Latest news with #Iberian
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
Warning that gardeners are risking huge £5,000 fines for mowing their lawns this weekend during certain hours
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GARDENERS have been warned not to mow their lawns during certain hours this weekend to avoid paying a hefty fine. Anyone caught with a lawn mower risks forking out a whopping £5,000. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Mowing the grass Credit: Getty Brits could be set to enjoy temperatures as high as 26C this weekend as "Iberian heat" rolls in alongside glorious sunshine. Many would be tempted to make the best out of the weather and tend to their gardens. Regularly giving your lawn a fresh cut helps to promote healthy growth, prevent stress on the grass, and improve air circulation. However, you have to be wary what time of the day you bring out your lawn mower out of the shed. Although there is no law stopping you from mowing your lawn during certain hours, you could get in trouble with your local council. They could issue a Noise Abatement Notice if you create noise disturbance during the prohibited hours. On weekdays, it is normally accepted to make noise between 8am and 8pm. However, on weekends, people have been advised to keep it quiet before 9am and after 7pm. East Coast Fencing says: 'Most people naturally opt for weekends to complete household and garden chores, including mowing the lawn. 'However, weekends are also when noise complaints tend to rise as families aim to relax or catch up on sleep. 'To prevent frustrations, pay extra attention to the timing of your mowing on Saturdays and Sundays.' I turned my bare front garden into a vibrant green lawn in DAYS thanks to a £4 buy from Asda - the grass grew like wildfire Those who don't abide by the rules could get fined for up to £5,000 for disturbance during unsociable hours. Daniel McAfee, Head of Legal Operations at Lawhive, told Express: 'Non-compliance with an abatement notice can lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £5,000 for domestic premises. 'This is not an empty threat - these fines are real, and local authorities do enforce them.' Luckily, experts have revealed that mowing too early can cause damage to your grass by exposing it to disease and fungal infections. The expert shared that in spring the best time to mow your lawn is between 9 am and 11 am.
Morocco World
a day ago
- Business
- Morocco World
Exclusive Helicopter Service Connects Morocco and Málaga
Doha – World Aviation Group has launched a new luxury helicopter service connecting Morocco's northern region with Málaga, Spain. According to Spanish news outlets, this exclusive air link significantly reduces travel time between the Costa del Sol and northern Morocco, catering to high-net-worth tourists and businesspeople seeking efficiency and comfort. The service, which begins this summer, offers rapid air transfers between the Costa del Sol and northern Morocco, targeting the luxury tourism market. This initiative, as framed by Iberian media, positions Málaga as a gateway for exclusive tourism from northern Morocco that can extend to other parts of Andalusia, Spain, or even Europe. The helicopter connection bridges the relatively short distance of just over 150 kilometers between Morocco and Málaga, making these nearby locations even more accessible to each other. World Aviation Group's premium service is designed for clients who value speed, comfort, and personalized experiences. Local news outlet El Periódico de Ceuta reported Fernando Gómez, spokesperson for the company, as describing it as 'a unique proposal, with state-of-the-art helicopters virtually unrivaled in Europe, which will add very significant tourism value to Andalusia.' The service offers two main options: private flights providing rapid connections to key destinations like Morocco or Ibiza, and panoramic flights to discover the Costa del Sol from the air, with prices starting from €235. The offerings can be customized to each user depending on the experience they wish to have. Read also: First Electric Ferry Route to Connect Morocco-Spain with Zero-Emission Vessels World Aviation's flagship aircraft is the Bell 429, a high-end helicopter with capacity for six passengers and two crew members, unique in Europe with this configuration. 'It's a model used by its own manufacturer at international fairs, and our top-level maintenance keeps it like new,' Gómez highlighted. Founded in Málaga in 2010, World Aviation has evolved from a flight school to become a comprehensive air operator. The company now has bases throughout Spain and southern Portugal, holding all key European licenses: ATO (training), AOC (transport), and COE (special operations). The company emphasizes safety with pilots who have more than 5,000 flight hours, many with experience in civil and military missions, reinforcing their commitment to security and efficiency. This achievement stands in stark contrast to Hélity, a Ceuta-based company that since 2020 has announced plans to establish regular routes between Algeciras, Morocco, Málaga, and Gibraltar. Hélity's plan included connecting the Algeciras heliport with Tangier and Tetouan, but stalled due to the heliport not being declared a Schengen border, an essential requirement for operating international flights. While Hélity's proposed routes remain unrealized amid ongoing regulatory hurdles, World Aviation has moved forward with helicopter flights to Morocco after completing the required legal and technical procedures within a few months. With this new service, Málaga strengthens its position as an epicenter for luxury tourism in southern Europe—a development Spanish media describe as a leap toward high-end, sky-bound exclusivity and experiential travel. Tags: HelicoptersMalagaMorocco Spain relations
