Latest news with #Swain
The Star
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Star
Highways baking at 70 deg Celsius signal a red-hot summer from China to the US
SOUTH-EAST ASIA (Bloomberg): In northern China, road surfaces have soared to 158 Ferenheit (70 degrees Celsius). In California's Central Valley, temperatures are reaching into the triple digits Fahrenheit. Across much of Spain, the mercury has risen so high that it's prompting warnings for tourists. Weeks before the official start of the Northern Hemisphere's summer, signs are emerging that the coming months will be blistering in North America, Europe and Asia. There's even a chance that the season could shatter global high-temperature records, said Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. The scorching conditions threaten to tax power grids, wilt crops and send energy prices soaring across three continents. Hot, dry weather is also elevating the risk of wildfires, with blazes already erupting in Alberta, the epicenter of Canada's oil industry. The human and economic consequences are dire: Extreme heat is expected to inflict about US$200 billion in annual losses in the US alone by 2030, a number that will more than double by 2050, according to one estimate. All three northern continents face sweltering temperatures fueled by climate change - particularly the western and central US and Canada, as well as western and northern Europe, Swain said. Because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, these regions will also see areas of intense rain and flooding, he said. "I'd expect to see further instances of extreme to record-shattering downpours and flood events in regions prone to heavy precipitation during the warm season,' Swain said. In the Atlantic, the heat is raising ocean temperatures, boosting the odds of an unusually active hurricane season. The absence of El Niño, a warming of the equatorial Pacific that can cause storm-wrecking wind conditions across the Atlantic, also means more hurricanes and tropical storms may develop and grow in the Atlantic and Caribbean, including oil- and gas-producing areas along the US Gulf Coast. From 1980 to 2024, tropical storms and hurricanes caused more than $1.5 trillion worth of damage and killed at least 7,211 people in the US, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. Due to kinks in the summer jet stream, there is a rising chance of derechos - wide arcs of severe thunderstorms that can travel hundreds of miles and cause billions of dollars in damage - across the Midwest and northern Plains, said Paul Pastelok, lead US long-range forecaster at AccuWeather Inc. This turmoil across the continent may also leave the Gulf Coast, particularly Texas, vulnerable to more hurricane strikes. The sizzling weather will increase energy demand. About 89 million people across three grids spanning parts of the central US are at elevated risk of power supply shortfalls this summer, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp. Power prices across the grid stretching from Chicago to the Mid-Atlantic are likely to rise with sustained heat because of low coal stockpiles, Bank of America analysts led by Francisco Blanch wrote in a note to clients. New England power is also vulnerable to spikes, the analysts said. US natural gas price gains have been muted so far despite the prospect of hot weather and rising exports of the power-plant fuel to Europe and Asia. But the chances of gas reaching $4.60 per million British thermal units this year - a jump of more than 30% from current levels - are rising as the heat could limit stockpile increases, leaving the market primed for a rally before winter heating demand kicks in, according to analysts with RBC Capital markets led by Christopher Louney. Extreme heat also threatens to wither crops and shrivel rivers, raising food prices as the cost of goods and services remains elevated. Drought has been intensifying in areas of the US where soy, corn or wheat is grown. If the parched conditions persist, water levels on the Mississippi River could drop, roiling barge traffic that's crucial to transporting crops across the country. Dry Europe Across Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, little rainfall and early drying has set the stage for intense heat waves, droughts and dangerous wildfire conditions, commercial meteorologists and government forecasters say. Forecast models favor high-pressure weather patterns emerging and enduring this summer, similar to ones that plagued the continent during the first few months of the year. Those patterns suppressed wind speeds and cloud cover, leading to low wind generation and record solar power in Europe - a scenario likely to repeat this summer, according to Atmospheric G2. The high pressure is also likely to block North Atlantic ocean moisture, boosting the risk of heat waves and worsening drought, said Andrew Pedrini, a meteorologist with the weather analytics firm. "I personally fear that we will hear a lot about extremes this summer,' he said. In Portugal and Spain last week, one of the hottest air masses in more than three decades pushed in from Africa, sending temperatures above 100F. The heat comes after an April 28 blackout left the Iberian Peninsula without electricity for hours, hitting public transport, telecommunications systems and other services. With high pressure isolating regions from the cooling effect of moist westerly winds, temperatures in central and southern Europe could climb especially high. While that pattern is expected to reduce the chances of rain, rising heat could supercharge storms that do manage to form with torrential rain and damaging hail. Though water levels on the Rhine River