bbcuk--2019-01-26--Police Scotland urge caution on the roads amid weather warnings

Motorists have been urged to exercise caution on the roads amid warnings of snow and ice in parts of Scotland.  Ferry passengers are also being alerted to disruption to west coast services as forecasters predict strong winds.  The Met Office has issued a series of yellow weather warnings for snow, ice and high winds.  Up to 15cm (6in) of fresh snow is expected on higher ground in the north of Scotland while wind gusts could reach 55mph on the west coast.  Police said the wintry weather could affect driving conditions right through until Monday morning's rush hour.  Insp David Hynd said: "Police Scotland is advising all drivers to exercise extra caution throughout the Highland and Islands, Moray, Aberdeenshire and northern areas of Tayside as conditions may be hazardous due to snow and ice.  "There is also the potential for high winds around coastal areas and exposed routes particularly in the north east of the country.  "If you are travelling, you should ensure you and your vehicle are adequately prepared for the conditions making sure you have sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food and water in the event you are delayed for several hours.  "Charge your mobile phone and plan your route as well as alternative routes."  Ferry operator CalMac cancelled a number of sailings on Sunday morning, ahead of the predicted high winds.  Cancellations included the services between Ardrossan and Brodick, Skye on Sunday morning.  They warned passengers that other services could be liable to disruption or cancellation.  P&O also cancelled their sailings between Cairnryan and Larne on Saturday evening due to adverse weather.  The Met Office's yellow warning for snow and ice in parts of the Highlands, Moray, Western Isles and Aberdeenshire is in force until 12:00 on Sunday.  It said: "Strong northerly winds will lead to blizzard conditions and drifting over high ground, where 10-15cm (4-6in) of fresh snow may accumulate.  "At lower levels, 2-5cm (1-2in) is possible, mainly inland and above 100m (330ft)."  The forecaster's wind warning affects north-west England and northern Ireland but strong winds will also affect parts of Scotland.  A separate warning for ice is in force from 01:00 to 11:00 on Sunday for parts of south-west Scotland, the Borders and Strathclyde.  They said ice was likely to form on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, making for slower journeys and increasing the likliehood of accidents.


bbcuk--2019-03-11--Storm Gareth Yellow weather warning for the UK

Storm Gareth: Yellow weather warning for the UK

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for Tuesday and Wednesday, as Storm Gareth hits the UK.  Forecasters say strong winds will hit Northern Ireland before spreading eastwards to south-west Scotland, and much of England and Wales.  The Met Office is also warning of localised flooding in Cumbria.  It comes as cars were crushed by scaffolding and a supermarket roof was ripped off as strong winds battered southern England on Sunday.  Gareth is the third storm to be named this year, after Erik in February and Freya earlier this month.  The Met Office currently has three yellow "be aware" warnings in place for the next two days.  The first warns strong north-westerly winds are expected to develop from 15:00 GMT on Tuesday in Northern Ireland, leading to some disruption.  These will begin to reach the south-west and Lothian Borders areas of Scotland from about 2100 GMT, spreading to much of England and Wales through Wednesday.  Storm Gareth will bring the risk of damage to buildings, flying debris, large waves, power cuts and travel disruption, the Met Office says.  It says gusts could reach 80mph along northern coasts, while gusts of 50-55mph are likely inland and up to 65mph along western coasts.  In addition, the Met Office is warning of heavy rain affecting north-west England and parts of Yorkshire overnight into Tuesday.  Northern England is particularly at risk of travel disruption and localised flooding, with the possibility of 50mm to 60mm of rainfall over higher ground in Cumbria, says the Met Office.


bbcuk--2019-03-14--Flood and wind weather warnings in place across Wales

There are eight flood alerts in place across parts of Wales due to heavy rainfall this morning.  Strong winds have also closed one lane of the M48 Severn Bridge in both directions between the A403 and the A466 at Chepstow.  Natural Resources Wales has listed "be prepared" flood alerts in Powys, Denbighshire and Gwynedd.  A yellow warning for wind also is in place across parts of east Wales until 13:00 GMT, according to the Met Office.  The Natural Resources Wales flood warnings are for:


bbcuk--2019-12-21--Flood and weather warnings in place across England

More than 100 flood warnings are in place across England after days of heavy rain, and more downpours expected.  The warnings are in place across southern and eastern England, the Midlands and Yorkshire.  A severe weather warning of more heavy rain is in place across southern England until noon on Sunday.  Motorists starting out for the Christmas getaway are being advised to check their routes in advance.  There are warnings of potential travel delays and flooding as up to 30mm of rain is forecast during the warning period.  It comes after roads were flooded and rail lines blocked following severe weather.  The M23 was closed between junctions 10 and 11 in both directions in West Sussex, but has now reopened.  Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: "Because it's been so very wet across the South this extra rain falling on to saturated ground could cause some further problems, so there is a weather warning in force scooting along southern counties during Saturday evening."  He said the rain was coming from a "fairly angry weather system" which would also bring some "very strong winds".  Highways England has urged motorists to adapt their driving for wet weather by slowing down, keeping well back from the vehicle in front and easing off the accelerator if steering becomes unresponsive.  Have you been affected by flooding? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.  Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: • Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 • Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy


birminghammail--2019-01-17--Met Office forecasts snow in Birmingham after severe weather warning issued

Birmingham will be hit by snow next week, according to the latest weather forecast from the Met Office.  Forecasters are predicting snow will fall in the city on Tuesday next week.  The forecast from the agency comes a day after it issued a severe weather warning for the city and surrounding region.  Birmingham and swathes of the Midlands were slapped with a yellow weather warning for ice on Wednesday and Thursday.  The alert expired at 11am today (Thursday) as parts of the Midlands were hit by snow.  Birmingham escaped the white stuff, but flurries were registered in Coventry and Leicestershire.  Now, the Met Office reckons we're in store for snow on Tuesday next week, a day before temperatures hit lows of -2C.  The agency has forecast snow between 6am and 9am on January 22.  Overnight frosts are expected across the weekend as Saturday and Sunday is teeth-chatteringly cold across the city.  Expect plunging temperatures as the mercury struggles around the freezing mark.  The Met Office five-day forecast reads: "Cold with outbreaks of rain, sleet, hill snow at times over the weekend.  "Some sunshine too, although drier and brighter on the whole on Monday."  A medium-term forecast on the agency's website for January 22 onwards warns snow is possible.  The Met Office say: "Outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow for many areas on Tuesday with a chance of snow to low levels but the details of this are currently uncertain.  "Strong winds are also possible in the southwest.  "Showery conditions will follow although some brighter weather is also possible later in the week.  "Thereafter, remaining cold and possibly turning very cold, accentuated by brisk winds which will last through until the end of January."  The agency add: "Frontal zones may arrive from the northwest at times bringing spells of rain, sleet and snow.  "However, some drier and brighter interludes are still likely and these will bring overnight frosts, which will be widespread and locally severe, especially in any longer clear spells."  Forecasters have urged drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to travel with care, saying untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths could be covered in ice.  Temperatures dipped below freezing across Scotland and the far north of England overnight, with a low of -3.4C recorded at Great Dun Fell in Cumbria.  Patchy rain and sleet was beginning to move eastwards over North Wales early on Thursday morning, bringing the risk of icy stretches on untreated surfaces for people heading out in the morning rush.  Showers were starting to bring snow to parts of Scotland, with flakes falling on inland areas and higher ground, and snow fell as far south as counties around London.  Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: "Be aware that there's the potential for some icy conditions out on the roads.  "Make sure you give yourself a bit of extra time - you will probably need a little longer to scrape the car as well."  The yellow warning for snow and ice for Scotland remained in place until midday on Thursday.  The yellow ice warning for Northern Ireland, Wales and England - excluding the far South East and Cornwall - expired at 11am.  However, a new yellow warning for snow and ice will be in place for the East Midlands, East of England, North East England and Yorkshire and Humber until 10am on Friday.  Britain could be facing a lengthy cold spell with a continued risk of wintry showers as cold air from the Arctic spreads across Europe.


eveningstandard--2019-01-16--UK weather forecast Weather warnings rolled out across the UK as Artic blast sweeps in

UK weather forecast: Weather warnings rolled out across the UK as Artic blast sweeps in

Weather warnings have been rolled out across almost the entire of the UK as Brits brace themselves for a bitter cold snap.  Arctic air is set to sweep across the country, bringing snow, ice and a widespread frost from Wednesday.  Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice across nearly all of Britain between 10pm on Wednesday and 11am on Thursday.  A further 24-hour weather warning for snow is in place across most of Scotland from midday on Wednesday.  Wintry showers already falling on high ground are expected to become more widespread on Wednesday with several centimetres of snow expected in the Highlands.  Forecasters warned there will also be wintry showers in parts, most likely in parts of Scotland and northern, eastern and central England.  Met Office meteorologist Richard Miles told the Standard these showers could fall on lower ground but added that these will not be heavy and would not reach as far as London and the south east.  "There will be rain this afternoon and this evening in London," he added.  On Thursday, Brits should expect chilly conditions with a severe frost overnight, Mr Miles said.  He said: "On Thursday temperatures could drop as low as -1C even in the daytime, or it will feel like that with wind chill.  "And Thursday night is going to the the coldest. Overnight in the south east it could drop down to -5C."  He added that anywhere in the UK could see the mercury drop below freezing.  The icy blast comes after cold Arctic air moved southwards to the UK following a sudden stratospheric warming over the north pole.  But while a similar weather pattern sparked last year's so-called "Beast from the East", Mr Miles said the conditions will not be the same as the air has come straight down from the north this year.  Rain and showers in the jet stream are meeting the cold air from the north and mixing to become showers of snow.  This will differ from last year's persistent heavy snow, Mr Miles explained.  Looking ahead to the weekend, the forecaster said the cold weather is here to stay.  The mercury could plunge as low as -7C in central England on Saturday night and it is likely to remain chilly into Monday.