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Weather Impacts Operation And Dependence On Renewable Energy
As the demand for renewable energy increases, so do risks for weather impacts and grid stability. ... More Weather impact arbitrage is a strategy to reduce these risks. When 55 million people suddenly lost power in Spain and Portugal in late April, many instinctively assumed the outage must have been caused by the weather. It made sense. Extreme weather events can significantly disrupt renewable energy infrastructures – and the Iberian peninsula's grid is 80% powered by renewables. Turns out the weather wasn't the culprit this time. Conditions were pristine on April 28 – balmy temperatures, no precipitation – and the Iberian grid was back up and running by the next morning. In fact, some groups are saying the nice weather contributed to an overabundance of renewable energy causing line congestion and ultimately system instability. A month later, people are still debating the cause of the worst European outage in recent memory. A joint expert panel established by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity has launched an investigation into the root cause. Here in the U.S., solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and other renewable sources are becoming important parts of more energy conversations. Taken all together, these sources accounted for about 90% of the U.S.'s new installed capacity in 2024, according to a report by the World Resources Institute. The same report notes that renewables make up 30% of the country's large-scale power generating capacity and supply nearly 25% of all electricity. Given renewables' prospects, operators are taking more interest in how weather will affect the energy sources' future. Renewables, of course, depend on weather to physically generate power. Their performance also depends heavily on operators' ability to protect energy sources from all kinds of weather. For example, hydroelectric plants are affected by intense droughts that reduce water availability or heavy rainfall can overwhelm systems. Heavy gusts of wind can damage wind turbine blades and put mechanical stress on turbine systems and severe weather make up 80% of solar farm insurance claims. Even small weather events can progressively reduce solar output by 1% annually according to a 2024 National Renewable Energy Laboratory on weather and solar system performance. But rather than viewing weather fluctuations solely as operational risks to be mitigated, sophisticated operators can use advanced weather intelligence to leverage weather impact arbitrage. Arbitrage in the traditional sense is a trading strategy where investors take advantage of price discrepancies for the same asset in different markets. Cross-regional energy trading exemplifies this approach, as operators with superior weather intelligence can anticipate production surges or deficits across different regions before they're reflected in market prices. My position for weather impact arbitrage involves capitalizing on discrepancies but in broader terms. It is leveraging energy assets and operations to capitalize on weather patterns across different geographies and timeframes. By understanding weather variations with greater precision, energy operators can make more informed profitable decisions about when to generate, store or consume energy, and optimize operations for time, financial or efficiency savings. Here are a few of many examples of how weather impact arbitrage would benefit the energy industry. Consider strategic maintenance scheduling that moves beyond simply avoiding severe weather to identifying periods when the revenue opportunity cost is lowest based on long-term weather pattern analysis. Or routine work that is delayed or rescheduled based on weather intelligence. For example, using wildfire forecasting to plan or revise work in an area with a high probability of ignition could help prevent catastrophic physical and financial outcomes. Energy scheduling using weather intelligence can optimize output. For example, through high-resolution forecasts of solar irradiance, operators can anticipate fluctuations in sunlight caused by cloud cover, storms, or atmospheric haze. With granular forecasting, they can protect assets during a severe weather event in a specific area of the field for the necessary time to maximize energy generation. This foresight allows them to better manage energy storage systems and optimize production. Excess renewable energy, such as wind and solar, can cause grid congestion. This is one of the causes considered for the Spain and Portugal outage. When this happens, transmission operators will enact dispatch down or curtailment measures. Dispatch down events can cause energy prices to plummet during extreme oversupply conditions. Grid operators must also pay the renewable energy provider a downward dispatch fee that can cost thousands of dollars per megawatt per hour. Energy operators who use a combination of seasonal forecasts, predictive and real-time forecasts have better insights and can strategically plan for dispatch down probabilities. Dynamic line rating for grid balancing in increasingly becoming a global strategy for grid stability. In the U.S. the upcoming regulation FERC 881 addresses the continuing influence of weather on transmission line capacity for better dynamic and responsive line capacity management. Current calculations without DLR are based on conservative estimates of worst-case weather conditions and do not adjust in real-time to actual weather conditions. Conversely, hot conditions limit the ability to dissipate heat, increasing the risk of overheating, sagging, and potential damage to the lines. Both scenarios affect market prices, grid stability and optimizing renewable integration. Battery storage operators can develop algorithms