have improved after rains in recent weeks, a recurrence of drought could upend a crucial trade route and send barge rates soaring. Long-term forecast models show conditions could support heavy rain in western Norway and the northern UK from June through August, according to data from Europe's Copernicus satellite program. Asia Outlook In Asia, Japan will likely have a warmer-than-normal summer, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. South-East Asia will also be hotter than average, the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre said. China, with the exception of some far northern areas, is expected to bake this June as well, the China Meteorological Administration said. Drought in the northern part of the country has hit the wheat crop during a key growth period, threatening output of a staple food grain just as Beijing remains entangled in a trade war with the US, a major agricultural products supplier. Though rains are forecast in the region, providing some relief to the parched farm fields, the quick swing from dry to wet raises the risk of floods, landslides and crop damage. Already, intense heat in parts of China has sent asphalt temperatures surging. The National Energy Administration expects peak electricity demand to be about 100 gigawatts higher this summer than last year, the equivalent of needing to turn on all the power plants in the UK at once. Across the Northern Hemisphere, the extreme heat is a reflection of how much warmer the Earth is compared with a few decades ago, Swain said. Since 1959, Europe in particular, but parts of the Pacific Northwest, northeastern Canada, as well as parts of Mexico, Africa and the Middle East have seen a marked increase in summer heat. "An increase in heat extremes is the most obvious symptom of climate change,' said Karen McKinnon, a professor who studies the statistics behind climate change at UCLA. "Even seemingly small changes in temperatures of a few degrees can make summers feel substantially more extreme.' --With assistance from Dan Murtaugh, Naureen S Malik and Hallie Gu. -- ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
3 days ago
- Climate
- Business Standard
Highways baking at 70 degrees C hint at scorching summer across China, US
By Brian K Sullivan, Joe Wertz and Mary Hui In northern China, road surfaces have soared to 158F (70C). In California's Central Valley, temperatures are reaching into the triple digits Fahrenheit. Across much of Spain, the mercury has risen so high that it's prompting warnings for tourists. Weeks before the official start of the Northern Hemisphere's summer, signs are emerging that the coming months will be blistering in North America, Europe and Asia. There's even a chance that the season could shatter global high-temperature records, said Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. The scorching conditions threaten to tax power grids, wilt crops and send energy prices soaring across three continents. Hot, dry weather is also elevating the risk of wildfires, with blazes already erupting in Alberta, the epicenter of Canada's oil industry. The human and economic consequences are dire: Extreme heat is expected to inflict about $200 billion in annual losses in the US alone by 2030, a number that will more than double by 2050, according to one estimate. All three northern continents face sweltering temperatures fueled by climate change — particularly the western and central US and Canada, as well as western and northern Europe, Swain said. Because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, these regions will also see areas of intense rain and flooding, he said. 'I'd expect to see further instances of extreme to record-shattering downpours and flood events in regions prone to heavy precipitation during the warm season,' Swain said. In the Atlantic, the heat is raising ocean temperatures, boosting the odds of an unusually active hurricane season. The absence of El Niño, a warming of the equatorial Pacific that can cause storm-wrecking wind conditions across the Atlantic, also means more hurricanes and tropical storms may develop and grow in the Atlantic and Caribbean, including oil- and gas-producing areas along the US Gulf Coast. Due to kinks in the summer jet stream, there is a rising chance of derechos – wide arcs of severe thunderstorms that can travel hundreds of miles and cause billions of dollars in damage — across the Midwest and northern Plains, said Paul Pastelok, lead US long-range forecaster at AccuWeather Inc. This turmoil across the continent may also leave the Gulf Coast, particularly Texas, vulnerable to more hurricane strikes. The sizzling weather will increase energy demand. About 89 million people across three grids spanning parts of the central US are at elevated risk of power supply shortfalls this summer, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp. Power prices across the grid stretching from Chicago to the Mid-Atlantic are likely to rise with sustained heat because of low coal stockpiles, Bank of America analysts led by Francisco Blanch wrote in a note to clients. New England power is also vulnerable to spikes, the analysts said. US natural gas price gains have been muted so far despite the prospect of hot weather and rising exports of the power-plant fuel to Europe and Asia. But the chances of gas reaching $4.60 per million British thermal units this year — a jump of more than 30 per cent from current levels — are rising as the heat could limit stockpile increases, leaving the market primed for a rally before winter heating demand kicks in, according to analysts with RBC Capital markets led by Christopher Louney. Extreme heat also threatens to wither crops and shrivel rivers, raising