eveningstandard--2019-01-29--Weather and snow travel news Londoners braced for snow as weather warning brought forward with up t

Weather and snow travel news: Londoners braced for snow as weather warning brought forward with up to 5cm hitting south tonight

Londoners are braced for an evening of travel chaos as a weather warning for heavy snow has been brought forward for the south east.  Up to 10cm of snow is expected in parts of Britain on Tuesday night and forecasters have warned ice could bring major disruption on roads, rail and at airports.  The Met Office has issued four separate yellow weather warnings across most of the country.  The snow is forecast to cause widespread disruption on Britain's roads and railways on Tuesday night and into Wednesday.  A warning across much of the country for snow and ice came into force at midday, while a separate warning for the south east for up to 5cm was brought forward four hours to 5pm.  Londoners have been warned of 1-3cm of snowfall during peak travel times this evening.  Heavy snow had already fallen in Cumbria by Tuesday lunchtime, with one unfortunate driver getting his van stuck in a ditch.  Cumbria Roads Police urged motorists to "please slow down" as it shared an image of a car overturned between junctions 36 and 39 of the A6 near Shap.  Drivers have been told not to travel in the worst conditions.  Forecasters said a band of rain pushing east across parts of England is likely to turn to snow in the south east during Tuesday night with snow continuing into Wednesday.  Higher ground in Surrey, Sussex and Kent could see up to 5cm of snow in places.  As this clears, ice is likely to form on some surfaces tomorrow morning, the Met Office said.  A warning for snow and ice across west and northwest Scotland and Northern Ireland also came into effect at 3pm on Tuesday and will remain in place until 11am Wednesday.  While a further warning for much of England and Wales from 3pm on Thursday predicts more snowfall.  RAC spokesman Simon Williams told the BBC: "The worst cold weather travel chaos since last winter's Beast from the East is expected.  "If you must travel, pack a blanket, shovel and food in case you get stuck."  RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis added: “Drivers face some treacherous conditions as some truly wintry weather finally descends on large parts of the UK.  “We strongly recommend drivers reduce their speed and more than double the amount of space between themselves and the vehicle in front, giving them more time to react if they need to.  “But the bigger problem for most drivers is likely to be the threat of ice overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning’s commute. Roads and pavements will freeze overnight, leaving glass-like surfaces that will increase the risk of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians running into difficulties."  Andy Thomas, managing director of strategic operations at Network Rail, warned trains may be forced to slow down in adverse conditions.  “When conditions are very serious, trains might have to slow down – just as a car would on a road – this is so everyone can get where they need to go, safely,” he said.  At Heathrow Airport, the busiest in the UK, passengers have been told to check with their airline as the weather worsens.  A spokeswoman said: “Heathrow is closely monitoring and preparing for cold weather conditions forecast for the UK.  “Those travelling via Heathrow are encouraged to contact their airline for up to date flight information.”  During Tuesday morning, a band of rain will push from west to east which could fall as rain, sleet or snow, particularly at peaks in Wales and northern England and Scotland.  As the day progresses the wintry weather will move across the Midlands and into the south east.  Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson said: “We have this band of rain in the west falling as snow in places.  “This band is going to push eastwards and hit London in the late afternoon and evening.  “It will be a cold day with rain, sleet and snow for the UK as a whole.  “Tuesday night will be very cold, with more wintry showers in the west. There will be lows of around -6 or -7C in northern England but could be even colder than that.  “Wednesday will be very cold, drier and brighter for most of the UK but very cold.”  Temperatures fell as low as -7C in the Highlands overnight, while London was at just about freezing as large parts of the country woke up to frost.  Snow showers could return on Wednesday and there is a risk of further disruptive snow and ice to parts of the country towards the end of the week.


eveningstandard--2019-08-10--UK weather warnings for thunderstorms and high winds cause festivals to be cancelled

Weather warnings have been issued for much of the UK, leading to the cancellation of large scale weekend events across England.  The Met Office has put in place yellow warnings for thunderstorms in Scotland and Northern Ireland and for strong winds across Wales and most of England.  Forecaster Craig Snell said wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour were recorded on Saturday morning in coastal areas.  Heavy rain was affecting the northern border areas of England and Scotland, with further showers expected in the north as heavy and slow-moving thunderstorms roll through.  Mr Snell said: "No matter where you are in the UK you're at risk of seeing some kind of localised disruption from wind.  "It's a case of staying in touch with weather forecasts and being prepared for extra travel time as there may be road closures due to localised flooding."  Sunday was expected to be less windy across Britain but Mr Snell warned the weather would still be "unsettled" throughout the day.  Thousands of people have been left disappointed after the severe weather cancelled and disrupted weekend events from high-profile music festivals and smaller events.  Boardmasters, a surfing and music festival, was first to be cancelled, on Wednesday, when organisers blamed "severe weather conditions".  Some disappointed punters, who were promised a refund, only learned it was scrapped after they arrived at the site, in Newquay, Cornwall, where Wu-Tang Clan were set to headline.  A second music festival, Houghton, in Norfolk, was called off the following day after the weather "dramatically worsened" the already soggy site.  Several weekend LGBT+ pride events, including in Chester, Milton Keynes and Plymouth, were postponed over safety concerns.  Organisers for all three said they were working to rearrange the events.  The first day of Blackpool Air Show, on Saturday, was cancelled when afternoon winds of 45mph were forecast.  "The safety of the pilots and the watching public is paramount," a spokesman said, adding the Sunday event was still scheduled to go ahead.  The nearby St Anne's International Kite Festival was also cancelled.  The London Wildlife Festival, scheduled on Saturday and Sunday at Walthamstow Wetlands, was cancelled after winds of 40mph were forecast.  Organisers said they were unable to "proceed safely" but promised refunds on tickets.


eveningstandard--2019-10-01--UK flooding Britons rescued from cars trapped in water as downpours hit amid threat-to-life weather

UK flooding: Britons rescued from cars trapped in water as downpours hit amid threat-to-life weather warning

People have been rescued from their cars after becoming trapped in floodwater as heavy rain battered the UK and a threat-to-life warning was issued.  Predictions of torrential rain across the UK triggered dozens of flood alerts and a "precautionary evacuation notice" was in place in one part of the country.  The Met Office issued a yellow, threat-to-life warning of heavy rain until midnight on Monday covering southern and central Wales and the West Midlands.  Firefighters rescued an adult and a child who were trapped in a vehicle caught in floodwater in in Bretby, near Burton upon Trent, at about 8pm.  Crews from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service also came to the aid of a woman in a car stuck in floodwater on Cattal Moor Lane, near York.  A further Met Office yellow warning for heavy showers was in place from 6am to 8pm on Tuesday covering the south of England, South Wales, the Midlands and parts of East Anglia.  Meteorologist Luke Miall said: "We could see some local quite torrential downpours and a risk of surface water flooding."  He warned that slow moving clouds on Tuesday meant "we could see as much as 40 to 50mm maybe in a couple of hours in some spots".  As of 8pm on Monday, the Environment Agency had issued 70 flood warnings advising immediate action and 184 flood alerts urging people to prepare for possible flooding, all covering the length and breadth of the country.  In west Norfolk, a "precautionary evacuation notice" has been issued for the coastal areas of Hunstanton, Heacham and Snettisham.  The Environment Agency said a combination of a high tide due at 8.40am on Tuesday and predicted force six north-westerly winds could result in flooding.  People are being told to leave caravans and properties in the area between 7am and 10am on Tuesday and not to return until it is safe to do so.  They are also urged to take with them any medication, pets and anything urgent they might need over the next 48 hours.  The public are also being advised to take care along beaches, promenades, coastal footpaths and roads as large waves and sea spray could be dangerous.  In the South West, the Environment Agency also told people to avoid the seafront and check on flood warnings due to forecast high tides and winds.  Natural Resources Wales encouraged drivers to take care on the roads because of the likelihood of surface water flooding on Monday night.  The Met Office warned that on Monday evening homes and businesses could be flooded, with the rainfall also possibly affecting buses, trains and road travel.  On Tuesday it said predicted heavy showers could bring a "small chance of fast-flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life".  Earlier on Monday, Gloucestershire Police called off a search after a man, feared to have been swept away by the Severn Bore wave, was located safe and well.  A second call from someone concerned they had seen a person or animal struggling in floodwater was also stood down.  Rain and strong winds may also hit the UK later in the week as the remnants of ex-tropical storm Lorenzo arrive on Friday.  Currently classed as a category 2 hurricane, Lorenzo is due to hit west of the Portuguese Azores islands on Tuesday.  Mr Miall said the storm, becoming an "ex-hurricane", could track up to the west of the UK on Friday bringing heavy rain and winds of up to 60mph.  He emphasised that there was still "some uncertainty" over the possible course of the storm.


thedailyrecord--2019-01-16--Met Office issue overnight yellow weather warning for ice cold conditions in East Kilbride

Here are your ‘need to knows’ about your commute home from work - with cold weather on the way.  The Met Office have issued a weather warning for icy patches developing with wintry showers also affecting some areas.  Road users have been advised to be wary of ice on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.  The yellow warning will run from 10pm tonight until 11am on January 17.  Scotland Transerv have advised gritters will be on the roads treating routes.  On the trains, ScotRail are reporting a clear service between East Kilbride and Glasgow Central with no delays at the moment.  Motorists heading from the city using the M8, M77 and M74 can expect the usual flow of traffic, but as of yet no delays are being reported by Traffic Scotland.  The A726 Eaglesham bypass, leading to the M77 is, also currently operating as normal.  Redwood Drive and Queensway, leading onto the East Kilbride Expressway is also running as normal so far, with no delays or incidents reported as of yet.  If you’re aware of any road incidents, contact the EK News team on 01698 205 200, tag us on Facebook or Tweet us @EKilbrideNews.


