Phew, what a scorcher!

[Blackpool Rock]

I sadly caught 5 minutes of the BBC lunchtime news where scaremongering was predictably in overdrive.
According to an "expert" they interviewed it is extremely dangerous to go for a walk when the temperature is above your bodys core temperature as it could raise to dangerous levels and that not drinking enough fluids could give you gout.
They really should be brought to task for putting this tosh out.
And as written in todays paper the job of the Met Office is to tell us the weather not tell us how to live our lives.

Any particular paper 

At least the BBC weather is exempt from this then as they haven't used the Met office since 2018

[Squire Haggard]

Maybe we'll get more vineyards in Yorkshire in future......

External Link/Members Only

[lamboman]

Any particular paper 

At least the BBC weather is exempt from this then as they haven't used the Met office since 2018

Telegraph.

[PatMacGroin]

'Carefully worded'? Not really. Maybe I should be flattered that there's a handful of people on this forum who hang on to my every word and look for some sort of sign that I am actually Pat Condell or Richard Littlejohn.

I never 'hinted that (I) have some shadowy job in the media industry'. I said that I work in media and I won't go into more detail than that, other than to say I deal with certain BBC departments regularly, and know of which I speak.

Carefully worded because you chose to say "BBC News". Why not just say "the news"? As I pointed out, and you have since agreed with, pretty much all the news outlets are saying largely the same stuff and devoting just as much time to the issue.

Obviously, you don't like the BBC. However, the way you repeatedly like to target them is starting to sound like a  grudge. Your acknowledgement that you work in media and have had dealings with the BBC, makes it seem quite possible that is driven by personal feelings, rather than an objective consideration of the merits of publicly funded broadcasting.
Did you get turned down for a job there? Fail to secure contracts you wanted? Or otherwise lost out financially due to BBC interests? Maybe you fell foul of their strict code of conduct rules?  (Those are rhetorical questions, I don't expect you to answer them)

The thing is, for someone that repeatedly complains about what a waste of money the BBC is, you do seem to spend alot of time watching and listening to it. Despite your protests to the contrary.

P.S. I don't care who you are. Never heard of Pat Condell. Been a long time since I heard mention of Richard Littlejohn. Not surprised to see he's now a Mail journalist, writing opinion pieces about the UK despite living in Florida. So he's still an obnoxious man mouthing off about stuff he knows very little about.

[RedKettle]

1976 was hot for longer, something like 10 weeks or more but it was also accompanied by a drought, I think from what I read earlier that 1976 peak temperature was something like the 11th or 12th hottest on record but again that may have only been 1 day with those around it being 30 degrees while now they are saying today may reach 40 degrees.

There are differences between then and now which is amazingly 46 years ago 
Yes people did just get on with it and there possibly weren't as many snowflakes however the above average death rate also went up by around 30%, it probably did make the news back then with tips on what to do and how to keep cool but people have forgotten that now and just like to complain about how things are today (Apparently it's all the fault of wishy washy liberal / lefties and the BBC for having the temerity to report news  )

Let's not forget that the average population age is higher now than back in 76, median age was 34 back then and 40.5 years now while life expectancy has increased from 72.5 years to 81.5 years

People are more over weight which also brings health issues in coping with the heat

Back in 76 we were only 31 years on from the end of WW2 so people were used to hardship and putting up with things / making the best of what you had and not complaining / whinging as many had seen death and hard times for real

1976 was 3 or 4 degrees cooler than now - which makes a hell of a difference.  It was also localised to a few countries whereas the current heatwave is far wider.

It was a 1 in a hundred year event then but is now a fairly regular event.

But still idiots deny there is climate change.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Now 40.2c

Not too surprising all those buildings and Black taramc in a small area!..

[spiralnotebook]

Well the Romans had vineyards all over Britain so it’s nice to see a return to normal weather.

[King Nuts]

Obviously, you don't like the BBC. However, the way you repeatedly like to target them is starting to sound like a  grudge. Your acknowledgement that you work in media and have had dealings with the BBC, makes it seem quite possible that is driven by personal feelings, rather than an objective consideration of the merits of publicly funded broadcasting.
Did you get turned down for a job there? Fail to secure contracts you wanted? Or otherwise lost out financially due to BBC interests? Maybe you fell foul of their strict code of conduct rules?  (Those are rhetorical questions, I don't expect you to answer them)

The thing is, for someone that repeatedly complains about what a waste of money the BBC is, you do seem to spend alot of time watching and listening to it. Despite your protests to the contrary.

