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.
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
HOW TO WATCH
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
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