aljazeera--2019-01-11--Oceans heating up faster than expected set record in 2018

Oceans heating up faster than expected, set record in 2018

The world's oceans are heating up at an accelerating pace and faster than previously estimated, setting a new temperature record in 2018 as global warming threatens a diverse range of marine life, scientists have warned.  New measurements, aided by an international network of 3,900 floats deployed in the oceans since 2000, showed more warming since 1971 than calculated by the latest UN assessment of climate change in 2013, the researchers said.  The findings published on Thursday in the US journal Science, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, debunk previous reports that suggested a so-called pause in global warming in recent years.  "Global warming is here, and has major consequences already. There is no doubt, none!" the authors wrote in a statement.  Man-made greenhouse gas emissions are warming the atmosphere, according to the overwhelming majority of climate scientists, and a large part of the heat gets absorbed by the oceans. That in turn is forcing fish to flee to cooler waters.  "Ocean heating is a very important indicator of climate change, and we have robust evidence that it is warming more rapidly than we thought," said co-author Zeke Hausfather, a graduate student in the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley.  About 93 percent of excess heat - trapped around the Earth by greenhouse gases that come from the burning of fossil fuels - accumulates in the world's oceans.  The latest report relied on four studies, published between 2014 and 2017, that gave more precise estimates of past trends in ocean heat, allowing scientists to update past research and hone predictions for the future.  A key factor in the more accurate numbers is an ocean monitoring fleet called Argo, which includes nearly 4,000 floating robots that "drift throughout the world's oceans, every few days diving to a depth of 2,000 metres  and measuring the ocean's temperature, pH, salinity and other bits of information as they rise back up", said the report.  Argo "has provided consistent and widespread data on ocean heat content since the mid-2000s", it said.  The new analysis shows warming in the oceans is on pace with measurements of rising air temperature.  And if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gases, "models predict that the temperature of the top 2,000 metres of the world's oceans will rise 0.78 degrees Celsius by the end of the century", it said.  The thermal expansion - water swelling as it warms - would raise sea level 30cm, above any sea level rise from melting glaciers and ice sheets.  "While 2018 will be the fourth warmest year on record on the surface, it will most certainly be the warmest year on record in the oceans, as was 2017 and 2016 before that," Hausfather said.  "The global warming signal is a lot easier to detect if it is changing in the oceans than on the surface."  Lead author Lijing Cheng, of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said records for ocean warming had been broken almost yearly since 2000.  Overall, temperatures in the ocean down to 2,000 metres rose about 0.1C from 1971-2010, he told Reuters news agency. The 2013 United Nations assessment estimated slower rates of heat uptake but did not give a single comparable number.  Almost 200 nations plan to phase out fossil fuels this century under the 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit warming. President Donald Trump, who wants to promote US fossil fuels, plans to pull out of the pact in 2020.  A separate study on Monday, by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, said 2018 was the fourth warmest year for global surface temperatures in records dating back to the 19th century.  Ocean temperatures are less influenced by year-to-year variations in the weather. It can take more than 1,000 years for deep ocean temperatures to adjust to changes at the surface.  Among effects, extra warmth can reduce oxygen in the oceans and damages coral reefs that are nurseries for fish, the scientists said.  Warmer seas release more moisture that can stoke more powerful storms.  Warmer ocean water also raises sea levels by melting ice, including around the edges of Antarctica and Greenland.


aljazeera--2019-02-07--Back to back storms bring a wintry mix to most parts of US

Two storms have brought a wintry mix of weather to most parts of the United States, with one storm now impacting many of the eastern states and another that is reorganising as it exits the Rocky Mountains.  There will be hardly any pause between the two storms. The eastern storm is bringing heavy rain over the Ohio River Valley and is increasing the risk of widespread flooding all the way into the northeast. Temperatures are on the rise in the region, melting snow from the last storm and adding to the rising water.  From Kansas to Iowa, about 3.5 million people are under an ice warning. Air temperature is just below freezing at the surface ensuring any falling rain will freeze on contact. Between 1cm and 1.5cm of ice is expected across the region, which will likely make for dangerous driving conditions and also weigh down power lines, possibly causing widespread outages.  Three people have already died because of the icy road conditions in the states of Missouri and Kansas and dozens of accidents have been reported across the region.  Just behind this system is the next storm that is reorganising in the Southern Plains after crossing the Rockies.  The storm initially brought very heavy snow across the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains as it made its way onshore at the beginning of the week. Snow was also seen in the higher suburbs of San Francisco, a rarity not experienced in eight years.  In the Pacific Northwest, ice covered the streets of Seattle, Washington, making travel around the city nearly impossible.  Now that the storm has crossed the Rockies, it is strengthening again.  Across the southern states, it will be more of a spring-time scenario with strong thunderstorms developing later on Thursday, bringing with them the risk of tornadoes and damaging winds to the Mississippi Valley and lower Ohio River Valley.  All the ingredients for dangerous icing will be in place again from Oklahoma to Wisconsin on Thursday. On Friday much of that threat will edge its way into southern Ontario, Quebec and northern New England.  On the extreme northern side of the storm, it will be a truly winter scenario, with heavy snow and gusty winds across the Midwest and eastern Great Lakes Region. About 20cm of snow is expected across Minnesota and Wisconsin, while in southeastern Ontario it could be as high as 30cm.  Strong, gusting winds could mean that the visibility drops to near white-out conditions making for dangerous driving conditions. Widespread downed tree limbs and power lines are also expected.  By Friday evening, the storm is predicted to have moved into the Canadian Maritimes, but severer weather is forecast. By next Wednesday, an identical scenario is expected to develop and affect much of the eastern half of the country.


aljazeera--2019-02-07--Melting ice sheets may soon unleash climate chaos Study

Melting ice sheets may soon unleash 'climate chaos': Study

Billions of tonnes of meltwater flowing into the world's oceans from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets could boost extreme weather and destabilise regional climate in a matter of decades, researchers said.  The melting ice giants, especially the one atop Greenland, are poised to further weaken the ocean currents that move cold water south along the Atlantic Ocean's floor, while pushing tropical waters northward closer to the surface, scientists reported in the journal, Nature.  Known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), this liquid conveyor belt plays a crucial role in Earth's climate system and helps ensure the relative warmth of the Northern Hemisphere.  "According to our models, this meltwater will cause significant disruptions to ocean currents and change levels of warming around the world," said lead author Nicholas Golledge, an associate professor at the Antarctic Research Centre of New Zealand's Victoria University of Wellington.  The Antarctic ice sheet's loss of mass, meanwhile, traps warmer water below the surface, eroding glaciers from underneath in a vicious circle of accelerated melting that contributes to sea level rise.  Most studies on ice sheets have focused on how quickly they might shrink from climate change and how much global temperatures can rise before their disintegration becomes inevitable, a threshold known as a "tipping point".  But far less research has been done on how the meltwater might affect the climate system itself.  "The large-scale changes we see in our simulations are conducive to a more chaotic climate with more extreme weather events and more intense and frequent heat waves," said co-author Natalya Gomez, a researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at McGill University in Canada.  Researchers concluded that, by mid-century, meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet will noticeably disrupt AMOC, which has already shown signs of slowing down.  This is a "much shorter timescale than expected", noted Helene Seroussi, a researcher in the Sea Level and Ice Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, who was not involved in the study.  The findings were based on highly detailed simulations combined with satellite observations of changes to the ice sheets since 2010.  One likely result of the weakened current in the Atlantic will be warmer air temperatures in the high Arctic, eastern Canada and Central America, and cooler temperatures over northwestern Europe.  The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, up to 3km thick, contain more than two-thirds of the planet's fresh water, enough to raise global oceans 58 and 7 metres, respectively, were they to melt completely.  Besides Greenland, the regions most vulnerable to global warming are West Antarctica and several huge glaciers in East Antarctica, which is far larger and more stable.  In a second study published Wednesday in Nature, some of the same scientists offered new projections of how much Antarctica will contribute to sea level rise by 2100 - a hotly debated topic.  A controversial 2016 study suggested the continent's ice cliffs - exposed by the disintegration of ice shelves that jut out from glaciers over ocean water - were highly vulnerable to collapse, and could lead to sea level rise of a metre by century's end.  That would be enough to displace up to 187 million people around the world, especially in populous, low-lying river deltas in Asia and Africa, research has shown.  But the new study challenges those findings.  "Unstable ice-cliffs were proposed as a cause of unstoppable collapse of large parts of the ice sheet," said lead author Tamsin Edwards, a lecturer in geography at King's College London.  "But we've re-analysed the data and found this isn't the case."  Both of the new studies, Edwards said "predict a most likely Antarctic contribution of 15 centimetres" by 2100, with an upward limit of about 40cm.  A special report on oceans by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), due out in September, will offer a much-anticipated estimate of sea level rise.  The IPCC's last major assessment in 2013 did not take ice sheets, today seen as the major contributor, ahead of thermal expansion and glaciers, into account because of a lack of data.


bbc--2019-01-31--America colonisation cooled Earths climate

America colonisation ‘cooled Earth's climate’

