Day 149 - "Emma, I'd like you to meet The Beast from the East"

“To an outsider, the most striking thing about the English weather 

is that there is not very much of it."

Bill Bryson

Weather. It's the number one choice of topic of conversation for the British. I suppose it's the number one topic choice of Canadians too, unless of course Tim Horton's raises the price of a coffee or donut.

As a Canadian used to very cold winters and very hot summers, I often wonder why the fascination with the weather here. After all, most of the time, it's rather temperate. Admittedly, it's hard to predict, but generally there aren't huge fluctuations in temperature from one day to the next. Being an island, weather doesn't stay the same for weeks on end (think the unending Great Lakes Grey skies we often endure for weeks at a time without a chance of seeing even a hint of blue sky). Here, you may always have to be prepared for a drizzle, but almost every day you will also see sun and blue sky at some point.

According to 2010 research by social anthropologist Kate Fox, 94% of British respondents admit to having conversed about the weather in the past six hours, while 38% say they have in the past 60 minutes.

“This means at almost any moment in this country, at least a third of the population is either talking about the weather, has already done so or is about to do so,” says Fox.

If you look closely, you'll see Great Britain in the centre of the image with
Storm Emma bearing down on it and southern Europe.
Source: www.express.co.uk

So you can only imagine the buzz when two major weather systems are meeting up and producing a winter weather system of snow and ice that has a potentially life-threatening impact on a country admittedly ill-prepared for such events. After all, why would you prepare for 50cm snowfalls when they so rarely occur?

Today, a polar vortex moving in from Russia, which the media has dubbed "The Beast from the East" -- you know, the types the Americans usually blame us for -- was due to meet the cyclone known as Storm Emma which had centred over the Azores, volcanic islands of Portugal about 1,300 kms off its coast. The result, a lot of cold air, moisture and hurricane-force winds in many parts of southern Europe and the UK. The highest winds recorded for this storm were in France at 228 km/hr, with 150 km/hr gusts reported in some parts of the UK.

The first of the snow hits London,
and Phil can't resist throwing a
snowball...as did the nearby
restaurant staff, who rushed
outside to have a snowball fight.

Of course, we were aware this storm was due to hit in force in Moreton in Marsh by about 2 pm, and as we were still in London this morning, we woke early and made a beeline to Paddington Station.  As we walked from the Tube station down the ramp into Paddington, we were greeted by an almost empty station. Two trains were on the platforms at the farthest sides of this very large station. The electronic signs above the platforms read: "All Platforms Closed." A voice over the intercom was announcing that anyone who was going to any route via Reading should speak to a member of staff. 

As our train would have gone via Reading, we spoke to a Great Western Railway (GWR) staff member when we got to the front of the station. Staff were out in abundance and being very patient and helpful (I don't think any people come together to support each other better than the British do in times of uncertaintly... Keep Calm, and Carry On ... and all that. We learned that one train was going to be allowed to leave to go to Reading, and we even managed to discover which of the two trains that were in the station it would be. This little bit of knowledge allowed us to get a prime spot next to a carriage door as we waited for a train driver to arrive.

The lady working for GWR who was managing the Reading train platform was shuffling from foot to foot trying to stay warm. She had come in from the Gatwick area and arrived at work at 4 am. She expected to be at the station until 9 pm to cover for those who were unable to make it in. But she was friendly and jovial, despite being chilled to the bone already. I said to her that to stay warm, as a Canadian, the only advice I could give her was to never stop moving around the platform."

Snow and ice on the platforms at Paddington Station.
Source: BBC.co.uk

The interesting thing is that Paddington Station was closed because snow had fallen through the glass overhanging ceiling and, combined with moisture from the footwear of early morning commuters, had created a thin layer of snow and ice across the exposed platforms. The result was very slippery conditions on platforms made up of shiny, almost marble-like tiles. The station opened 3 hours later after a good clean up and salting was completed.

We managed to get a coffee and croissant for breakfast from one of the last shops that had remained open in the station, then got a prime table seat on the train and watched as those waiting for information under the main station boards came running...yes, running...to get a place on the train. In the end, it was packed. Of course, as expected, all conversation around us was on the weather and the resulting transportation cancellations.

We made it to Reading after the train stopped along the way at all local stops. Once in Reading, we could see that all the local trains onward to Oxford and into Wales (which was already being hit badly by the storm) appeared to be cancelled. But Phil's eagle eye spotted a train leaving for Birmingham that would get us to Oxford. We had no idea if we would get passed that point.

Once in Oxford, it appeared that a train to Moreton in Marsh was scheduled to go out within the half hour. We bought a cup of tea and had just seated ourselves at a cafe table, when I noticed that the train to Moreton was now cancelled. On speaking to a staff member, Phil learned the rail company was still offering taxi chits for those travelling onward (hurray for the braveness of cab drivers). As we waited for the form to be completed, we heard that all the trains were being cancelled at this station.

We shared a black cab with two other passengers heading to Moreton. It ended up being a rather lovely 45-minute journey back through Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire towns and villages, with lots of conversation about the weather (of course), family and life in the Cotswolds with two local gentlemen.

This storm today, would hit Wales, south-west England and Scotland the worst. In total, it would claim the lives of 14 people. Some people in Scotland spent 20 hours stranded in their cars on a motorway. Some homes and communities in remote rural areas were cut off due to snow drifting to their rooflines. Farmers couldn't get milk and other goods out, and couldn't get feed and other products in. I read of sheep farmers who had to walk through snow 3 miles to take feed to their livestock. Some animals had to be dug out of snow drifts. Of course, its lambing season, so lambs were being born and caught in the weather.

In Moreton, although we didn't receive nearly as much snow (perhaps about 12 to 15 cms), it was enough to bring the town to a standstill. Most shops closed...except for the fish and chip shop. So, we had no choice but to support them for our evening dinner!

Milder temperatures are expected in the next few days,and that will bring the risk of flooding. We're sure to be talking about the weather for days to come.