We're always accused of being obsessed with the weather in the UK - but this year we've had a good excuse.

In 2012, we've swung from droughts to floods, hot to cold.
The impact has been felt far and wide, not least by the UK's burgeoning wine industry.
With over 400 acres of vineyards in Hampshire and Sussex, Nyetimber grows the same variety of grapes that are found in the Champagne region in France.
The company has been working to put English sparkling wine on the map, but this year it hasn't had much to celebrate.
"Nyetimber's [vines] have been planted since 1988, and 2012 is the first year we said there is no way we can make wine," says Cherie Spriggs, a wine-maker at the company.
Torrential rain and cool temperatures meant their grapes were not up to standard.
"It came to early October, and we were evaluating the fruit and tasting it, and we just said this isn't going to happen.
"The quality of the fruit was just not at the level that we needed in order to make sparkling wine at the quality we are striving for."
Cancelling the harvest, she says, felt like a kick in the stomach.
'Erratic excursions'
The culprit for much of the extreme weather that the UK has seen this year is the jet stream.
Usually, this river of air in our upper atmosphere flows in a fairly straight line from the east coast of America, east across the Atlantic.
It fluctuates a little all the time, but this year, it underwent large variations and then got locked in these unusual patterns.
Tim Palmer, professor of climate physics at the University of Oxford, explains: "When the jet stream moves up to the north, and then travels back down to the UK, it brings with it cold air, blizzards, very severe and unpleasant weather from that perspective.
"On the other hand, when the jet stream moves south, then we get these periods of intense flooding, which we have seen through the second part of this year."
But Professor Palmer says that with climate change, the jet stream could become far more variable.
He says: "The question of how it will change is still a very active research problem, and we don't have clear-cut answers yet.
"But I think there is quite a big possibility that what we will see is the jet stream undergoing quite dramatic and erratic excursions."
And the UK's geographical position under the jet stream means that we could see the worst of this.
Prof Palmer explains: "I think it is a bit unwise, and possibly even a bit dangerous, to think that the climate of the UK will just gradually warm and we'll transition to a more balmy southern European climate.
"If the ideas about a more fluctuating jet stream are correct, then in fact what we will be seeing is a climate with many more extremes: both extremes of wetness and flooding on the one hand, and extremes and dryness and possibly even coldness on the other."
Getting prepared
The exact course that the UK's climate will take is still uncertain, and scientists say we need more powerful computers and better climate models to improve how we predict our future weather.
Despite this, the Environment Agency is starting to prepare for a change in our weather patterns.
Flooding is a particular concern, and the agency has been working to put more early flood warnings and flood defences in place.
Lord Chris Smith, the chairman of the Environment Agency, says: "If you think back to the major flooding in the summer of 2007, not only were there a large number of properties affected by the flooding, there were also some key bits of infrastructure - electricity substations and water treatment plants, which were serious threatened.
"We've been trying to make sure over the period since then that our infrastructure is better protected."
Other industries, such as agriculture, also need to start planning ahead, says Professor Monique Simmonds from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
In their glasshouses, scientists at Kew are looking at a variety of crops from around the world that could potentially survive a more changeable climate in the UK.
"If you look at other parts of the world where you have droughts, for example, there are a lot of your mints, thymes, rosemarys that actually do quite well under warmer and drier conditions," she says.
Natural solution
But, says Prof Simmonds, it's also worth taking a look closer to home.
"With the UK, I think one of the things we really need to do is to go back and look at some of our old varieties of crops. To go back, look for some traits associated with possible drought tolerance, or other extremes of conditions, and that can be your barleys, your oats, your peas," she explains.
"We might have the solutions within those collections."
But finding a plant that can cope with every kind of weather won't be easy.
"It would be difficult to come up with an ideal plant that is able to tolerate drought and then tolerate very, very heavy rain and flooding," she says.
"Out there in nature there is likely to be some kind of solution - the trick is to be able to identify it."
Back at Nyetimber, and Cherie Spriggs hopes the cancelled harvest won't set them back too much.
However, as they get ready for 2013, they are preparing for more turbulent times ahead.
She says: "We often talk about an average year, but in fact I've never seen an average year. It is always different on every single occasion.
"If we try to change everything according to what we have seen this year, Murphy's Law, I will be completely wrong for next year."


James Purnell, the BBC's director of strategy, has been promoted to a new role putting him in charge of the corporation's radio stations.

Purnell, who was UK culture secretary in the Labour government in 2007-08 before joining the BBC, has been made director of radio and education.
His move comes after Helen Boaden's retirement as director of radio.
The BBC said a new director of radio would be recruited to "give creative leadership and focus day in, day out".
Tony Hall, the BBC's director general, said he wanted "to bring together network radio, arts, music, learning and children's under James's leadership".
Purnell, who joined the BBC in 2010, said he was "delighted to have been asked to lead the new division".
Lord Patten of Barnes, former chairman of the BBC Trust, said Purnell had "huge experience in public affairs and now in broadcasting".
"I am sure he will do an excellent job running some of the BBC's flagship services," the former Conservative minister continued.
Rumours of Purnell's new role began circulating earlier this year, prompting former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale to call for a rethink.
The Conservative MP said he had "concerns about somebody who has played a very prominent role in a political party then going on to have an editorial job in the BBC".
The BBC said Purnell was interviewed for the new post earlier this week and would remain on his existing Â£295,000 salary.
Boaden, 60, joined the BBC in 1983, going on to become head of BBC News in 2004 and director of Radio in 2013.
She will leave the corporation in March to take up a fellowship at Harvard and said she had been "very fortunate to have done some wonderfully challenging and fascinating jobs throughout my long career".
She is scheduled to deliver a speech at a media festival in Lampedusa, Italy later, during which she is expected to express concerns over the state of the industry.
"I worry about the direction in which we're going," a transcript of her speech reads. "It seems to me that the media can sometimes rush very fast in order to stand still.
"In our search for answers to a problem which appears if not intractable then complex, is the speed of the media's technology... obscuring rather than illuminating the issues?"
She will go on to say she is "unapologetically speaking up for the virtues of slow - slow journalism which is engaging and dynamic... but embodies impartiality, accuracy, expertise and evidence".
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A recent court case in Nigeria has highlighted concerns that locally made soft drinks may be considered unsafe for human consumption elsewhere, as Ijeoma Ndukwe explains.

There has been uproar in Nigeria after it emerged that the company that manufactures Fanta and Sprite, the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC), has been ordered by a court to place warning labels on its products, stating that they are unsafe when consumed alongside vitamin C.
The drinks are said by critics to contain high levels of the preservative benzoic acid and the colouring sunset yellow.
NBC is challenging the ruling.
The case has caused deepening concern in a country where Fanta, Sprite and Coca-Cola are probably the most widely consumed soft drinks.
Barbara Ukpabi owns a grill restaurant which serves local food in Oniru, Lagos. She says she might stop buying Fanta and Sprite for the restaurant and also has concerns about giving the drinks to her children.
"I was thinking of reducing how much I drink of it. I'll be thinking of drinking less of it or going to other substitutes like juice."
Although like many Nigerians, the habit is hard to break.
"I just had my lunch and I had Coke and water."
Security guard John Uloko didn't see the reports about the soft drinks in the newspapers but heard about it via WhatsApp and hasn't drunk any since.
The ruling was the result of a nine-year-long court battle initiated by Nigerian businessman Fijabi Adebo.
In 2007, Mr Adebo shipped Nigerian-made Fanta and Sprite to the UK to sell at his chain of shops in Manchester.
His shipment was confiscated by UK customs, originally because of concerns about the authenticity of the beverages.
But when the UK health authorities tested the products, they were declared unsafe for human consumption and destroyed.
Mr Adebo sued NBC, Coca-Cola's franchise owner in Nigeria, which had sold him the products.
They had refused to take financial responsibility for the incident.
He later extended the case to include the food standards agency Nafdac, on the grounds that it had allegedly not performed its duty.
Last month - nearly 10 years after he filed his case - a Lagos high court ruled against Nafdac and ordered the Nigerian Bottling Company to place written warnings on its Fanta and Sprite bottles.As NBC is appealing, the labels have not yet been added to the bottles.
Mr Adebo told the BBC: "Initially they were flexing their muscles, which dragged [out] the process. I went to court to compel Nafdac to do its duty.
"We shouldn't have a product that is considered substandard in Europe."
His viewpoint is echoed by many, angered that products considered unsafe for consumption in the UK are legal in Nigeria.
The case has prompted discussions about accepted standards in the country.
Although benzoic acid is widely used as an antibacterial and antifungal preservative in acidic foods and beverages to extend their shelf life, studies have shown that the chemical can cause health problems in certain circumstances.
A scientist based in Nigeria, who has dealings with Nafdac and asked to remain anonymous, says some human toxicity studies have shown that benzoic acid may react with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in soft drinks, forming benzene.
"While benzoic acid itself is relatively non-toxic, when benzene is formed in the presence of ascorbic acid in foods it is particularly dangerous, as benzene is widely known to be toxic and linked to many forms of cancer. These include leukaemia and other cancers of the blood," the scientist said.
The secretary-general of the Nigerian Medical Association says it is impossible to make a judgement about acceptable levels of benzoic acid without conducting a local study looking at health implications over a long period of time.
Dr Yusuf Sununu Tanko says there are a number of examples where evaluations are different between countries because of differences in physical constitution, diet and environment.
"Each country has its own acceptable value of what is considered normal for what is fit for human consumption," he says.
Nigeria's health ministry published a statement in response to the public outcry, reassuring Nigerians that the drinks are safe for human consumption.
However, the ministry advises that medicines are taken with water to help "prevent unexpected drug-food interactions".
Although the government has not spoken of enforcement, it "encourages" all bottling companies to include advisory warnings on all relevant products.
The Nigerian Bottling Company has appealed against the court ruling. It says the levels of benzoic acid in its soft drinks are "well within the levels approved" by both the national regulator and Codex Alimentarius, an international food standards body.
The company also says the ingredient levels set by countries for their food and beverages are influenced by factors such as climate, with drinks in hotter countries needing higher levels of preservative.
It also says there was "no proven case of negligence" or finding that the company had breached its duty of care to consumers.
The government's Consumer Protection Council has formally requested documents from the Nigerian Bottling Company ahead of an independent inquiry.
With an appeal in motion and a government inquiry under way, this case is far from over.