Colonisation of the Americas at the end of the 15th Century killed so many people, it disturbed Earth's climate.  That's the conclusion of scientists from University College London, UK.  The team says the disruption that followed European settlement led to a huge swathe of abandoned agricultural land being reclaimed by fast-growing trees and other vegetation.  This pulled down enough carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere to eventually chill the planet.  It's a cooling period often referred to in the history books as the "Little Ice Age" - a time when winters in Europe would see the Thames in London regularly freeze over.  "The Great Dying of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas led to the abandonment of enough cleared land that the resulting terrestrial carbon uptake had a detectable impact on both atmospheric CO₂ and global surface air temperatures," Alexander Koch and colleagues write in their paper published in Quaternary Science Reviews.  The team reviewed all the population data it could find on how many people were living in the Americas prior to first contact with Europeans in 1492.  It then assessed how the numbers changed in following decades as the continents were ravaged by introduced disease (smallpox, measles, etc), warfare, slavery and societal collapse.  It's the UCL group's estimate that 60 million people were living across the Americas at the end of the 15th Century (about 10% of the world's total population), and that this was reduced to just five or six million within a hundred years.  The scientists calculated how much land previously cultivated by indigenous civilisations would have fallen into disuse, and what the impact would be if this ground was then repossessed by forest and savannah.  The area is in the order of 56 million hectares, close in size to a modern country like France.  This scale of regrowth is figured to have drawn down sufficient CO₂ that the concentration of the gas in the atmosphere eventually fell by 7-10ppm (that is 7-10 molecules of CO₂ in every one million molecules in the air).  "To put that in the modern context - we basically burn (fossil fuels) and produce about 3ppm per year. So, we're talking a large amount of carbon that's being sucked out of the atmosphere," explained co-author Prof Mark Maslin.  "There is a marked cooling around that time (1500s/1600s) which is called the Little Ice Age, and what's interesting is that we can see natural processes giving a little bit of cooling, but actually to get the full cooling - double the natural processes - you have to have this genocide-generated drop in CO₂."  The drop in CO₂ at the time of the Great Dying is evident in the ice core records from Antarctica.  Air bubbles trapped in these frozen samples show a fall in their concentration of carbon dioxide.  The atomic composition of the gas also suggests strongly that the decline is being driven by land processes somewhere on Earth.  In addition, the UCL team says the story fits with the records of charcoal and pollen deposits in the Americas.  These show the sort of perturbation expected from a decline in the use of fire to manage land, and a big grow-back of natural vegetation.  Ed Hawkins, professor of climate science at Reading University, was not involved in the study. He commented: "Scientists understand that the so-called Little Ice Age was caused by several factors - a drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, a series of large volcanic eruptions, changes in land use and a temporary decline in solar activity.  "This new study demonstrates that the drop in CO₂ is itself partly due the settlement of the Americas and resulting collapse of the indigenous population, allowing regrowth of natural vegetation. It demonstrates that human activities affected the climate well before the industrial revolution began."  Co-author Dr Chris Brierley believes there is. He said the fall-out from the terrible population crash and re-wilding of the Americas illustrated the challenge faced by some global warming solutions.  "There is a lot of talk around 'negative emissions' approaches and using tree-planting to take CO₂ out of the atmosphere to mitigate climate change," he told BBC News.  "And what we see from this study is the scale of what's required, because the Great Dying resulted in an area the size of France being reforested and that gave us only a few ppm. This is useful; it shows us what reforestation can do. But at the same, that kind of reduction is worth perhaps just two years of fossil fuel emissions at the present rate."  The study also has a bearing on discussions about the creation of a new label to describe humanity's time - and impacts - on Earth.  This epoch would be called the Anthropocene, and there is currently a lively debate over how it should be recognised in the geological record.  Some researchers say it would be most obvious in deposits that record the great acceleration in industrial activity from the 1950s onwards.  But the UCL team argues that the Great Dying in the Americas shows there are significant human interactions that left a deep and indelible mark on the planet long before the mid-20th Century.  Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos


bbc--2019-07-19--Five ways to heatproof a 120F city

Five ways to heatproof a 120F city

Much of the US is baking this weekend. As American cities continue getting hotter, the people who live in them have begun efforts to heatproof their homes and neighbourhoods in order to stave off the impending rise in global temperatures, writes Lucy Sherriff.  The number of extreme heat days will rocket across the US, according to a new climate change report which predicts hundreds of cities experiencing month-long temperatures above 100F (38C) by 2050.  Roughly 80% of Americans live in cities, equating to around 262 million people. Cities are almost always hotter than the surrounding rural areas, thanks to the urban heat island effect.  These heat islands are caused by numerous factors, such as trapped waste heat, concrete structures and pavements absorbing the sun and tall buildings blocking the wind.  All of these components contribute to air temperatures in cities that can be up to 22F hotter than neighbouring regions with less urban development.  A warming planetary climate means temperatures in heat island areas will continue to rise, with desert states such as Texas, Nevada and Arizona particularly affected.  In 2017, heat killed 172 people in Maricopa County, according to local health officials.  The 9,000 square-mile region - which includes the city of Phoenix and miles of desert - contains 60% of Arizona's population.  The region is one of the most heat-vulnerable areas in the US. To combat this, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) environmentalist group launched a programme to engage communities in tree planting in order to provide cooling shade to vulnerable residents.  The programme aims to bring equality to the city. Affluent neighbourhoods can finance trees themselves, often have air conditioning units, and are less likely to use public transport.  In low-income areas, residents are more likely to work outside, use public transport and generally are more vulnerable to the heat due to their lack of economic resources.  "We are creating green corridors around the city," says Maggie Messerschmidt, urban conservation program manager at the TNC.  TNC is starting by targeting low-income neighbourhoods where urban heat islands are more prevalent due to these areas having fewer open spaces, more concrete surfaces and less trees.  Earlier this year, Austin saw temperatures of 111F, and the city has been working for a number of years to fight the heat.  One city ordinance in place requires 50% canopy coverage in all car parks by 2030.  Not only that, but 80% of the trees have to be large shade-producing varieties from a designated list of native shade trees, and be planted within 50ft (15m) of parking spaces.  The idea behind providing a specific list of trees is to ensure a diversified and sustainable urban forest, as well as preserving native species.  In Albuquerque, difference in temperature between rural and city areas can reach almost 10F at night.  Climate campaigners have been advocating the use of white-coloured roofs in order to help mitigate the heat, as a traditional dark roof can reach temperatures of up to 150F, and can be up to 50F hotter than white roofs.  Donna Griffin, a member of the Sierra Club's New Mexico chapter, changed her flat black roof to white and says the difference has been "amazing".  There are several buildings in the city already with white roofs, but Griffin is hoping the tactic will be rolled out across the city to include residential homes, particularly those with low income tenants.  Another tactic is implementing "green roofs" - plants and gardens on top of roofs that use vegetation to help trap heat in a process called evapotranspiration.  Although this has been championed by local scientists and urban planners, it has yet to make it into city policy.  "We don't have a citywide policy on using green roofs," says Kelsey Rader, sustainability officer for the city of Albuquerque, in an interview with BBC News.  "But we have adopted adopted a roofing specification for all city government building roof contracts to require reflective roof."  Las Vegas is among the fastest warming cities in the US, warming more than 5.76F degrees since 1970.  A car-centred city, Vegas is implementing alternative transport options to try to break the cycle between heat and air pollution.  Pollutants contribute to temperature rise, but are also made worse by heat which can make air pollutants more toxic and leads to smog.  The city has developed new standards for planning to reduce urban sprawl, create more open spaces and increase bicycle routes by 450 miles.  Almost all of the city's vehicle fleet run on alternative fuels, and electric charging stations have been installed at a number of garages and community centres for public use.  As part of the city's "Master 2050 Plan" - which aims to overhaul planning and zoning - public transportation routes will be extended, renewable energy vehicles prioritised and bike and pedestrian facilities made more accessible.  The concrete jungle of LA gets up to 6F hotter than the surrounding desert, with 2019 already setting records for hottest ever days, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  LA Mayor Eric Garcetti aims to cool the city down by 3F by 2035.  One of the city's tactics is using a light-coloured material over one street in each of the 15 council districts, in order to test out the impact.  The material, known as "cool pavement", reflects rather than absorbs the sun and so remains cooler than typical black roads.  However, it is more expensive and doesn't yet meet safety standards for wider, busier streets in the city, hence the demo phase.  One "cool street" in Canoga Park measured 70F shortly after being laid, as opposed to 93F found on a nearby intersection road.  City officials also hope the cool pavements will help cool the insides of nearby buildings and lessen air pollution.


eveningstandard--2019-01-22--At least six dead as bitter cold winds follows snow in eastern United States

At least six people have died as bitter cold winds and freezing temperatures swept across parts of the United States after heavy snowfall during the weekend.  The National Weather Service forecasted wind gusts up to 30mph and wind chills approaching -40C in northern New York state and Vermont.  On the north east’s highest mountain, the temperature fell to minus 35C on Monday afternoon, according to Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire. It said wind chills were hovering at around minus 62C.  In New York state, Coast Guard crews moved quickly to rescue a 21-year-old man who was left stranded on an island in the Navensink River after his small boat broke down.  The Coast Guard said crews arrived just over half an hour after the call came in, and two members waded through 1C water to take the man to safety. The air temperature was -14C with 30mph wind.  "Cold water and below freezing temperatures can complicate rescues like this and turn a bad situation to worse very fast," said Commander Rich Sansone, search and rescue co-ordinator for Coast Guard Sector New York.  The weather contributed to multiple deaths over the long Martin Luther King Jr holiday weekend.  In suburban Chicago, the temperature was about -10C on Sunday when a 12-year-old girl died after a snow fort collapsed on her.  Police in Arlington Heights, Illinois, said Esther Jung had been playing with another girl outside Rothem Church. Their families began looking for them about an hour later and found them under the snow. The younger girl survived.  In Connecticut, a utility company subcontractor died on Sunday after being struck by a falling tree while working on a power line in Middletown.  More than 10,000 homes and businesses in the state remained without power on Monday afternoon, down from a high of more than 25,000 outages on Sunday as temperatures dropped below zero in some locations.  "This is a reminder of the danger these men and women face on our behalf," Governor Ned Lamont said in a tweet.  "While many are still out there working today, please join me in acknowledging them and sending our thoughts to this person's family."  In Kansas, a snowplough driver was killed when the plough drove on to the shoulder of a road and rolled over, throwing him under the vehicle. It was not clear why the driver had moved to the shoulder from the roadway.  In Wisconsin, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office said a 59-year-old man and a 91-year-old man collapsed and died on Sunday in separate incidents after removing snow.  A man in charge of transportation at a south-western Michigan school district also died while shovelling snow. Officials said Mike Westbrook died on Saturday from a heart attack.  While FlightAware reported about 480 cancelled flights on Monday, that was a fraction of the more than 1,600 that were cancelled the previous day.  After a few weather-related delays on Sunday, Amtrak restored all scheduled service on Monday.  Another storm is already developing over the Rockies that could blanket the same region with more snow by the end of the week.  The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for parts of Colorado for Monday night, and winter storm warnings for south-east Wyoming, western Nebraska and Utah.


