally dry areas near the coast to flood, the NHC said. The degree of this flooding depends on the timing of the surge and tidal cycle.

One person has died and 15 remain missing or unaccounted for after flash flooding swept through parts of the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service (NPS) has said.

The flood hit Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Saturday afternoon, wiping out footbridges and propelling boulders downstream.

The body of a 46-year-old man was found on Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River, the park service told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. Sixty-two people have so far been airlifted out of the area.

“The whole thing was terrifying,” said Nikki Baggs, 41, who was among those to be airlifted out of the bottom of the Grand Canyon with her two friends.

“It was a beautiful day and then people were screaming, running,” she told the BBC.

Baggs said she and her friends had just dropped off their belongings at a cabin in Phantom Ranch – a remote lodge at the bottom of the Grand Canyon – when they decided to venture out to enjoy the nice day. Before they knew it, a flood of water was sweeping through the area.

As soon as the rain hit, Baggs and her friends headed toward higher ground, where they sat at a picnic table, before rangers yelled to them to run again to a different ledge, where they waited with others for hours before they were evacuated at around 21:30 local time (04:30 GMT).

Baggs said she and her two friends had been looking forward to a steak dinner at Phantom Ranch – but were now just grateful to be alive thanks to a swift response from park rangers.

“It was a really uniquely co-ordinated effort,” she said. “That’s what made us feel safe about all of it in an unsafe situation.”

Baggs said she and her friends watched from higher ground as bridges were swept away.

Aug. 30 (UPI) — More than 20 people are missing after “significant” flash flooding struck areas around the Grand Canyon, officials said Sunday.

The National Park Service asked for those who know of hikers or backpackers who were in the Grand Canyon National Park areas of Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch when the flooding hit to contact park officials.

“Grand Canyon National Park staff, in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, are continuing evacuation and response efforts and working to account for individuals who may have been in the affected area,” NPS said in a statement.

The NPS said it is also searching for anyone who may have been on the North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, staying at Bright Angel Campground, or traveling or staying in the area known as “the Box” north of Phantom Ranch.

Officials said at least 62 people had been evacuated after significant damage was caused by the flooding.

Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch Canteen, the North Kaibab Trail, the Black and Silver bridges and traffic to the Colorado River in the area are closed “until further notice,” officials said.

A reopening date has not been announced.

Officials warned thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were possible Sunday and Monday that could “result in additional flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and rapidly changing trail and river conditions.”

People were encouraged to stay away from the closed areas.

Grand Canyon National Park is the country’s fourth-most visited national park, with 4.4 million visits last year.

According to the company’s travel logs, shared with the Press Association, the age of the missing British citizens ranges from 13 to 65.

Alpine Eco Trek said the youngest member of the group is believed to be a 13-year-old girl, according to PA.

It also reported four of the firm’s Nepali tour guides are also missing.

The company’s manager Kumar Adhikari said he was in contact with the guides until 08:40 when they were expected to be at Tibet’s immigration office, but their phones were disconnected.

“We were hoping that inside it was safe,” he told PA, “but later the video came from China’s government which [showed] even Tibet’s side was hit by the flood.”

Adhikari said he was “slowly responding to” the families of the Britons but has been unable to give them any updates, adding he has been in contact with the British consulate and forwarded them copies of the clients’ passports.

“I feel so sad. We are just thinking about what to do next…We are in pain at the moment, deep pain.”

Another tour company impacted by the flash floods, Himalayan Glacier US, told the BBC they have lost contact with a group of 47 guests and staff who where making a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, which included two British citizens.

Kailash Journeys also reported a group of 27 guests and staff missing, with a spokesperson saying they were last in contact with them early Wednesday morning local time.

A list of names provided to the BBC included two men who are British citizens.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he is “deeply concerned” by news of the flash flooding, and wrote on social media: “All my thoughts are with those affected and with British nationals in the area and their relatives here at home”.

In a joint statement with Australia, the EU, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland, the UK embassy in Nepal urged British nationals in Nepal to “exercise caution in affected areas”.