US Secretary of State John Kerry will testify in front of a House panel about the deadly Benghazi attacks, according to a letter obtained by the BBC.

State department officials say Mr Kerry's appearance at the oversight panel should mean he will not need to testify in front of the recently-formed Benghazi select committee.
He is scheduled to testify on 12 June.
A US ambassador and three others were killed after an assault on the Libyan diplomatic post in September 2012.
Republicans have argued the Democratic Obama administration misled the public on the nature of the attack.
Democrats in the US Congress have named five representatives to a special panel on the Benghazi attacks despite arguing it is motivated by Republican politics.
Mr Kerry, who was not secretary at the time, had previously been subpoenaed by the oversight committee to appear in late May, the letter said, but could not attend due to the Ukrainian crisis.
"We believe there are witnesses better suited to answer questions regarding the department's response to congressional investigations of the Benghazi attacks," the letter, dated Friday, reads.
"However in the interest of accommodations and to resolve once and for all any outstanding, relevant questions, the secretary is prepared to appear before the committee."
A separate select committee on Benghazi with the authorisation to operate until the end of the year was approved on a largely party-line vote.
Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, told broadcaster NBC the decision whether to call Mr Kerry to testify at the select committee would be made later.
"We're glad Secretary Kerry will appear at oversight," Mr Steel said. "Whether he will also be asked appear before the Select Committee will be a decision for Chairman Gowdy in the future."


Interim head coach Jon Daly will take charge of Hearts for this weekend's Premiership trip to Motherwell.

The club has been interviewing candidates to succeed Ian Cathro in the past fortnight, but will not make any announcement until next week.
Hearts have also been reviewing the football operations - headed by director of football Craig Levein.
"The board will not rush the new management appointment," owner Ann Budge told the Hearts website.
"We did receive lots of interest and we have conducted a number of interviews.
"The calibre of interviewee was very high and every candidate was worthy of very serious consideration.
"As well as interviewing short-listed candidates, we have also conducted a review of our football operation both against our initial three-year plan and importantly, against our new three-year plan, to confirm the suitability of our current management model as the club continues to progress."
A four-person panel, headed by Budge, has interviewed Steven Pressley, Paul Hartley, Daly and Dougie Freedman, although the latter has since joined Crystal Palace as sporting director.
Former England manager Steve McClaren was on the shortlist, while a conversation about the vacancy also took place between the club and former Derby and Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davis.
McClaren has since joined Maccabi Tel Aviv as a coaching consultant, while Davis says he is no longer in contention.
"While this has been going on, Jon Daly, supported by the other members of the coaching staff, has stepped up to the mark brilliantly and filled the role of interim head coach admirably," Budge said.
"An announcement will be made regarding a permanent appointment next week."
Hearts also confirmed the departure of chief operating officer Scot Gardiner, who is leaving at the end of the month for personal reasons.
"Scot joined us three years ago on a fixed-term contract to advise me and my newly appointed board and executive team - none of whom had any experience of running a football club - on all matters relating to Scottish football business operations," Budge said.
"When the decision to build the new [main] stand went ahead, I extended Scot's contract in order to benefit from his knowledge of football stadia to provide input to the design of the new stand.
"We all now know considerably more about running a football business and the design of the new stand is effectively complete. The time has, therefore, come for Scot to move on, particularly in light of the fact that he has recently had a health scare to deal with and needs some personal time.
"Scot's advice and guidance to me, and to this club, has been invaluable and he goes with our very best wishes for his future success.
"In terms of the new stand development, I am delighted to say that it remains on schedule for opening on 5 November."


Sports Direct chairman Keith Hellawell has lambasted critics of the sportswear firm, saying an "extreme political, union and media campaign" has damaged its reputation.

Sports Direct also reported a big drop in half-year profits, which it blamed partly on the fall in the pound.
The retailer, which has been criticised over working conditions, said reported pre-tax profits fell 25% to Â£140.2m.
However, the firm added that it would be buying a corporate jet for Â£40m.
Chief executive Mike Ashley said the past six months had been "tough for our people and performance".
Announcing the company's results, Mr Ashley said: "Our UK sports retail business continues to be the engine of Sports Direct, but our results have been affected by the significant deterioration in exchange rates, and our assessment of our risk relating to our stock levels and European stores performance."
Mr Hellawell, who has been under fire during his tenure as chairman, used the results statement to launch a blistering attack on the way in which the company had been treated.
"I have no doubt that the extreme political, union and media campaign waged against this company has not only damaged its reputation and influenced our customers, it has impacted negatively on the morale of our people," he said.
"I begin to question whether this intense scrutiny is all ethically motivated. One of the most damaging consequences has been for the very people our critics supposedly support.
"The board accepts responsibility for our shortcomings, but there has also been disproportionate, inaccurate and misleading commentary.
"The individuals at the heart of our organisation are blameless. They are increasingly upset and angry at the barrage of detrimental comments about the company, which in their view is unjustified."
Sports Direct has suffered from a number of scandals in recent months.
After HMRC looked into whether workers at its Derbyshire warehouse were paid below the minimum wage, a damning report by the the Business, Innovation and Skills committee said employees of the company were "not treated as humans".
Since the criticism over its treatment of staff began, a delegation of MPs claimed an attempt was made to record them in a private discussion while on a visit to the firm's Shirebrook warehouse.
Most recently, an investigation into the company's accounts was launched.
Several senior employees have also left the company. Dave Forsey stepped down as chief executive and was replaced by Mr Ashley.
Acting finance director Matt Pearson was replaced by another interim appointment, Herbert Monteith, in October.
A subtle sign of the change in mindset at Sports Direct comes deep in the fine print of today's interim results.
Under the prim heading "corporate assets and facilities", the company says it is about to take delivery of a corporate plane.
Business aircraft are always a potential source of embarrassing headlines, and Sports Direct has had its fair share of those over the last year.
But finally it has shown it has learned one of the ways to avoid such headlines - be upfront about what is happening and explain it, and the sting is drawn.
Elsewhere, the company's critics were given a few sops. The veteran banker David Brayshaw has been recruited as an independent director, and may perhaps be in line to take over as chairman, should Keith Hellawell, the incumbent, not survive another vote on his tenure on 5 January.
Mr Hellawell offered to resign earlier this year, but was convinced not to by Mr Ashley.
However, after failing to receive the necessary support from a majority of the company's independent shareholders who voted at the annual general meeting in September, the chairman will stand for re-election on 5 January next year.


Galatasaray have been suspended from European competition for two years for breaching financial fair play rules, Uefa has confirmed.

European football's governing body said in January that the Turkish champions had broken regulations on the level of financial losses allowed.
A ban has now been imposed after Galatasaray failed to comply with financial fair play settlement terms.
The Istanbul club is currently fifth in Turkey's Super League.
Finishing in that position would leave Galatasaray outside the qualifying places for next season's Champions League and Europa League.
The 2000 Uefa Cup winners have played in the Champions League for the past four seasons, going out at the group stage of this season's competition.
They dropped into the Europa League but lost to Lazio at the last-32 stage.
Galatasaray official Iskender Baydar said that club directors are "examining the text of the decision" and will issue a statement later.


The first-ever trial of an Ebola vaccine in Africa showed promising initial results, reports the Lancet medical journal.

The vaccine, given to Ugandan and American volunteers, appeared to generate the desired immune response - although not enough to make it a good candidate for wider use.
Scientists say although it will not beat Ebola, it is a crucial step.
This trial has stopped but other vaccines are in development.
The Ebola virus has killed more than 7,000 people in the worst-affected countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
No proven vaccine exists to prevent people from getting the disease, though several trials are underway.
The aim of a successful vaccine is to train the immune systems of healthy people to produce antibodies - proteins capable of fighting off any future infections.
In 2009, researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) tested their experimental vaccine on healthy adults in Uganda, having first trialled it in the US.
Dr Julie Ledgerwood, the lead researcher of the trial that has been written up and published in The Lancet, said: "This is the first study to show comparable safety and immune response of an experimental Ebola vaccine in an African population.
"This is particularly encouraging because those at greatest risk of Ebola live primarily in Africa and diminished vaccine protection in African populations has been seen for other diseases."
According to the study some 57% of people in Uganda who received the Ebola vaccine alone developed antibodies against Ebola in their blood.
Dr Sridhar of the University of Oxford, commenting on the research, said the data provided insights into Ebola vaccine development.
Vaccines currently being tested against Ebola are made in a different way to the NIH one.


A security guard at Washington DC's Census Bureau shot after approaching a car in which two people were arguing has died in hospital.