Wow. You're reading an awful lot into this. You're actually incorrect on all scores there, but I can't go into details as to why. But I will say that the BBC hires an awful lot of what could broadly be called sub-contractors, and is well-known for doing everything they can to under-pay them, on the grounds that 'we're the BBC, darling. We simply don't have the money'.

Unless you're top end 'talent' of course, like Radio One DJs and Gary Lineker, in which case the sky's the limit.

I have had no personal misfortune, finance-wise or any other-wise, at their hands. I object to the way a great many hardworking people get treated, and I object to the selective way they pick everything from staff to 'talent' to film crew and writers from a tick-box perspective. News and current affairs has been massively dumbed down, as anyone who's been paying attention the last couple of decades will know, and drama's suffered the same fate.

Don't take my word for it. Watch 'W1A'. Closer to the truth than many might think.

In short, it does not serve the national interest in the way something called the British Broadcasting Corporation and which is funded compulsorily by every household in the land should do.

[PatMacGroin]

Wow. You're reading an awful lot into this. You're actually incorrect on all scores there, but I can't go into details as to why. But I will say that the BBC hires an awful lot of what could broadly be called sub-contractors, and is well-known for doing everything they can to under-pay them, on the grounds that 'we're the BBC, darling. We simply don't have the money'.

Unless you're top end 'talent' of course, like Radio One DJs and Gary Lineker, in which case the sky's the limit.

I have had no personal misfortune, finance-wise or any other-wise, at their hands. I object to the way a great many hardworking people get treated, and I object to the selective way they pick everything from staff to 'talent' to film crew and writers from a tick-box perspective. News and current affairs has been massively dumbed down, as anyone who's been paying attention the last couple of decades will know, and drama's suffered the same fate.

Don't take my word for it. Watch 'W1A'. Closer to the truth than many might think.

In short, it does not serve the national interest in the way something called the British Broadcasting Corporation and which is funded compulsorily by every household in the land should do.

I think you may be surprised to find we actually agree on alot of elements about the Beeb.

It sounds like the main difference is you believe it is beyond repair, so should be abolished and dismantled. Where as I believe it is a unique British institution so efforts should be made to retain and improve it. I also believe abolishing it would lead to alot of consequences that most people wouldn't consider, resulting in many more people complaining once it is gone.

(I wrote a much more detailed response, but cut it when I realised we are just de-railing this thread. I can PM it to you if you are interested.)

[lostandfound]

Telegraph.

But basically contradicted by Suzanne Moore also writing for the Telegraph, who says we all need to take heed of the hot weather as a result of climate change and change our ways.

External Link/Members Only

[mr.bluesky]

The BBC is a dinosaur that pays its top presenters ( ie Gary Lineker) far too much money and produces very little quality programmes . Too many radio stations that employ imbecile presenters. The sooner the tv license is scrapped the better.They get money for old rope. They give  too much blanket coverage to tennis ( Wimbledon) and snooker because they can't compete with sky to show other sports and that's all they have in their sports portfolio

[King Nuts]

I think you may be surprised to find we actually agree on alot of elements about the Beeb.

It sounds like the main difference is you believe it is beyond repair, so should be abolished and dismantled. Where as I believe it is a unique British institution so efforts should be made to retain and improve it. I also believe abolishing it would lead to alot of consequences that most people wouldn't consider, resulting in many more people complaining once it is gone.

(I wrote a much more detailed response, but cut it when I realised we are just de-railing this thread. I can PM it to you if you are interested.)

Happy to read it via PM. Thank you.

[Blackpool Rock]

Just been on the news that somewhere has recorded 40.3 degrees and as many as 29 separate places have broken the previous record of 38.7

Records are normally only broken slightly by 0.1 or 0.2 of a degree whereas this is 1.6 degree so quite a jump

[SierraBravo]

Of The Guardian's top 6 temperatures, only 1 is not at an airfield or in a substantial urban environment.

Gringley on the Hill is a village in Yorkshire. The others are mainly in London which suffers from a massive upsurge in Urban Heat Island effect. RAF Coningsby had a jet aircraft landing around the time of the highest reading.

