My 23 June blog on this topic emphasised that despite the decline in the El Niño there was little indication of a La Niña developing (except for the forecast of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California, San Diego). In its July update the International Research Institute for Climate and Society of… Continue reading Southern Africa Drought, Dam Levels, Outlook August 2017
Expatriate British Pensions Update July 2017
As noted in my May blog on this the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Frozen British Pensions ceased to exist when Parliament was dissolved on 3 May. Subsequent to the election it has been re-formed and met for the first time on 18 July. Once again it reflects an all party interest with Sir… Continue reading Expatriate British Pensions Update July 2017
Southern Africa Drought, Dam Levels, Outlook June 2017
With this being the dry season over most of Southern Africa the only part that warrants attention as far as rain and dam levels is concerned is probably the Western Cape that relies on winter rainfall. My 6 May post showed that all other provinces (plus Lesotho) had dam levels above 50% of capacity but… Continue reading Southern Africa Drought, Dam Levels, Outlook June 2017
The South African Karoo and its Farming
Based on a visit in May 2017. Photos by the author except where otherwise indicated. To some the South African Karoo is an area to be passed through as quickly as possible while driving between the Cape and the population centres in Gauteng and the rest of the northern regions, or to be flown over… Continue reading The South African Karoo and its Farming
Expatriate British Pensions Update May 2017
The 20 April House of Commons debate raised many of the points Sir Roger Gale and his All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) have so ably made in the past and the unfreezing of the relevant pensions was supported by various MPs from all parties. Many examples of individual hardship were mentioned together with the apparent… Continue reading Expatriate British Pensions Update May 2017
El Niño Prospects
The outlook for El Niño has become particularly difficult because of conflicting signals. Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society reports that computer models are predicting a strong El Niño, in particular because of the above average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the eastern tropical Pacific, or what has become known as a… Continue reading El Niño Prospects
Snippets #1
I can’t get this quote out of my head currently: “As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned… Continue reading Snippets #1
