Temperatures to hit 28C as ‘unseasonally’ good weather arrives to see off a disappointing summer Britain will bask in an Indian summer this week with temperatures set to soar to as high as 28C, weather forecasters predict. High pressure over Europe is forecast to drift northwards, bringing warm southerly winds and sunshine across most parts of the UK until next Sunday. MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said temperatures would climb from Tuesday with highs of up to 24C expected in parts of south-east England and Lincolnshire. “At the moment it looks like Friday and Saturday are going to be the warmest days of the week with temperatures locally getting up to as high as 28C in the London area,” said forecaster Andy Ratcliffe. “Most of the UK will be dry, warm and humid with plenty of sunshine all week.” Met Office forecaster Helen Waite agreed the week was going to be “unseasonably warm”. “The high pressure building over the next few days will bring clear skies and sunshine. “Temperatures will start to rise on Tuesday and continue to do so through the rest of the week as warm air comes up from the south.” Ms Waite said north-west Scotland and Northern Ireland would be the only areas of Britain having unstable weather this week, with some strong winds and showers. However temperatures were still expected to be slightly higher than average. The average maximum temperature for September is 19.1C in south-east England. Weather guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Retailer and three contractors guilty of breaching safety laws during refurbishment at Reading and Bournemouth stores Marks & Spencer and three contractors face heavy fines in a sentencing hearing starting on Monday for failing to protect customers, staff and workers from asbestos during refurbishment of two stores. Management was said to have been more concerned about the works being “unsightly” and “interfering with the shopping experience” of customers than the potential for people to be exposed to the cancer-causing material. Construction workers removed asbestos in ceiling tiles and elsewhere during the work at stores in Reading and Bournemouth between 2006 and 2007. The three-month trial at Winchester crown court was told that M&S did not allocate sufficient time and space for the removal of the material in Reading and contractors had to work overnight before the shop opened to the public each day. M&S guidance on asbestos removal was not fully followed by the contractors during the major refurbishments. M&S had a “duty of care” to ensure the work was carried out safely. The retailer was found guilty in July on two charges under health and safety laws of failing to ensure the wellbeing of its staff and others at the Reading store. Willmott Dixon Construction, of Hertfordshire, was found guilty over health and safety breaches at the Bournemouth store. Manchester-based PA Realisations (formerly Pectel) was found guilty of contravening asbestos at work regulations at the Reading store. At an earlier hearing Styles & Wood of Cheshire pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches relating to the Reading store. The companies will be sentenced at Bournemouth crown court during a two-day hearing ending on Tuesday. Richard Matthews, prosecuting, told the trial that M&S failed to carry out sufficient surveys to identify the location of asbestos in the stores. He explained that M&S as a company was experienced in handling asbestos with 70% of its stores containing it and the firm had its own asbestos code of practice. “Marks & Spencer had a duty to make sure asbestos did not take those working in the store by surprise. “If that meant making the store unsightly to customers or interfere with their shopping experience then so be it – better an unattractive store in the short term than the risk of anything else in the long term.” Marks & Spencer Retail industry guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The two American hikers who came home from Iran today told reporters they had been imprisoned because they are American, the AP reports. Joshua Fattal said that while he and Shane Bauer “applaud Iranian authorities for finally making the right decision,” they “do not deserve undue credit for ending what…
Continue reading …The American criminal justice system is collapsing, right? In a new book excerpted in Salon , Harvard law professor William J. Stuntz presents his evidence: a sky-high high prison population, high murder rates, and whites who get off easy while blacks serve time. The problem? Too much power in the hands…
Continue reading …Maybe the sequel will be called 100 Hours ? Inspired by the cringe-inducing James Franco film 127 Hours, a North Carolina man went hiking in the Utah desert, broke his leg, and crawled toward his parked car for 4 days, the AP reports. Amos Wayne Richards, 64, is now recuperating…
Continue reading …In honor of Ron Artest’s name change to Metta World Peace , Time rounds up nine more celebrities who’ve undergone rather, er, interesting name changes: Lisa Bonet : The Cosby Show star became known as Lilakoi Moon in the 1990s because, she said, she wanted privacy. But she continued to use Lisa…
Continue reading …A British doctor is proselytizing Christianity to patients and defending his right to do it. Health officials are investigating whether Dr. Richard Scott promoted Christianity as a health benefit to a “vulnerable … depressed 24-year-old” patient with “lifestyle issues,” writes Nelson Jones in his New Statesman blog . British medical guidelines wouldn’t…
Continue reading …Count Nancy Grace among the Dancing With the Stars contestants who have knocked off a few pounds, People reports. But she’s feeling the nerves too: “My nerves are much, much worse,” the CNN host said at a Power of Women Event in Beverly Hills on Friday. “I’m a fish out…
Continue reading …
Boeing delivers first of new-generation planes in lightweight carbon fibre to Japan’s All Nippon Airways Boeing has delivered its first 787 Dreamliner to Japanese customer All Nippon Airways (ANA). Boeing says its carbon fibre design cuts fuel consumption by 20% and the plane gives passengers a more comfortable ride with better cabin air and large electronically dimmable windows. The first $200m plane arrived three years behind schedule after persistent delays that cost Boeing billions of dollars. The plane will enter service in October. Boeing has taken orders for 821 Dreamliners, which will compete with the Airbus A350, due in 2013. ANA said the plane could go 52% further than the metal-framed Boeing 767 while using 20% less fuel for the distance flown. Boeing’s use of composites has forced Airbus to turn its back on the aluminium airframe for its next generation of jets. ANA has ordered 55 Dreamliners worth a total of $11bn at current prices. Forty of them are the 260-passenger 787-8 version. The Seattle Times reported on Sunday that 787 programme costs had topped $32bn due to delays. That estimate raised questions, the newspaper said, over whether the new jet would make money for Boeing before “well into the 2020s, if ever”. Analysts say new jets typically cost closer to $15bn. Boeing also faces Wall Street concerns over its ability to reach its target of lifting output to 10 planes a month by 2013. Boeing Airline industry Airbus United States Japan guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Humankind has developed plenty of coping mechanisms over the centuries, from long walks to hard drugs. While many of these methods have endured, not all of them are in our brains’ best interests, writes Alice Walton at Forbes . Smoking and drinking, for example, can lead to a vicious cycle of…
Continue reading …