It's been hot, but context is important.

[Marmalade]

Big news. In Scotland it’s been…

Warm.

Very very mildly hot. The summer’s day we often think we’ve missed by not looking out the window at exactly the right time.

Btw ‘Scotland’ is that bit at the top of the map, generally considered uninhabited except for a few deer, a mad politician, and some deep fried Mars bars. A ‘heatwave’ is probably something lassies get from a malfunctioning hair-dryer. Local lairds, when not steaming drunk, wear ‘kilts’ — not to stay ‘cool’ … but to make things easier for a pish up a close or a knee-trembler with some fanny that has nae knickers.

[mr.bluesky]

I for one will be glad when this heatwave is over. Roll on winter when we can go back to being cold, wet and miserable 

[Thephoenix]

I never expected to see wildfires officially recognised as a major UK hazard.
After seeing the unprecedented scenes of multiple homes on fire as a result of fast spreading wildfires on the news today, I can see the reason why they've been included in the UK's National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies.

It's not uncommon for Farm buildings in rural areas to catch fire in this way, but these houses were on the outskirts of London.

A major incident procedure has been set up  by LFB to coordinate mobilisation and command and control.

The scenes of devastation shown in the news is something I'd expect to see in Australia or USA and will require a rethink of our risk management and resources to deal with an inevitable increase of these incidents in the future.

[Bummer]

It was 46 in my kitchen but I had the oven on : phone the Guinness book of records ..oh it don’t count Norris

Having lived through the 76 heatwave I have to say it’s seems worse but I am 40 years older so but they had standpipes  installed it was so bad plus ladybirds invaded the houses scary

[Marmalade]

I never expected to see wildfires officially recognised as a major UK hazard.

The scenes of devastation shown in the news is something I'd expect to see in Australia or USA and will require a rethink of our risk management and resources to deal with an inevitable increase of these incidents in the future.

Mmmmm yeah but...

Firstly, switched on the BBC News and the first 18 fucking minutes was solely devoted to the hot weather, mostly stuff repeated over and over again, oh, it's one degree hotter than it's ever been before.

Your second point I do think is important, though not the way the news reporters followed it up with "we must do something about carbon emissions".

Risk management is about reducing risks in a forseeable way.

Cutting carbon emissions in the UK is all very well and good, of course I'm not against it, even if I would like to see it done without such a heavy financial burden on ordinary people.
The sort of risk management that is predictably forseeable however is things like physical measures for coping with hot weather.
Railways were brought to a standstill after lines buckled. Countries regularly subjected to hot weather don't have that problem as they leave a bigger gap for expansion between the joints. That is some risk management that could be achieved with minimum costs.
Looking at how fires and other heat damages started gives clues on how to protect against many future calamities.

I agree it has been pretty serious for some people in England: A few people lost their homes.

Yet the wide eyed reporter telling us how Met Office stats showed a new record for the country was 40.1 or 40.2 and the previous record was just under 39 degrees in 2019 – about one degree hotter (shock horrorI).
OK, important, especially for scientists. But one degree more than a person has experienced before is hardly the Black Hole of Calcutta. It's serious, yes: but it is not, as one BBC reporter suggested, been "apocalyptic".

[Marmalade]

People go on holiday to Sham el Sheik or wherever and delight in higher temperatures. It's not so much that high temperatures here is unexpected: just that that we haven't learnt to cope.

[JontyR]

Totally get what you are saying Marmalade, but if you keep treating the symptoms, and those symptoms keep getting worse then it does become false economy.

How quickly, and if there is an impact on the eventual cost of dealing with the cause are matters which I am sure will be debated long and hard.

We cannot think that we haven't changed our environment to detrimental effects on days like today. When I looked out of the window when I was a little lad I looked out over fields. Those have been housing estates for decades. But they were built with gardens, how many of those have been tarmacked, paved or built on turning them into acres of uninterrupted radiators. The impact also is significant when we get rain and the areas struggle to deal with the water as there is no soakaway anymore.

That's not carbon, that is the direct alteration to the environment.

[chrishornx]

Maybe we'll get more vineyards in Yorkshire in future......

External Link/Members Only

sounds good

[PatMacGroin]

Mmmmm yeah but...