The gunman, who had kidnapped a woman, barricaded himself inside the bureau before fleeing by car. He was shot in the head by police but survived.
A second officer was shot in the leg during the stand-off about a mile (1.6km) from the US Capitol.
The incident was not related to terrorism, the FBI said.
Police said the security guard, Lawrence Buckner, saw two people fighting in a car that matched the description of a vehicle involved in an armed kidnapping.
When Mr Buckner - whose age was not given - approached the car he was shot in the chest.
The gunman also fired at police cars during a chase before he was blocked in and wounded in a fire fight.
The woman, thought to be the suspect's wife, got out of the car somewhere between the Census Bureau office in Maryland and central Washington. She was later found alive.
Police said the officer who was shot in the leg is expected to recover.


Emyr Huws scored a late goal to give Ipswich Town a dramatic victory at Aston Villa and end their five-match winless run in the Championship.

The on-loan Cardiff midfielder turned home David McGoldrick's cross for his first goal for Town to leave Steve Bruce's Villa winless in eight.
Huws' effort came moments after McGoldrick had cleared a header from Villa forward Scott Hogan off the line.
Villa's Birkir Bjarnason earlier hit the crossbar in the first half.
The defeat was Villa's first at home this season and they slipped to 16th in the table.
McGoldrick tried to double the away lead, but although his ambitious curling effort went just over the bar, Ipswich held on for their first league victory over Villa since March 1994, and climbed to 13th.
Bruce gave Neil Taylor, Conor Hourihane, Hogan and Bjarnason home debuts and Hourihane tested Ipswich keeper Bartosz Bialkowski early on.
But after a goalless first half, Ipswich improved, with Jordan Spence just wide from a set-piece before McGoldrick cut in from the left to slide a low ball into the middle which Huws finished off.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce:
"It's tough at the minute. We certainly didn't deserve to lose. We had some really good opportunities and didn't take them.
"Once again we made one mistake and we were punished. Hopefully we have fallen as far as we can because the next few games are going to be important.
"It is time to batten down the hatches and face the flak. But we need to take some of the chances we are creating.
"The Ipswich goal was an individual mistake. Unfortunately every time we make a mistake we are punished. We now have to find some form to get a win to restore the confidence in the team."
Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy:
"It was a great win. I have never doubted the character of the team.
"We have always been good at disrupting teams and regaining the ball, as we proved against Villa.
"Huws has made a real difference to the team since he joined us from Cardiff. He wants to play and he took a cut in wages to play football. That tells you a lot about him as there are not too many players who would do that.
"The win is a big boost for me, the team, the club and Marcus Evans, who gets plenty of flak despite sticking in £6m a year to keep the club going."
Match ends, Aston Villa 0, Ipswich Town 1.
Second Half ends, Aston Villa 0, Ipswich Town 1.
Attempt saved. Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Albert Adomah.
Corner,  Aston Villa. Conceded by Luke Chambers.
Foul by Andre Green (Aston Villa).
Joshua Emmanuel (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Hand ball by Kevin Bru (Ipswich Town).
Andre Green (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Joshua Emmanuel (Ipswich Town).
Substitution, Aston Villa. Leandro Bacuna replaces Tommy Elphick.
Corner,  Aston Villa. Conceded by Joshua Emmanuel.
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Kevin Bru replaces Emyr Huws.
Attempt missed. David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Grant Ward.
Goal!  Aston Villa 0, Ipswich Town 1. Emyr Huws (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
Foul by Nathan Baker (Aston Villa).
Luke Chambers (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Aston Villa. Conceded by Jordan Spence.
Attempt blocked. Tommy Elphick (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Conor Hourihane with a cross.
Corner,  Aston Villa. Conceded by Grant Ward.
Attempt missed. Nathan Baker (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Conor Hourihane following a set piece situation.
Toumani Diagouraga (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Albert Adomah (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Toumani Diagouraga (Ipswich Town).
Attempt saved. Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Conor Hourihane.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Aston Villa. Andre Green replaces Neil Taylor.
Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Delay in match Tom Lawrence (Ipswich Town) because of an injury.
Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich Town).
Attempt saved. Henri Lansbury (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Conor Hourihane.
Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Emyr Huws (Ipswich Town).
Corner,  Aston Villa. Conceded by Jordan Spence.
Substitution, Aston Villa. Albert Adomah replaces Alan Hutton.
Foul by Tom Lawrence (Ipswich Town).
James Chester (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Emyr Huws (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.


Kyle Edmund kept British hopes alive in the US Open singles after Aljaz Bedene and Cameron Norrie were beaten in New York on Wednesday.

Edmund, ranked 42nd, beat American Steve Johnson 7-5 6-2 7-6 (7-4) to reach round three for the second year running.
However, Bedene lost 6-1 6-4 6-4 to Russia's Andrey Rublev in round one.
And qualifier Norrie went down 6-2 6-4 6-3 to Spanish 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round.
Edmund will next face unseeded 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov, who upset French eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-3).
He is the last Briton standing after six were initially entered in the main draw.
"It's a shame really that a few of us have lost early, and obviously Andy [Murray] was injured," he said.
"I guess in another way it's good that there's some more depth in British tennis that we're able to have other people go further."
The Briton, 22, had to wait until 7.30pm local time to get under way on a packed day of 87 singles matches, as organisers looked to make up for Tuesday's near washout.
He was playing his ninth match in 12 days after reaching the semi-finals in Winston-Salem last week, beating Johnson along the way.
If he was feeling the effects of so many matches, Edmund gave no indication as he saw off the American in two hours and 17 minutes.
He needed three breaks of serve to finally clinch the opening set before dominating the second on a sparsely attended Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Johnson, ranked 46th, held firm in the third to force a tie-break, but Edmund got the decisive break with a superb drop shot for 5-3 and closed it out on serve.
"That's a big one to get through - very happy I came out with my level the way it was," said Edmund.
"If he'd snuck that third set then it's game on, but I played some good points in that tie-break."
Bedene, 28, continued his poor run at Flushing Meadows, where he has now won just one match in four appearances in the main draw.
"I'm very disappointed - it wasn't good at all," the world number 48 told BBC Sport.
"I'm struggling with the movement at the moment. I've had problems with the knee since Wimbledon and I thought it was going to be OK, but it's not, so tough times.
"He was playing a very good game today and I wasn't surprised, because I know on a good day he can be very solid."
Norrie, 22, had already enjoyed a successful week at Flushing Meadows by coming through three rounds of qualifying at a Grand Slam at the first time of asking.
Carreno Busta was too strong, however, saving six of seven break points and recovering from a break down in the third.
"It's just been a great experience," said Norrie. "I'm proud of myself but a little bit disappointed."
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
The bottom half of the men's draw is an oasis of even greater opportunity after the events of Wednesday. Marin Cilic and John Isner are the only members of the world's top 15 who remain after the defeats of Alex Zverev and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Kyle Edmund will be relishing the chance, even though he knows only too well the dangers poised by the brilliant 18 year old Denis Shapovalov, who beat him at Queen's Club in June.
Youth still has much to do to sear its mark. If the seedings go to plan, the quarter-finals in the bottom half of the draw will pit Isner against Kevin Anderson and Cilic against Pablo Carreno Busta.


Injured goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain has withdrawn from the England women's squad for their Euro 2017 qualifiers against Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Sunderland's Rachael Laws, 25, has been called up to replace the 32-year-old Liverpool keeper, who has a knee injury.
England face Belgium in Rotherham on Friday, before travelling to Zenica to play Bosnia on Tuesday.
The Lionesses have won both their qualifying games so far.
Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), Rachael Laws (Sunderland), Carly Telford (Notts County)
Defenders: Laura Bassett (Notts County), Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), Gilly Flaherty (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Liverpool), Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Alex Scott (Arsenal), Casey Stoney (Arsenal), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Amy Turner (Notts County)
Midfielders: Katie Chapman (Chelsea), Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Jo Potter (Birmingham City), Jill Scott (Manchester City), Fara Williams (Arsenal)
Forwards: Eniola Aluko (Chelsea), Karen Carney (Chelsea), Gemma Davison (Chelsea), Toni Duggan (Manchester City), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Ellen White (Notts County).


A tourist from the Isle of Man has been found dead on a beach in Thailand, according to local media.

The Phuket News said Scott Robert Townsend, from Douglas, was pulled from the water on Patong Beach, which is on Phuket's west coast, on Friday.
The 37-year-old, who had been due to fly home from the island on Saturday, had been on holiday with friends.
The Foreign Office said it was "assisting the family of a British man who sadly died in Patong, Thailand".
Mr Townsend's cause of death has not yet been established.
Tributes to him have appeared on social media.
One friend wrote: "Devastating news. So tragic. Another absolutely smashing lad taken far too soon."
Another added: "I am absolutely gutted to hear this news, Scott Townsend was a great friend."


The malaria parasite can ensure it keeps a host body all to itself by preventing further malarial infections, according to international researchers.

The parasite initially reproduces in the liver and moves into the blood.
A study on mice, published in Nature Medicine, showed the parasite can trigger iron deficiency in the liver and therefore prevent more infections.
An expert said the research was "very cool and very interesting", and improved understanding of infection.
The researchers were looking at super-infections, when a patient already infected with malaria is infected with another batch of malaria parasites.
People in high-risk areas can be bitten by up to 700 different malaria-infected mosquitoes each year.
In experiments on mice, researchers showed that parasites in the blood were able to stimulate the production of the hormone hepcidin, which regulates iron levels.
This reduced the level of iron in the liver, preventing other malaria parasites from reproducing in the organ.
Dr Hal Drakesmith, from the Weatherall Institute at Oxford University, who was part of the Medical Research Council team, said: "Now that we understand how malaria parasites protect their territory in the body from competitor parasites, we may be able to enhance this natural defence mechanism to combat the risk of malaria infections."
Malaria is often accompanied by anaemia, which is treated with iron supplements.
In this study, mice given iron supplements were more susceptible to additional infections.
Dr Drakesmith said: "We may need to look again at the advisability of iron supplementation programmes in malaria-endemic regions, as possible increased risk of infection may need to be weighed against benefits."
Dr Rita Tewari, a malaria researcher at the University of Nottingham, said: "It's very cool and very interesting.
"It tells us a bit more about the mechanism of malaria infection and gives us some sort of tool, this molecule hepcidin, that you can manipulate which can affect infection."