eveningstandard--2019-06-29--Travel misery for Londoners as rail track temperatures rise to 50C

Londoners have faced travel misery today as the temperature of rail tracks rose to about 50C, on the hottest day of the year so far.  Southern Rail warned customers that because of the “very hot weather” speed restrictions were being implemented on some routes to try and alieviate any disruption.  The transport operator said services across the whole network would be disrupted until the end of the day.  In a statement, Southern Rail said: “Very hot weather is being experienced today across Southern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Great Northern routes.  “Air temperatures have reached up to 33 degrees Celsius across the network. This has heated some rails between 45 and 50 degrees. Please be aware that services are busier than normal, especially to and from London and Brighton, and also between Ashford and Hastings.  “As a safety precaution, Network Rail has put in place some speed restrictions across the network during the hottest part of the day to try to alleviate any potential issues occurring.”  The restrictions were being put on busy routes including London Victoria to Balham and London Bridge to East Croydon.  Customers were also advised to carry water, as temperatures in the capital soared to 33C on the hottest day of the year.  As the afternoon wore on, the Met Office tweeted: "Both Northolt and Heathrow have reached 34.0 0C today, not only making it the hottest day of the year but one of the warmest June days for the UK in around 40 years"


birminghammail--2019-05-30--UK set for HOTTEST temperatures of the year amid 30C heatwave - the weather forecast for Birmingham

The UK will bask in scorching heat of up to 30C (86F) this weekend.  Forecasters are expecting a balmy start to June, with UK temperatures set to be higher than holiday hot spots Barcelona, Ibiza and St Tropez.  Summer weather will arrive, but not before a potential frost, according to a Met Office spokesman.  In Birmingham, temperatures will hit highs of 23C across the two-day break, and Grahame Madge said there remains uncertainty on the range of temperatures as forecasters wait for the warm air to arrive.  He said: "The indication is that we could see highs of 28C (82F), isolated highs of around 28C, on Saturday, and the most likely candidate places for those would be places like Norwich, north London, those sorts of areas away from the coast, but in the south-east corner of the UK.  "And on Sunday we could see highs of 29C (84F), even possibly 30C.  "So Sunday looks very much as though it's going to be a warmer day than Saturday. So we have got that warmth coming through.  "Once this warm front, and the air behind it, starts to pull across the UK then we will see temperatures starting to rise."  The Met Office spokesman said conditions have been quite cool and there is a possibility of sleet and even snow showers in the Scottish highlands.  Parts of England could see a frost in isolated areas on Tuesday night and the next few days.  There will be a "fundamental change" once the warm front, known as tropical maritime air, starts to draw the warmer air across the UK, Mr Madge said.  "Tonight, for example, some parts of England could see a frost before this warm front starts to work its way across.  "We're expecting its arrival overnight so probably getting into the western parts of Britain by just after midnight.  "And then it will work its way across, reaching all parts of the UK by later in the week and the weekend," he said.  According to the Met Office website, Barcelona and Ibiza will see highs of 24C (75F) on Sunday, while St Tropez is expected to reach 28C.  Bookmaker Coral makes this June 2-1 to be the hottest since records began.  In Birmingham, Thursday will be rather cloudy to begin, with fog on some of the hilltops.  Turning brighter later with some sunny spells developing into the afternoon.  Feeling warm and humid as maximum temperatures hit 20C, with cloudy and very mild weather for most, with some clear spells.  Mist and fog is likely on some of the hilltops as minimum temperatures drop to 12C.  Friday is set to be rather cloudy to begin, but the skies will begin to clear later, with some sunny spells.  Feeling warm and humid as the mercury hits 22C, and Saturday is set to be "very warm with sunny spells".  On Sunday, some thundery downpours are likely.  Turning cooler and fresher into Monday, but brighter with scattered showers.  The Met Office said: "Cooler fresher conditions already in the northwest will spread south-east to most, if not all parts by Monday."  "During next week, cooler, changeable conditions are likely across the UK, especially the northwest.  "However, periods of wet and sometimes windy weather are likely to affect many areas, with occasional heavy, thundery showers possible anywhere during this period."  Temperatures for June will be "near normal or warm overall for the time of year, warmest conditions most likely in the south-east", the Met Office added.  It's a bright start for many in central and eastern areas, but cloud and rain will arrive from the west through today.  There will be some heavy bursts over western hills, and it will become breezier into the afternoon.  Rain continuing for many in the north.  In the south it will be a drier picture, with the rain mainly restricted to the western sides of hills.  Rather cloudy with outbreaks of rain, heaviest on western hills, where extensive low cloud and hill fog is likely.  Drier further east with some bright spells.  Increasingly warm and humid and potentially hot in the southeast at the weekend.  Rain at times in the north and west.  Risk of thunderstorms in England and Wales on Sunday.


birminghammail--2019-07-21--Birmingham day by day weather forecast this week with temperatures hitting 30C as African plume hits

Temperatures will hit 29C in Birmingham next week as "very hot summer weather" sweeps the city, according to the Met Office.  Meteorologists expect the city to sizzle next week - but the warm and humid weather could bring thunderstorms.  Tuesday is expected to be the warmest day in Brum, with temperatures due to reach 29C in the Midlands - much higher than the average July maximum of 19.2C.  Weather forecaster Derek Brockway said: "Another brief burst of heat is expected next week."  He added: "It will be hot and sunny for a while. "  He said this is because a plume of hot and humid air over Spain is heading to the city.  Weather presenter Liam Dutton said a "one-day burst" of "very hot summer weather" was likely next week.  After a grey start, sunny spells will develop on Monday, the Met Office predicts.  There will be plenty of blue skies by the afternoon and it will feel very warm, but it will be breezy as the maximum temperature hits 26C.  Tuesday will be hot and sunny, but with the risk of thunder later which will last into Wednesday.  Warm sunny spells will develop Wednesday, with the risk of thunder Thursday.  Mr McGivern added: "The jet stream will start to push to the north of the UK and by the middle of next week it will draw increasingly hot air into much of Britain.  "Temperatures in southern parts could reach the low to mid-30s by Wednesday, but there is some uncertainty at this stage about how long the heat will last and what the thundery breakdown, if it occurs, will look like."  According to the Met Office forecast, there is "an increased risk of thunderstorms by Wednesday".  The hot weather comes after the Met Office rubbished claims of a 'heat dome' that will cast   Britain into a three-month heatwave  .  A spokesperson for the Met Office said: "The 'heat dome' isn't a meteorological term, for context it is talking about an area of high pressure - but it is quite an inept way of defining.  "The three-month seasonal outlook isn't meant to be for the public, it is used to determine whether it will be dry or cooler and is mostly there to inform construction companies and health services."  The spokesperson explained that just because temperatures are expected to be higher than average this summer, this doesn't mean that there's going to be a heatwave.  The spokesman added: "It could be warmer than average, but that average may be just half a degree above the usual."  Cloud will build tonight, perhaps with patchy rain and drizzle, especially in the north and west. The wind will also strengthen, particularly over higher ground. Minimum temperature 16 °C.  After a grey start, sunny spells will develop. There will be plenty of blue skies by the afternoon and it will feel very warm, but it will be breezy. Maximum temperature 26 °C.  Tuesday will be hot and sunny, but with the risk of thunder later which will last into Wednesday. Warm sunny spells will develop Wednesday, with the risk of thunder Thursday.


eveningstandard--2019-01-18--UK weather forecast Temperatures plunge to -10C overnight but worst of cold weather is to come next

UK weather forecast: Temperatures plunge to -10C overnight but worst of cold weather is to come next week

Temperatures plunged to almost -11C overnight but the worst of the cold weather is to hit the UK next week.  The country was plunged into a deep freeze overnight as temperatures plummeted to -10.7C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire.  The Met Office said “disruptive snow” could hit the country on Monday and Wednesday.  Snow and ice weather warnings remained in place on Friday morning, with sleet and snow showers expected in parts of the country.  The weather is set to stay cold over the weekend, with rain and sleet in some parts.  The Met Office said: “There was not a huge amount of snow, with showers at the start of night across eastern parts of England, turning into ice this morning.  “Rain, sleet and hill snow are pushing in on Friday morning, with 2-4cm of snow falling over higher ground above 250 metres in Wales and a little bit possible in western Scotland and south-western England.  “Through this afternoon, it pushes eastwards into higher grounds of central and northern England in the Pennines and the Peak District.  “A little bit of snow is possible in the south but nothing causing disruption.  “It will be cold with rain and sleet through the weekend, but next week is when there’s the potential for disruptive snow, particularly on Monday night into Tuesday and Wednesday night into Thursday.”  Public Health England told vulnerable people to get their flu jab after rates increased over the last week.  They said GP consultations with flu-like illness, hospital and intensive care admission rates have all increased from 14.8 to 19.2 per 100,000, from 3.54 to 4.75 and from 0.42 to 0.50 per 100,000 respectively.


