BBC Weather

Weather watcher Blue Shoes 42 captured this image of extraordinary September sunshine breaking through the trees in Corby, where the temperature was 19C (66F).

It's going to get even hotter, with a maximum of 29C (84F) expected mid-afternoon. There'll be widespread sunshine and light winds, although there's a chance of an isolated shower later.

Get the full forecast from the BBC Weather website.

Image source, Weather Watchers: Blue Shoes 42

Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Image source, BBC Sport

"The wicket of Rob Keogh (13) in the second over after lunch left Northants a touch vulnerable, four down and 220 ahead. 

"But Richard Levi (48 not out) and Adam Rossington (24) compiled a half-century stand for the fifth wicket to put the hosts back in command. 

"Gloucestershire have slumped back to bowling a little short, but there is still just enough to keep the bowlers interested if they can find the right length.

"Levi in particularly needs a score to take something from a pretty poor season. 

"He missed the entire 50-over campaign, faded badly from a strong start to the T20 and in the Championship has 304 runs from 12 innings before this game - 104 of those coming against Derbyshire in the third match of the season."

Two men have been convicted of trying to kill a man who was shot in the back whilst walking in Rushden town centre.

Keith Phillips was attacked in Hayway in July last year. A car pulled up and two men got out to confront Mr Phillips.  As the victim tried to run away, he was blasted with a shotgun and left with head injuries.

Narinder Sondhi, 38, and Masimba Tinofirei, 19, both denied attempted murder but were found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court.

A third man, Calvin Scott, 19, was convicted of perverting the course of justice.  All three will be sentenced on 13 October.

The search is on for a new fanfare to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of a popular musical event.

The Northampton Festival of the Performing Arts, external began in 1977 and the organisers want local composers to come up with a short piece of celebratory music to launch the 2017 event.

Although fanfares are traditionally played by trumpets, entrants will be able to use any instrument, or even the voice.  

There's a three-minute limit on the finished piece, and no more than three musicians can be involved.

There's also a competition to design a poster for the launch.

Andrew Radd
BBC Radio Northampton

The number of people without a job in the East Midlands, which includes Northamptonshire, has fallen by 4,000 in the last quarter.

The latest figures, which are the first to take into account the period immediately after the Brexit vote, show there are 102,000 people out of work.

The national total fell by 39,000.

Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

The pilots' union says there should be strict restrictions on the sale and use of laser devices, with stiff sentences for offenders.

It follows an incident over the weekend in which the police helicopter was targeted by a laser beam during a search for a vulnerable missing person in Daventry.

No-one was hurt and the mission continued whilst officers on the ground searched for the source of the beam.

In previous incidents, people who've fired laser beams at aircraft have been prosecuted and jailed.

Pat Lawrence, from the BALPA, external union, said: "Prosecutions are rare, and yet the attacks are on the increase, so the law does need to be changed."

Sally Chidzoy
BBC Look East home affairs correspondent

The former police and crime commissioner for Northamptonshire, Adam Simmonds, is to appear before Westminster Magistrates' on 18 October.

He faces one charge of breaching the Data Protection Act 1998.

It follows an investigation into an allegation that he disclosed sensitive details of a criminal investigation to a third party.

Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Image source, BBC Sport

"You cannot beat the morning session on a sunny day.

"Calm sunshine first thing burning through the early mist giving way to crystal clear skies.

"The coffee (medium, Colombian) tastes all the sweeter on days like this and being the penultimate day of the season for Northamptonshire, one has to drink and breathe it all in. How lucky we are.

"It's also a great day to bat and Northants added 56 runs in the opening 10 overs of day three to quickly extend their lead. 

"They will hope to set a target above 400, they will also hope this wicket doesn't die over the remaining two days."

The September heatwave is continuing today, with the East set to enjoy the UK's highest temperatures, with highs of 30C (86F).

Northants are about to resume on 44 for 0 in the second innings of their final County Championship match of the season.

They're leading by 109 runs, despite David Payne's fourth first-class half-century in the visitors' first innings.

There's full commentary online through the BBC Radio Northampton website.

Stuart Linnell
BBC Radio Northampton

The pilot of a police helicopter has been describing the moment a laser was shone at it as it flew over Daventry at the weekend.

The aircraft was trying to find a vulnerable person when it was hit by two flashes from a laser on the ground.  

The helicopter carried on with its mission and a police car was dispatched to investigate the laser. Officers were unable to find out who was responsible.

Paul Atherton, the pilot, said: "If you imagine you're driving down a motorway, busy rush hour traffic, it's dark, it's raining, you're doing 70mph and then suddenly your passenger starts flashing a torch in your face - it's very distracting.

"On the police helicopter, I'm the only pilot. If I get hit in the eye and I'm blinded, who's going to fly the aircraft? People on the ground don't realise how serious this is."

People have been jailed in the past for pointing lasers at aircraft in the sky, but the devices themselves remain legal.

Well done to anyone who has been getting involved with this today...

If you want to find out more about getting into cycling, read our special guide.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Councillors in Northampton have voted to begin a consultation on plans to ban taxis which are more than 12-years-old.

The proposal is aimed at cutting air pollution in the town.

Northampton Borough Council's plan, which would come into force in 2018, will now be put to drivers before a final decision is made.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

MPs have called on the government to provide a clear time-frame for the proposed new high speed rail line, HS2.

Image source, HS2

The Public Accounts Committee says the rail link needs a "realistic timetable" and believes the current schedule is "overly ambitious".

It says it is "not convinced" that the first phase of the £56bn line - linking London and Birmingham - will open at the end of 2026 as planned.

Tom Percival
BBC Radio Northampton

A laser was shone at a police helicopter while it was flying over Daventry at the weekend, in an incident that is becoming more prevalent.

The British Airline Pilots Association, external has urged lasers to be reclassified as offensive weapons, as incidents of their misuse have increased nearly three-fold in the past two years.

In 2014 there were 35 laser attacks on police aircraft, while in 2015 there were 91. Throw civilian aircraft into the mix for the same year, and you have 1,800 attacks reported to the Civil Aviation Authority.

BBC Sport

Northampton swimmer Ellie Robinson missed out on a medal in the pool last night at the Paralympics in Rio.

The 15-year-old, who took gold in the S6 50m Butterfly on Friday, had to settle for fourth place in the 400m freestyle.

Image source, BBC Sport

Kate Kinsella
BBC Look East weather

Today is due to be another very warm and humid day across the county staying mainly dry but with the chance on of an isolated shower this afternoon.

Maximum temperature: 29C (84F).

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Good morning and welcome back to another day of regular live updates of the latest news, sport, weather and travel for Northamptonshire.

This morning, after reports that a police helicopter had a laser shone at it at the weekend while responding to an incident in Daventry, we'll be looking at how incidents of this type have increased. 

But first, after yesterday's high temperatures, we'll have a full weather forecast for the county.

Northants bowl Gloucestershire out for 261 to hold a 109-run lead with 10 second-innings wickets remaining after day two.

Live updates for Northamptonshire have now finished.

Any cricket updates and breaking news will appear here throughout the evening and overnight.

Don't forget Ellie Robinson goes in the S6 400m freestyle final at 21:41, with coverage on the BBC Sport website.

We'll be back tomorrow from 08:00.

Image source, EPA