4 days ago
How bad can August storms get?
Injury time
England bowler Chris Woakes won a standing ovation for coming out to bat against India at the Oval with his arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder – although in the event he didn't have to face a ball before England lost. Some other sportsmen who carried on while injured:
— Franz Beckenbauer played out half an hour of extra time during the semi final of the 1970 football World Cup, also with his arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder. His German team beat Italy 4-3.
— Manchester City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann played the last quarter of an hour of the 1956 FA Cup Final with a broken neck after colliding with a Birmingham City player. His side won 3-1.
— Tiger Woods won the 2008 US Open in spite of playing with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and two stress fractures in his leg.
World class
The government wants to ban universities from taking foreign students where they have a high drop-out rate. Which countries sent the most students to Britain in 2023/24?
India 166,310
China 149,885
Nigeria 57,505
Pakistan 45,720
US 23,250
Hong Kong 17,258
Malaysia 12,760
Bangladesh 12,285
Saudi Arabia 9,680
Source: Higher Education Statistics Authority
Road toll
How do deaths from drink-driving compare with those from driving under the influence of illegal or medical drugs? In 2023, 869 drivers died in road accidents. Of those:
— 771 were tested for alcohol, which was found in 171 cases.
— 27 were tested for medical drugs likely to cause impairment; 23 were positive.
— 612 were tested for 'drugs of misuse', of which 131 were positive.
Source: Department for Transport
Storm surge
Scotland and the north of England were hit by unusually strong storms by August standards. How bad can August storms get?
— On 14 August 1979 a storm struck the Irish Sea during the Fastnet Yacht Race, with wind speeds of up to 63mph. Of 303 boats which began the race, only 86 finished; 15 competitors and 6 spectators died.
— On 25 August 1986 ex-Hurricane Charley struck the British Isles with winds of up to 65mph. Ireland was especially affected, with 7.8in of rain in 24 hours.
