The Atlantic hurricane season got off to a slow start this year, but there have now been 13 named storms – and there could be even more to come.

Back in May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned that this year’s season – running from 1 June to 30 November – had an 85% chance of being more active than usual.

An average year will see a total of 14 named storms, of which seven will be regular hurricanes and three will be major ones.

Latest – Biden tells Trump ‘get a life’ and help storm victims – as number killed rises

After a slow start – the slowest in 10 years – things have picked up recently. Of the 13 named storms, nine became hurricanes, with four reaching major hurricane status (rated category 3 and above on the Saffir-Simpson scale).

Two have reached category 5, the highest possible; Beryl – the most powerful storm to ever make landfall so early in the season in early June – and Milton, which hit Florida this week.

August was unusually quiet, likely due to thunderstorm activity over Africa being further north than usual, but things picked up through September and early October.

We are past the peak of the season but there are more than six weeks left – so there is still time for more hurricanes to form.

And people in Florida know all too well the chance of hurricanes arriving later in the year.

In 2005, Hurricane Wilma hit towards the end of October, causing 30 deaths and around $19bn (£14.5bn) worth of damage.

With sea surface temperatures still above average, there’s a real chance of more hurricanes this season.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

But that doesn’t mean any that do form will have an impact on land or Florida itself, in fact, Hurricane Leslie is currently in the central Atlantic not affecting any land masses.

And although major hurricanes can occur in November, they are rare. All we can do is wait and see.

A UN inquiry has accused Israel of carrying out a concerted policy to destroy Gaza’s healthcare system in actions that amount to war crimes and “extermination”.

Navi Pillay, a former UN high commissioner for human rights who is chairing the inquiry, said Israel has carried out “relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities” in the past year.

Ms Pillay will present a full report on the matter to the UN General Assembly on 30 October.

Middle East latest: Beirut hit by new strike

In a statement ahead of its release, she said: “Children in particular have borne the brunt of these attacks, suffering both directly and indirectly from the collapse of the health system.”

The UN inquiry’s statement also accused Israeli forces of targeting medical vehicles, deliberately killing and torturing medical personnel, and restricting permits for patients to leave the Gaza Strip.

As an example, it cited the death of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who died in February along with six members of her family as they tried to flee fighting in Gaza.

Two medics were also killed as they tried to rescue them.

Nebal Farsakh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), told Sky News that in her mind the deaths were not an accident.

She said: “We do not dispatch our ambulances to areas where it is considered a military area… if we get calls from these areas, we try to coordinate our safe access.”

In a statement to Sky News, the IDF said it has carried out a “preliminary inspection” into the incident and it “appears that IDF forces were not present near the vehicle or within the firing range of the described vehicle in which the girl was found”.

The IDF has repeatedly claimed Hamas militants operate from the cover of built-up areas – including around schools and hospitals – and says it will strike them when they emerge while trying to avoid harming civilians.

Hamas has denied hiding militants and command posts among civilians.

The UN inquiry’s statement comes after 27 people, including women and children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in central Gaza, according to Palestinian medics.

More from Sky News:
Hind Rajab’s heartbreaking final moments
What Gaza has lost in a year of war
Displaced children caught up in Lebanon conflict

The strike, which also wounded many more, happened in the city of Deir al Balah, where upwards of a million people have taken shelter.

Israeli military said it carried out a “precise” strike targeting a militant command inside the school, without providing evidence.

More than 42,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its offensive in the region following Hamas’s attack on October 7 last year, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

Israel’s prime minister’s office and its foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, when asked by the news agency, Reuters.

‘Deep concern’ over Lebanon attacks

Israel has also continued its strikes in Lebanon, where it is involved in military operations against the militant group Hezbollah.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, 18 people were killed and 92 wounded after Israeli strikes on the capital Beirut this evening.

Meanwhile, the UN said earlier today that two of its peacekeepers have been injured after an Israeli tank fired at one of its observation towers.

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement that Israeli forces have “repeatedly hit” UN positions in the last 24 hours.

“Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law,” it said.

The French foreign ministry has shared “deep concern” over the incident, while Italy’s defence minister Guido Crosetto said: “It could constitute a war crime and represented a very serious violation of international military law.”

The IDF claimed in a statement issued today: “The Hezbollah terrorist organisation operates from within and near civilian areas in southern Lebanon, including areas near UNIFIL posts.”

Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from professional tennis.

The 38-year-old, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles, announced the news in an emotional video message posted on X.

“Hello everyone. I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis,” the Spaniard said.

