Ahead of the very hot weather forecast again this weekend, I want to ask you to protect yourself and others from too much sun or heat, to carry water when travelling and to protect those, such as young children or older people, who feel the heat more than others.?

It's also really important to stay out of rivers and lakes due to the risk of drowning ? especially at Colwick Country Park where we currently have blue-algae which can cause serious illness in humans and even kill dogs. We urge people not to swim or paddle in the lakes or let dogs go in the water or drink from it. We have also had to stop all fishing until further notice.

We are working with the Environment Agency to install pumps into the lakes to help remove the algae, but this could take some time. Extra Community Protection patrols are taking place to ensure everyone?s safety. There is more information here

I would also ask you to remember our parks and green spaces are extremely dry at the moment - one dropped cigarette or littered glass bottle could cause a wildfire and put extra unnecessary pressure on our emergency services. We have temporarily banned open fires and barbecues on all our parks and allotments to reduce the risk of fire spreading.

Take care during the heatwave by staying indoors if you can, and ensuring that you are wearing sun cream, drinking plenty of water and wearing a hat if you have to be outside. Please try to check on elderly neighbours and family members to ensure they are coping with the heat.

Please also remember not to walk pets outside during the high temperatures ? so either walk them before 8am or after sunset.?

Get more advice on coping in the hot weather from the NHS https://www.nhs.uk/Live-well/seasonal-health/heatwave-how-to-cope-in-hot-weather/??

I?m pleased to see that Nottingham City Transport has named one of its buses after local civil rights campaigner George Powe, on what would have been his 96th birthday yesterday.

George was born in Jamaica and served in the RAF during the Second World War, going on to retrain as a maths teacher and teaching at Robert Mellors School until his retirement in 1983. He was a founding member of the African Caribbean National Artistic Centre in St Ann?s near his home, now one of the UK?s oldest Black community centres. Throughout his life, George became a prominent voluntary community advocate for the rights of the African Caribbean Community, particularly in Nottingham.

He was also the second black person to be elected as a councillor in the country, serving on Long Eaton District Council in the 1960s and Nottinghamshire County Council from 1989.

It?s right that we recognise and celebrate his achievements, coming here from Jamaica and contributing to life in his adopted country and city. His family can be proud that his hard work and dedication, making positive impacts in our communities, has been acknowledged by this bus naming, along with a plaque on his family home.

More here

The rubbish collected from the green general waste bins at homes in the city is taken to our Energy-from-Waste plant at Eastcroft Depot. This waste is then incinerated to power our district heating network.

In recent weeks, there have been a number of small explosions at the incinerator which have been caused by gas canisters (for example from camping stoves, barbeques, caravans) collected in green bins. These incidents are very dangerous and can cause damage to the facility.

Please dispose of your gas canisters responsibly by:

• Returning them to the place of purchase, or
• Recycling them at the tip: https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/information-for-residents/bin-and-rubbish-collections/local-tip-waste-and-recycling-centre/

I would like to congratulate all Nottingham students who celebrated their graduation this year.

We hope you have enjoyed your time as students in our city and that many of you will be taking on jobs locally and continue to call Nottingham your home.

Congratulations also to Nottingham?s own Vicky McClure, who received an honorary degree from the University of Nottingham, in recognition of her services to the arts and public health. Vicky gave an inspirational speech around her work with The Dementia Choir and personal experiences of dealing with the disease.

Read more here

Good luck to Nottingham Forest who face West Ham in their first home game in the Premier League. We?re proud to once again be a city with a Premier League team ? fingers crossed this weekend might deliver the Reds? first win in the top flight since 1999.