Preparedness for when

2tonsils

Yes it would have to be a Noah's flood...the way things are going in parts of Europe I don't think that is beyond belief either....

I did mean grab and go yes, though I might be tempted to take the car if it would run and take more supplies with me. I am trying not to count on having fuel though. Speaking of a gag bag, it might be an idea for me to add reading material.....a joke book to keep my husband amused sounds good to me LOL

Southantrim3 I will certainly keep you informed as one of the forecasters I help covers your area. We are a pretty diverse crowd, so far we have Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Austria, Serbia,Russia , the UK and many other areas covered by the forecasts. None of the forecasters are paid but many are very accurate at longer range forecasts. I am well pleased at getting more than a few hours notice if the S is going to HTF, particularly in my area. I post the warnings and photos on my facebook page to warn all my friends and contacts and once I get the new forecasts I will put them on here and put links to them if they have one. I am just trying to help people by giving them a bit more warning than they normally get on local or official forecasts. Thanks for your enthusiasm everyone!

[Deleted User]

2T and KITTIE all predictions, all warnings, all help is so much appreciated, we're grateful for any precautionary measures advised and what you give us all is TIME then it's up to us as individuals to decide what level of preparedness we feel is appropriate to the potential problems you flag up for us, Thank You so much for taking the trouble to share the weather news with us, it's very useful and I for one would much rather be safe than sorry if there's any way to achieve it, Lyn xxx.

[Deleted User]

2tonsils wrote: »

Kittie I am not assuming the type of weather, I am working on the amateur/underground weather sites across Europe checking translations and passing on info between group. Piers is not the only forecaster saying this but he only passes full information on to those who subscribe. I don't blame him for that, it is his living. But the other sites do not charge and I will be posting their warnings as they become available. Whether people take action or not is up to them. You can't be prepared for everything but you can do things to try to limit damage and inconvenience.

ok, nuff said. Bye all

calicocat

De-lurking again.....

I'd far rather know too about any weather coming our way and be prepared rather than not.

Northeast England here.....on the coast, so used to living in a wind tunnel half the time as it is. I get more small electric cuts here too...up side is the beach.


Always good to know of any potential trouble though.

2tonsils

Greece, Italy and surrounding countries are now on red alert.......This high risk warning has just been issued and we are under it from tomorrow afternoon.....all areas under the lines are under threat from torrential rain, flash floods, lightning, tornadoes, large hail and water spouts. It was forecast for us for Thursday but the warning has been issued early. Ready to close the new shutters and batten down the hatches here in Corfu. I will keep updating and posting as long as we have wifi and of course, electricity! I have my camera ready too, all I need to do is remember I have video on it as I always forget! I still have not solved the problem of the batteries draining too quickly in stormy weather....any suggestions?

http://www.severe-weather.eu/outlooks-day1/outlook-day-1-valid-30072014/

GreyQueen

ivyleaf wrote: »

One of their possible suggestions was to make more money by making everyone pay at least 25% of Council Tax regardless of their circumstances :eek::eek::eek:

Of course the poor, infirm and disabled are as a whole the least likely to be in a position to fill in an online survey :mad: So the results will probably be skewed, and the Council will probably reduce services to those most in need and say "But that's what most respondents wanted!"

Hi ivyleaf, a lot of people don't realise, but we are in the second financial year where central government legislation has determined that all people, bar pensioners, in receipt of Council Tax Reduction (CTR for short, the replacement scheme for Council Tax Benefit, CTB for short) must pay 10% of their council tax themselves, regardless of circumstances.

Whilst ring-fencing the full CTR paid to pensioners, central government has told the local authorities that they must charge 10% of the council tax to each household, regardless of circumstances, but they must protect the vulnerable. But the grubbyment have refused to define who qualifies as the vulnerable and each LA is expected to make their own policy for this. And catch it in the neck from anyone excluded, presumably.

My lot haven't charged anyone the 10% but have done this at the expense of finessing the relevent budgets and reducing/ doing away with some council tax reductions/ exemption periods. How long this will be able to go on for is anyone's guess, don't know about 2015/16, it was touch and go being able to pass a budget this year. Most residents in receipt of benefits don't have a clue what they're being protected from and probably would be horrified if they knew what the ToryDems are doiing. And the overall % rate of increase is determined by central govt.

They cut millions each year from each LA's budget, freeze the increases allowed, try to hammer the poorest of the sub-pensioner cohorts, and let the LAs take the flack. It stinks, frankly. As a poorish worker, I pay one month's net salary each year in council tax and flinch at the idea it might go up, it's more than I spend on food or any bill after my rent.

I was over in the area where my family live earlier this month, different LA, playing dodge-the-potholes on A roads. Dad has lived in that area all his life and has cycled, walked and driven all over for 60 years. He tells me he has never seen the roads in such poor condition (and his memory will be biking all over them in the 1950s when gawd knows the country was on its uppers, post-WW2).

On my last journey across the region, I was watching out the window and noticing this on the A grade arterial road across the whole region; pot holes, road markings eroded nearly into illegibility, black-and-white warning chevrons on roundabouts where the black had faded to the palest grey, barely distinguishable from the white, rendering the purposes of a warning chevron moot. These are the kind of plastic signs which don't get repainted, they get replaced. And the Highways Agency is responsible for them and hasn't done it.

I'm afraid the UK is beginning to look a poor place in many areas.

Frugalsod

Yes the elimination of the council tax relief will savage the budgets for many families. I was watching Channel 4 about the supermarkets last night and how they are struggling to cope with falling sales. If family budgets are squeezed even more then you can see the problems first at the supermarkets. I suspect that the problems that the supermarkets are facing are only going to get worse.

sb44

Well I hope the bad weather has gone by the 16th of August as we are off to Blackpool for the week (don't judge me ).

Don't want the daily walk from North Shore to Central being ruined and the pooch doesn't like thunder.

[Deleted User]

pineapple wrote: »

Oop north where men are men and sheep are afraid

I think you are describing Wales there.

Reminds me of the Welsh farmer talking his driving test.

EXAMINER: "Can you make a U-Turn?".

FARMER: "Make it turn? I can make its eyes water".

jk0

I thought these items might interest you guys:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002IRP4T0/ref=pe_385721_37038051_TE_3p_dp_1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00D2PVAA4/ref=pe_385721_37038051_TE_3p_dp_1

The first is a mains/car cigar lighter/usb fast charger for 4 AA cells, and the second is a pack of adaptors to allow the AA's to fit in items requiring D cells.

I already have the AA cells and a charger, but this new one seems a big improvement as of course it can plug into that solar lantern I bought last week, or into the car socket.