The United Kingdom is facing an unprecedented amount of “nationally significant” cyberattacks every week, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said in its 2024 annual review.

FTSE 100 hits record high after optimistic UK economic reports - For the week, the FTSE 100 rose 3.1%, the FTSE 250 advanced 3.4% and the AIM All-Share went up 0.7%.

British finance minister Rachel Reeves said Brexit along with spending cuts by previous governments had weighed more heavily on the economy than originally thought as she readies a budget likely to include tax increases but also measures to boost growth.

In a fresh headache for embattled British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the annual government borrowing reached £99.8 billion in September, the highest in five years and second-highest since records began in 1993.

The UK’s gender pay gap has fallen by more than a quarter over the last decade, while the share of workers in low-paid jobs has hit a record low, official figures show. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also showed that average earnings have risen this year, but at a slower rate once inflation is taken into account.

Some eastern coastal areas could see gusts of 55mph but the worst of the storm should be over by late afternoon.