Weather around the world

[lastvautour]

Barry are you affected by the flooding?

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Thankfully no Lou,I live high up on top of a hill and the water literally runs down into the valley,many homes affected in the Surrey area and it must have been a miserable christmas for many,we have high winds today and I understand flights to the USA from Dublin hub have been cancelled due to the extremes of weather,flights incoming diverting to Heathrow.

Barry.

[lastvautour]

We have been lucky also. Many of my countrymen have no power and will not get it back for a few days.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

The same here in the UK Lou,the flooding has knocked out the power to a few thousand homes,I had a pleasant surprise last week a refund from the water authorities,it said in the letter 'As your water does not run into the main sewers we are refunding you from the time that you moved in a year ago' how they work that out is a mystery to me ? answers on a postcard !

Barry.

[lastvautour]

I heard on the weather channel that Cliff(Winnipeg) had recorded their second coldest 31 Dec with - 34. The record of -34.3 was recorded back in the 1800s. Keep those long johns handy Cliff and a hope that 2014 will be a bit warmer.

Lou

[lastvautour]

Blizzard conditions today and -20s windchill. Forecast + 10 for Sunday. The world has gone mad!!!! Saw flooded streets in Kent, UK.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Howling gales in the UK,Wales on serious flood alert as river banks overspill,fields are sodden and like a sponge when I went for a walk earlier,more rain coming down now,prices of vegetables has shot up as the farmers are unable to get into the fields.

Barry.

[Boomerang]

  High 20's low 30's here . Heatwave conditions in Queensland high 40's across the state.

  Possible rain next week for me.

  I don't think I could handle blizzaed conditions

  Gordon

[Peter]

Gordon,

All the Canadian members will happily mail you a box of snow in exchange for a box of sunshine!!

Peter

[lastvautour]

Indeed, an exchange would be nice if we could just even things out. Today is somewhat sunny and it only took me an hour and a half to dig myself out. That included the generosity of my next door neighbor who has a tractor and plow. Most communities in eastern Canada have used up 1/2 of their snow clearing budget and we are in the first week of 2014. However, I consider my self lucky to be warm and dry.

Lou

[cliff strachan]

I'm still hoping for February's Bonspiel Thaw or Festival du Voyageure's Thaw - it's still too cold for old guys like me.
Cliff

[Boomerang]

If I could mail you blokes a box of sunshine I would.

Gordon

[cliff strachan]

Thanks Gordon. I could sure use it today. It was -37C this AM (-35F). I'm at the main branch of the library this afternoon. Just to use their computers. Soon it will be equal where -40C = -40F. But maybe it won't get that low. After  all I did have some good luck - someone cleared my parking space for me. Now if I could only stop shivering . . . . It would sure be nice to be young again!

Cliff.
Sunshine? Amazingly the sun always  shines when it gets this cold!

[lastvautour]

Barry, just saw a report on continued flooding in England. How far away from this are you?

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Thankfully Lou I live some distance from the worst flooding areas in Devon,Cornwall,and now the Thames estuary in London which has broken its banks,on top of this I live on top of an hill with open farmland at the back of me which acts as a natural earth sponge very important as more people place concrete frontages in the front of their homes to park vehicles which causes many problems of water build up into the sewers which are having problems in coping.

Yes this is a national emergency which so far has been handled very badly by the government and authorities who are totally un-prepared and unable to fully cope,there is much unrest on the news this morning as people are suffering and having to vacate their properties,the weather forecast is also not helping as there is yet more rain on the way to add to the current misery,its going to take months to drain off the water and the damage must have already ran into millions of pounds,what is worrying a lot of people regarding their insurance is the 'Act of god' escape from paying up,we will just have to see what happens.

You probably saw the damage to the railway network from Exeter to Cornwall with the sea walls washed away and the railway lines literally hanging in mid air,that is going to take months to re-instate and not possible until the weather improves,its ongoing damage like this which is adding to the big problems throughout the UK.

Barry.