eveningstandard--2019-02-06--UK weather forecast Brits brace for four days of heavy rain and gales up to 70mph as forecasters wa

UK weather forecast: Brits brace for four days of heavy rain and gales up to 70mph as forecasters warn of travel disruption, power outages and flooding

Brits are braced for four days of strong winds and heavy rain as gales up to 70mph are set to sweep across the UK.  The Met Office has issued three separate severe yellow weather warnings covering much of Britain until Saturday evening.  Forecasters have warned of travel disruption, power outages and flooding in parts.  Gusty winds and downpours are due to start in southern and central parts of the UK on Wednesday night, Met Office forecaster Richard Miles told the Standard.  A warning for wind is in place until 9am on Thursday with gusts of 70mph possible on coasts.  Delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely while short term loss of power is possible in parts, according to the Met Office.  Following a "brief intermission" of patchy rain and sunny spells on Thursday, further gales are expected by Friday, Mr Miles said.  A warning for wind will take effect for great swathes of Britain from midday on Friday until 6pm on Saturday as an area of low pressure tracks across northern Britain.  While a warning for heavy rain in Scotland has been issued from 9am on Friday until 3pm on Saturday.  Mr Miles said: "We have got some strong winds coming in for most of the south this evening [Wednesday] with some quite heavy rain.  "Then after a brief intermission tomorrow with patchy rain and some sunny spells, we are expecting more wind Thursday, Friday and Saturday."  The strongest winds on Wednesday will be across the south west and south and west Wales late in the evening, with gusts of 60 to 70mph possible on coasts and 50 to 60mph inland.  Elsewhere winds will be strongest after midnight, with gusts of 60mph on coasts and 50mph inland before easing during Thursday morning.  On Friday, gales will become widespread by the evening, persisting well into Saturday.  And Mr Miles said winds of 60mph might be possible in London.  Winds will gradually ease on Saturday, with the strongest winds becoming confined to Scotland on Saturday afternoon.  In terms of temperatures, Brits should not expect particularly chilly weather this week.  But looking ahead Mr Miles said that the UK could be facing the return of the cold snap after the coming weekend.  He said: "Early next week the weather system will pass through and we should expect a few days of colder frostier weather."


aljazeera--2019-09-17--World Cup 2022 A room with a view at Qatars Al Bayt Stadium

World Cup 2022: A room with a view at Qatar's Al Bayt Stadium

As more stadiums for the football World Cup 2022 in Qatar near completion, details are coming to light about some of the more luxurious elements in the stadiums being built.  A video posted on Monday shows one of those details, a luxury hotel room in Al Bayt Stadium in the northern city of Al Khor.  The video shows a large hotel suite with a balcony view of the football field below.  The stadium, which should be completed in the coming weeks, is modelled after tents used in Qatar's deserts.  Its surroundings will include a park and artificial lake, according to artist renders.  The capacity of the stadium is about 60,000 people when it is finished.  The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which is overseeing the organisation of the 2022 World Cup, earlier said the Al Bayt stadium would be completed in December.  In total, eight stadiums will be used during the 2022 World Cup. Seven of those are being built from scratch.  The eighth one, Khalifa International Stadium, was opened in May 2018 after undergoing renovations and upgrades.  Last May, the Al Wakrah Stadium was officially inaugurated.  In August, Qatar announced the Ras Abu Aboud stadium in Doha will be the first fully reusable FIFA stadium for the 2022 event.  All of its components are recyclable and the container-sized building blocks are arriving in port filled with the materials used to make the stadium.  The World Cup will kick off on November 21, becoming the first to take place in the Arab world.  The final will be played on December 18 - Qatar's national day - in the Lusail Stadium, which will be able to hold 80,000 football fans.


bbc--2019-01-09--Tottenham New stadium not ready until at least March confirms Daniel Levy

Tottenham: New stadium not ready until at least March, confirms Daniel Levy

Tottenham say their new stadium will not be ready to host matches until at least March.  Spurs were originally scheduled to move into the new White Hart Lane stadium in September but the project has suffered construction delays.  The club took their latest decision after an update from contractors.  "I should like to apologise to our fans and thank you for your continued patience," said Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.  The new ground, which will also host NFL games, has a capacity of 62,062 and is located on the site of their old White Hart Lane home.  In December, several thousand season ticket-holders were allowed to explore the South Stand during a fan familiarisation event.  "The response from those who attended the familiarisation event was great to hear and reinforced our commitment to deliver an exceptional matchday experience for everyone," added Levy.  "We shall now seek clarity in respect of building test schedules and test event dates and provide further information on these in the next two to three weeks."  Tottenham, who host Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday in the Premier League, said in a statement that top-flight matches against Watford, Newcastle and Leicester would also be held at the national stadium.  Additionally, the home leg of their last-16 Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund and any FA Cup fifth-round fixture, if they reach that stage, will also take place at Wembley.  Their next home game after that would be a Premier League game against north London rivals Arsenal on 2 March, but it is considered highly unlikely police or safety advisory groups would want that to be the first game at a new ground.  That would mean the game against Crystal Palace on 16 March could be Tottenham's first at their new home.  If Tottenham beat Dortmund to reach the last eight of the Champions League, the home leg of that tie would also take place in April.  "Uefa will remain in close contact with Tottenham Hotspur to assess the possibility of the club hosting Uefa competition matches in their new stadium this season," said European football's governing body.  Meanwhile, Brent Council will decide on 16 January on the request to increase the capacity from 51,000 to 62,000 for Spurs' matches at Wembley.


bbc--2019-03-18--Rio state takes over running of Brazils iconic Maracana stadium

Rio state takes over running of Brazil's iconic Maracanã stadium

Rio de Janeiro state says it is taking over the running of Brazil's Maracanã stadium, cancelling the contract of a private consortium.  Governor Wilson Witzel said the decision would take effect on 17 April but would not disrupt football matches.  Rio's state assembly earlier said it would investigate the contract of the Consorcio Maracanã, saying there were signs of mismanagement and corruption.  The consortium said it was "surprised" by the state authorities' decision.  Last year, former Rio Governor Sergio Cabral was sentenced to 12 years in prison, accused of manipulating bids and overinflating contracts for the Maracanã.  The management of the Maracanã went into private hands in 2013 after a long and expensive refurbishment ahead of the 2014 Fifa World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.  The stadium has sat empty for months at a time after the Olympics. In 2017, looters broke into the stadium, smashing windows and stealing some items.  The Maracanã - which also hosted the 1950 World Cup final - has been used by all of Rio's big four teams, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama.


bbc--2019-12-07--Fifa forced to change stadium for Club World Cup final

Fifa has been forced to switch the venue for the final of the Club World Cup in Qatar because the stadium where it was scheduled to be held has not been signed off.  The Education City Stadium in Doha was due to host Liverpool's semi-final on 18 December, plus the third-place play-off and the final on 21 December.  The 40,000-capacity ground is built but yet to hold any test events.  Matches will now be held at the city's Khalifa International Stadium.  The venue, which has a capacity of 48,000, hosted the World Athletics Championships in September and October, and was already scheduled to host two games in the seven-team competition.  Organisers believe the change will lead to minimum disruption. • BBC to show every Club World Cup game live as Liverpool bid for glory


bbc--2019-12-21--Usain Bolt: Tokyo Olympic Stadium opening sees brief return to track

Multiple Olympic and World Champion Usain Bolt 'competes' on the track at the opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium.


eveningstandard--2019-01-07--New Tottenham stadium guide Opening date pictures video capacity cost and more

New Tottenham stadium guide: Opening date, pictures, video, capacity, cost and more

Tottenham will soon move back to N17 and into their new home after ending their 118-year residency at White Hart Lane.  Tottenham have announced they will remain at Wembley until at least the end of February, raising the intriguing possibility that north London rivals Arsenal could be the first visitors to their new home.  For the time being, Spurs remain in the national stadium but a move back home is edging closer.  Here's everything you need to know about Tottenham's new stadium...  In November 2007, Tottenham announced plans to expand White Hart Lane to a 52,000-seater capacity with Emirates Stadium mastermind Tony Winterbottom the man in charge.  These plans would see Spurs vacate White Hart Lane for two years, with Wembley Stadium or even a ground share with West Ham at Upton Park suggested.  However, less than a year later, in October 2008, the initial plans for what would become the new stadium currently being built were announced, as part of The Northumberland Project.  Tottenham have always been focused on also improving the area around their new stadium, rather than just build a new home.  The Northumberland Project would include a new stadium, originally planned to be 56,250-seater, club shop and museum.  Originally 285 flats were planned but that figure was increased to 579, plus a 180-room hotel, and a sixth-form college—first University Technical College of Tottenham and then the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham - and other amenities.  The building costs were estimated at £300m in 2007, rising to £400m in 2009 and then £450m.  The most recent figures estimate the build has cost Spurs upwards of £850m, possibly reaching £1billion.  A key reason behind the rising costs has been blamed on Brexit and subsequent higher costs of importing and the worsening of exchange rates.  Planning permission was submitted in 2009 but ground was not broken until 2015. A number of hurdles and stumbling blocks had to be overcome before the go-ahead was approved.  Most notably, severe rioting started in the surrounding Tottenham area in 2011. The club, with the approval of Haringey Council,  subsequently agreed to put the costs of community infrastructure payments, an estimated £8.5million, instead towards regeneration.  New plans were submitted in 2013 which included a vast overhaul of the design and the inclusion, among other aspects, of a retractable pitch to host NFL games.  The capacity was then increased to 61,000 along with the inclusion of England’s largest single-tier stand, more commonly known as a kop, for 17,500 people.  The revised plans were approved in February 2016 by the then-Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. The opening date was delayed until the start of the 2018-19 season.  Originally proposed at under 58,000, that figure was upped to over 61,559 during the early stages of construction.  The final capacity was confirmed as 62,062 in March 2018.  At the time of writing, Tottenham’s new stadium will be the second-biggest football club ground in England, behind Manchester United’s Old Trafford which holds 74,994.  However, West Ham are in discussions to hold 66,000 people at the London Stadium in the near future. The Hammers were currently capped at 60,000.  The stadium was long proposed to open in time for the start of the 2018-19 Premier League season but on August 13, 2018, it was postponed by six weeks due to issues with the “critical safety systems”.  A few weeks later the move was again delayed, with all of Tottenham’s Champions League group games moved to Wembley along with their Premier League commitments for another six weeks.  Just shy of two months later and Spurs announced that they will continue to host their ‘home’ games at Wembley for the remainder of 2018 with a new update promised before the turn of the year.  Speaking in November ahead of their London derby with Chelsea, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said the club hope to have moved in by "January or February" only for, a couple of weeks later, Daniel Levy to confirm the home fixture against Manchester United on January 13 will be at Wembley.  Daniel Levy met contractors on January 7 looking for an update on a possible move-in date but there remains no confirmed opening for the stadium. A small step forwards came in January as the club invited 200 fans to watch February's Super Bowl at the stadium in another test of the facilities.  You can play in the new stadium on FIFA 19, though.  Tottenham gave 6,000 fans tours of the South Stand and podium areas during a four-hour event on December 16.  It was the first test event involving fans, coming a day after Spurs hosted Burnley at Wembley in the Premier League.  The new stadium needs to pass two official test events to get the safety licence required to open, though the fan tours are not understood to count towards that quota.  Of the news, Pochettino said: “It makes me feel very, very happy. It makes me feel we are close to compete there. It’s an important thing for the fans to show our new home and it makes me very, very happy.”  Adult season ticket prices range from £795 to £2,200. For those under 18, tickets are priced between £397.50 to £562.50.  A full breakdown of the prices can be found here.  It will certainly be up there. Pochettino recently declared it as such, telling Sport Magazine: “We have amazing facilities at the training ground, we are building a massive stadium—it will be one of the best in the world.”  One of the chief engineers working on the project, Nick Cooper, told BBC Sport it will be “the greatest that’s ever been built”.  Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy hopes as much, telling supporters in 2015: “It will be our new home for generations to come and we want it to be exceptional.”