American writer George Saunders has won the inaugural Folio Prize for his "darkly playful" short story collection, Tenth of December.

The new prize, open to English-language writers from around the world, pre-empts the Man Booker Prize, which this year expands to a global level.
Saunders picked up his £40,000 cheque at a ceremony in central London on Monday night.
The eight-strong shortlist had been dominated by American authors.
"George Saunders' stories are both artful and profound," said chair of the judges, Lavinia Greenlaw.
"Darkly playful, they take us to the edge of some of the most difficult questions of our time and force us to consider what lies behind and beyond them. His subject is the human self under ordinary and extraordinary pressure.
"His worlds are heightened versions of our own, full of inexorable confrontations from which we are not easily released. Unflinching, delightful, adventurous, compassionate, he is a true original whose work is absolutely of the moment. We have no doubt that these stories will prove only more essential in years to come."
Joining Greenlaw on the judging panel were Michael Chabon, Sarah Hall, Nam Le and Pankaj Mishra.
Andrew Kidd, founder of The Folio Prize, described Saunders as "one of the great writers of our age" and "one of the undisputed masters of his form".
He said: "It's a brilliant choice which boldly affirms the aims of the prize: to celebrate the most perfectly realised and thrilling storytelling of our time."
Also on the Folio Prize shortlist were Red Doc> by Anne Carson, Schroder by Amity Gaige, Last Friends by Jane Gardam, Benediction by Kent Haruf and The Flame Throwers by Rachel Kushner.
The list was completed by A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride and A Naked Singularity by Sergio De La Pava.
Saunders was born in Amarillo, Texas, grew up in Chicago and has a degree in exploration geophysics.
Having worked in Sumatra oil fields as a field geophysicist, he says he "came home to try and be Kerouac II".
Saunders' works include the story collections CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, Pastoralia and In Persuasion Nation.  His is also the author of a best-selling children's book, The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip, and a book of essays entitled The Brain-Dead Megaphone.
Tenth of December, a New York Times bestseller, was shortlisted for the 2013 National Book Award and also won this year's Story Prize.
The author, who teaches creative writing at Syracuse University in New York, was named in Time magazine's 2013 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
"Saunders is one of the mercurial masters of the short story that Britain's disinterest in short-form fiction has prevented us from championing," commented Jonathan Ruppin, web editor at Foyles.
"These stories are satire as its most brutal, fiercely funny but also bitter about a dystopian future that already seems to be coming to pass. He's a deserved recipient, up there with Vonnegut".
Formerly known as the Literature Prize, the Folio Prize was first announced in 2011 amidst a row in literary circles over the decision by that year's Man Booker judges to focus on "readability".
The Folio Prize joins a literary awards landscape that already contains the £50,000 Man Booker, the £30,000 Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize) and the new £10,000 Goldsmiths Prize.
In September last year it was announced the Man Booker Prize - which had only considered works from the Commonwealth, Ireland or Zimbabwe - would open up to authors around the world in 2014.


Australian police have charged three people after a child was reportedly found locked inside an elaborate underground drugs compound.

Police said the boy, aged eight, was kept locked in a small room in the compound for several weeks and was allowed outside only to do chores.
The compound, located 300km north of Sydney, was hidden beneath an outdoor deck and accessible by trapdoor.
It allegedly contained 225 cannabis plants.
Three other children, aged between one and nine, were also found to be living on the property. All have been placed in care.
It was reported that the three people arrested are the children's mother, her fiance, and the children's uncle.
"The door to the small room in the shed was locked from the outside and police will allege that the boy was mistreated and only allowed out of the shed for chores and sometimes food,'' Detective Inspector Peter McKenna told the Newcastle Herald.
News.com.au quoted police as saying the boy was kept in the room for long periods of time in the past few weeks. The family is understood to have moved into the property earlier this year.
Neighbours interviewed by the Sydney Morning Herald said they rarely saw the boy, though they saw the other children more frequently.
Police from the Manning-Great Lakes command initially struggled to find the bunker when they raided the property on 19 December.
It consisted of three shipping containers buried beneath a hydraulic-powered deck that rolled away at the flick of a switch.
A 28-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman were charged with offences relating to drug cultivation and detaining a person for financial advantage, while a 19-year-old man was charged with drug offences.
The tiny room in which the boy was found contained only a mattress and a bucket for going to the toilet.


The level of household waste which is recycled in the UK has fallen for the first time, figures have shown.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs statistics show that 44.3% of household rubbish was recycled in 2015, down from 44.9% in 2014.
It is the first fall since 2010 when monitoring began, though is still the second-highest annual rate on record.
Waste company Biffa Municipal warned that recyclables that are not clean can cause "lorry-loads" to be rejected.
There is a European Union target for the UK to recycle at least 50% of household waste by 2020.
Levels of waste recycled from England's homes fell in 2015, from 44.8% the previous year to 43.9%, the first time it has dipped below 44% since 2011.
In Northern Ireland, the rate fell from 42.5% in 2014 to 42% 2015.
But recycling levels rose in Scotland in the same period, from 41% to 42%, and in Wales from 54.8% to 55.8%.
David Palmer-Jones, chief executive of SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, called for a "polluter pays" approach to consumer goods which would see producers or manufacturers taxed according to how much material was not recyclable, with the cost added to the product.
"The tax would help pay for better household collection of recyclables and help address the huge funding challenge that local government faces," he said.
He said the company's analysis showed England's recycling rate had dropped for the first time in 16 years since separate records began in 2000.
Biffa Municipal's managing director Roger Edwards said: "We should all work harder to ensure that household recyclables such as paper, card, plastics, and metal and glass containers are as clean as possible when put out for collection, and that they aren't adulterated.
"Contamination can cause entire lorry-loads of recyclables to be rejected, at high cost to already-stretched councils."
Yes: (but check your individual council's policy as they vary)
No:
What can be collected from households varies between councils.
Many other items including textiles, electronics, plastic bags and batteries can also be recycled at designated centres and some supermarkets.


'Dyn ni'n aml yn cyhoeddi orielau lluniau o stormydd garw neu eira ar Cymru Fyw ond prin iawn ydy'r cyfloedd i roi blas i chi o dywydd crasboeth y dyddiau diwetha'.

Mae'r camerâu 'na wedi bod yn brysur ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol. Anfonwch eich lluniau atom ni @BBCCymruFyw a chofiwch yr eli haul 'na!


Arsenal are back on top of the table after Sunday's draw at Stoke and there are several other reasons it was a significant result for Arsene Wenger's side.

The game was seen as a test of the Gunners' title credentials and, when you compare this result with their defeat at the Britannia Stadium last season, you can see the progress they have made.
The Gunners did not play well but the crucial thing is that they dug deep and were not beaten this time.
Wenger's side have fallen away in past seasons but performances like this one are part of the reason I think they will go the distance in the Premier League title race this time.
There are still many more big tests to come for Arsenal, but they will still be there or thereabouts in May.
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I don't think there is any doubt that the Gunners look more solid and have improved as a team with Petr Cech behind them, and Sunday was yet another example of what an important signing he has been.
When Stoke got through Arsenal's back four, Cech was there to save them.
He helped earn what was a big point for the Gunners because of their poor record at the Britannia Stadium - they had only won on one of seven previous league visits - and it might also prove to be an important point in the title race.
That is the way Wenger will look at it, and I am sure he will take a lot of confidence from this result.
Stoke have already beaten Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea at home this season, so they are no pushovers.
The Potters have a lot of unpredictability in their team, particularly in attack, and they are tough to beat because they have a top-class young goalkeeper as well.
Along with Cech, Jack Butland was the star of the show, and he made two excellent saves from Olivier Giroud.
Other than those Giroud efforts, Arsenal did not threaten too often against the Potters but they were without their most creative player Mesut Ozil, who has been superb for them.
Wenger got it right after the game when he said that there is no team in the world that would not miss Ozil in the form he is in at the moment.
You only have to look at the number of chances he has created and the assists he has made in the Premier League this season to see what the German usually brings to their side.
The good news for the Gunners is that it looks like he will be back soon, and Alexis Sanchez is also not far away from a return after seven weeks out with a hamstring injury.
So, all things considered, Arsenal look in good shape in attack as well as at the back.
I still think Giroud should score more goals - he has not reached 20 league goals in any of his three previous seasons for the Gunners.
Like I said on Match of the Day on Wednesday night, he should be scoring 25 league goals a season playing in this Arsenal team, because of the number of chances they create.
He is not a world-class striker but he is a very good player who is having a very good season and for the £12m he cost, he has been an excellent buy.
Giroud has 12 goals from 22 Premier League games so far - if he can get to 20 this time and Cech and Ozil maintain their form then they will have a great chance of winning the title.
Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.


When Bernard Lapasset first met the International Olympic Council to negotiate the reinstatement of rugby union in the Rio Games, he addressed them in four languages.

