How's the weather?

Santa wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

. They knew. They all knew.

I agree, they did all know. I lived in the Middle East at the time it happened and we all knew out there too - everyone knew. I remember us talking at the time, wondering why more people didn't leave when advised to.

Anyway, I gather the storm has passed now - was it that bad or was it just desperately over-hyped?

Why did I think you were out of Santa Moncia?

The storm was "desperately over-hyped". The question is: Why? The easy answer is: human nature. There are also ratings involved by the cable news networks. But there are other reasons. Some reporters and analysts were using the term "catastrophic" and "Katrina' and "rare", "epic" and "once-in-a-lifetime", I believe, because they were going to try and link the hurricane to global warming, which many have actually already begun doing. Everything that ever happens now is attributed to man-made catastrophes aka "global warming", and I refuse to drink the Kool-Aid on that, even if it were true. Many behind the news desks wanted this to be a huge hurricane with massively deadly consequences because they wanted to use it to prove that global cooling/warming/climate-change is taking place and that all industrialized nations need to give up their cars and factories and live a Luddite form of society.

And this hyping took place across the spectrum, from FOX News to CNN and MSNBC, not to mention the broadcast networks and the local affiliates.

As for the people who didn't leave New Orleans...most, if not all, of the 1,800 people drowned to death in or near their homes, which weren't far away from the Super Dome. You saw the footage of thugs looting basketballs, high-tops, jewelry, video games before the flood waters had even receded. Now, if they had that kind of ingenuity and presence of mind to loot a store, chances are most of these people could have self-evacuated to safety before the hurricane hit. The disregard of the rule of law, even after a hurricane has struck, is a good indicator that most of the people who died also disregarded the law of nature and the law of man (Mayor Nagin did issue a mandatory evacuation 12-24 hours before Katrina hit).

Why didn't more people survive The Titanic? There's always going to be a segment of a population that just doesn't get it or underestimates the severity of a situation before it is too late

I live in Spain now. And sometimes I think you overthink things. :D

Quote :

UK 'hotter than Africa' as mercury hits 28C

The unseasonably fine weather sent temperatures soaring again today, making the UK hotter than parts of Europe and Africa.

The mercury rocketed to 28C (82.4F) in Bournemouth, making it the hottest day of the year and putting Barcelona in the shade as the Spanish city could only manage 25.3C (77.5F).

The warm weather is set to continue over the weekend, with temperatures only falling significantly in the middle of next week, according to MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association.

Train companies are gearing up for an increase in passengers of up to 25% in some parts of the country this weekend as hundreds of thousands of sun-seekers head to seaside resorts and beauty spots.

Kinlochewe in north-west Scotland peaked at 27.7C (81.9F) today and at Heathrow Airport, west London, temperatures reached 25.7C (78.3F).

In comparison, Athens in Greece reached 24C (75.2F) while Casablanca in Morocco could only manage 22C (71.6), though Europe is also experiencing above-average temperatures.

Easterly winds from the continent and a high pressure system over the Northern Isles have caused temperatures to reach almost 10C higher than the average for this time of year. The May average for London is 17C (62.6F), and 20.4C (68.7F) in June.

Average maximum temperatures for England in May are 14C to 17C (57.2F to 62.6F), while Scotland would normally be 13C to 15C (55.4F to 59F).

Forecaster Sally Webb said: "Most places are still warm and hot, with temperatures over the seasonal average.

"On the North Sea coast it is a bit cooler. Parts of Yorkshire have struggled to reach 16C (60.8F) and Boulmer in Northumberland has only reached 14.8C (58.6F) today.

"Most of the UK will be sunny and very warm on Saturday, but showers could reach the end of Cornwall by late afternoon.

"Sunday will continue to be dry and sunny, although there is a chance of it being cloudier. There might also be showers in the South West in areas like Devon and South Wales."

It is going to stay warm for the next few days, with temperatures of 27C (80.6) in Scotland tomorrow and 24C (75.2F) or 25C (77F) in southern England, and 24C (75.2F) or 25C (77F) across the UK on Sunday.

It will start to cool off next week. Monday will see a high of 25C (77F) and Tuesday 23C (73.4F), before falling to about 20C (68F) or 21C (69.8F) on Wednesday and Thursday.

Thousands of people are expected to head to the coast this weekend to make the most of the weather.

Edward Welsh, from the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc), said: "We are expecting thousands of families and sun-worshippers to pack their buckets and spades, straw hats and sunglasses, and catch the train to seaside resorts.

"For those planning to make the most of the first warm weekend of the summer there are plenty of cheap deals, and many people can get a third off the cost of their journey with a railcard.

"There's no need to get hot and bothered behind the wheel of a car when you can catch the train."

In its latest briefing on the drought, which is still affecting much of south east and eastern England, the Environment Agency said this week had been the driest since the end of March.