food prices as the cost of goods and services remains elevated. Drought has been intensifying in areas of the US where soy, corn or wheat is grown. If the parched conditions persist, water levels on the Mississippi River could drop, roiling barge traffic that's crucial to transporting crops across the country. Dry Europe Across Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, little rainfall and early drying has set the stage for intense heat waves, droughts and dangerous wildfire conditions, commercial meteorologists and government forecasters say. Forecast models favor high-pressure weather patterns emerging and enduring this summer, similar to ones that plagued the continent during the first few months of the year. Those patterns suppressed wind speeds and cloud cover, leading to low wind generation and record solar power in Europe — a scenario likely to repeat this summer, according to Atmospheric G2. The high pressure is also likely to block North Atlantic ocean moisture, boosting the risk of heat waves and worsening drought, said Andrew Pedrini, a meteorologist with the weather analytics firm. 'I personally fear that we will hear a lot about extremes this summer,' he said. In Portugal and Spain last week, one of the hottest air masses in more than three decades pushed in from Africa, sending temperatures above 100F. The heat comes after an April 28 blackout left the Iberian Peninsula without electricity for hours, hitting public transport, telecommunications systems and other services. With high pressure isolating regions from the cooling effect of moist westerly winds, temperatures in central and southern Europe could climb especially high. While that pattern is expected to reduce the chances of rain, rising heat could supercharge storms that do manage to form with torrential rain and damaging hail. Though water levels on the Rhine River have improved after rains in recent weeks, a recurrence of drought could upend a crucial trade route and send barge rates soaring. Long-term forecast models show conditions could support heavy rain in western Norway and the northern UK from June through August, according to data from Europe's Copernicus satellite program. Asia Outlook In Asia, Japan will likely have a warmer-than-normal summer, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Southeast Asia will also be hotter than average, the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre said. China, with the exception of some far northern areas, is expected to bake this June as well, the China Meteorological Administration said. Drought in the northern part of the country has hit the wheat crop during a key growth period, threatening output of a staple food grain just as Beijing remains entangled in a trade war with the US, a major agricultural products supplier. Though rains are forecast in the region, providing some relief to the parched farm fields, the quick swing from dry to wet raises the risk of floods, landslides and crop damage. Already, intense heat in parts of China has sent asphalt temperatures surging. The National Energy Administration expects peak electricity demand to be about 100 gigawatts higher this summer than last year, the equivalent of needing to turn on all the power plants in the UK at once. Across the Northern Hemisphere, the extreme heat is a reflection of how much warmer the Earth is compared with a few decades ago, Swain said. Since 1959, Europe in particular, but parts of the Pacific Northwest, northeastern Canada, as well as parts of Mexico, Africa and the Middle East have seen a marked increase in summer heat. 'An increase in heat extremes is the most obvious symptom of climate change,' said Karen McKinnon, a professor who studies the statistics behind climate change at UCLA. 'Even seemingly small changes in temperatures of a few degrees can make summers feel substantially more extreme.'
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
Highways baking at 70 deg C signal a red-hot summer from China to the US
Signs are emerging that the coming months will be blistering in North America, Europe and Asia. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Highways baking at 70 deg C signal a red-hot summer from China to the US WASHINGTON – In northern China, road surfaces have soared to 158F (70 deg C). In California's Central Valley, temperatures are reaching into the triple digits Fahrenheit. Across much of Spain, the mercury has risen so high that it's prompting warnings for tourists. Weeks before the official start of the Northern Hemisphere's summer, signs are emerging that the coming months will be blistering in North America, Europe and Asia. There's even a chance that the season could shatter global high-temperature records, said Dr Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. The scorching conditions threaten to tax power grids, wilt crops and send energy prices soaring across three continents. Hot, dry weather is also elevating the risk of wildfires, with blazes already erupting in Alberta, the epicentre of Canada's oil industry. The human and economic consequences are dire: Extreme heat is expected to inflict about US$200 billion (S$257.76 billion) in annual losses in the US alone by 2030, a number that will more than double by 2050, according to one estimate. All three northern continents face sweltering temperatures fuelled by climate change – particularly the western and central US and Canada, as well as western and northern Europe, Dr Swain said. Because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, these regions will also see areas of intense rain and flooding, he said. 