Needless to say, they came away impressed, and it is that internationalist approach which has made the World Rugby chairman one of the most pivotal figures in the development of the sport.
Since taking office in 1995, he has guided rugby from the amateur to professional leagues, brought nations like Argentina and the US into the fold and generated record-breaking growth culminating in last year's World Cup.
And now, he's making a final, ambitious play for Asia before relinquishing his role in May.
"We are not just a sport for Europe and the southern hemisphere," the 68-year-old Frenchman told me. "Asia is the future for the game. I am sure it will be the future of the game."
Nothing illustrates this more than the deal he signed this month with Alibaba chairman Jack Ma, who is also China's second richest man.
The multimillion dollar development and sponsorship agreement aims to expand rugby in China at both the grassroots and professional levels over the next ten years.
Mr Ma's sports unit will also get exclusive broadcast rights for its internet platform and help organise more rugby events in the country.
"When we open the market in China, it will open the market in all of Asia," Mr Lapasset said.
"Development is different in every region. We have to adapt the solutions to the different cultures that we have in front of us.
"Rugby is not the same in Africa as it is in Europe, and is not in the same in South America and North America. It will be different as well in China and in Asia. We need to adapt the solutions country by country."
The Sevens
Rugby Sevens, the short-form of the game being included at the Rio Olympics, is a huge part of his strategy.
First invented by a butcher in Melrose, Scotland, in 1883, the sevens is regarded as faster - and some say easier to understand - than the core rugby union game with a team of 15 players.
Australian rugby legend and former Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock calls it a "great vehicle" for developing countries to accelerate their rugby programmes.
"In Asia there is so much potential and we're only seeing the start of it. You don't need massive behemoth forwards and a huge amount of players," he told me, adding that "it's an easy way for females to get involved as well as males."
But can rugby really pick up in Asia given the overwhelming popularity of football? That's not to mention the myriad of other sports competing for attention, like golf, tennis and badminton.
The business and investment community increasingly seems to be saying yes.
Banking giant HSBC has sponsored the World Rugby Sevens series since 2011 and recently renewed the contract for another four years.
"We want to associate with fast-growing sports in emerging markets that cater to both men and women yet allow us to be quite dominant," global head of sponsorship and events Giles Morgan said.
"It is hard to find sports that aren't cluttered with many other sponsors in financial services."
Singapore is hoping to cash in on the success of the event to generate more tourism dollars. After a ten-year hiatus, the city-state is now the second Asian city on the sevens circuit after Hong Kong.
New Zealander and Coliseum Sports Media Group chief executive Tim Martin has based his business here and is also betting big on the oval ball game.
He's invested millions to buy the regional rights to the Super Rugby tournament and has launched a digital streaming platform called RugbyPass.
"I'm committed," he said. "Right now it is the most exciting sport in Asia in terms of its commercial development potential."
"The football opportunity is billions and that's pretty scary. That's way too scary for a little boy from Auckland. But rugby is emerging and so there is chance still to create a business".
World Rugby also plans to spend more in Asia as part of its continued efforts to develop the market.
They currently have around 400,000 registered players in the region and aim to increase that to one million by 2019.
The organisation invested almost Â£9m ($13m) in Asia between 2012 to 2015, ranging from high performance development to regional competitions, Mr Lapasset said.
But it's not all rosy. Critics say the money doesn't trickle down to the grassroots and that more needs to be done to raise the overall standard of the local leagues and national teams.
James Sterling used to work for a non-profit organisation that promotes rugby in Cambodia, particularly among disadvantaged and orphaned children.
From 1500 registered players there are now none.  He told the BBC:  "What I've found from the meetings that I've had with World Rugby, and other people around the region have had with them, is that they're more interested in revenue generation and player numbers."
He claims the most they ever received from the organisation was $5,000.
40,000
players
10%
are female
31 member unions
1,000,000 players - target by 2019
Another challenge the sport faces in Asia is the perception of it as rough-and-tumble, elitist and only filled with expatriates. Some say that's changing.
Australian advertising executive Shane Dewar has been playing rugby since he was 12 years old and believes the sport is finally catching on among locals.
"One of the reasons that rugby is so popular in the home countries of the many expats playing rugby here is that they have grown up with the sport," he said.
"We also had access to see some of the best players in the world playing locally for professional and international sides.
"The populist view is that rugby is only for large-framed people, and that smaller players will never compete, but I think Japan have shown that with a style and identity that suits their smaller physiques, they can compete at the top level."
On a sweltering day in Singapore, I headed down to a local stadium to watch the New Zealand All Blacks sevens team train for the eighth leg of the series.
The All Blacks are considered the sport's most powerful brand and one firm estimates they could be worth half a billion US dollars by 2023, following their World Cup win last year.
Despite their impressive credentials, it's pretty fair to say my taxi driver, or the average man on the street, would still be hard-pressed to name many of their players.
Rugby union may be the world's fastest-growing team sport, but former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw is still not as recognisable here as footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mr Lapasset, who is stepping down to head Paris's bid for the 2024 Olympics, remains optimistic though.
"Every year we increase the total amount for development for rugby around the world. One was Argentina, that is done. Second one was USA, that is done. Now it is Asia."
"We are headed in the right way," he said with a smile.


Rangers striker Martyn Waghorn insists he will happily sacrifice an extended summer break if it means getting a taste of European action.

Following newspaper claims, manager Pedro Caixinha on Thursday insisted there is no discord among his squad over plans for pre-season.
And Waghorn does not mind a short break due to Europa League qualifiers.
"It is short and it's not ideal, but it happens and we are back for good reason," he said.
"We are back early because the European schedule dictates it, but you just have to get your feet up for 10 days and then get back to it.
"I am more excited about the prospect of being in Europe and it is one of those things that you've just got to get on with.
"You come to Rangers to play in these competitions and it is just the way the fixtures fall, but you can't go into a busy European schedule not prepared.
"The time off has all been worked out strategically and you just have to deal with it."
Waghorn insists that Rangers are not building an inferiority complex against Celtic.
Their Glasgow rivals have won four of their five meetings with Rangers - the other was drawn - this season.
After Celtic's 2-0 win in Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden, Rangers host the latest Old Firm derby in the league on Saturday.
Asked if beating Brendan Rodgers' side was starting to feel like an impossible task, the Englishman said: "If you think like that, it will become that.
"It will be in the back of your mind the whole time.
"The thing about this team is that we have a lot of big personalities, a lot of big characters.
"We're all disappointed from the weekend, but we can use that the right way.
"We're going into Saturday in front of 50,000 at Ibrox, it's the last Old Firm of the season and we've got a point to prove. It's set up to be, hopefully, a good game.
"I understand we've not won against Celtic yet this season.
"But there is always going to be a time and there is always going to be someone who is going to beat them and you have to be positive going into these big games."


While some young people celebrate their A-level results, others will have very different emotions after not receiving the results they were expecting.

