frogcake.net

Snow Chaos Hits London

So shouted the headline from the Evening Standard seller’s stand I could see through the window of HMV.
Snow Chaos. Snow Chaos? This is indicative of the hyperbole employed by the tabloid press. And also the British pre-occupation with the weather. And also the inability of London to deal with any hint of snow. Or rain. Or falling leaves.

Today was cold, yes; about 1. It did snow, yes; I should know I rode through it at 8am - nice. But chaos? There was only the lightest sprinkle of snow, and as soon as it hit the ground it melted.

For those of you too lazy to click to the article, let me quote a few salient comments:

• High ground such as Wimbledon Hill and Hampstead Heath was hit particularly badly, with motorists careering wildly on skidpan roads.
• Forecasters predicted that the cold snap would continue, probably into next week, with average temperatures between 0-3C (32-36F).

Motorists careering wildly on skidpan roads?

Average temperatures between 0-3C?

Russia is averaging about -20 and we are complaining about 0? That’s not even negative!

Here is another bit that made me laugh:

• Treacherous roads were not the only problem facing those driving to work today. After a series of opportunist thefts, police warned motorists not to defrost cars by leaving them unattended with the engines running.

Puhleez

Trackback URI | Comments RSS