'I'd expect to see further instances of extreme to record-shattering downpours and flood events in regions prone to heavy precipitation during the warm season,' Dr Swain said. In the Atlantic, the heat is raising ocean temperatures, boosting the odds of an unusually active hurricane season. The absence of El Nino, a warming of the equatorial Pacific that can cause storm-wrecking wind conditions across the Atlantic, also means more hurricanes and tropical storms may develop and grow in the Atlantic and Caribbean, including oil- and gas-producing areas along the US Gulf Coast. Due to kinks in the summer jet stream, there is a rising chance of derechos – wide arcs of severe thunderstorms that can travel hundreds of miles and cause billions of dollars in damage – across the Midwest and northern Plains, said Mr Paul Pastelok, lead US long-range forecaster at AccuWeather Inc. This turmoil across the continent may also leave the Gulf Coast, particularly Texas, vulnerable to more hurricane strikes. The sizzling weather will increase energy demand. About 89 million people across three grids spanning parts of the central US are at elevated risk of power supply shortfalls this summer, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp. Power prices across the grid stretching from Chicago to the Mid-Atlantic are likely to rise with sustained heat because of low coal stockpiles, Bank of America analysts led by Francisco Blanch wrote in a note to clients. New England power is also vulnerable to spikes, the analysts said. US natural gas price gains have been muted so far despite the prospect of hot weather and rising exports of the power-plant fuel to Europe and Asia. But the chances of gas reaching US$4.60 per million British thermal units this year – a jump of more than 30 per cent from current levels – are rising as the heat could limit stockpile increases, leaving the market primed for a rally before winter heating demand kicks in, according to analysts with RBC Capital markets led by Mr Christopher Louney. Extreme heat also threatens to wither crops and shrivel rivers, raising food prices as the cost of goods and services remains elevated. Drought has been intensifying in areas of the US where soy, corn or wheat is grown. If the parched conditions persist, water levels on the Mississippi River could drop, roiling barge traffic that's crucial to transporting crops across the country. Dry Europe Across Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, little rainfall and early drying has set the stage for intense heat waves, droughts and dangerous wildfire conditions, commercial meteorologists and government forecasters say. Forecast models favour high-pressure weather patterns emerging and enduring this summer, similar to ones that plagued the continent during the first few months of the year. Those patterns suppressed wind speeds and cloud cover, leading to low wind generation and record solar power in Europe – a scenario likely to repeat this summer, according to Atmospheric G2. The high pressure is also likely to block North Atlantic ocean moisture, boosting the risk of heat waves and worsening drought, said Mr Andrew Pedrini, a meteorologist with the weather analytics firm. 'I personally fear that we will hear a lot about extremes this summer,' he said. In Portugal and Spain last week, one of the hottest air masses in more than three decades pushed in from Africa, sending temperatures above 100F (37.7 deg C). The heat comes after an April 28 blackout left the Iberian Peninsula without electricity for hours, hitting public transport, telecommunications systems and other services. With high pressure isolating regions from the cooling effect of moist westerly winds, temperatures in central and southern Europe could climb especially high. While that pattern is expected to reduce the chances of rain, rising heat could supercharge storms that do manage to form with torrential rain and damaging hail. Though water levels on the Rhine River have improved after rains in recent weeks, a recurrence of drought could upend a crucial trade route and send barge rates soaring. Long-term forecast models show conditions could support heavy rain in western Norway and the northern UK from June through August, according to data from Europe's Copernicus satellite programme. Asia outlook In Asia, Japan will likely have a warmer-than-normal summer, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. South-east Asia will also be hotter than average, the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre said. China, with the exception of some far northern areas, is expected to bake this June as well, the China Meteorological Administration said. Drought in the northern part of the country has hit the wheat crop during a key growth period, threatening output of a staple food grain just as Beijing remains entangled in a trade war with the US, a major agricultural products supplier. Though rains are forecast in the region, providing some relief to the parched farm fields, the quick swing from dry to wet raises the risk of floods, landslides and crop damage. Already, intense heat in parts of China has sent asphalt temperatures surging. The National Energy Administration expects peak electricity demand to be about 100 gigawatts higher this summer than 2024, the equivalent of needing to turn on all the power plants in the UK at once. Across the Northern Hemisphere, the extreme heat is a reflection of how much warmer the Earth is compared with a few decades ago, Dr Swain said. Since 1959, Europe in particular, but parts of the Pacific North-west, north-eastern Canada, as well as parts of Mexico, Africa and the Middle East have seen a marked increase in summer heat. 'An increase in heat extremes is the most obvious symptom of climate change,' said Dr Karen McKinnon, a professor who studies the statistics behind climate change at UCLA. 'Even seemingly small changes in temperatures of a few degrees can make summers feel substantially more extreme.' BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Business Times
