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.
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Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Jumanji: The Next Level
Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas
Two out of five stars
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
The%20specs
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Company%20profile
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The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
RESULTS
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Arrab, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mahaleel, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel.
3.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum handicap (TB) Dh200,000 2,000m; Winner: Dolmen, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Amang Alawda, Sandro Paiva, Bakhit Al Ketbi.
4.15pm: The Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m; Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
4.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: Al Jazi, Jesus Rosales, Eric Lemartinel.
RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
Brief scores:
Toss: Rajputs, elected to field first
Sindhis 94-6 (10 ov)
Watson 42; Munaf 3-20
Rajputs 96-0 (4 ov)
Shahzad 74 not out
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