eveningstandard--2019-03-25--Tottenham bank on new fan experience at their glittering 1bn new stadium

Tottenham bank on new fan experience at their glittering £1bn new stadium

A few minutes' walk from Seven Sisters station, the distant mass of glittering metal and glass comes into view. Even before reaching halfway on the journey up Tottenham High Road, the golden cockerel is clearly visible above the South Stand at Spurs's new stadium. Yesterday, it glowed in the sunshine.  While the old White Hart Lane remained obscured from sight until nearly the last moment, the new version, which finally opened its doors on Sunday, dominates the skyline from afar. Up close, it looks like a spaceship has touched down in the heart of Haringey.  Decision-makers at Spurs, including the project's visionary, chairman Daniel Levy, prefer to see the stadium as the centre of a ripple effect, which will gradually regenerate the surrounding area, as well as the club. Ultimately, Levy hopes the 62,062-seat stadium will be the first step to transforming the culture of English football.  With that in mind, perhaps the most pleasing aspect of yesterday's test event for Levy was not a problem-free 3-1 win for Spurs's Under-18s over Southampton but the scenes after the final whistle.  Thousands of the 28,987 supporters present stayed in the stadium, congregating in the South Stand, opposite the Goal Line Bar — at 65m, the longest in Europe.  Shortly after full-time, former player Micky Hazard appeared on stage, leading supporters in a number of singalongs, before a DJ set began. Elsewhere, at the other bars — The Shelf, The White Hart and The Dispensary — live bands played throughout the day.  Lager, competitively priced at around £4 a pint, flowed into the evening and the variety of food counters, from gourmet burgers to Asian street food, remained busy. The era of pie and chips is over at Spurs.  The raucous sound of supporters filling the stadium long after full-time would have been music to Levy's ears. One of Tottenham's biggest aims in designing their new home was to make it a venue for an entire day, not just a match, and in doing so fundamentally change the habits of the average English football fan.  "Arrive early and stay longer" advised the club website in a pre-match information pack.  If Spurs kick-off at 12.30pm on a Saturday, for example, the club will screen the Premier League's later  kick-off around the stadium and there will be entertainment, including  live music, to keep the masses entertained.  Unlike the old White Hart Lane — and most stadiums around the country — supporters are free to move through all public areas of the nine-level ground, giving it the feel an American sports venue or a day out at a Lord's Test match, where staying late and picking from a variety of menus is the norm.  While bad news for the local pubs, the club's vision allows the stadium — the cost of which has climbed towards the £1billion mark — to immediately start paying for itself and it is little wonder the board were so determined to relocate from Wembley this season, even if it was just for one match.  The club also hope the increased appeal of staying on in the stadium following the final whistle will ease pressure on local transport as supporters leave in dribs and drabs.  How many can be persuaded to abandon their traditional watering holes or delay the journey home in the long run remains to be seen and once the novelty of the stadium has worn off most supporters' desire to hang around may be largely determined by results.  Yesterday, at least, the jubilation at being back home was overwhelming and many fans were giddy long before the post-match festivities.  If the first glimpse of the stadium's exterior is impressive, the view inside is breathtaking.  Supporters who missed yesterday's game and cannot make the second test event — a Legends match against Inter Milan on Saturday — should not despair.  No Spurs fan will forget walking into the bowl for the first time — and there is something to be said for saving that experience for a competitive match under lights, as it will be against Crystal Palace on April 3, and six days later, when Manchester City are the visitors in the Champions League.  Particularly impressive is the 17,500-seat single-tier South Stand, the old Park Lane end, which is already being dubbed 'the White Wall'. It should quickly become iconic.  For all the thoughtful nods to the club's heritage, the remarkable attention to detail and the sheer size and gleaming modernity of the place, it was the feel of the stadium that most impressed supporters.  "It's new but it does feel like us. They've struck the balance really  well," said one fan afterwards. "It genuinely feels like the Lane," remarked another.  Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose son, Maurizio, was a 79th-minute substitute, was lost for words when interviewed on the pitch at half-time.  "My feeling is unbelievable," said the Argentine after J'Neil Bennett had grabbed a slice of history with a brilliant first goal.  "It's so difficult to explain with only a few words. We all feel the same, so excited. I think I got the same feeling when we left White Hart Lane: we were crying. Now, the first day here at the new stadium, we feel the same emotion: we are going to cry. Our dream became true."  Pochettino then thanked Levy for delivering the stadium and such was the wow factor and strength of feeling, the chairman's name was greeted with raucous cheers from all sections around the ground.  For supporters, frustration with  Levy during eight months of delays  has immediately turned to appreciation.  If they continue to buy into their chairman's vision for the stadium, the feeling will be more than mutual.


eveningstandard--2019-03-29--Manuel Pellegriniaposs aposbig club mentalityapos has helped West Ham fans realise move to Lon

Manuel Pellegrini's 'big club mentality' has helped West Ham fans realise move to London Stadium was needed

West Ham fans are now realising the benefits of the London Stadium as West Ham look to win four games in a row at their Stratford home for the first time.  It has been nearly three years since the Hammers played their final game at Upton Park before making the controversial move to the London Stadium.  Trouble blighted their first two seasons in the new home, culminating in the chaos and violence during a 3-0 defeat at home to Burnley last season.  Following the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini and a summer of big spending, fans have started to see the club moving in the right direction this season.  The Chilean has been working to implement a ‘big club mentality’ in east London, and says the supporters may now have come to the realisation that Upton Park was not sufficient for where West Ham want to go.  “Maybe they all realise this team needs a big stadium. The old stadium I know was a beautiful stadium but it was too small for this team,” Pellegrini said.  “Just 32,000 people is not enough for West Ham - now we have 60,000 people at every game we play. Maybe they understand, also they are creating the atmosphere we see in every game.”  Everton are the next visitors to the London Stadium. A win over Marco Silva’s side at Goodison Park put an end to a four game losing run which began Pellegrini’s tenure at West Ham.  Having dramatically come from behind to beat Huddersfield before the international break, the Hammers are now eyeing up a run of four home wins on the bounce.  “Most of those games we won at home the atmosphere was very good,” Pellegrini said. “Fans were enjoying the game, they were all involved, supporting the team. Not thinking or talking or acting like what happened last season.  “That depends on the performance of the team, that's why it was so important to win those three games in a row, and now it's more important to win the fourth game.”


eveningstandard--2019-04-19--West Ham will enhance London Stadium feeling with new claret pitch surround says Mark Noble

West Ham will enhance London Stadium feeling with new claret pitch surround, says Mark Noble

West Ham captain Mark Noble believes the new claret pitch surround at the London Stadium will help the players.  Following a lengthy dispute with their stadium landlords, West Ham have replaced the green track cover that has been in place since they moved to their new home in 2016.  Former manager Slaven Bilic felt the green was detrimental to their performances and said players could not determine where the pitch ended and the carpet began.  But the new claret track will be in place for Saturday’s home game against Leicester and Noble said: “On behalf of all the players, I am delighted that the new claret pitch surround will be in place.  “London Stadium has certainly begun to feel more and more like home this season now that we are fully established, and this news will only enhance that feeling for both the players and our supporters, that this is the home of West Ham United.”  West Ham have suffered three straight defeats but they played well at Manchester United last weekend and were unfortunate to lose 2-1.  Noble said: “Sometimes you come away from games and you have lost but you feel like you have achieved a lot more.  "That is what it felt like on Saturday because we played so well from start to finish. I thought we controlled the game and looked like a real good team.  “We want to get back to winning ways at home, definitely. Leicester are a really good side though, so we need to play like we did on Saturday.”