Firstly, switched on the BBC News and the first 18 fucking minutes was solely devoted to the hot weather, mostly stuff repeated over and over again, oh, it's one degree hotter than it's ever been before.

Your second point I do think is important, though not the way the news reporters followed it up with "we must do something about carbon emissions".

Risk management is about reducing risks in a forseeable way.

Cutting carbon emissions in the UK is all very well and good, of course I'm not against it, even if I would like to see it done without such a heavy financial burden on ordinary people.
The sort of risk management that is predictably forseeable however is things like physical measures for coping with hot weather.
Railways were brought to a standstill after lines buckled. Countries regularly subjected to hot weather don't have that problem as they leave a bigger gap for expansion between the joints. That is some risk management that could be achieved with minimum costs.
Looking at how fires and other heat damages started gives clues on how to protect against many future calamities.

I agree it has been pretty serious for some people in England: A few people lost their homes.

Yet the wide eyed reporter telling us how Met Office stats showed a new record for the country was 40.1 or 40.2 and the previous record was just under 39 degrees in 2019 – about one degree hotter (shock horrorI).
OK, important, especially for scientists. But one degree more than a person has experienced before is hardly the Black Hole of Calcutta. It's serious, yes: but it is not, as one BBC reporter suggested, been "apocalyptic".

Probably something to do with the 2015 Paris accords agreeing across multiple nations that it would be a good idea to avoid average temperatures increasing by anymore that 1.5-2 degree's above recorded preindustrial levels. Granted, a max temperature increase of 1 degree on 1 day 3 years apart is not the same is an average annual increase, but it's a pretty good indicator that 7 years later things are still rapidly going in the wrong direction.

Like you I wish the news could report that information in a more direct, fact based way. Taken on board and responded to rationally. Unfortunately, modern society is learning that humanity only really responds well to dramatic story telling.

Unfortunately, the majority of the population find facts and figures boring. So general news casting has had to be dumbed down into something understandable for bulk of the population that prefer to watch Love Island. Simple stories, like "Look! Fire bad!".

[Steve2]

Hidden Image/Members Only

[Marmalade]

It would be rather pleasant if at least one channel gave news in that manner. At least for people who have the ability to tune their ears and focus rather than just their TVs and phones. There’s so much information that could be distilled into three to five minutes.

[mr.bluesky]

I like to visit my local Tesco store frequently in this hot weather, I don't buy anything but just walk up and down the frozen food Isles as its lovely and cool 

[Blackpool Rock]

Apparently with so many fires and incidents in London the LFB had their busiest day since WW2, but some of the experts on here think it's all being over blown 

[Moby Dick]

I like to visit my local Tesco store frequently in this hot weather, I don't buy anything but just walk up and down the frozen food Isles as its lovely and cool 

Did you notice if they had any ice cubes left?

Hidden Image/Members Only

[lillythesavage]

Apparently with so many fires and incidents in London the LFB had their busiest day since WW2, but some of the experts on here think it's all being over blown 

At least 10 homes destroyed locally, could see smoke from big fires across the river, looked like around Abbey Wood and as far down as Greenwich area.

South Essex took a battering, in the LFB area, might not be the end of it as the place is tinder dry and going back to 30 by the weekend.

Time for a ban on the sale of disposable BBQ,s. Might not be the cause of all the fires but twats placing them on bone dry grass, then tipping the aftermath in bone dry bushes and bins should be shot on sight.

Same old story though, done away with Park keepers and forest wardens so there is no regulation .

[PumpDump]

At least 10 homes destroyed locally, could see smoke from big fires across the river, looked like around Abbey Wood and as far down as Greenwich area.

South Essex took a battering, in the LFB area, might not be the end of it as the place is tinder dry and going back to 30 by the weekend.

Time for a ban on the sale of disposable BBQ,s. Might not be the cause of all the fires but twats placing them on bone dry grass, then tipping the aftermath in bone dry bushes and bins should be shot on sight.

Same old story though, done away with Park keepers and forest wardens so there is no regulation .

One main contributor to these fires is these lazy ass London councils are not cutting the grass anymore to save on cost. Long dry grass will ignite a lot faster than short grass. My area is full of overgrown grass in the parks and also on the grass verges by the roadside. It has been like this since Covid, prior to that the grass was always regularly cut.

