6:50 am, January 2, 2025
Major incident declared as flooding hits parts of UK following heavy rainfall
A major incident has been declared in Greater Manchester after flooding forced homes to be evacuated and closed train lines and roads following heavy rain.
Hundreds of people were set to be evacuated from their homes on Wednesday, Greater Manchester Police said.
The major incident had been declared as mountain rescue teams have been deployed to help Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service deal with damaged properties and stranded vehicles, the police force added.
Households urged to submit energy readings amid forecast of further rises ahead
Nine million households have been urged to send meter readings to their energy supplier as prices rise again – with a further 3% increase forecast for April.
The average energy bill for households across England, Scotland and Wales has increased by 1.2% as of Wednesday after Ofgem raised its price cap in response to wholesale prices.
The increase takes effect just as temperatures are set to plunge and many face warnings of snow.
Bus passengers hit by ‘costly start to 2025’ after 50% rise in fares
Millions of bus passengers in England have been hit by an increase in single fares from £2 to £3.
The Government increased the bus fare cap on Wednesday for the first time since it was launched for most routes two years ago.
It will remain at £3 until the end of 2025.
UK economy faces threat of ‘stagflation’ after bumpy 2024
Britain’s economy hit a number of major milestones in 2024 as lower inflation paved the way for the first interest rate cuts for over four years, but the path was far from smooth.
Against the backdrop of seismic changes in the UK political landscape, the economy initially seemed to steady, thanks to inflation finally falling back to target – and even below target at one stage.
Having started the year at 4%, falling food price inflation helped the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) retreat to 2% in May for the first time in almost three years.
Car Dealer’s Christmas content
- The major motor industry talking points of 2024 – James Batchelor looks back at the year
- The cars we’re most looking forward to in 2025 – and they’re all EVs!
- Year in Review: The biggest car dealer court stories of 2024
- Government could change EV targets as it announces consultation on ZEV Mandate
- Honda Nissan tie-up would create third largest car maker in the world
- Revealed: The Top 10 most-read Car Dealer stories of 2024
AC Cobra models gain new engine and gearbox options
AC Cars will introduce a new engine and gearbox option for its lightweight Cobra GT Roadster and GT Coupe vehicles to provide a new entry point to the range.
Sitting alongside the naturally aspirated and supercharged V8 versions which have already been created, the new 2.0-litre petrol engine will join the existing powertrain options in 2026.
Despite being smaller in capacity than the existing setups, the new engine will still be ‘performance-orientated’, according to AC Cars, and will be available in two states of tune depending on the model of car.
Lamborghini Essenza was supercar auction site’s most expensive sale of 2024
A rare Lamborghini capable of reaching 214mph was the most expensive supercar sold on a leading online auction platform in 2024.
Collecting Cars said the track-only green Essenza SCV12 was bought by a Lamborghini collector in Europe from a private owner in the Middle East for £1.45 million.
Only 40 of the cars – which can go from 0-60mph in under three seconds – were produced by the Italian manufacturer.
Downing Street rejects Musk’s suggestion companies are turning away from UK
Downing Street insisted Sir Keir Starmer was running an ‘unashamedly’ pro-growth government after Elon Musk lashed out at his policies.
Tesla boss Mr Musk said ‘very few companies’ would be willing to put money into the UK under ‘the current administration’.
Mr Musk, a close ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, was responding to calls to build a new plant for his electric cars in Scotland.
Weather outlook…
The UK will today experience a frosty morning with icy patches and wintry showers, mainly in northern and coastal areas.
Sunshine will develop later as conditions improve, with showers and winds easing by the afternoon.
Daytime temperatures will range from 1°C to 6°C, dropping below freezing overnight.