Highways baking at 70 deg C signal a red-hot summer from China to the US
[BOSTON/LONDON/HONG KONG] In northern China, road surfaces have soared to 70 deg C. In California's Central Valley, temperatures are reaching into the triple digits Fahrenheit. Across much of Spain, the mercury has risen so high that it's prompting warnings for tourists. Weeks before the official start of the Northern Hemisphere's summer, signs are emerging that the coming months will be blistering in North America, Europe and Asia. There's even a chance that the season could shatter global high-temperature records, said Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. The scorching conditions threaten to tax power grids, wilt crops and send energy prices soaring across three continents. Hot, dry weather is also elevating the risk of wildfires, with blazes already erupting in Alberta, the epicentre of Canada's oil industry. The human and economic consequences are dire: Extreme heat is expected to inflict about US$200 billion in annual losses in the US alone by 2030, a number that will more than double by 2050, according to one estimate. All three northern continents face sweltering temperatures fuelled by climate change – particularly the western and central US and Canada, as well as western and northern Europe, Swain said. Because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, these regions will also see areas of intense rain and flooding, he said. 'I'd expect to see further instances of extreme to record-shattering downpours and flood events in regions prone to heavy precipitation during the warm season,' Swain said. In the Atlantic, the heat is raising ocean temperatures, boosting the odds of an unusually active hurricane season. The absence of El Nino, a warming of the equatorial Pacific that can cause storm-wrecking wind conditions across the Atlantic, also means more hurricanes and tropical storms may develop and grow in the Atlantic and Caribbean, including oil- and gas-producing areas along the US Gulf Coast. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues. Sign Up Sign Up Due to kinks in the summer jet stream, there is a rising chance of derechos – wide arcs of severe thunderstorms that can travel hundreds of miles and cause billions of US dollars in damage – across the Midwest and northern Plains, said Paul Pastelok, lead US long-range forecaster at AccuWeather. This turmoil across the continent may also leave the Gulf Coast, particularly Texas, vulnerable to more hurricane strikes. The sizzling weather will increase energy demand. About 89 million people across three grids spanning parts of the central US are at elevated risk of power supply shortfalls this summer, according to the North American Electric Reliability. Power prices across the grid stretching from Chicago to the Mid-Atlantic are likely to rise with sustained heat because of low coal stockpiles, Bank of America analysts led by Francisco Blanch wrote in a note to clients. New England power is also vulnerable to spikes, the analysts said. US natural gas price gains have been muted so far despite the prospect of hot weather and rising exports of the power plant fuel to Europe and Asia. But the chances of gas reaching US$4.60 per million British thermal units this year – a jump of more than 30 per cent from current levels – are rising as the heat could limit stockpile increases, leaving the market primed for a rally before winter heating demand kicks in, according to analysts with RBC Capital markets led by Christopher Louney. Extreme heat also threatens to wither crops and shrivel rivers, raising food prices as the cost of goods and services remains elevated. Drought has been intensifying in areas of the US where soy, corn or wheat is grown. If the parched conditions persist, water levels on the Mississippi River could drop, roiling barge traffic that's crucial to transporting crops across the country. Dry Europe Across Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, little rainfall and early drying has set the stage for intense heat waves, droughts and dangerous wildfire conditions, commercial meteorologists and government forecasters say. Forecast models favour high-pressure weather patterns emerging and enduring this summer, similar to ones that plagued the continent during the first few months of the year. Those patterns suppressed wind speeds and cloud cover, leading to low wind generation and record solar power in Europe – a scenario likely to repeat this summer, according to Atmospheric G2. The high pressure is also likely to block North Atlantic ocean moisture, boosting the risk of heat waves and worsening drought, said Andrew Pedrini, a meteorologist with the weather analytics firm. 