Marginally missing the grades needed, or even getting much better results than expected, can throw everything into turmoil.
With only a few days to secure a university place or take an alternative path, good advice is crucial.
Experts Alex Neill of Which? University and Tom Laws of the National Careers Service are on hand to offer personalised advice.
My daughter received her AS results this morning which were disappointing. She got Bs in the two subjects she sat, with her other two subjects coming under the new rules where she simply takes her A-level in those two subjects next year.
She is predicted an A* in English and 2s at A-level but wonders what the impact of the AS B grades will have. She was hoping to study English at Durham. Her father wants her to resit the year, change schools or just give up which is totally over the top. Any advice would be most welcome.
Amanda
Hi Amanda,
Firstly, congratulations to your daughter on what is a good set of AS results. With promising grades like these I certainly wouldn't suggest she gives up either!
The entry requirements for Durham University's English Literature BA course are certainly competitive: A*AA at A-level for 2017.
If she has her heart set on going there, I'd suggest she sits down to discuss the year ahead and the work she'll need to put in with her subject tutors, as well as having an informal chat on the phone with an admissions tutor if possible.
Remember she has five options to apply for on her Ucas form, so researching some alternative unis and heading to a few open days will be worth doing to keep her options open. All the best in the year to come!
Alex
Hi Amanda,
The the most important thing at the moment is to see how your daughter feels - after all, she is going to be the one doing the hard work.
Resitting the AS year is the most likely way of increasing her grade. She could certainly look at changing to a different school if she feels the quality of teaching or environment is the reason for her grades, but the downside would be having to adjust to new surroundings which could affect her studies.
Durham University will look at her AS grades when considering any application but if her teachers have predicted that she can get the right grades then there's no real reason why she would not be able to achieve them.
You and your daughter could discuss her options with a National Careers Service adviser on 0800 100 900 or the Exams Results Helpline on 0800 100 8000.
Good luck!
Tom.
I've been on the phone most of the morning trying to appeal one of my grades because it's just on the border of me getting a A and I need it to get into my university.
We've been told the appeals process has changed this year, so wondering whether it'll all be done in time so I can actually go to uni in September? I don't want to have to wait another year as fees may go up again. Is there a time they must give re-marks back by?
Tom, Manchester
Hi Tom,
Great to hear you're already on the ball with getting in touch with the examining body to appeal your mark, speed is certainly of the essence! This will almost definitely be resolved before your September starting date but the sooner you act the better.
The deadline for re-mark enquiries is Friday 26 August for results which affect university places. The examining body appeals department is staffed by people who understand how important it is for you to get an answer as quickly as possible, so expect things to move fast.
If you haven't already spoken to your university, get in touch to explain the situation. They may accept you on to your chosen course with the grades you have; if not, they will at least be aware that you are very much still interested in taking your place.
It's worth remembering that this is certainly not the first time the university will have dealt with situations just like yours and they understand that it takes a while to get re-marks organised.
I hope this helps.
Tom.
Hi Tom,
Sorry to hear you've been having a frustrating time of it today. If you're at school or college, your first port of call when it comes to appealing a grade needs to be with them. Students can't make enquiries directly with examining boards; your school needs to do this on your behalf.
As your university place depends on the outcome of this result, you'll be able to use the rapid appeals process (deadline next Friday).  I'd also suggest speaking directly with your university if you've not done so already, as depending on the number of places they have available, they may be willing to accept you with your current grades or hold your place open for longer.
You're right that the appeals process has changed this year. New rules means that essentially marks will only be changed if an examiner has made an error in applying the marking scheme or adding up the marks, rather than on the basis of a difference in academic judgement. Which? has produced a step-by-step guide to the process.
Good luck,
Alex.
I found out this morning that I got into my first choice! Just wondered when I had to apply for accommodation and healthcare etc? Is there a deadline? Everywhere seems to be giving different information.
Georgia, Essex
Hi Georgia,
Well done on getting into your chosen university. Now you definitely know where you're going, I'd suggest getting straight on with applying for accommodation if you haven't done so already, especially if you're hoping to stay in university halls of residence.
Not every university will have guaranteed space available for all first years (though some do) so places will be getting snapped up fast. Of course, there are plenty of other options, including privately-run halls and student housing, so check in with your university's accommodation office.
As for healthcare, registering with a local or on-campus GP should definitely be on your freshers' week to-do list. Have a great time!
Alex
I would like to ask where to find apprenticeships and internships. I just finished a gap year abroad after achieving three A-levels in maths, electronics and German. I am really interested in doing an apprenticeship in electronic engineering.
Everything at college was geared to university.  I hear that companies want more women in engineering but where do we look? A lot of them ask for top grades and companies are missing out on a lot of potential. During my gap year I moved to Germany for six months to work in a law firm.
I really want to stay in England but I feel like I'm being pushed towards Germany as they focus on the many routes to finding a job.
Liberty, West Sussex
I'm sorry to hear you are finding it difficult to find apprenticeship and internship opportunities.
It is true that a lot of the companies offering higher and degree level apprenticeships are asking for applicants with high qualification grades, but the fact you have a variety of work experience should work well in your favour.
Many companies consider applications for those who might not have the specific grades indicated but instead have knowledge and experience which is directly linked to the apprenticeship role advertised.
It can be difficult to find higher level apprenticeship positions to apply for as the market is very competitive but a good starting point is the National Apprenticeships Service website.
Also try Not Going to Uni and Tomorrow's Engineers  which offers apprenticeship opportunities in a range of technology and engineering fields.
If you are struggling, call the National Apprenticeship Helpdesk on 0800 150400 or the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900 to discuss the best ways to search for apprenticeship places. You will hopefully get some advice on apprenticeships similar to the advice you were able to get about universities while at college.
I hope this helps and good luck!
Tom.
Would a university accept you on a different subject during clearing than the one you were originally hoping to do when you wrote your Ucas form?
Matt
Hi Matt,
Yes, it's certainly possible to opt for a different subject when you're applying for a course in clearing. In fact, when Which? surveyed students who went through clearing last year, about a fifth told us they had done just that.
Think carefully about your choice though. Remember you've probably spent time researching your original subject area, so we wouldn't suggest venturing too far from that area of study. A joint honours degree could be worth considering.
When speaking to a university, you'll need to be prepared to explain why you're committed to the course and subject they're offering and that you're clear on the specifics of what you'll be doing. All the best in your search.
Alex
Hi Matt,
You are able to apply through clearing for any subject which has a vacancy, even if it is different from your original choice. It's always worth speaking with the university first to make sure they will consider you for this course however, as they will still be looking at your grades and what subjects you have studied.
It's a good idea to think about what new subject you are choosing and why, as it's easy to rush headlong into something that might not be best suited to you. If in doubt, speak to your teachers, parents or one of the careers advisers at the National Careers Service.
Tom
My daughter has the grades she needs to get into her university of choice to study marketing. Most of her friends are going on a gap year and now she has her grades and is feeling confident, she also wants to go abroad and spend time gaining work experience.
What does she need to do, is it even allowed and who should she contact - Ucas or the university?
Kat, Bolton
Firstly, congratulations to your daughter on a great set of results.
You don't mention whether the university place she is currently holding is for deferred entry already, but it sounds like that's not the case. If not, she needs to speak to her university as soon as possible to see if they would be happy for her to defer her confirmed place for 12 months so she can pursue her gap year.
Most universities will be accommodating to a change of plan, particularly if she has good results and is intending to make good use of her year obtaining relevant work experience.
The university will then need to reflect this change on Ucas, which of course will then potentially free up that place for someone else to start this year. Best of luck!
Alex.
My daughter did poorly in her AS results, getting a C and two Es.
It is realistic to hope that she will recover in one year to get Cs?
Claire
Hi Claire,
It can certainly be realistic for your daughter to gain her C grades this time next year. A lot of students will have received grades which may be lower than expected at AS and still go on to achieve fantastic results in their A2 exams.
Many students find the change from GCSE to A-level difficult. Ask your daughter how she feels about the results. If she was expecting better grades, is there a particular reason why she thinks the marks are lower? Does the way she has been learning suit her skills or has she been struggling?
The options open to your daughter are to continue to her second year and take the A-level exams, consider resits, or think about re-marks if she feels there has been a mistake.
It's best to discuss the last two options with her teachers as soon as possible. The deadline for re-mark requests is 20 September.
It may also be that your daughter isn't enjoying the environment she is in and this is affecting her studies. It may be worth looking at different qualifications types as well, as there might be something much more suited to your daughter's strengths available through college courses or apprenticeships.
You can call National Careers Service yourself on 0800 100 900 from 08:00 to 22:00 BST for the latest information.
Good luck to you both!
Tom
Hi Claire,
I think there's every chance your daughter can bring her grades up but she'll need to commit to hard work next year.
I would recommend she sits down with her subject tutors to talk over her unit marks so she can identify the areas in which she did well and where there's room for improvement.
You don't mention which subjects she's studying specifically, but changes to the structure of AS and A-levels means that the two qualifications are essentially now decoupled for many subjects including English, the sciences, history and art - meaning it's all to play for in her end-of-year A-level exams in Year 13 in any case. We've summarised these changes on the Which? University website.
Best of luck to your daughter for the year ahead.
Alex
My granddaughter has gained 2 Cs, a D and an E, in her AS subjects but unfortunately the E is in business studies which is what she wants to do at university. What chance will she have of getting an offer from a good university?
Susan, Lincolnshire
Hi Susan,
Your granddaughter is lucky to have you so interested in helping her achieve her goals.
The first thing to consider is what makes a good university. For every student, this means a slightly different thing. For example, someone might get the grades to successfully apply for Oxford or Cambridge but the environment there may be completely unsuitable for them and they could struggle. However, a "lower standard" university might allow them to flourish and achieve things they never would have been able to elsewhere.
Business studies is a very varied university subject and so a student might not necessarily need a specific business studies qualification to be accepted for a course. The Ucas website lists the entry requirements for all courses at every UK university.
Also, universities will make offers based on predicted grades and these grades are produced by your granddaughter's teachers. If they feel her AS levels haven't fulfilled her potential, the chances are that her predicted A-level grades will still allow her to apply to many different universities.
Tom.
Hi Susan,
Well done to your granddaughter but commiserations if she is feeling disappointed with her business studies result. It will not count towards her final A-level result next year but it is likely to influence the predicted gradess. So she needs to set her sights realistically on universities and courses that play to her strengths.
She should speak to her teachers about the year ahead. Something worth mentioning is that many business studies degrees don't require you to have business studies A-level.
So perhaps she should consider pursuing the subjects she scored better in to keep her options broad. Either way, she certainly shouldn't lose hope of a place at university this time next year,
Wishing her well for the year ahead,
Alex.


A minister based in Holywood, County Down has been selected to take up the most senior role in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

Rev Noble McNeely, of First Holywood Presbyterian Church, was chosen as the church's next moderator.
He was selected as Rev Frank Sellar's successor on Tuesday night.
He was nominated by 10 of the church's 19th presbyteries, made up of senior church figures.
Rev McNeely will be officially installed as moderator at the start of the church's general assembly in June.
He said he was "sincerely humbled" and that he "recognised the responsibility that has been entrusted" in him.
Rev McNeely was brought up in Crossgar, County Down, and has been in the ministry for more than 35 years.
He will become the church's 178th moderator.
The other nominees for the post were Rev Brian Boyd of Kells and Eskylane, Rev Tony Davidson of First Armagh Presbyterian Church and Rev Charles McMullen of Bangor West.


Theresa May might have had the Scottish National Party first and foremost in her thoughts when she told Conservative activists there would be "no opt out" of Brexit for any region of the UK.

