How bad was the worst storm in years, for you? I’m not asking readers around the globe, where extreme weather events are more common, merely directing the question to my fellow Britons.
We were told a few days ago that there was an extreme “red” storm warning because “Storm Eunice” was following “Storm Dudley” to pummel Britain into submission with high winds, high seas and plenty of rain. Flights and trains were cancelled – I know because I was travelling back to London from Scotland. People were told to stay at home, avoid driving, avoid beaches, cliffs and exposed areas, advised that anything that could blow away in their gardens should be nailed down, tied down or otherwise restrained.
The Times newspaper front page called it the “Day of Destruction” with 200 kilometres per hour winds uprooting trees, tearing down power lines and leaving around a quarter of a million homes in England and Wales without electricity. At least three people were killed, cars damaged by fallen trees and part of the roof of the O2 arena was torn off. Part of the spire of a church in the west of England also blew away.
All very dramatic stuff. But hold on. Was it really?
When meeting a stranger, British people focus on two safe topics – dogs and weather
It does not minimise the damage and disruption to our lives to note that having one or two days of bad weather in mid-winter on an island in northern Europe is not entirely surprising. Storm Eunice was worse than usual, but it reminds us that the British have a very odd relationship with our generally fairly temperate, unexceptional weather.
In summer temperatures rarely hit 30°C. After a few days of sunshine, every British newspaper calls it a “scorcher” and shows pictures of crowded beaches with dire warnings that “too much sun” can be dangerous. In winter (except in the Scottish highlands and mountains) the temperature rarely goes more than a few degrees below zero. My children are constantly disappointed by the lack of snow. More than a few inches and the British regard it as a trip to Siberia. But the truth is that the weather is one of the few safe areas of conversation when two British strangers meet.
On my daily walks with my dog in this friendly corner of England, no one ever opens a conversation about coronavirus, Russia possibly invading Ukraine or the political mess at Westminster. That would be rude. Astonishingly rude. When meeting a stranger, instead, British people focus on two safe topics – our beloved dogs (if we have one), and our weather. “A bit chilly,” is one friendly February gambit, or during Storm Eunice my fellow dog walkers would nod and say “it’s a bit rough” or a “nasty old day". Weather is Britain’s social lubricant, and therefore every British newspaper and TV news editor knows that it’s a great picture story and distraction from the real unpleasantness of life.
This year, as with every British storm every year, every newspaper has roughly the same pictures of huge waves hitting a lighthouse, cars crushed under falling trees and perhaps flooded homes. Secretly, the British love it all. Record numbers of us tuned in to a YouTube Channel, Big Jet TV, to watch aircraft land under the difficult weather conditions at commercial airports. And beyond the weather being part of our British national conversation, it serves an even greater purpose. It is the great British national distraction. We have plenty to be distracted from.
To put all this “red” warning damage and destruction into perspective, the deaths of three people (so far) in weather-related incidents is, of course, extremely sad for them and their loved ones. But the average daily death rate from coronavirus is currently 128 per day. More than 160,000 British people have died with coronavirus in total. The dramatic weather pictures also distract us from the fact that, according to recent reports, almost 200,000 Russian troops are massed around the borders of Ukraine, with some already occupying parts of that country in Crimea and the Donbas, and predictions of the biggest land war in Europe since 1945.
Or there is that further piece of dismal news that London’s Metropolitan Police are investigating the possibility that Prime Minister Boris Johnson broke the law by attending numerous parties where alcohol was available in Downing Street and while the rest of the country was in coronavirus lockdown and generally obeying the rules that Mr Johnson imposed. Or there is that recurrent national toothache, Brexit, with all the long lorry queues and added bureaucracy caused by Mr Johnson’s badly thought out Brexit agreement. It has produced not only months of unrelenting disruption to businesses but also raised the possibility of renewed violence in Northern Ireland.
So here is the guilty British secret: we actually like a few days of terrible weather, because it is never all that terrible. We don’t have typhoons or 50°C temperatures or metres of snowfall, ever. And weather gives us something safe to talk about, and something that no human – neither in government nor business, nor anyone else – can do anything about.
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
Results
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Ziyadd, Richard Mullen (jockey), Jean de Roualle (trainer).
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
Winner: Secret Advisor, Tadhg O’Shea, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Plata O Plomo, Carlos Lopez, Susanne Berneklint.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
On sale: Now
TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Malin Cilic (CRO) v Benoit Paire (FRA) [8]
Not before 4pm:
Dan Evans (GBR) v Fabio Fogini (ITA) [4]
Not before 7pm:
Pablo Carreno Busta (SPA) v Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) [2]
Roberto Bautista Agut (SPA) [5] v Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)
Court One
Starting at 2pm
Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND) v Dennis Novak (AUT)
Joao Sousa (POR) v Filip Krajinovic (SRB)
Not before 5pm:
Rajeev Ram (USA) and Joe Salisbury (GBR) [1] v Marin Cilic v Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Nikoloz Basilashvili v Ricardas Berankis (LTU)
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Emblem Storm, Oisin Murphy (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Wildman Jack, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Matterhorn, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.30pm: Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Loxley, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
KYLIAN MBAPPE 2016/17 STATS
Ligue 1: Appearances - 29, Goals - 15, Assists - 8
UCL: Appearances - 9, Goals - 6
French Cup: Appearances - 3, Goals - 3
France U19: Appearances - 5, Goals - 5, Assists - 1
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