[King Nuts]

One main contributor to these fires is these lazy ass London councils are not cutting the grass anymore to save on cost. Long dry grass will ignite a lot faster than short grass. My area is full of overgrown grass in the parks and also on the grass verges by the roadside. It has been like this since Covid, prior to that the grass was always regularly cut.

Good point. It often gets proved some time after the event, that bad environmental management is behind what we are told at the time are 'random' wildfires and that they're the result of 'climate change'.

There was a series of wildfires in California a while back. Same thing. It turned out that the Socialist People's Republic of California had been negligent in forest and scrubland management. Asses were kicked, but not enough.

[Blackpool Rock]

At least 10 homes destroyed locally, could see smoke from big fires across the river, looked like around Abbey Wood and as far down as Greenwich area.

South Essex took a battering, in the LFB area, might not be the end of it as the place is tinder dry and going back to 30 by the weekend.

Time for a ban on the sale of disposable BBQ,s. Might not be the cause of all the fires but twats placing them on bone dry grass, then tipping the aftermath in bone dry bushes and bins should be shot on sight.

Same old story though, done away with Park keepers and forest wardens so there is no regulation .

You've just reminded me of a camping trip from over 30 years ago when we had a Barbie which was effectively just the base pan for the coals without any legs on it.
It was placed on a couple of metal biscuit tins to raise the height and and get it off the ground, all was going well until the wind blew some of the dried grass that had been cut onto the fire then onto the ground and lit more dried grass.

Every time there was a bit of wind little fires started popping up and I was seriously worried that the entire field along with peoples tents; cars and caravans were going to go up 

Must have looked comical as we all ran around stamping out the fires, thankfully we caught it straight away but it was a lesson on how easily a fire can start

[Blackpool Rock]

One main contributor to these fires is these lazy ass London councils are not cutting the grass anymore to save on cost. Long dry grass will ignite a lot faster than short grass. My area is full of overgrown grass in the parks and also on the grass verges by the roadside. It has been like this since Covid, prior to that the grass was always regularly cut.

Sorry but I don't think it's to save on cost or because they are lazy, it's been recognised that a lot of insects; invertebrates etc live in grass verges etc so they are being left to try and help protect / restore the natural balance, other animals such as hedgehogs then eat the snails etc

Many places have rewilding areas or a strip of land that is set aside to let nature take over and it's remarkable how quickly it can take back control and how diverse the nature in these areas can be when just given a chance.

Surely if the grass is long it's still alive / green / growing  Would the dead and dry short grass trimmings not ignite easier unless they are collected and taken away   

[Blackpool Rock]

Good point. It often gets proved some time after the event, that bad environmental management is behind what we are told at the time are 'random' wildfires and that they're the result of 'climate change'.

There was a series of wildfires in California a while back. Same thing. It turned out that the Socialist People's Republic of California had been negligent in forest and scrubland management. Asses were kicked, but not enough.

Yes I believe there were issues with the land management as there were also with other areas around the world however the main problem is that they have been trying to stop these areas burning but nature has been burning it back for Millions of years.
A lot of the trees survive the fires as it's just the outside of the bark that gets damaged and some of these trees and plants actually need to burn to activate the seeds

The real problem is that Man has expanded too far into the wilderness and now wants to tame nature

[lillythesavage]

Sorry but I don't think it's to save on cost or because they are lazy, it's been recognised that a lot of insects; invertebrates etc live in grass verges etc so they are being left to try and help protect / restore the natural balance, other animals such as hedgehogs then eat the snails etc

Many places have rewilding areas or a strip of land that is set aside to let nature take over and it's remarkable how quickly it can take back control and how diverse the nature in these areas can be when just given a chance.

Surely if the grass is long it's still alive / green / growing  Would the dead and dry short grass trimmings not ignite easier unless they are collected and taken away 

That is the latest excuse used and if they are green and lush, probably true. Management should mean them being cut at times like this, burnt insects and animals are good for nothing.


There is no doubt Council workers are lazy and poorly supervised, I see them every day parked under trees either sleeping or staring at phones, doing anything but working.
Yet we are told dedicated Park Keepers are too expensive  , how a bunch of idiots in vans and trucks, unsupervised once they leave the depot, with no pride or connection to the park they are paid not to work in is cheaper is beyond me.

