Kiwi

Looks interesting....start date 21 October Also worth looking at this MOOC--Climate Change:challenges and solutions, starting on 13 Jan ---with the University of Exeter which I'd already signed up for. https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/climate-change-challenges-and-solutions

Does this Met Office link help? http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/interesting/dec2010

Snowmageddon !!!!! again......... Is this a rewrite of his forecast for most previous winters? or am I being unfair?

See link below for Mr Cohen's thoughts on Siberian snow cover in October http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ost/climate/STIP/FY11CTBSeminars/jcohen_062211.pdf

Or is Osborne really an astute policymaker about to take a more realistic and balanced approach to the issue of dealing with climate change? The costs currently being incurred to mitigate climate change are horrendous, and in reality they achieve nothing or are likely to reduce the increase in temperatures by only a miniscule amount. What is needed is loads of investment and research into financially viable energy alternatives. But carbon taxes, hamstringing industrial development and "crippling the working man" are counter-productive and a waste of time. Once all the funding put into research and investment cracks it and comes up with a clean energy that is cheaper than fossil fuels the problem will be solved. In the meantime frack away ....and use all that extra revenue to fund the research into financially viable green energy rather than todays half-baked alternatives. Instead of continuing their focus on carbon taxes and subsidies for renewables, Lomborg calls political decision-makers to pursue a new approach to tackle climate change: “What we need is investment in research and development to reduce green energy’s cost and boost its scale. If we can make solar and other green technologies cheaper than fossil fuels, we will have addressed global warming,†he concludes.

Sounds like some Governments are becoming more realistic about the high cost and supposed benefits of clean energy. Interviewed ahead of the Tory party conference, George Osborne told the Times: "I want to provide for the country the cheapest energy possible, consistent with having it reliable, in other words as a steady supply, and consistent with us playing our part in an international effort to tackle climate change. "But I don't want us to be the only people out there in front of the rest of the world. I certainly think we shouldn't be further ahead of our partners in Europe." The chancellor also attacked Labour's plans to eliminate carbon from the power sector by 2030. He argued that for an aluminium smelter to leave the UK and go to another country would not make much difference to climate change. But it would make a "huge difference" to those who lost their jobs as a result, he said.

The IPCC expects a weakening of the Atlantic Ocean circulation by 12% to 54% by the end of the century....on that basis I'll kep hold of my crampons and ice axe for the time being.

As you say PM, essential info, now presented in a much clearer format which will, hopefully, encourage everyone to look at the current and forecast conditions before heading into the hills. I agree MS.. the MWIS site is excellent, and another that I always look at. But I suspect that a large number of casual venturers into the hills, who should really be more clued up than they are of conditions, are more likely to be aware of the met office site.Crampons still buried under a serious avalanche of gear in my garage, but looking forward to a good winter and spring to come!

Very worthwhile changes here,and while they describe them as "tweaks" and "more evolutionary than revolutionary".......they seem to be to be a big leap forward. Great!!....much, much more user friendly.......and about time they had a link to the SAIS.

No 'serious person' should doubt man behind climate change, says Tony Blairhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10329520/No-serious-person-should-doubt-man-behind-climate-change-says-Tony-Blair.html Well there it is then....Debate over....Mr Blair's judgement is unquestionnable....isn't it?

Sun finally emerged at 4pm .....now clear blue sky!.... (a couple of hours of weak sunshine rather than the scorcher I had been promised just a few days ago) Anyone looking forward to the fog tomorrow morning??

Just been listening to radio 5live ......forecaster on there has just said that central southern England could stay gloomy for most of the day.

Wow ...that is warm!! I'm transitting through Dubai on Friday and the forecast temp there is similar....I associate temps like that with the UAE but not with snowy Austria. Hope you get some spectacular storms. In the meantime are the temps cooler if you grap a cablecar up to one of the summits in your neck of the woods??

Heard a rumble of thunder here about 9.30am, and that's been the highlight!! Nice sunshine now here in north hampshire. Bone dry, not one drop of rain all night! I'm looking to the SSW on the radar and can't see any hint of storms developing for the central south. I'll patiently wait to see what brews up later this afternoon.

And another one, a 6.5 (11km deep) near Wellington about 30mins ago. No reports of serious damage or injuries as yet.

Nanny state.......they think we all lack common sense. If the weather moves slightly away from the British norm then we get warned .

Yes, been a scorcher here today .......and yes please, I'd like a storm to park here for a while!... my garden could do with a deluge.

Rumble of thunder here ...5.40pm

Dan seems to be getting quite excited about this storm. I'm smiling to myself imagining his tv presentation of this. Any idea how much snow is being forecast Styx?

Just 1 month until the nights start drawing in!

Wow ....same happening here...plus ground now white with the hail.

already here! Mainly light but a few bursts of 20p sized flakes. Not heavy enough to wet the ground let alone lay.

Torrential rain ....and lots of thunder/lightning !!

It's bonkers. Make winter tyres mandatory as in most of Europe and problem is largely solved. That a slight/moderate snowfall can bring things to a grinding halt is ludicrous!!

Steady moderate snow here for the last couple of hours ...not lying though apart from a bit of slushiness on cars and grass etc. Temp 1.2c DP -0.4c