eveningstandard--2019-06-28--MLB London Series West Ham stadium transformation highlights commitment to baseball expansion in En

MLB London Series: West Ham stadium transformation highlights commitment to baseball expansion in England

As far as makeovers go, this is a big one.  On Thursday morning, journalists and broadcasters were given the first glimpse of the incredible transformation undergone at West Ham's London Stadium as three weeks of work to turn the football pitch into a Major League Baseball (MLB) ballpark finally came to an end.  And just in time for MLB's first-ever regular-season game in Europe, which will be contested between current World Series champions Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees in the heart of east London.  The old rivals will contest a two-game series on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June as the MLB follows in the footsteps of NFL and begins the process of garnering interest in an American sport on these shores.  And no stone has been left unturned in that aim, either.  Indeed, after being shown the new MLB-approved pitch close-up on Thursday, reporters were given a taster - literally - of the food that will be served during the two-game series this weekend, including a two foot-long hot dog, otherwise known as the Boomstick.  Designed by private hospitality company Delaware North to originally feed a family of four, this supersized hot dog has become so popular that it has become the subject of an eating contest - which was recently won by a fan who consumed it within just three minutes.  The company anticipates that 3,000 Boomsticks will be eaten at London Stadium this weekend along with 1 tonne of peanuts, 25,000 hot dogs and sausages, 4,000 popcorn cups and 2,000 tonnes of Nacho cheese sauce.  Such was Delaware North's aim of ensuring an authentic American experience in London that they even trained up more than 150 vendors to successfully "hawk" a variety of concession items to seated fans while the game is on.  And this will, no doubt, play a part in MLB's wider aim of ensuring fans who attend this weekend are left hungry for next year's regular-season game between the Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals.  MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told Standard Sport back in May that he was "interested in a long-term relationship in London", saying: "London was a target for us regardless of either [American] football or basketball.  "We’re really excited about it. We’ve been looking for the right opportunity to come somewhere in Europe. We think that London is the perfect place and we’re excited about bringing over one of the great rivalries."  That could even mean a London-based franchise in the long term should this weekend and next year's games prove a hit.  It's an idea that doesn't surprise baseball megastar Alex Rodriguez who told Standard Sport: "London is central to the growth of the game.  "It’s here for decades. We’ve started with the biggest and best, in the Yankees and the Red Sox. We’re in one of the greatest cities in the world, with the two greatest franchises."  Indeed, American baseball supporters are believed to have flown to London especially for this weekend's clash between Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, which demonstrates the sheer level of interest in the two-game series both here and abroad.  And if the incredible transformation of the London Stadium over the past few weeks shows anything, it is that the MLB are committed to bringing an authentic baseball experience to the capital for at least two years and, if all goes smoothly, no doubt the long term too.


abcnews--2019-10-18--California unemployment rate falls to record low of 4%

California's economy kept humming in September, dropping the unemployment rate to a record low 4% statewide and under 2% in San Francisco and some of its neighboring counties, a level that economists once thought impossible.  "That is almost unthinkable," said Sung Won Sohn, professor of economics at Loyola Marymount University. "It flies in the face of economic theory."  However, the explosive job growth has done little to close the gap in wages, making California — and San Francisco in particular — one of the most unequal places in the country as high-wage earners push up prices for everyone else.  From 1980 to 2015, the top earners in San Francisco saw their wages jump 120% while the lowest earners saw their wages increase just 20%, according to an analysis published last week by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  Corey Cantu makes $16 an hour tending an artisanal cookie kiosk in downtown San Francisco and pays $850 a month for a bedroom "the size of a closet" in a condominium he shares with four others in the city.  "I see a lot of people in designer clothing and can tell (the economy) is booming for them but it's not booming for me," Cantu said. "It feels like we're disposable as employees working (for) minimum wage."  Across California, unemployment fell to 4% last month, the lowest on record under a methodology the state has been using since 1976. California's economic growth is now in its 115th consecutive month, breaking the previous record of 113 months set in the 1960s.  The job growth is not limited to the diverse and complex economies of Silicon Valley. Fresno and Kern counties, located in the heart of California's agricultural region in the Central Valley, have historically had double-digit unemployment rates for most of the past 40 years. In September, Fresno's unemployment rate was 5.3% while Kern's was 6%.  Meanwhile, homeless populations in California continue to grow in the strong economy.  Over the past two years, homeless populations have jumped 17% in San Francisco. Last month, Los Angeles County reported a 12% year-to-year increase in its homeless population.  "Why are there so many homeless people if this economy is booming? That's crazy!" said Ernest Lew, an estate planning attorney, when told about the report.  Lew said he is doing well because a lot of his clients work at Google, Facebook and other tech companies.  "This economy is booming for some people, but a lot more people are hurting," Lew said as he walked is dog in the financial district.  While the economy is booming, trouble could be looming. The United States' ongoing trade war with China has slowed shipping activities in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.  Plus, the inland communities of Riverside, San Bernardino and Ontario — which include warehouses and trucking companies — have lost jobs since their peak of December 2018, according to an analysis by Sohn at Loyola Marymount University.  "At some point it's very simple: If you don't have bodies, you can't grow," Sohn said.


bonginoreport--2019-12-21--Georgia’s Unemployment Reaches Lowest Level Since Records Kept

ATLANTA, GA - Georgia's unemployment rate fell to 3.3 percent in November - the lowest in decades since record keeping began in 1976.  The state also set a jobs record last month – 4.64 million jobs – while the number of employed Georgians also hit an all-time high of 4.96 million.  "I can't recall us ever having a better month," Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler told Capital Beat News Service. "It's nice to see this at the end of the year. I think we are going to continue to see Georgia move in the right direction."  Gov. Brian Kemp said the strong numbers are a sign the conservative agenda he and his Republican allies in the General Assembly have embraced is working.  "To keep Georgia the best place to live, work and raise a family, we must support our small businesses, recruit projects of regional significance to our rural communities and dismantle criminal street gangs so our families are safe from harm," he told the Capital Beat News Service.  Georgia added 6,500 jobs last month, up 69,000 from the same month last year.  The most jobs were added in three areas - trade, transportation, utilities - with 3,200 jobs. Education and health services came close with was close with 3,100 jobs. The construction sector added 2,300 jobs.  "We have seen the labor force start growing again, but it's still not where I want it to be," Butler told the Capital News Service. "We need more individuals in the workforce to take all the jobs we have open."  Georgia's unemployment rate last month was slightly below the nation's, which fell 0.1 percent to 3.5 percent.


breitbart--2019-09-06--Black Unemployment Hits Record Low Black-White Unemployment Gap Shrinks to Smallest Ever

Black Unemployment Hits Record Low, Black-White Unemployment Gap Shrinks to Smallest Ever

One result: the persistent gap between white and black unemployment also narrowed to its smallest on record.  The unemployment ratio has averaged around 2 to 1 or so for decades, meaning the black unemployment rate is typically twice the white unemployment rate.  In good times, the unemployment rate of whites and blacks falls but the gap remains. And in bad times, the unemployment rate for whites and black rises, but black unemployment typically remains around twice that of white employment.  A year ago, the black unemployment rate stood at 6.6 percent while the white unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, meaning black unemployment was 185 percent of white unemployment.  In August, the gap narrowed so that black unemployment was under 162 percent of white unemployment. That is the smallest gap ever in records going back to January 1972.  This is particularly remarkable because it comes at a time of remarkably low unemployment. Prior to the Trump era, the last time the gap fell below 170 percent was in August of 2009, when the black unemployment rate was 14.8 percent and the white unemployment rate was 8.9 percent. Back then the gap declined because white unemployment was increasing at a faster clip than the already sky-high black unemployment.  In other words, the decline in employment inequality now is undeniably the best on record because it comes in the context of falling unemployment.


breitbart--2019-09-06--The US Economy Created 130000 Jobs in August Wage Growth Accelerated Unemployment 37

The U.S. Economy Created 130,000 Jobs in August, Wage Growth Accelerated, Unemployment 3.7%

Economists had expected the economy to between 150,000 and 180,000 with the median consensus at 163,000, according to Econoday. Unemployment was expected to remain unchanged. Last month’s jobs figure was originally reported at 164,000, now revised down to 159,000, and unemployment was 3.7 percent.  Although the headline number was weaker than expected, wage growth was strong in August. Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 11 cents to $28.11, or 0.4 percent, following 9-cent gains in both June and July. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.2 percent. In August, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 11 cents to $23.59.  Unemployment among African Americans fell to 5.5 percent, the lowest level on record.  The labor force participation rate edged up to 63.2 percent in August, indicating that the strong labor market has continued to draw Americans into the workforce.  The largest job gains came from professional and business services, which added 37,000.  Census hiring boosted the federal government’s hiring to 28,000 workers. Health care added 24,000 to the total while financial services increased by 15,000.  There were little to no gains in August for construction, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, and leisure and hospitality. Holding the line on manufacturing jobs is a sign of strength given signs that manufacturing activity fell this summer.  The retail sector shed 11,ooo jobs, with department stores losing 15,000 jobs (partially offset by gains in other retail venues). Over the year, so-called “general merchandise” retails jobs have fallen by 80,000.  While the economy continued to grow in the second and third quarter, it has slowed from the rapid 3.1 percent rate of growth in the first three months of the year. Manufacturing appears to have contracted and business investment has been weak, with surveys indicating that uncertainty around trade policy and global economic weakness have become a drag on the U.S.  Consumer spending and the labor market have been strong. Data released Thursday showed worker compensation rising strongly and well-above inflation. Rising labor costs can promote capital investment by businesses seeking to make workers more productive.   With unemployment near 50-year lows, job growth has slowed and many businesses say they are having trouble hiring. Employment growth has averaged 158,000 per month thus far this year, compared with an average monthly gain of 223,000 in 2018.