Weather hysteria

[VirtueClapper83]

To not get the media’s obsession at the minute with the current cold spell 🤷‍♂️
I get the emphasis on the weather with the current energy situation, but we live in a country that experiences cold weather at this time of year regularly. The ‘Beast from the east’ didn’t get this much airtime so wtf?

To those saying it wasn't forecast - I was watching the TV forecast a couple of days ago and they definitely showed a weather front moving over the south east and said it might have snow. It definitely didn't come out of nowhere.

I think the current media hysteria is driven by the cost of living, because so many people have cut back on heating. It's going to cost lives, sadly, because there will be vulnerable people in cold houses.

It's also not that unusual to have snow/a cold snap in mid December. Only last year there was all the snow in Yorkshire (I think) where that pub got cut off for a few days (early December). And my FB memories has thrown up a few snow pics from recent years in the last week or so.

@AnneLovesGilbert It was forecast. We were discussing it in my hairdressers last Tuesday.

I knew it was forecast. I put grit and salt on my drive yesterday morning.

Simon and Garfunkel summed it up.

I get the news I need on the weather report
Oh, I can gather all the news I need on the weather report
Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile
De-doh-n-doh-de-doh

Stanstead is an absolute nightmare currently. It might as well be closed, very few flights are leaving

Why are there so many threads on Mumsnet where posters get so much satisfaction in belittling people talking about what's in the news? Why does it always have to be "hysteria", "frothing", "grief vulturing"?

It's been the coldest UK day in something like 12 years in the middle of a winter when almost no one can afford their usual energy bills.

3 young boys died in an accident.

This is news and people want to discuss it. If you don't then don't.

I thought it said sleet when checking the forecast, we saw friends on Saturday all with children so would probably be aware of snow as it is so rare here that it brings excitement, I'm just surprised that no of us had a clue. My friend's flight to Spain from Gatwick was cancelled and my DH commutes to London and trains are so unreliable with the 'severe weather' that he is staying in a hotel tonight.

Also, if it was definitely going to snow not just sleet why didn't anyone tell Brighton Council, where's the grit!

It's good it does really, we've just had 3 kids die in it, it helps people make informed decisions about journeys etc. And it is unusual in it's onset.

Also ye old disabled like me can plan appropriately! Last weather like this I broke my leg so it's lovely to prepare this time.

I mean, honestly I couldn't walk from my house to the local shop without falling over, ALOT .it's not the worst thing in the world, it's quite funny but it's no surprise the local schools here are closed and god damned Deliveroo isn't working. Waaaaaaa

Whearabouts are you @70billionthnamechange roughly

It’s just winter FFS.

This! People laugh but those without decent clothing, tyres etc it really us disruptive - same with experience driving in the cold etc. Combined with a cost of living crisis and it is definitely news worthy.

The poor weather people just cannot catch a break - if they warn people and it does happen they get laughed at for being ridiculous over a little bit of snow and ice (such snowflakes, Ive lived through far worse) and if it doesnt happen again they get ridiculed for always being wrong and certain pepple never take their warnings seriously. And yet for older and vulnerable people, being able to plan ahead for cold spells like this can avoid them having to make a trip to the supermarket maybe, and avoid them slipping on the ice, or to make sure they have enough wood delivered for the fire and stop them dying in the cold house. It happens every year and yet people still make out the cold is laughable and we should all just act as though its a yearly occurance when it isnt

Im not into hysteria at all, but planning for just in case situations can help sometimes

U1sce

The poor weather people just cannot catch a break - if they warn people and it does happen they get laughed at for being ridiculous over a little bit of snow and ice...

I think that the OP just means the way the papers report it, such as "Britain will be - 10°!" when they mean part of Northern Central Scotland, and the daft terminology, like "Weather Bomb" and the like. And numerous articles in the same publication.

Nobody objects to "There will be snow in this area, likely to be heavy, so please think carefully about whether you really need to drive tomorrow."

Yes! after living on the East coast of the Us where snow was measure in feet, l find the blanketing of snow, for an inch or two, a total exaggeration !

Of course we need ice warnings, but why the whole country binds to a halt is beyond me..

The whole country binding to a halt is an exaggeration.

Weather is pretty much the same here in the North East of England, but things are pretty much working as normal, bin wagon has just slithered up the street and we are going to see Santa later.

The real Santa too.

Minus 6 outside right now.

Much of it is because it's the South East being hit, our media is based there and they don't get it as often. Just how the country is really.

I recall the buses coming off when London had 1 inch of snow, here in Northumberland they kept going through the beast from the East.

And they didn't have special, 4 wheel drive snow adapted buses either.

Yes, there's a lot of coverage, because for us it is an unusual event.

If we had much colder typical temperature, and regular snowfall of over 2 inches, and snow lying for much of the time between snowfalls, then no of course there wouldn't be much in the media (apart from first snow and any unusual events) and transport and infrastructure would be set up to cope.

But we don't, so this is our unusual event.

Different infrastructure though. I've lived in places where it snows regularly

If you live somewhere where its expected then you are much more able to prepare for it. It's the same with countries that build in tolerance for heat, by adjusting opening times, having air con, kids school uniforms and times are different etc.

We are adjusted to live life in the middle, so anything too far either way is uncomfortable. Take schools, In the heat our kids have stuffy uniforms, and we send them to unairconned schools over the middle of the day. In the winter the schools heating is rubbish, kids dont have snow style coats, most schools barely have a grit bin let alone snow ploughs etc that the schools I know in snowy regions do.

If you live somewhere where its colder you'd buy completely different cars to what lots of people have etc to get reliably to places.

When I lived in the country in the US, I had a big old car that wouldn't work over here as you'd never park it, a big coat, and lots of snow equipment. When I moved here, I needed a smaller car, and got a more moderate coat because I'd boil alive in the other. The main snow issue here is transport, and the places it snows in the US tend to have less reliance on public transport, experienced snow drivers, big trucks, everyone has things like snow tires etc. Here we have a different way of living

Given the very real risk of people freezing in their homes surely it deserves some discussion? This kind of cold spell before Christmas is going to have an effect on those worried about finances and who may be struggling, it’s yet another thing to add to the list of reasons for life to feel bleak for so many.

I think the conditions for the NE are fairly normal, we've had colder Decembers however it's very dry, hence the lack of snow. Looking at the average temps for previous years if anything it's slightly warmer Nov/Dec due to the exceptionally mild weather building up to this cold period.
What is unusual is the cold snap is further south than usual so the south and midlands are affected more than normal and they are less prepared as it doesn't happen every year.
This is also the home base for most of the U.K. media so there is more hype.

The Beast from the East hit central Scotland in late Feb / early March 2018 and it definitely was deadline news for days. Everything ground to a halt, no schools, nothing moving, empty shelves because delivery couldn't get through.

YANBU. The first day it got cold it was all ‘when will the cold snap end’. It’s December, it’s supposed to be this cold.

Nolongera

Minus 6 outside right now.

That's what my computer is telling me now. We have a weather station, with a sensor in the backyard, which is showing -3°. This week is the first time we've had ice in the back yard, we've been here 9 years. We've had lower temperatures, but never ice!

CharityShopChic

The Beast from the East hit central Scotland in late Feb / early March 2018 and it definitely was deadline news for days.

Whilst 2018 is technically years ago, I meant lots of years ago. I don't remember any overblown reporting in 2003, with the prolonged freeze, after the long summer heatwave. Warnings to take precautions, but not all the daft, overblown terminolgy.