Latest news with #BeastfromtheEast
Spectator
03-06-2025
- Climate
- Spectator
Midwit machines are destroying thinking
First, a confession. Sometimes I go on a super-geeky site for dedicated weather watchers. It's probably because I am quite manic depressive – and British – and definitely because I adore warmth and despise dank. That means I can be tipped into doom by anti-cyclonic gloom or lifted into ecstasy by a decent heatwave. Whatever the precise cause, this mild obsession has made me a long-term member of that weather forum, where we natter about polar vortices and the 'Beast from the East' like meteorological trainspotters. Over the years I've got to know the other forum members pretty well, despite never having met them; we banter and bicker and sometimes discuss biscuits. It's like a kind of low-key pub with extra charts from Meteosat. But of late I've noticed the banter is changing in tone – that is, the style of chatting is evolving in striking ways.
Edinburgh Live
28-05-2025
- Climate
- Edinburgh Live
Our Farm Next Door's Amanda Owen makes sad admission as she reflects on her future
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The latest episode of Our Farm Next Door has seen Amanda Owen confront the stark realities of life at Ravenseat. Ravenseat Farm was recently enveloped in a thick layer of snow, and while the Owen children delighted in the frosty scene, parents Amanda and Clive shared their concerns about the impact on their flock. Clive voiced his unease, remarking, "January and February were funny months, and anything could happen. That Beast from the East was quite nasty. The kids were little, and we had no electricity for a week." READ MORE - Gary Lineker's 'weird' set-up with ex wife and bold romance claim that shocked mates READ MORE - Royal cleaning expert shares 10-minute trick for sparkling taps using 90p item He further reflected on the challenges that come with farming, noting, "You know, everybody gets a little bit of snow, but it can be absolutely unbelievable here, and you've got to be careful, otherwise it'll have you out of business." Amanda weighed in on the situation: "When that snow hits, it can be exhausting. It can be exhausting mentally and physically. Day one, day two, yeah, it is fun, day four, five, six, seven, and beyond, it is a real test," reports Gloucestershire Live. (Image: Channel 4) Clive also revealed the heartache they've experienced over the years due to heavy snowfalls claiming the lives of many sheep, saying, "In my time, there have been some pretty, pretty awful occasions where we've lost quite a lot of sheep under snow." He lamented the difficulty of such situations, adding, "It's so vast out there that if they're not where you think they are, then it is a needle in a haystack." Reflecting on her ability to overcome previous challenges, Amanda remarked, "In those situations, it's good to look back in hindsight and say, 'You know what we got through that'." Amanda has also opened up about the particular mindset needed for her line of work, especially when faced with adverse weather. She said: "There's this thing whereby, the worse the weather gets, you should, in theory, want to spend more time inside by the fire, but when you're farming, you want to spend more time outside because you need to take care of the animals." She further shared her thoughts on facing a frosty morning: "On a day like today, when you see that light shine through the window and you know that it's icy and snowy out there, you don't pull the duvet over your head; you're like, 'Let me at it'." Amanda believes that such determination is crucial for anyone in the farming profession, musing, "Because that's what you have to do. And I always think to myself, 'the day that you don't want to do that, you've got to quit'." The Owens family's adventures are set to continue in the new episode of Our Farm Next Door, which airs tonight. The upcoming instalment promises to show: "Spring finally arrives in Swaledale and the Owens gear up for another busy lambing season - but there is still the task of putting the ancient hearth stone back in place in front of the fire." Additionally, viewers can expect to see touching scenes such as "Amanda, Edith and Clemmie enjoy a picnic as builder Richard gets on with laying a stone floor on top of new cosy underfloor heating, while the kids collect frogspawn."