Just 2mm (0.08 inches) of rain or less fell in south east England, while 9mm (0.35 inches) was recorded in the North East and North West.

River flows have decreased from high levels seen during weeks of rain and are now normal for the time of year, while the warm sunny weather following the rain has prompted lots of plant growth, which has meant soils are drier than normal.

A number of monitored groundwater supplies have returned to normal or higher levels but eight sites remain "exceptionally low" for this time of year.

National drought co-ordinator Polly Chancellor said: "The recent spell of wet weather restored many river and reservoir levels to normal, reducing pressure on the environment and public water supply.

"But groundwater levels in some areas still remain exceptionally low - so it continues to be important that we all use water wisely and try to reduce the amount that we use at home and in businesses."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-hotter-than-africa-as-mercury-hits-28c-7789114.html

Lots of fat blokes with beer bellies and sun burn walking around where I'm at. Not a pretty sight.

Largo's Shark wrote:

Quote :

"There's no need to get hot and bothered behind the wheel of a car when you can catch the train."

Friend of mine got a quote for two first class returns to Liverpool by train. Over £,1000 each

So - while there's no need to get hot and bothered behind the wheel of a car, bear in mind you could catch the train, be stuck standing for most if not all of your trip because of all the reserved seats (that manage to remain empty), while you listen to screaming kids, someone else's iPlayer, mobile 'phone conversations, get pushed from one carriage to another while someone with a pushchair seems determined to get a three foot object through a two inch gap, and pay roughly ten times the petrol cost.

Largo's Shark wrote:

Lots of fat blokes with beer bellies and sun burn walking around where I'm at. Not a pretty sight.

The world is going to end on Wednesday:

Better find your parka.

Control wrote:

Better find your parka.

I've seen The Day After Tomorrow.

A parka won't help at all.

We are doomed!

Who wants to sleep with me before the world ends?

If you are going to go out, you might as well go out with a Bang!

j7wild wrote:

Who wants to sleep with me before the world ends?

If you are going to go out, you might as well go out with a Bang!

Reported this post to your wife.

We're in the middle of the hottest heat wave we've ever been through. I think 105-degrees will be a new record for Atlanta tomorrow. I can't recall a higher temperature, even though we're often called Hotlanta.

The heat must be gripping the rest of the people on this board, because it's been deadly slow around here today.

Hot, hot, too damn hot! Hot enough to do some crotch pot cookin'!

Wet and miserable.

Hot and humid in the T-dot ( that's hip hop for Toronto) I like it. We only get a couple of months of hot weather.

Cold as shit. The carbon tax is working.

It's cooled off a bit. We're topping out in the lower 90s now. Some clouds too, but so far no rain, and that sucks.

CJB wrote:

Cold as shit. The carbon tax is working.

Taxes are so mickey mouse. Government should just ban hot weather. It would have the same effect and save us all that money

It's boiling hot here and humid. I fucking hate this weather.

Had a killer migraine, which stayed after I drank some water, but magically disappeared after I downed a bottle of beer.

It's been over 105 every day and earlier in the week, we had a full day of thunderstorms but it only cooled it down to the high 90s.

Last night it started storming again and it's still storming right now and it will continue to storm all day today and all night tonight through Monday afternoon.

We welcome the rain.

Half of the USA is going through a 50 year drought.

The temperature has dropped to the low 80s and that's better than the 105+ we've been getting every day.

Freezing my arse off here. Making love to the radiator. As a Viking this is more my kind of weather, but still.

I wish I had that jumper in my avie.

I wish I had the bar in your avie.

Largo's Shark wrote:

As a Viking this is more my kind of weather, but still.

Is that a Longboat in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me? ;)

The 'great storm' has supposedly hit the South East, but right now in London it just seems to be downpour and and mild wind speed. Maybe we're in the epicentre, and things will get worse throughout Monday morning.  Let's wait and see.

The rain's cut-off my broadband connection, so I'm having to use my iPhone. There's certain thugs I want to get off my chest that his puny device is not adequate for.

Largo's Shark wrote:

The 'great storm' has supposedly hit the South East, but right now in London it just seems to be downpour and and mild wind speed. Maybe we're in the epicentre, and things will get worse throughout Monday morning.  Let's wait and see.

The rain's cut-off my broadband connection, so I'm having to use my iPhone. There's certain thugs I want to get off my chest that his puny device is not adequate for.

same here but for the Broadband. Just outside London (well, just off the Tube map at any rate) and it's nothing fancy but then we were told the storm would hit anytime between midnight and 7am. I think it was meant to hit at midnight down in the southwest at the coast then move up by 7 or some such.

Slight siege mentality but like most times this has happened not expecting much. Expect to be pleasantly surprised by morn.

Nottingham way the winds actually died down as the storm went over, just ended up very damp. Seems the far South took the brunt and removed the sting for the rest of us.