“The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations,” he said.

“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.

“But, in this life, everything has a beginning and an end.

“And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”

Nadal achieved a series of incredible records on clay but was an all-time great on all surfaces. He proved anyone putting him into a box marked “clay specialist” was mistaken.

However, the 14-time French Open winner, who also boasts four US Open titles and won Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010, has struggled with various injuries over the last few years.

Nadal missed the 2023 French Open and won his last Roland Garros title in 2022, leaving the tournament on a jaw-dropping 112-4 win-loss record.

He admitted in May last year he was staring at the end of his career and that he hoped to be able to play a final year on tour in 2024.

His final match will be for Spain at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month, in what will be an emotional end to an illustrious career.

“I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country,” the tennis star revealed in the video post.

He said playing in the tournament would bring a fitting end to his career because “one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Sevilla in 2004”.

Spain defeated the United States with a then 18-year-old Nadal victorious against the USA’s Andy Roddick.

Nadal’s successes came during an extraordinary period of international tennis when he, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and, for a while, Britain’s Andy Murray, dominated the sport.

The former men’s world number one was visibly emotional when Federer, whom he played against 40 times, retired at the Laver Cup in 2022.

“I feel super lucky for all the things I have been able to experience,” Nadal said in his statement.

“I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport, my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals.

“I have spent many hours with them and have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Analysis – An era of greatness is ending in tennis as Nadal joins Federer and Murray

Rob Harris

Sports correspondent

@RobHarris

Up close, Rafael Nadal’s athleticism, dedication and willpower was a sight to behold.

None more so than on the grass of Wimbledon in July 2008 – in the fading light of Centre Court, before the roof and lights arrived, on far from his favourite surface. So early in his career, this was the final that embodied Nadal’s fighting spirit. And it was an epic – then the longest-ever final at the All England Club.

No one in the stands wanted it to end. Or be forced to come back the next day. The near-darkness just added to the drama and sense of occasion as – 12 minutes short of five hours – Roger Federer was finally overcome.

The first of Nadal’s two Wimbledon titles was won through so much more than brute force – powered by the bulging biceps.

The topspin technique and ferocity of the forehand was mesmerising.

And it was on the red courts of Roland Garros where Nadal excelled like no player before him.

The King of Clay has 14 French Open titles to his name – more than any man or woman at a tennis major – and 22 Grand Slam successes in total. Only Novak Djokovic has won more.

Only Djokovic is left standing on court, yet to hang up his racket.

.An era of greatness is ending in tennis with Nadal joining Federer and Andy Murray in retirement.

Federer was quick to pay a tribute to his friend and great rival.

“What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come,” the Swiss and 20-time Grand Slam winner wrote on Instagram.

“Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honour,” he added.

Former Real Madrid – the team Nadal supports – and Manchester United footballer Cristiano Ronaldo wrote: “Rafa, what an incredible race you’ve had!”

Read more from Sky News:
Former Premier League footballer dies aged 31
Taylor Swift leads celeb hurricane relief donations
BBC star and YouTuber accused of rape

Nadal went on to thank his support team who he said has been a very important part of his life. “They are not just co-workers, they are friends,” he said, adding: “My family is everything to me.”

He spoke of the “sacrifices” his mother Ana Maria had made – and also hailed his wife and partner of 19 years, Mery, for being by his side while on tour over the years.

“To come home and see how my son is growing every day has been a force that has really kept me alive,” he said, referring to their child Rafael Jr.

There was also a nod to his uncle and former coach Toni Nadal, who he said “is the reason I started playing tennis”, and to his father Sebastian Nadal who he described as a “source of inspiration”.

“And finally you, the fans,” he said.

“I can’t thank you enough for what you have made me feel. You have given me the energy I have needed at every moment.”

“Really, everything I have experienced has been a dream come true,” Nadal added.

“I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way.

“I can only end by saying a thousand thanks to all – and see you soon.”

Sky Sports tennis commentator Jonathan Overend said: “To win 14 times at the same Grand Slam tennis tournament, many careers don’t get anywhere near 14 years and he’s won the thing that many times – absolute madness. The longevity of the guy in the greatest era and that’s what makes Djokovic as the last man standing out of this elite band.

“These numbers will never be repeated on the clay, particularly at Roland Garros. Anyone who saw that beast of a man up close, sometimes in those sleeveless shirts, displaying the guns, bringing out all those shots, recovering from ridiculous positions in the court to beat the other greatest players of all time, it was such a privilege to watch his career.”