Scotsman
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scott McTominay on cusp of greatness - the Man Utd meeting that set in motion a Scotland and Napoli idol
Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... When Alex McLeish took a train through the teeth of a storm to keep a Jose Mourinho-arranged appointment with Scott McTominay, he helped set in motion a chain of events that could reach an apotheosis in Italy later this month. McTominay is well on the way to becoming a god in the South – the Italian south. No Scot has ever won the Scudetto but Napoli, with McTominay as a driving force and Billy Gilmour cast as willing auxiliary, are at most three wins and a draw away from doing so. They travel to the heel of the Italian peninsula to face Lecce on Saturday already three points in front of second-placed Internazionale, who host Verona at San Siro in the later kick-off. There are just four games left, with McTominay in sparkling form. 'He is clearly in much stronger form than when he arrived,' said manager Antonio Conte on Friday. 'He never had a primary role at Manchester United, while here we gave him one.' He has become to Napoli what he's long been for Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad McLeish has since rated recruiting McTominay in 2018 as his 'first triumph' in his more trying second spell as Scotland manager. 'It was a wicked night,' he recalled. People were being ordered not to travel unless strictly necessary as the Beast from the East set in. Scott McTominay with Alex McLeish during a Scotland training session in Edinburgh in 2018. (Photo by) | Getty Images Commitment to Scotland McLeish viewed his journey as being of strict national importance – England, the country of McTominay's birth in Lancaster, were understandably interested in calling him up given he was playing an increasingly central part in Mourinho's Manchester United side at the time. McLeish resolved to look in his eyes and discern whether McTominay, whose father is from Helensburgh, wanted to play for Scotland or not. There was no mistaking the burning desire he detected. McLeish is speaking to The Scotsman from another train as he travels through the heart of England once more, this time to see a grandson play in a football tournament in Blackpool. The weather is more clement though reception is patchy. 'Mourinho said to me, 'Alex you should come down, get the big man signed up.' I didn't hesitate,' recalls McLeish. 'It was an ill-fated night in a way, the storm had whipped up!' he continues. 'But I made it anyway. I was determined on behalf of my country to recruit someone who was then just an emerging player.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The meeting took place at Carrington, the club's training ground. McLeish nearly didn't make it. His train terminated at Newcastle due to the weather. 'I had to get to York and then Manchester Piccadilly and it was 4am by the time I checked into my hotel. The receptionist had me down as a no show but he said, 'I'll get you something'. He got me a room.' It was meant to be a breakfast meeting that morning but Mourinho contacted McLeish. 'He said, 'I hear you've had a problem, just come at lunchtime and we'll get Scott into my office,'' he recalls. 'My first question was: 'Big yin, would you like to play for Scotland?' He said: 'I would absolutely love to play for Scotland, that is my first love' – in his big English accent!' Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay is closing in on the Serie A title with Napoli. (Photo by CARLO HERMANN/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images Following footsteps of Maradona Joe Jordan's header v Czechoslovakia, Davie Cooper's penalty v Wales, David Marshall's save v Serbia, ….McTominay saying yes to Scotland. It's proved right up there in terms of significant moments and means the midfielder now stands on the cusp of creating more Scottish football history in Italy. On 11 league goals for the season following last weekend's match-winning double against Torino, McTominay has already surpassed Denis Law's previous record of ten for Torino in Serie A in season 1961-62. Now he has another legend of the game in his sights, someone who can justifiably be regarded as the best footballer of all time. Neapolitans have freebased Diego Maradona since he led them to their first Serie A title in 1987, and in truth from the day he arrived at the club from Barcelona three years earlier. Anyone who has watched the thrilling opening scenes to the documentary that was made about his life by British director Asif Kapadia will remember a visceral ride through teeming streets. The car carrying Maradona and his entourage eventually reaches what was then known as Stadio San Paolo, where he was unveiled at a chaotic press conference that saw the first journalist to ask a question ordered to leave - he had unwisely referenced the Camorra, the Mafia-style scourge of the Naples area. