The unsettled conditions come after a run of hot weather, although forecasters say another spell of summer-like temperatures could return in September.
The threat of flash flooding and travel disruption remains, with some areas potentially seeing up to 75mm of rain.
Caption: President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Photographer: Manuel Balce Ceneta Provider: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Donald Trump has signed an executive order aiming to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America.
Here’s why, and whether the move is actually likely to work.
Split custody
One of North America’s five Great Lakes, Lake Ontario straddles both the United States and Canada; its northern and western shores sit in the Canadian province of Ontario while its southern and eastern shores fall in the US state of New York.
Caption: YOUNGSTOWN, NEW YORK – AUGUST 27: Visitors to Old Fort Niagara State Park relax on the shores of Lake Ontario August 27, 2026 in Youngstown, New York. U.S. President Donald Trump today signed an executive order renaming the smallest by surface area of the five Great Lakes, Lake America. (Photo by John Normile/Getty Images) Photographer: John Normile Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images North America Caption: TOPSHOT – A Canadian flag flies along the waterfront of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on August 27, 2026. US President Donald Trump announced that he is renaming Lake Ontario — a large body of water shared by the United States and Canada — “Lake America.” Trump signed an order in the White House in a move that comes amid a spiraling trade war between the world’s largest economy and its northern neighbor. (Photo by Cole Burston / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: COLE BURSTON Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors
There is no universally recognised international body setting the names of international waters, but the lake’s name has its roots in the indigenous word “Ontarí’io”, often translated as “great lake”, and traces back several hundred years.
Tariff retaliation
It comes after trade talks broke down between the two neighbouring nations last week.
That led the US to impose new 50 per cent tariffs on $20bn (£14.7bn) worth of Canadian goods.
In response, Canada is set to introduce “dollar for dollar” counter tariffs starting next month.
Caption: President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Photographer: Manuel Balce Ceneta Provider: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Caption: WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 27: A map labeling Lake Ontario as “Lake America” is displayed as U.S. President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter after signing an executive order during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on August 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” amid an ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Canada. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Photographer: Andrew Harnik Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images North America Copyright: 2026 Getty Images Caption: President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Photographer: Manuel Balce Ceneta Provider: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
What has Canada said?
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the news by saying “things must be called by their name, and this lake is called Lake Ontario – today and forever”.
Carney also highlighted that the lake’s current name predates the formation of both the Canadian Confederation and the US Declaration of Independence.
Caption: TOPSHOT – (FILES) The US and Canadian flags flutter next to the Blue Water Bridge border crossing in Point Edward, Ontario, on October 24, 2025. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on August 22, 2026 he would slap retaliatory tariffs on the United States after walking away from a “bad deal” on trade, deepening the rift between the longtime allies. Negotiations between the neighboring countries broke down on Friday in Washington, allowing new 50-percent US tariffs impacting some $20 billion worth of goods, or 5.5 percent of Canadian exports to the United States, to come into force. (Photo by Geoff Robins / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: GEOFF ROBINS Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors
Trump’s executive order says it gives 30 days for the name change to be updated with the Geographic Names Information Service, the official repository of domestic geographic names in the United States.
While the US President generally has discretion over how their country recognises landmarks, other nations do not have to follow suit.
Caption: Stars around a blood-red moon during a partial lunar eclipse in San Diego, California, U.S., August 27, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake Photographer: Mike Blake Provider: REUTERS Source: REUTERS
The August full moon, also called the Sturgeon Moon, lit up the night sky on Thursday. Here are a few of the best images.
The name’s origins
The August full moon, which reached its peak in the UK shortly after 5am on Friday 28 August, is also commonly referred to as the “Sturgeon Moon”.
Why?
That’s thanks to North American fishing tribes, who are understood to have dubbed it as such because the sturgeon species of fish appeared in number during this particular month.
Caption: Sturgeon fish swimming in a large aquarium tank Photographer: Calimeron Provider: Getty Images Source: iStockphoto
Why was this Sturgeon Moon red?
In many parts of the world, including the UK, California and Australia, a partial lunar eclipse – whereby the Earth passed between the sun and the moon, placing the moon briefly in its shadow – was also observed.