But the message applied equally to those Remain voters in Northern Ireland who have been thinking fondly about the idea of retaining some kind of special status within the EU.
The PM's scornful attitude to the legal challenges against Brexit pertained as much to the cases before Belfast's High Court as to those launched in London.
She repeated her pledge to engage the devolved administrations fully in the Brexit process.
But Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness revealed that, in practice, this boiled down to a phone call from the EU Exit Secretary David Davis telling Stormont about the plan to legislate to repeal EU legislation shortly before that plan was revealed to the public.
Stormont's first and deputy first ministers managed to find some common ground by penning a joint letter to the prime minister setting out their Brexit concerns.
First Minister Arlene Foster told MLAs that letter has not yet received any response from Downing Street, although Mrs May's latest speech may be considered the clearest reply so far.
Mrs Foster acknowledged that an Alliance query about the repercussions of the UK withdrawing from the single market was "a core question".
But she declined to say how she believes that might "impact on business in Northern Ireland, given the degree to which we trade with the Republic of Ireland", taking refuge in not wanting to give away Stormont's negotiating hand.
The thrust of Mrs May's speech appears to be that controlling immigration trumps staying in the Single Market.
If that remains the case, the room for compromise on potential immigration and customs checks on the Irish border appears to have diminished. No wonder the Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan seems to no longer be ruling out the possibility of a so-called hard border, even if Mrs Foster derides it as a Donald Trump-style wall which will never be built.
Many of the Stormont Remain politicians are reluctant to accept that Brexit is a done deal, as they continue to hope it can be derailed by their court challenges or some other unforeseen event. But the clock is ticking, and the likely consequences on the border are very real.
The politicians are saying radically different things about Brexit but the public in Northern Ireland deserves both its Leave and Remain representatives to start thinking seriously about the practicalities.
For all London's promises of engaging the devolved administrations, Stormont will have to shout loud and often if its concerns are going to get heard amid the cacophony of the negotiations between the UK and the EU.


Sunday's game at Old Trafford is arguably more important for Manchester United because, if they beat Liverpool, their momentum grows and the gap between them and the top four gets even smaller.

You can see highlights of Manchester United v Liverpool on Match of the Day 2 at 22:00 GMT on Sunday on BBC Two and the BBC Sport website.
Jose Mourinho's side will be full of confidence too. They are on a nine game-winning run, look strong and powerful and all their big players have been performing very well for the last couple of months.
Paul Pogba is definitely one of the United players who has hit form.
Along with two of United's other summer signings, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Mkhitaryan, the France midfielder is playing at somewhere near the levels we know he can.
Pogba's statistics show his growing influence on United's attack and I think he and Ibrahimovic in particular have built up a great rapport - they both seem to know each other's game now.
There might be an expectation from some people for Pogba to show why he is the most expensive player in the world against Liverpool, with a really dominant display in a match of this magnitude.
It is relevant which games you play well in, of course - because the best players always deliver when the big occasions come around.
However, I don't think that is an issue for Pogba just because he started the season slowly after joining United for £89m in the summer.
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If he did not play well in United's early matches against the leading teams - their defeats against Manchester City and Chelsea in September and October, for example - I would not necessarily put that down to who he was playing against.
It was more down to the 23-year-old settling in and the team finding its feet under a new manager. Now Mourinho has had longer with his players, they all look comfortable with their roles.
So, I do not expect Pogba to do anything against Liverpool other than play the way he has been playing for several weeks now - being confident and assertive on the ball and getting high up the pitch to hurt teams.
By doing precisely that, he has quite quickly become hugely important for United and he is now playing with a strut and a swagger, showing us what he is capable of.
Pogba's end product was questioned earlier in the season, when he was not getting enough goals or assists but, now United are using his attributes in the right areas, he is starting to look the real deal.
He is getting past people, getting shots off, getting in the box and scoring goals that he did not look like he would do earlier in the season.
The France international is able to get forward more without leaving United exposed defensively because he knows he can rely on Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera to cover him.
Together, those three have helped give United a balance in midfield that they were missing earlier in the season when I watched them lose at Watford for Match of the Day 2.
Back then, I wondered why Carrick was not getting a game and I am not surprised he has done so well since coming back into the team, starting with the win over Swansea at the start of November.
At 35, Carrick has the know-how to give United control of midfield by looking to keep possession at the right times but he also has the vision to play progressive passes when a lot of other players would play safe.
He has been a wonderful player for a long, long time - and maybe he has surprised Mourinho with his fitness levels and ability to master games the way he has been.
The midfield battle will play a key role in deciding the outcome of Sunday's game at Old Trafford, which is why it will be a big blow for Liverpool if captain Jordan Henderson is not fit enough to play.
For starters, Henderson is probably the only Reds midfielder who is physically capable of challenging Pogba's pace and strength.
But for a while now he has been a player that Liverpool have relied on not only for his athleticism and ability to break up play in the middle of the park, but also to set them off on attacks.
Henderson, 26, has definitely become more willing to try through balls and long balls. He always had the ability, it was just about having the confidence to take the risk.
His statistics for his number of touches and also the number of balls he has played into the final third of the pitch this season show how he is trying to affect games with his forward passing, not just keep possession or running around making tackles, which might have been people's perception of him in the past.
He has found a nice balance between keeping Liverpool ticking over and playing the ball up into the danger zones, a bit like Carrick for United.
If Henderson is missing against United, he will leave a big hole to fill. Lucas Leiva, for example, has done a great job as a holding midfielder for many years now and he is very steady, but he does not have Henderson's array of passing, or his athleticism either.
There is huge interest in the top six this season because they are all top quality teams who are capable of beating each other whenever they meet.
You could argue this is a good time to play Liverpool, with Sadio Mane away at the Africa Cup of Nations, Henderson and Joel Matip both fitness doubts and Philippe Coutinho only just back after a six-week injury lay-off.
While Liverpool will not be full strength, United are - and they are playing as well as they have been all season.
Mourinho will not underestimate the threat posed by Jurgen Klopp's side, because they have showed many times that they can hurt top teams away from home and still have lots of quality to call upon.
However, I think we will see a more open game because Mourinho will feel United can hurt Liverpool. I cannot see the visitors sitting back either, because under Klopp they are always on the front foot.
If the two teams do go toe-to-toe and have a real go at each other then, with the quality on show, I would expect some excellent attacking play and plenty of goalmouth action.
Sunday could be the complete opposite of United's 0-0 draw at Anfield in October - this time, nobody will be parking the bus.
Danny Murphy was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.


Torquay United midfielder Danny Racchi is "playing to save his career", says Gulls manager Kevin Nicholson.

The 27-year-old moved to Plainmoor in February and the club's current five-game unbeaten run has coincided with the five games that Racchi has started.
"He's got a great attitude, he wants to win, he wants everything badly because he's not been playing regularly for a few years," Nicholson told BBC Devon.
"He feels like he's got a point to prove and a career to save."
Racchi was released by National League North side Tamworth in December, having begun the season at Halifax.
Torquay are still three points from safety with a game on hand after a 0-0 draw with high-flying Braintree on Tuesday.
"He's been solid since he came here," added player-manager Nicholson, who has not featured in a league game since the Gulls' recent good form began.
"He's got a calming influence on the ball, that was one reason why I felt the time was right for me to come out of the team because I always like to see that as part of what I bring.
"Well Danny does that from the middle of the pitch now, so I can have dynamic full-backs now in the two that we've got and it's made a real difference."


BBC NI political reporter Stephen Walker meets Lord Bannside to discuss the anniversary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant.

When I arrive at Lord Bannside's Belfast home, I am greeted on the doorstep by his wife, Eileen, or Baroness Paisley to use her official title.
She knew I was coming and quickly ushers me into one of the front rooms where her husband is waiting.
He is ready for the interview but before we begin filming there is much to see.
Laid out on an impressive dining table, he has placed an array of memorabilia from the Home Rule crisis.
There are antiquarian books signed by his political hero, Sir Edward Carson.
There are rare cartoons from the period and framed portraits. There is also an original scrap book that details the drama and intrigue of the 1914 loyalist gun-running.
Then there are the weapons - two swords - one that belonged to Fred Crawford who organised the gun running and beside it sits a dummy wooden rifle that was once carried by one of Carson's volunteers.
The former first minister tells me he has had it in his possession for 50 years.
His display of Home Rule exhibits would not look out of place in a museum.
Lord Bannside is understandably proud of his collection and each item comes with a story of how he acquired it and who gave it to them.
We begin by discussing the signing of the Ulster Covenant and what it means to him a century on.
He smiles, as it is clearly a subject that he has long considered and often discussed.
He tells me: "It is a tremendous story" and he adds that it would "never have happened without Edward Carson".
Throughout his political career Lord Bannside often compared himself to Carson, so I wanted to know if he believed he had always acted the way his hero would have behaved.
For example, did he think Carson would have approved of a power-sharing government with Sinn Fein?
"Yes I think he would",  he tells me. He later adds that he thinks Carson would have viewed some modern day unionists badly as they are "weak on the preservation of the union".
Our discussion then moves onto how the centenary of the Covenant should be marked. He hopes Saturday's parade in Belfast will pass off peacefully.
He says it needs to be carefully handled, well organised and must be kept legal.
I press him on whether the Orange Order should have done more to reach out to resident groups.
He rejects the suggestion because he believes that the Order have done all that could be expected.
He insists: "I don't think the Orange Order is aggressively opposing and hurting people."
He also feels that Order does not have to go and "bend the knee" to explain its actions.
He says the Loyal Orders have the right to walk past Catholic churches and play hymns provided they are not trying to "incite people".
I could not end our conversation without discussing his health.
Seven months after he was admitted to the Ulster Hospital with heart problems he looks healthy.
I ask him how he is and he replies "very well".
In what appears to be a challenge he says: "I don't look like a sick man, do I?"
Although his voice is quieter, in many ways he is like the Ian Paisley of old.
He still has a good line for journalists, and like his political hero Edward Carson, he insists he will always stick to his guns.


Cricket bosses are "concerned" by the registering of companies and websites with similar names to their own.

