I squinted into the midday sun and sipped a gin and tonic, balancing on one foot and leaning out of the side of our purpose-built, private railcar, hoping for a better view of a vibrant bird perched atop a wire. A fellow passenger had his camera zoomed in all the way. We caught glimpses of electric blue, a longish beak, a large head, but the light made certain identification difficult.

As the train picked up speed, leaving our target behind, we continued the debate. Was it a kingfisher? Some sort of woodpecker? Hearing our fruitless and futile pondering, one of the railroad engineers identified the bird as a lilac-breasted roller. Relieved to have an answer, I added the bird to my running list and settled into my seat.

A single-car train that seats up to 22 people, the Elephant Express seems an unlikely safari vehicle, but it offers an utterly unique safari experience. Rather than searching for the great beasts in a 4x4 or on foot, passengers happen upon them randomly, adding a sense of serendipity to the wonder.

"Things are likely to get pretty entertaining," said pilot Marshall Wishart as we boarded his BN-2B Islander to fly from the airport outside Shetland's largest town, Lerwick, to the airstrip on Foula, 31 miles west. Our departure had already been delayed by the gales for many hours and for a time the forecast said that no flying would be possible for several days. Instead, however, half-an-hours' notice was given to scramble to the airport and make a narrow weather window.

In a year dominated by domestic travel, Foula has perhaps been the most extreme option available to Brits. Sometimes referred to as Ultima Thule – Latin bywords for extremely remote destinations – it is said to be the most remote inhabited British island, reached by an unpredictable ferry or the frequently hectic 17-minute flight from the Shetland Mainland. Travel due west beyond it and there is nothing but the tumultuous North Atlantic until the east coast of Greenland.

On the day I flew, the equinoctial gales were strong enough to decapitate any white horses forming below. By that point in early October, the island's ferry hadn't sailed for a couple of weeks and wasn't expected to try again for several more. This meant that the 30 or so permanent residents on the island depended wholly on the vagaries of light aircraft to bring them supplies. "It could be like this until the next equinox really," said Sheila Gear, Foula resident of almost 60 years. "It's only really late April or May that the wind finally stops. You have to be well-stocked, but you're used to it if you live here."

The BBC's US partner CBS News says the lower chamber of Congress is leaning towards the opposition party.

But the battle for the Senate remains too close to call - Republicans need to win just one seat to take control.

Though President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is not on the ballot, the midterms will shape the fate of his agenda.

On the US West Coast voting sites are still closing, but of the votes being counted elsewhere, CBS estimated Republicans were on course to win 198 seats in the House, and Democrats 176.

The US network projects Florida Governor Ron DeSantis - a hotly tipped 2024 White House contender - will cruise to re-election as the Sunshine State trends increasingly conservative.

• Follow live updates on midterms

• Analysis: Who is winning the night so far?

• Trump warns DeSantis against presidential bid

Republican Senator Marco Rubio is also forecast to comfortably beat his challenger, Democratic congresswoman Val Demings.

Key Senate races in Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Pennsylvania were rated a toss-up.

In other projections:

• In Maryland, Democrat Wes Moore is set to become the third African American ever elected as governor

• In Florida, 25-year-old Democrat Maxwell Frost is on course to become the first Gen Z member of Congress, winning Florida's reliably liberal 10th district

• Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican and member of the Cherokee nation, is poised to become the fourth Native American ever elected to the US Senate

• The US is set for its first openly lesbian woman elected as governor, with Democrat Maura Healey to become the top official in Massachusetts

• Maryland became the 20th state to legalise recreational marijuana, with similar ballot measures put to the vote on Tuesday in Arkansas, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota

Pogba, 29, has not played for the Serie A side this season since rejoining from Manchester United in the summer.

He suffered a knee injury in July and initially opted not to have surgery in a bid to be fit for the tournament.

France's first World Cup match is against Australia on 22 November.

• World Cup injury watch: Who's out? Who's a doubt?

In a statement on Monday, Pogba's agent Rafaela Pimenta said: "Following yesterday's and today's medical review in Torino and Pittsburgh, it is extremely painful to inform Paul Pogba will still need recovery time from his surgery.

"For this reason, Paul will not be able to join Juventus' squad before the World Cup break nor the French national team in Qatar."

Pogba, whose last appearance for France came in a 5-0 friendly win over South Africa in March, returned to training early last month before opting for surgery, which had kept him on the sidelines until two weeks ago when he recommenced partial training with Juve.

Italian media reports on Monday also suggested that Pogba had sustained a thigh injury to further set back his recovery, while Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri recently said it was "very unlikely" that the midfielder would play for the club before the World Cup.