Caption: The partial lunar eclipse of the August full moon, known as the Sturgeon Moon, is seen in the skies over the Isle of Dogs, London. Picture date: Friday August 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire Photographer: Yui Mok Provider: Yui Mok/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire Caption: The partial lunar eclipse of the August full moon, known as the Sturgeon Moon, is seen in the skies over Masthouse Terrace Pier on the Isle of Dogs, London. Picture date: Friday August 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire Photographer: Yui Mok Provider: Yui Mok/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire
As sunlight that passes through the Earth’s atmosphere is scattered, and red light can pass through in greater abundance due to its longer wavelength, the moon appeared to be tinged red, earning the phenomenon another nickname: “Blood Moon“.
Pictures around the world
Caption: A commercial aircraft takes off during the start of a blood-red lunar eclipse as the moon rises in San Diego, California, U.S., August 27, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Photographer: Mike Blake Provider: REUTERS Source: REUTERS
Caption: Stars around a blood-red moon during a partial lunar eclipse in San Diego, California, U.S., August 27, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake Photographer: Mike Blake Provider: REUTERS Source: REUTERS Caption: RYLSTONE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 28: A ‘Sturgeon’ full moon rises on August 28, 2026 in Rylstone, Australia. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images) Photographer: Mark Evans Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images AsiaPac Copyright: 2026 Mark Evans
Safe to see
Visibility in many parts of the UK may not have been great, though.
That’s due to both cloudy skies and the moon’s low positioning in the sky during the partial eclipse.
Still, unlike the recent solar eclipse, this astronomical event is at least safe to observe with the naked eye.
Downpours could also bring large hail, lightning and gusty winds, creating difficult conditions for motorists and commuters.
Humidity will remain high, with the Met Office forecasting levels of up to 96 per cent in Birmingham on Thursday.
Conditions should become less humid across much of the UK on Friday before humidity rises again in the evening and remains high over the weekend.
Many parts of southern England are expected to get some heavy rain fall with some areas experiencing some flooding. (Photo: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
High humidity in warm weather makes it harder for the body to sweat and cool down, making it feel warmer than the temperature says.
The heavy rain and thunderstorms will then move northward, with spells of rain set to continue over the weekend and windy conditions in the south.
Where the yellow warning is in place
A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in force until 10pm on Thursday across much of the Midlands, all of Wales, eastern England and parts of the north. London, Hull, Bristol and Canterbury are among the areas covered by the alert.
The Met Office said the storms could bring travel disruption, flooded roads potentially cutting off communities, damage to buildings and power cuts.
A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in force across much of England (Photo: Met Office)
A further yellow weather warning for thunderstorms covering parts of eastern England, stretching roughly from Hull to Canterbury, will run from 5pm on Thursday until 7am on Friday.
The forecaster urged people in areas at risk of flooding to check whether they could be affected and, where necessary, prepare a flood plan and emergency kit.
The Met Office has warned of flooding and travel disruptions from the heavy rain and storms (Photo: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
El Niño brings wetter and stormier conditions
The climate phenomenon known as El Niño is set to keep stormy weather going into autumn and winter.
El Niño is the biggest fluctuation in the world’s climate system and this one will see the Pacific Ocean’s surface temperature rise by 3°C, according to the Met Office’s forecasts, classifying the event as a “super El Niño”.
A “super El Niño” is defined as tropical Pacific Ocean surface temperatures reaching 1.5-2°C or more above average, prompting experts to predict this year’s event as the strongest in living memory.
Its effects vary worldwide, including impacts on hurricane season in the Caribbean and the monsoon season in Asia.
Because of the UK’s distance from the Pacific, its impact is less predictable, but wetter, stormier conditions can be expected.
Will there be another heatwave?
Despite the impending lower temperatures, a heatwave could return in September.
The Met Office’s long-range forecast predicts that the UK will experience “drier and more settled interludes,” especially in the south, with temperatures likely to be near average, though “some short-lived warm or very warm spells are possible” from 31 August to 9 September.
Then from 10 September to 24 September, it forecasts drier weather and the possibility of warmer weather, with a chance of hot spells in the south.
But the forecaster has not given a definitive view on whether there will be a heatwave.
