Broadcast timeline
ITV — ITV Evening News
Wednesday 12 August 2026 · 18:30 BST · 30m · 3 stories · 1 annotated moment · 22 of 30 min on news stories (72%)
Broadcast overview
An AI-generated overview based on this broadcast's transcript.
The broadcast led with extensive coverage of a solar eclipse visible across Europe, with the UK expected to see up to 90% of the sun obscured. Reporters in Iceland, Cornwall, and Majorca described the experience, with totality occurring in Reykjavik despite cloudy conditions, while Cornwall anticipated 95% coverage and clear skies. Experts warned against looking directly at the sun, and specialist glasses were sold out.
The prime minister chaired an emergency Cobra meeting on extreme weather and wildfires, with temperatures forecast to reach 38 degrees. Wildfires had already burned across the UK, with a record-equalling 1,017 this year. The PM urged retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues to prevent further fires, while the Environment Agency highlighted low river flows affecting farming.
In other news, 50 police chiefs urged the prime minister to use all lawful options to prevent the early release of two of PC Andrew Harper's killers. Separately, Simon Levy was sentenced to life in prison for murdering two women and raping a third, having been free on bail due to failures by police and prosecutors.
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- 8:59
Contested quote PM chairs emergency Cobra meeting over extreme heat and wildfires
by Andy Burnham, and just after it, he was asked whether there was still a case for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, given the impact, the obvious impact of climate change, and he effectively dodged that question. He didn't really answer it, instead saying that today's meeting was all about the here and now
ITV1, ITV Evening News, 12 August 2026, 8:59-9:01
- 9:46 Story begins Simon Levy convicted of double murder and rape
- 21:45 ~8 min without annotations
Source: ITV1, "ITV Evening News", Wednesday 12 August 2026. Transcript excerpts and stills are shown only to support the analysis annotated alongside them. Search-result excerpts are distinct from the editorial annotations — see our copyright basis. The full broadcast is not reproduced.