that charge and discharge based not just on price signals but on proprietary weather forecasts that predict price movements before they occur. Large energy consumers with flexible loads could time their consumption based on weather forecasts, reducing usage during weather-induced supply constraints and increasing it during weather-driven production surges. Weather Impact arbitrage depends on utilizing weather intelligence including hyperlocal weather forecasting capabilities with greater accuracy and longer lead times than traditional models. This also requires the integration of weather intelligence directly into existing systems with other data sources, such as pricing, asset locations, service areas and operations. Ensemble forecasts informed by advanced algorithms such as AI and machine learning further leverage weather arbitrage strategies. It is time to stop viewing the weather only as a risk. Weather impact arbitrage could fundamentally transform renewable energy economics by positioning weather intelligence not as a defensive tool but as a source of competitive advantage and value creation in an increasingly weather-dependent energy landscape.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Record
Weather warnings issued for Spain with 'unseasonal' temperatures forecast
Areas of the country are experiencing intense temperatures which are not typical for the time of year. Swathes of Spain are experiencing temperatures of up to 41C as the country sizzles under an intense Iberian heatwave this week. The mercury in Seville is to soar to an unseasonal 41C. And neighbouring Portugal is also experiencing the weather front with Lisbon seeing highs of 37C, according to the MET office. Today, Thursday, was one of the hottest days forecast and that is set to continue all weekend. At this time of year, temperatures are usually a more manageable 28C in the south of the country. The hot weather has prompted warnings from Spain's weather forecasters. While the heat will ease off slightly at the start of next week, the temperatures have seen the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET), Spain's equivalent of the MET Office, issue temperature warnings for Seville, Cordoba, Lleida, Tarragona and Valle del Guadalquivir, reports The Express. For the next four days, temperatures in Seville will reach spike, with the UV level reaching 10. Met Office advice for a UV level of that scale is to spend time in the shade between 11AM and 3PM. Humidity is set to sit around 40% during the mornings and drop during the day. Temperatures overnight will stay at around 25°C. The AEMET has also warned of storms on Friday, May 30, in many areas in the north and south of the country. The Spanish forecaster said the phenomenon is due to the presence of a "powerful anticyclone" in the Azores which will reach the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands. The anticyclone will carry warm, dry and dusty air from Africa over Andalusia, the Alboran Sea and the central peninsula. North-western Spain and the north of Portugal are expected to be the areas where temperatures are the coolest. The forecasted floods will spark fears for authorities, coming months after more than 224 people died in floods in Valencia and surrounding areas. And spiralling temperatures will also be cause for concern as in recent years the country has been devastated by wildfires. In 2017, Galicia in northern Spain was savaged by a natural blaze, while in 2022 Spain was the worst-hit country in the EU's second-worst wildfire season on record. And in 2024, hundreds of firefighters were deployed to tackle wildfires near Valencia, where hundreds of residents in a nearby village had to evacuated. The country has also had water shortage problems in recent years due to long spells of hot weather. The UK is also set to be hit with warm weather with temperatures forecast to hit 29C in parts of the country. Weather charts have revealed an Iberian jet stream and the 29C temperatures will hit one part of the country on June 11, reports the Mirror. A forecast map from Netweather for 3pm on 11 June has predicted the warmest temperatures will be felt in southeastern England. This forecast has suggested the area in and around London could reach a high of 29C. It has shown most of England and parts of northern Scotland under a blanket of red temperatures.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Renewable energy, a sure route to ensuring the lights stay on
'Just imagine for a second that there was no climate emergency,' says Justin Moran. 'The globe isn't warming, everything is fine, there is no threat to life. You would still be insane not to be accelerating the development renewable sources of energy. It is the cheapest form of new electricity. The price drops in solar over the last couple of years have been incredible. Even if there was no climate emergency, you'd be doing this anyway and doing it as fast as you can.' Moran, a self-confessed 'energy nerd' is Director of External Affairs at Wind Energy Ireland (WEI), the body that represents Ireland's wind industry, with over 200 affiliated members. Their goal is neither simple nor trivial. Individually and collectively, they are on a mission to transform windy weather and odd day of Irish sunshine into the million blessings that a supply of electricity brings to civic society. Passionate in his advocacy of the urgency of renewable energy and the replacement of fossil fuels in the power chain, Moran sounds slightly bewildered that there are still people among us yet to grasp the importance of this transformation. He sits his argument on a stool with three legs — climate mitigation, energy security and the inarguable cost benefits of change. 'Onshore wind is the most affordable source of new energy — it helps consumers in that it drives down the price of electricity,' says Moran. 