Stormy Weather

Bit of stormy weather here in old blighty today.

The above rather cool wind-surfing photo comes from Ireland via the BBC web site. But not all out on the water are having such a good time.

As reported here, a ferry was beached by a freak wave off Blackpool and a Spanish trawler ran aground on rocks on one islands of the St Kilda Archipelago. There's some rather impressive night time video taken by the RAF also at that BBC news page.

We might have to get used to it. Research at University College London in todays FT suggested that a 0.5°C increase in sea surface temperature - which is within the range expected over the next few years due to global warming - would cause a 40 per cent increase in North Atlantic hurricanes.

Aunty Beeb was also reporting two other risks due to global warming - the danger to the London due to flooding and devastation of food crops in developing countries.

And brrrr its cold tonight too. Time either for a mug of cocoa or a hot bath!