[JontyR]

There was a series of wildfires in California a while back. Same thing. It turned out that the Socialist People's Republic of California had been negligent in forest and scrubland management. Asses were kicked, but not enough.

That's interesting. Have you got a source? I can't find anything about Calfire's negligence.

[King Nuts]

The real problem is that Man has expanded too far into the wilderness and now wants to tame nature

Isn't that the same as believing that climate change is somehow controllable?

There's a vanity on the part of all the Gore/Thunberg acolytes that assumes firstly that any climate change is our fault, and secondly that we have the power to do something about it. It's narcissism, plain and simple.

Personally, I believe that Nature is infinitely more powerful than anything Man can conjure up, and that if certain parts of the world are getting warmer, colder, wetter or drier, we'll adapt. Like people always have done. The Romans apparently grew vineyards in England, the Thames froze over regularly in the past, blah blah blah.

The fucking fuss that's been made this week about a temperature rise of about one degree, for one day, higher than the previous record is absurd.

[PumpDump]

Sorry but I don't think it's to save on cost or because they are lazy, it's been recognised that a lot of insects; invertebrates etc live in grass verges etc so they are being left to try and help protect / restore the natural balance, other animals such as hedgehogs then eat the snails etc

Many places have rewilding areas or a strip of land that is set aside to let nature take over and it's remarkable how quickly it can take back control and how diverse the nature in these areas can be when just given a chance.

Surely if the grass is long it's still alive / green / growing  Would the dead and dry short grass trimmings not ignite easier unless they are collected and taken away 

They haven't cut the grass in the verges because they want to encourage insects, it's because of cost savings.

External Link/Members Only

[lillythesavage]

Isn't that the same as believing that climate change is somehow controllable?



The fucking fuss that's been made this week about a temperature rise of about one degree, for one day, higher than the previous record is absurd.

It is not though is it, not 1 degree and not 1 day, 2 days of temps 30 or 40% above average, the damage caused in this part of the country alone warranted the fears  .

Agree with you over climate change, but the last 2 days were exceptional, damage , people stranded or taken ill would have been reduced by being aware of what could happen.

[JontyR]

It is not though is it, not 1 degree and not 1 day, 2 days of temps 30 or 40% above average, the damage caused in this part of the country alone warranted the fears  .

Agree with you over climate change, but the last 2 days were exceptional, damage , people stranded or taken ill would have been reduced by being aware of what could happen.

Exactly this, and its an illustration of how what is seen as extreme could become "normal"

You'll always get folks who when its chilly in June will say "I thought we were supposed to be having global warming...huh huh."

Just a couple of years ago it was 16 degrees by me on Christmas Day. Did it garner much TV or media coverage...no. But it is just as illustrative. Just because it didn't get the coverage doesn't mean it doesn't necessarily warrant it or that the comparison with the "overkill" is warranted.

[lillythesavage]

Exactly this, and its an illustration of how what is seen as extreme could become "normal"

You'll always get folks who when its chilly in June will say "I thought we were supposed to be having global warming...huh huh."

Just a couple of years ago it was 16 degrees by me on Christmas Day. Did it garner much TV or media coverage...no. But it is just as illustrative. Just because it didn't get the coverage doesn't mean it doesn't necessarily warrant it or that the comparison with the "overkill" is warranted.

I remember that Xmas well, the wife was away and the GF stayed through to new year, Boxing day, roof down on the soft top, dog in the back, it was glorious walking through the forest followed by a late Thai lunch.

No doubt lives were saved by the " Hype" some think it was, train tracks saved from damage that could take weeks to fix, or worse, a derail.
Fire brigades coped, just, can you imagine the if the " Hype " was totally ignored how bad it could have been ?

[mr.bluesky]

They haven't cut the grass in the verges because they want to encourage insects, it's because of cost savings.

External Link/Members Only

Don't know what it is like in other parts of the country but I've  not noticed many butterflies about this year despite the warm weather. Loads of spiders mind. 

[Marmalade]

At least 10 homes destroyed locally, could see smoke from big fires across the river, looked like around Abbey Wood and as far down as Greenwich area.

That must have been truly horrific to watch Lily. When it happens so close there is surely that 'could have been me' feeling as well. I hope those people are getting the necessary support.