'Since 2020 onshore wind has saved over €1.7 billion in consumer bills. We spend about one-million euro every hour importing fossil fuels into Ireland for energy and there is absolutely no reason why we should be doing that. What we should be doing is putting in an energy system that ensures that money stays at home and that we have energy security and energy independence.' Ireland is doing quite well when it comes to producing electricity from onshore wind sources. Over a third of our energy demand is satisfied by this source, a higher proportion than any other country in Europe, which would come as a surprise to anyone who has walked across a Donegal beach on a blustery day. 'We've the best wind conditions anywhere in Europe,' explains Moran. In parts of the West of Ireland, the onshore winds are as good as offshore. Government has focused on the support schemes, the policies, the frameworks that have allowed us to build this capacity. Passengers wait before boarding their train at Sants railway station in Barcelona in April, a day after a massive power cut affecting the entire Iberian peninsula and the south of France. But there is an uncomfortable structural wrinkle lurking in the data. Ireland went all in on onshore wind farms in the early days of the 'rush to renewable' while other countries adopted more blended energy strategies, diversifying into solar, nuclear and offshore to supplement and balance their onshore output. Ireland cannot meet its net-zero targets in the coming decades through a disproportionate reliance on onshore wind farms and accelerating delivery from disparate sources is critical to meeting Ireland's international obligations. Justin Moran says that his members at WEI stand ready, willing and able to rise to the challenge. 'Our plan is to produce nine-thousand megawatts of onshore wind energy by 2030 and we are currently at about five, either built or in build,' he continues. 'We believe that there is enough land in Ireland suitable for onshore wind that could get us to about fifteen megawatts. One of the things we are asking of government is to set us a target of 11k megawatts by 2035 and fifteen by 2040. We are asking that we be given us those targets, and they will enhance our possibilities.' Moran acknowledges that there are real and valid social and community barriers in the way of these goals and that targets aren't met just by writing them on a piece of paper. A harmonious coalition of suppliers, government, local administration and the citizenry has yet to fully form on the pace and nature of the solution. In view of this, if his fairy Godmother made him supreme leader for a day and granted him one public policy credit, where would he spend it? He mulls the question long and silently, and then greedily chooses two options. 'Planning and Grid. We need to work with the regions and the county councils to identify land for wind energy. We estimate about 1.8% of the land in Ireland is available for wind farm development. Each county council tends to have its own approach for zoning, but if we could get to the point where we had national approach on how to identify land and understand how much power you could generate from it the planning system would be transformed. "A lot of the cost is in how long the project has to stay in the planning system. We need to develop winds farms more affordably. This is the government's direction of travel, but it needs to happen, much, much faster.' The criticality of a robust infrastructure to harness and distribute electricity is to the front of his mind and at the top of his concerns. Electrical power is like an unsold airplane seat — once the plane takes off the asset perishes, and it can never be sold again. It is the same with electricity that cannot find a route to the grid. At times in Ireland, up to 14% of electricity can be wasted because the grid is not strong enough to process the power and onshore wind is instructed to shut down temporarily. It's a frustration that Moran wears heavily. 'We know that we can provide far more electricity than we will ever need in this country,' he maintains. 'The resource is astonishing; it boggles the mind, but one of the questions is what do we do with that surplus wind? First thing we could do is export it, one of the challenges is that we are a small, isolated island of an electricity grid, in mainland Europe, there is always somewhere for your power to go. "Another challenge is that Ireland is an expensive place to build a wind or solar farm which means that the prices in Britain or France are cheaper than us. So not only do you need an enormous amount of the resource, but you also need to be able to sell more cheaply than your competitors.' Moran is speaking less than a month after Spain and Portugal had gone dark for almost a day with an as yet clearly unexplained catastrophic grid failure. Sixty million people in first-world modern economies without power and the sum of all fears for 'energy-nerds' had come to pass. We Irish often run ourselves down, but where we have got to now with onshore is something we can be proud of. But if we want to fully get to that clean energy future, we need to get the projects through planning and we need a stronger grid. There is no sense in building a wind farm in Donegal or a solar farm in Spain if it cannot get the power to your house. The new renewable systems will have hundreds of generators, and they are not going to be located necessarily beside the bigger cities. You need a system to move that electricity, and this only works if you have a strong grid. Onshore wind farms reduce more carbon emissions than every other energy technology combined in this country, but decarbonisation is only the number two issue. The number one issue is that when you press your light switch something happens. The lights cannot go out.