'I personally fear that we will hear a lot about extremes this summer,' he said. In Portugal and Spain last week, one of the hottest air masses in more than three decades pushed in from Africa, sending temperatures above 38 deg C. The heat comes after an Apr 28 blackout left the Iberian Peninsula without electricity for hours, hitting public transport, telecommunications systems and other services. With high pressure isolating regions from the cooling effect of moist westerly winds, temperatures in central and southern Europe could climb especially high. While that pattern is expected to reduce the chances of rain, rising heat could supercharge storms that do manage to form with torrential rain and damaging hail. Though water levels on the Rhine River have improved after rains in recent weeks, a recurrence of drought could upend a crucial trade route and send barge rates soaring. Long-term forecast models show conditions could support heavy rain in western Norway and the northern UK from June to August, according to data from Europe's Copernicus satellite programme. Asia outlook In Asia, Japan will likely have a warmer-than-normal summer, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. South-east Asia will also be hotter than average, the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre said. China, with the exception of some far northern areas, is expected to bake this June as well, the China Meteorological Administration said. Drought in the northern part of the country has hit the wheat crop during a key growth period, threatening output of a staple food grain just as Beijing remains entangled in a trade war with the US, a major agricultural products supplier. Though rains are forecast in the region, providing some relief to the parched farm fields, the quick swing from dry to wet raises the risk of floods, landslides and crop damage. Already, intense heat in parts of China has sent asphalt temperatures surging. The National Energy Administration expects peak electricity demand to be about 100 gigawatts higher this summer than last year, the equivalent of needing to turn on all the power plants in the UK at once. Across the Northern Hemisphere, the extreme heat is a reflection of how much warmer the Earth is compared with a few decades ago, Swain said. Since 1959, Europe in particular, but parts of the Pacific Northwest, northeastern Canada, as well as parts of Mexico, Africa and the Middle East have seen a marked increase in summer heat. 'An increase in heat extremes is the most obvious symptom of climate change,' said Karen McKinnon, a professor who studies the statistics behind climate change at UCLA. 'Even seemingly small changes in temperatures of a few degrees can make summers feel substantially more extreme.' BLOOMBERG
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Mum's stark warning to Brit tourists after son held in Thailand on drugs charges
Michelle Swain, 57, says her family went through hell when they received a call from her son saying he had been arrested at Phuket airport by immigration officers The mother of a man held at a Thai airport after a bag of cocaine was found in his passport has issued a stark warning to anyone travelling to Thailand. Last year Jamie Louis Swain, then 29, from Stevenage, planned a trip to Thailand with his brother in May but what was supposed to be a relaxing holiday turned into a nightmare for Jamie and his family. When the brothers landed at Phuket International Airport Jamie was pulled aside when an immigration officer noticed a small plastic bag with white powder in his passport. Officers said that Jamie started swearing and shaking, which prompted authorities to conduct further checks. He was arrested after officials scanned his luggage and tested the substance found in his passport and confirmed it was 0.42 grams of cocaine. He was said to be facing up to 20 years in jail under Thailand's Narcotics Act, but after a court hearing in July he was deported back to the UK. He avoided a stint behind bars but was ordered to pay a fine of 50,000 baht (£1,137). Michelle Swain, 57, says her family went through hell when they received a call from her son saying he had arrived at Phuket island for his much-anticipated holiday only to be arrested at immigration. Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Swain has detailed the traumatic incident, alleging that it was a 'set up'. She said: "People say it's because I'm his mum I don't believe it, but to get through two airports and the fact it's happened to other people, I just feel that it was a set up. "I can't help that, I know I'm his mum, and I'm not silly I know they're all doing this and it all goes on, I'm not naive I've got three boys. But I just feel like to get through two airports and then suddenly this bag appears, and he'd had his passport out all that time, I just find it very strange." She said her son was then held in a 'holding cell' for around two days before being let out on bail. She had flown out to Phuket on the same night he had been detained, and says the 'awful' experience had her worried he would be jailed in a foreign jail. The mother-of-three said: "He said there was no water, no food, nothing. He was in there about two days then he got bail. It wasn't a high bail amount. He then had to stay there [in Phuket] for three months at least, they wouldn't let him go. He had a court date at the end of July and he got fined. " Ms Swain explained how he eventually got deported and flew home at the beginning of August. She was initially warned by solicitors he could face up to a year behind bars, but he was released on bail for the equivalent of £250, and was fined just over £1,000. Ms Swain had a stark warning for other Brit tourists heading to Thailand. She said while the country and the people are 'beautiful' and 'friendly', travellers 'should be careful'. She said: 'It was just meant to be a nice holiday. It could happen to any young boys going out there. There's nothing you can do, you can be careful, but if that happens there's nothing you can do about it." She added: "It is frightening for the youngsters, it's happening all the time out there. It was just an awful experience, I wouldn't want to put anyone ever through that. I would never wish it on anyone. The worry alone was terrible. It's a shame he had to go through that really, it can ruin people's lives. I don't think they see the damage it can do to young boys' lives."