Time for a ban on the sale of disposable BBQ,s. Might not be the cause of all the fires but twats placing them on bone dry grass, then tipping the aftermath in bone dry bushes and bins should be shot on sight.
Same old story though, done away with Park keepers and forest wardens so there is no regulation .

I'm not very expert on BBQs, don't have one myself. But a lot of people use them responsibly and there is even group that is into the refining of ways of barbecuing meat -- not all beer n Lidl steak! So I am a bit wary of banning things.

What is the root problem? If I look at documentaries of how people behaved and communicated values during the last days of WW2 and shortly after, or even my parents in early days, there was some culture of mutual responsibility which I think has largely been lost, except perhaps in the best neighbourhoods. The TV (black and white then) used to support this with tips about sensible behaviour. Now the reverse tends to be true. People communicate mostly electronically. The TV is part of that or in competition with electronic communication. People get depressed when they have less facebook 'likes' than the next person. Most news is attention-grab shock-value rather than aiming to be helpful and informative. Parents and teachers are limited in what they can do to discipline children. The combined effect is a society of individuals who are anarchistically largely focussed on themself – or as part of the world wide web.

I don't want to dumb down society to the level of the least responsible, with overstretched policing to make people obey rules: I want people to grow up learning to be responsible individuals, taking a pride in their behaviour and mutual consideration of others.

...about the Beeb.

I believe it is a unique British institution so efforts should be made to retain and improve it.

I did raise the BBC coverage of the weather (on topic) so will take your point briefly. The BBC was intended to be a unique institution. It still is in some respects (e.g. the World Service). One of the things I would like to see is that it became a more formal institution. As a comparison, the Economist newspaper made a statement around the start of the Ukraine-Russia war that it felt some duty to be supportive of the British system and values rather than simply 'reporting both sides'. (I think they put it rather better but it was a statement of intent with 'reasonable bias'). There are many complaints that the Beeb favours the government or the opposition. Instead of bouncing between both, it should make a great effort first to be factual (as opposed to throwing around twenty talking heads). Secondly it should have a slight bias to espouse the current elected government. Channel 4 was brought about to be a counterweight and it should espouse the opposition(s) or be more of a wikileaks, rather like the Guardian attempted and failed to do.Each should have only that minor bias and include as footnotes the opposing ideas. This as a policy would get rid of the clickbait mentality that has infected most news sources.

We cannot think that we haven't changed our environment to detrimental effects on days like today. When I looked out of the window when I was a little lad I looked out over fields. Those have been housing estates for decades. But they were built with gardens, how many of those have been tarmacked, paved or built on turning them into acres of uninterrupted radiators. The impact also is significant when we get rain and the areas struggle to deal with the water as there is no soakaway anymore.

That's not carbon, that is the direct alteration to the environment.

That sounds reasonable. As with flooding. The country is on the left foot.  I'm sorry to hear about the destruction of the pleasant greenery you enjoyed as a lad. I think we have a little more left in Scotland but I guess it's changing everywhere due to the population increase or simply heartless town planning? We (or our governments) sacrifice much in the name of 'progress'.

[Marmalade]

At least the BBC weather is exempt from this then as they haven't used the Met office since 2018

Serious question... would you be in favour of bringing back hot weather girls?

I don't think I agree with all this stuff about making fat ugly people (or even ordinary looking people) feel more 'comfortable'. It's another levelling down. Hot women are on a different level to other women. Nice personality is always good but face reality. I don't feel intimidated by seeing David Beckham looking charming. His physique is on a different level to mine. I don't have a problem accepting that.

[lillythesavage]

That must have been truly horrific to watch Lily. When it happens so close there is surely that 'could have been me' feeling as well. I hope those people are getting the necessary support.I'm not very expert on BBQs, don't have one myself. But a lot of people use them responsibly and there is even group that is into the refining of ways of barbecuing meat -- not all beer n Lidl steak! So I am a bit wary of banning things.