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Almost inevitably, Maradona fell into the crime organisation's clutches. Meanwhile, in a probably not unconnected development, his cocaine use got worse although, for the time being, his central addiction remained football. Neapolitans in turn became dependent on Maradona. Statues were erected and murals daubed on walls. Lives were devoted to him. The adoration remains as clear in the present day as it was then, as a steady stream of Scottish visitors can now attest. Tommy Guthrie, a Dundee United supporter from East Kilbride, had the good fortune to select last weekend's clash v Torino, with McTominay scoring both goals in a 2-0 win. Tickets were purchased online for 35 euros each and in reasonably straightforward fashion considering it's the Serie A leaders we are talking about. The easyJet flight from Gatwick to Naples on a Friday has become the Tartan Army express with kilted football tourists. Napoli fans celebrate winning the Serie A title in 2023 alongside one of many murals of Diego Maradona in Naples, Italy. (Photo by) | Getty Images More venerated than Lukaku 'You go through the city, and Maradona is everywhere,' says Guthrie, who works for the Premier League in England. 'He's all pervasive…Paintings everywhere on walls. There are loads of stalls around, in the centro storico, which is the old town, and even in the main shopping thoroughfares there are stalls selling Napoli gear. Whether it's scarves, fridge magnets and strips with Maradona 10 on the back - they've since retired the number – he is by far the most popular. 'But of the current players, McTominay 8 (his shirt number) is a favourite. You have (Romelu) Lukaku there who is probably the biggest name in the team in a recognisable world context. But I'd say McTominay seems to be more impactful and more venerated.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He was certainly the pivotal figure for Conte's side last Sunday night. Two goals from near-post finishes following trademark late runs put Napoli in the title driving seat (Inter had suffered a home defeat against Roma earlier in the day). The Napoli Tannoy announcer was forced to work overtime. He now has a well-rehearsed gambit where he shouts out 'Scotto! Scotto!' after goals, with the crowd chorusing back in unison: 'Mac-Tom-In-EEE! Mac-Tom-In-EEE!' This can happen seven or eight times after a McTominay goal. Scott McTominay of Napoli celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the Serie A match between Napoli and Torino at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Cr: Getty Images. | Getty Images Can you imagine if Maradona was still around? He'd likely be in Naples for one or indeed both of their final two home fixtures against Genoa and Cagliari at the now renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and he'd be angling for pictures with McTominay, not necessarily the other way around. Of course, the Scot won't ever displace Maradona in terms of affection. No one could. It's distressing to note that at the same time as Napoli are again battling against the odds at the top of Serie A, a court case is ongoing in Argentina to establish the facts surrounding Maradona's death in 2020. It's hard to believe given he seems so central to Napoli's Serie A successes, but, if Napoli can get over the line this season, they will have won the Italian title twice since Maradona passed away after a heart attack following surgery on a brain blood clot at the age of 60. It's taken a while, but life does go on. New heroes emerge, sometimes from the most unlikely places. Saltires are now waved in Curva B, where Napoli's largest ultras group are based in their home stadium, instead of those of Georgia, the homeland of their previous talisman. A banner in the bustling streets of the historic old town depicts the three titles already won - the Maradona-inspired successes in 1987 and 1990 and then 2023, when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the brilliant winger from Tbilisi who's since joined Paris Saint-Germain, was the impetus. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Sky News
12-04-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Why the hot spring weather is sliding away - and it's not much better if you're about to holiday in southern Europe
It's been an unusually sunny start to spring, with parts of the UK enjoying temperatures over 20C (68F) over the past few days. But why has it been so hot - and why is it about to come to an end? Extraordinary highs and lows The recent spell of fine weather was brought to us courtesy of high pressure. But no ordinary high pressure; a blocking high - the result of a stratospheric warming event. Ironically, it's the same weather set up that brought us the Beast from the East in 2018. This time, however, the positioning of the high pressure system brought almost cloudless skies and temperatures well above what we'd expect at this time of year. A blocking high pressure system, as opposed to ordinary high pressure, is one that sticks around far longer - which explains the days and days of blue skies and sunshine. It's notable though that the nights have been cold. On Thursday night, Aboyne in Scotland reached a daytime high of 22.8C (73F) from an overnight minimum of -3.2C (26.2F) - a lift of 26C night to day. And that wasn't an isolated station - many saw these huge discrepancies between night/day temperatures. That's quite extraordinary. All good things come to an end That high pressure is now sliding away to the near continent, which is opening the door to more unsettled conditions from the Atlantic. Also from the south, with the weather over Spain and Portugal having been shockingly bad. And, that again, is down to our prolonged period of fine weather. High pressure systems will block all incoming weather fronts, which have to go somewhere - either north or south around the high. So, as the beautiful spring of 2025 gives way to something more familiar, unsettled conditions spread up from the south courtesy of low pressure moving up from the Bay of Biscay. At the same time, Atlantic rain spreads in from the west introducing colder air. The two unite tonight and sweep eastward lowering our daytime temperatures by up to 10C in places. That's not to say that we won't have sight of the sun until the height of summer. We'll have some bright and sunny spells, even over the next few days, despite them looking quite unsettled. But we'll also have classic British skies with cloud around to a greater or lesser degree, and temperatures more suited to our usual spring climate. Interestingly, the Azores high, which usually stabilises the southern Europe climate for which we pay expensive air fares, is not yet established. So those planning a holiday to Spain or Portugal don't have the usual reassurance of warm sunshine. Indeed, northern Italy is expecting some heavy rainfall over the next few days. There's also a fair signal that high pressure will return to the UK in the days after the Easter weekend. But as conditions remain mobile, unsettled and transient, accurate long-term forecasting becomes more difficult. Suffice to say, the next few days will be cooler, fresher and more unsettled. With the driest March on record behind us, rain will doubtless be welcome for farmers and gardeners alike.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Britain basks in 20 degrees but forecast Polar vortex collapse could bring severe cold weather
The UK recorded the warmest day of the year on Sunday as temperatures are set to plummet to single figures into next week, the Met Office said. The forecaster confirmed a record 19.7C was hit in Crosby, Merseyside, on Sunday, beating Saturday's peak of 19.1C in Cumbria. The average UK daytime maximum temperature in March is 9.2C – an average that takes in all of the country across the whole month. However the unusually warm and sunny weather has seen parts of the UK warmer than some southern European holiday destinations, including Costa del Sol, Spain, and the Balearic islands. Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: 'It's been widely warm across the east and west, and it's been pleasant in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It's been fairly decent and Sunday was the warmest day of 2025 so far.' Into next week, conditions are expected to gradually, with spells of rain forecast across the parts of the country from Tuesday. Mr Snell said: 'It will be turning colder across all parts. The south will hang on to milder conditions on Monday, probably around 17C or 18C, but it will be cloudier. 'In the north, it'll be much cooler and bands of patchy rain will move in, and gradually move southwards.' Most of the country will feel the cooler conditions on Tuesday and this will continue through most of the week. Scattered showers are expected in northern and eastern parts, with temperatures in the north reaching between 6C and 8C, and the south seeing between 8C and 9C. Mr Snell added: 'Conditions will stay in single figures and it'll be a cold midweek, particularly when compared with this weekend. 'It won't be a washout and there will be plenty of dry spells. But it'll be the breeze that keeps those temperatures down.' Our temperatures are going to drop this you know wearing several layers of thin clothing can keep you warmer than one thick layer? This is one of our #WeatherHacks from our partners @UKHSA #WeatherReady — Met Office (@metoffice) March 9, 2025 Friday into Saturday will be more of the same until temperatures start to rise again slightly moving into the weekend. Meanwhile, the Met Office warned that the UK was likely to see a polar vortex collapse towards the end of March - the weather phenomenon responsible for 2018's 'Beast from the East'. A sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) was behind the bitter winter storm which struck Britain in March 2018, bringing heavy snow, ice and strong winds and leading to 17 deaths across the UK. Forecasters believe there is an 80 per cent chance of an SSW, which involves the rapid descent of cold air from the stratosphere known as a polar vortex collapse, occurring by the middle of the month. Professor Adam Scaife, the head of long-range forecasting at the Met Office, said: 'This could lead to some impacts on weather in the UK toward the end of March. What those impacts might be will become clearer nearer the time.'