The "Cricket Association of England" and "Cricket Control Scotland Limited" are among those registered.
"In the absence of any proper explanation, there is clearly a concern for cricket," an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesperson said.
The Guardian says the website addresses are owned by organisers of the now-defunct Indian Cricket League.
"Australia Cricket Control Limited" and "New Zealand Cricket Limited" are other names registered, according to the newspaper.
The domain address for the "Cricket Association of England" ends in ".co.in" suggesting it has been registered in India.
Chairman Giles Clarke raised the issue at a meeting of the International Cricket Council, but the ECB says that other members are better-placed to find out the motives of the Essel Group that owns Asian sports broadcaster Ten Sports and ran the Indian Cricket League - a short-lived rival to the Indian Premier League - between 2007 and 2009.
"We've asked our colleagues at Boards with whom there's a direct relationship to help in clarifying this situation with their broadcast partner," the ECB added.
"At this stage, until we know more, there's nothing more we can add."


Championship side Queens Park Rangers have signed Poland international Pawel Wszolek on a season-long loan from Italian Serie B side Hellas Verona.

The 24-year-old becomes QPR's seventh signing of the summer transfer window.
Wszolek spent last season on loan with the Gialloblu from Sampdoria, and made the switch permanent this summer after Verona were relegated from Serie A.
"He is versatile and a very hardworking player," R's boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink told the club website.
Meanwhile, midfielder Daniel Tozser has left Loftus Road after having his contract terminated.
The 31-year-old made 12 appearances for Rangers after joining from Watford on a two-year deal last summer.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Cheltenham Town boss Gary Johnson hopes to be in the stands for Saturday's game against Morecambe, as his recovery from triple-heart-bypass surgery continues.

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The 61-year-old had the operation on 16 March and has missed the League Two club's matches while recuperating.
"I'm pretty sure I'll be well enough to go to the game and not feel stressed," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
"I'll have an earpiece probably, to the dugout, and any decisions we can make we can all make together."
With assistant boss Russell Milton in charge in Johnson's absence, the Robins have lost four consecutive games, leaving them six points above the relegation zone with seven games remaining.
"If I am sitting at home, I'm watching the results of our rivals in our league and, all of a sudden, the pressure is more by sitting at home and trying to relax," Johnson added.
"So I might be better off just being at one game, putting the effort that I can give into that, and hopefully we can get a result.
"I'll be sitting there with my wife next time - I can't get too excited if she is there."


The Welsh economy is recovering from the recession slower than the rest of the UK - but its manufacturing output grew faster than any other area.

These are the conclusions of two different reports, the first from a report for the UK government, the other by the Office for National Statistics.
New ONS figures also show that gross disposable household income in Wales grew by 48% between 1999 and 2009.
Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan said the Budget was part of the solution.
The report for the government, from Experian, says Wales is vulnerable to public spending cuts and has entrenched problems like "worklessness".
David Rosser, director of CBI Wales, said that despite the report's findings, many businesses in Wales were seeing an improvement.
This was reinforced by the ONS figures for manufacturing, published on Wednesday, which show output grew by nearly 5% in 2010 in Wales compared with a year earlier. That compares with a 2% rise across the UK.
However there was a fall of 2.2% in construction in Wales over the same period, compared with a rise of 5.7% across the UK.
Meanwhile new figures show Wales had the third lowest levels of gross disposable household income -  the amount of money available for spending and saving - in 2009 in the UK.
Headline gross disposable household income (GDHI) per head in Wales in 2009 was Â£13,484 or 87.9% of the UK average.
Having declined between 1995 and 1999, this proportion has increased 48% between 2000 and 2009.
West Wales and the valleys have seen an increase of 47.6% in GDHI per head since 1999, and east Wales has a 48.6% increase.
But the Experian report said Wales' share of the economy will also fall, made worse by a reliance on the public sector.
The research cited low skills and entrepreneurism and low opportunities.
The report forecast growth at an average of 1.6% per year over the next decade compared to 2.2% across the UK and said as Wales "fails to keep pace" its share of the UK economy will diminish from 3.5% in 2010 to 3.2% in 2025.
Other challenges include lower entrepreneurism and lower business start-up rates, fewer foreign-owned businesses and fewer businesses exporting than England.
But it highlights more affordable office space and labour and fewer households vulnerable to long-term unemployment and above average growth in sectors such as mechanical engineering, metals, minerals and chemicals and business services.
In the short-term, retailing, hotels and catering would continue to struggle and construction would remain vulnerable.
Adam Swash, head of strategy and research for Experian Public Sector which conducted the research, said Wales needed to boost exports.
"One of the weaknesses of Wales is its low export rate," he said.
He said both public and private investment was needed, but warned: "The public purse is fairly bare."
Mrs Gillan said the research "shows the scale of the problem we inherited and also the opportunities available as we set to rebalance the Welsh economy".
"I believe the Budget announced by the chancellor last week is part of the solution," she added.
A Welsh Labour spokesman said: "It serves the Tory-led government very well to be talking Wales down on the eve of the assembly election campaign.
"People in Wales are not looking for analysis from Cheryl Gillan, they are looking for answers."
Plaid Cymru said it was the only party "coming up with creative, radical and innovative ideas to tackle the problems that the nation faces".
The Liberal Democrats' Jenny Randerson said the coalition assembly government between Labour and Plaid had "spent more money on economic development than anywhere else in the UK and we are now the poorest region - and we're falling further behind".


Olympic and Paralympic medals for the Tokyo 2020 Games will be made from recycled mobile phones.

The Japanese public will be asked to donate old phones and small appliances to gather two tonnes of gold, silver and bronze for the 5,000 medals.
The project hopes to promote sustainability and reduce costs.
"A project that allows the people of Japan to take part in creating the medals is really good," said Tokyo 2020 sports director Koji Murofushi.
"There's a limit on the resources of our earth, so recycling these things will make us think about the environment."
Collection boxes will be placed in local offices and telecoms stores from April and will remain there until the metal required has been collected.
Members of Japan's Olympic organising committee tabled the idea to government officials and companies in 2016.
Olympic host cities have traditionally obtained the metal from mining firms.
But Japan, which lacks its own mineral resources, is keen to take the theme of a sustainable future a step further.
Discarded consumer electronics such as smartphones and tablets contain small amounts of precious and rare earth metals, including platinum, palladium, gold, silver, lithium, cobalt and nickel.
Scrap cars and home appliances such as fridges and air conditioners also contain these rarer metals, along with base metals, including iron, copper, lead and zinc.
Recycling or refining companies either collect or purchase tons of this e-waste and industrial scraps. They then use chemical processes to separate the various metals.
Much of this work takes place in developing countries such as China, India and Indonesia.


Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, were found guilty in December 2013 of murdering soldier Lee Rigby as he returned to his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London.

The pair drove their car at Fusilier Rigby before attacking him with knives and attempting to decapitate him. The soldier, a father of one from Middleton, Greater Manchester, died of multiple cut and stab wounds after the attack on 22 May. Here is what happened that day.
1. Adebolajo buys knives
2. Killers leave home
3. Killers' car seen
5. Killers park car
4. Lee Rigby arrives at DLR station
6. Car driven at Lee Rigby
9.  Armed police shoot attackers
7. Fusilier Rigby dragged into road
8.  Unarmed police arrive
The day before the attack, Michael Adebolajo visits Lewisham Argos and buys a five-piece set of kitchen knives and a knife sharpener.
Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale leave Adebolajo’s address at Greenwich House, Oakwood Close, Lewisham, in a Vauxhall Tigra and drive towards Woolwich.
Adebolajo and Adebowale's car (seen in the foreground) travels along Wellington Street and Artillery Place in Woolwich before continuing to an area just south of the Woolwich ferry.
Lee Rigby, wearing a Help for Heroes hoodie and carrying an army backpack, arrives at Woolwich Arsenal DLR Station. He walks along Wellington Street before crossing John Wilson Street and entering Artillery Place. He crosses Artillery Place away from the Army barracks towards a shop on the other side of the road.
Adebolajo and Adebowale’s Vauxhall Tigra is seen on Wellington Street and parks facing Artillery Place.
Michael Adebolajo drives the Tigra at 30-40mph (48-64km/h) straight at Lee Rigby as he crosses the road in Artillery Place. Adebolajo and Adebowale get out of the car armed with a meat cleaver, knives and a revolver. They attack the motionless body of Mr Rigby and Adebelojo attempts to decapitate him.
Adebolajo and Adebowale drag Mr Rigby into the middle of the road. Video footage shows Adebolajo telling passers-by: 'The only reason we have killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers. This British soldier is one – he is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' Later, speaking into a mobile phone camera with bloodied hands, he went on: 'You people will never be safe. Remove your governments – they don't care about you.”
Unarmed police arrive at the scene, set up a cordon, and remain behind it. Five minutes pass before their armed colleagues arrive.
Armed police arrive at the scene. Adebolajo and Adebowale, one brandishing a cleaver and the other a revolver, run towards the police before being shot and falling to the ground. The same officers administer first aid 40 seconds later. The two assailants are taken to hospital.
Note: some timings are approximate.
The men, both Muslim converts, were in possession of a gun and eight knives on the day of the attack. Adebolajo had visited an Argos store in Lewisham, south-east London, the day before the murder to buy a knife sharpener and five-piece knife block set, costing £44.98. The gun, a 90-year-old 9.4mm-calibre Dutch revolver, was not loaded.
Adebolajo handed a letter to witness Amanda Donnelly Martin when she arrived at the scene shortly after Lee Rigby's murder.
Addressed to "my beloved children", it urged people to seek martyrdom, and stated: "If you find yourself curious as to why carnage is reaching your own towns then know its simply retaliation for your oppression in our towns."
Produced by Lucy Rodgers and Salim Qurashi