What is the root problem? If I look at documentaries of how people behaved and communicated values during the last days of WW2 and shortly after, or even my parents in early days, there was some culture of mutual responsibility which I think has largely been lost, except perhaps in the best neighbourhoods. The TV (black and white then) used to support this with tips about sensible behaviour. Now the reverse tends to be true. People communicate mostly electronically. The TV is part of that or in competition with electronic communication. People get depressed when they have less facebook 'likes' than the next person. Most news is attention-grab shock-value rather than aiming to be helpful and informative. Parents and teachers are limited in what they can do to discipline children. The combined effect is a society of individuals who are anarchistically largely focussed on themself – or as part of the world wide web.

I don't want to dumb down society to the level of the least responsible, with overstretched policing to make people obey rules: I want people to grow up learning to be responsible individuals, taking a pride in their behaviour and mutual consideration of others.

I did raise the BBC coverage of the weather (on topic) so will take your point briefly. The BBC was intended to be a unique institution. It still is in some respects (e.g. the World Service). One of the things I would like to see is that it became a more formal institution. As a comparison, the Economist newspaper made a statement around the start of the Ukraine-Russia war that it felt some duty to be supportive of the British system and values rather than simply 'reporting both sides'. (I think they put it rather better but it was a statement of intent with 'reasonable bias'). There are many complaints that the Beeb favours the government or the opposition. Instead of bouncing between both, it should make a great effort first to be factual (as opposed to throwing around twenty talking heads). Secondly it should have a slight bias to espouse the current elected government. Channel 4 was brought about to be a counterweight and it should espouse the opposition(s) or be more of a wikileaks, rather like the Guardian attempted and failed to do.Each should have only that minor bias and include as footnotes the opposing ideas. This as a policy would get rid of the clickbait mentality that has infected most news sources.
That sounds reasonable. As with flooding. The country is on the left foot.  I'm sorry to hear about the destruction of the pleasant greenery you enjoyed as a lad. I think we have a little more left in Scotland but I guess it's changing everywhere due to the population increase or simply heartless town planning? We (or our governments) sacrifice much in the name of 'progress'.

Many only left with the clothes they were wearing, just been sent a video of another fire this morning, glass balcony on a top but one flat is where it started, possibly smouldering since yesterday, or dried out ready for the morning sun, destroyed 2 flats.

BBQ,s are fine usually, proper ones on legs, these disposable things are not really disposable, a flat foil tray, filled with hot coals, where can you dispose of it safely, no one is going to take them home in the car  .

They really should be banned, simply because any idiot can buy one and burn grass, then has no clue what to do with it 

[Blackpool Rock]

They haven't cut the grass in the verges because they want to encourage insects, it's because of cost savings.

External Link/Members Only

From a quick Google there appears to be different approaches from different areas of the country / councils etc however I also found this from the wildlife trust
External Link/Members Only

[Marmalade]

BBQ,s are fine usually, proper ones on legs, these disposable things are not really disposable, a flat foil tray, filled with hot coals, where can you dispose of it safely, no one is going to take them home in the car  .

They really should be banned, simply because any idiot can buy one and burn grass, then has no clue what to do with it 

Thanks for the update. On consideration, a ban doesn't sound unreasonable. Perhaps start with 'strongly discourage'?

[RedKettle]

The fucking fuss that's been made this week about a temperature rise of about one degree, for one day, higher than the previous record is absurd.

Oh come on you are more intelligent than that. It is the trend that matters and if you look at that properly it is something to worry about. 1 in a hundred year events are now regular events. Temp records that used to last for decades broken every few years. People refer back to 1976 but this was significantly hotter, like. 3 to 4 degrees.

We have caused this and we can if we want correct it, at least partially. Not in your lifetime but are you not bothered about the world your children will live in? Are you happy to risk their future just so you can stubbornly stick to your anti woke agenda? Nothing to gain if you are right, except to make you feel good that you stick it to the liberals, but a fucking disaster if you are wrong and we do nothing.

[badsin]

They really should be banned, simply because any idiot can buy one and burn grass, then has no clue what to do with it 

They are banned in national parks (Peak District etc). The sale of them is also banned within these areas.

[lillythesavage]

Thanks for the update. On consideration, a ban doesn't sound unreasonable. Perhaps start with 'strongly discourage'?

The problem with them is they " encourage" twats to buy them and spend more money buying food to cook on them and drink too. All looks so easy, just light and cook, until the grass starts burning and they realise there is nowhere to get rid, that is when they usually fuck off quick.

Horrendous things really, and who wants the smell of burnt sausages walking in the park ?