On Dec 22, 9:54 am, "Will Hand" wrote:

Why do people always seem to hype up the weather nowadays?
Modern weather is really very benign most of the time (as it often was in the
past if we are honest), and then all of a sudden you get a Boscastle. This fog
is just run of the mill ordinary winter stuff. The main problem is that Heathrow
is operating at 98% capacity and hence cannot cope with any interruptions. Same
with other aspects of our crowded infrastructure.

Will.
--

The best point made so far. There is no room for anything
going wrong.. The same happens when half an inch of snow falls on the
roads round here - the whole lot just grinds to a halt. The traffic
just about flows acceptably if there are no hazards, weather or
otherwise, but if not then all movement ceases. The price of mobility
is often immobility.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

Will Hand wrote:

"Graham P Davis" wrote in message
...
Jack ) wrote:

I cannot comment on the administrative background to the present
airport chaos, but I throw in this little story.

Just before Christmas 1979, the weather pattern was almost identical to
that at present with widespread fog.

You must be mistaken, Jack. A spokesman (for BAA?) on Radio 5 Breakfast this
morning that the problems are due to dense fog - dense? - at Heathrow and
that it's unprecedented for it to last so long at this time of year. Of
course that means all the long-lasting freezing fogs that I remember
occurring at this time of year must also be a figment of my imagination.


Why do people always seem to hype up the weather nowadays?
Modern weather is really very benign most of the time (as it often was in the
past if we are honest), and then all of a sudden you get a Boscastle. This fog
is just run of the mill ordinary winter stuff. The main problem is that Heathrow
is operating at 98% capacity and hence cannot cope with any interruptions. Same
with other aspects of our crowded infrastructure.

Will.
--

No problems at Land's End Airport www.sennen-cove.com/today2.htm (just
above the white house).
http://www.islesofscilly-travel.co.u...aerial_leq.jpg

Graham

"Graham P Davis" wrote in message
...
Jack ) wrote:

I cannot comment on the administrative background to the present
airport chaos, but I throw in this little story.

Just before Christmas 1979, the weather pattern was almost identical to
that at present with widespread fog.

You must be mistaken, Jack. A spokesman (for BAA?) on Radio 5 Breakfast
this
morning that the problems are due to dense fog - dense? - at Heathrow and
that it's unprecedented for it to last so long at this time of year. Of
course that means all the long-lasting freezing fogs that I remember
occurring at this time of year must also be a figment of my imagination.

--
Graham Davis
Bracknell


Really? When was the last time we had fog that lasted four days solid
without lifting at all?

Graham Easterling wrote:

No problems at Land's End Airport

Good point but I believe there are parking problems when the get more
than about a dozen diverted Jumbos.

And which hotels do they use for all those passengers?

Jack

Jack ) wrote:

Graham Easterling wrote:

No problems at Land's End Airport

Good point but I believe there are parking problems when the get more
than about a dozen diverted Jumbos.

And which hotels do they use for all those passengers?

Jack

I'm not sure how jumbos would cope with the grass runways, but when it
comes to hotels west Cornwall is quite well served.

But, for that individual touch www.easterling.freeserve.co.uk

Graham

"Graham P Davis" wrote in message
...
Jack ) wrote:

You must be mistaken, Jack. A spokesman (for BAA?) on Radio 5 Breakfast
this
morning that the problems are due to dense fog - dense? - at Heathrow and
that it's unprecedented for it to last so long at this time of year. Of
course that means all the long-lasting freezing fogs that I remember
occurring at this time of year must also be a figment of my imagination.

--
Graham Davis
Bracknell

It's at least somewhat unusual to have fog warnings out over a period of
days without interval for Heathrow.

Jon.

"Adam Lea" wrote :
"Graham P Davis" wrote:
Jack ) wrote:

I cannot comment on the administrative background to the present
airport chaos, but I throw in this little story.

Just before Christmas 1979, the weather pattern was almost identical to
that at present with widespread fog.

You must be mistaken, Jack. A spokesman (for BAA?) on Radio 5 Breakfast
this
morning that the problems are due to dense fog - dense? - at Heathrow and
that it's unprecedented for it to last so long at this time of year. Of
course that means all the long-lasting freezing fogs that I remember
occurring at this time of year must also be a figment of my imagination.

Really? When was the last time we had fog that lasted four days solid
without lifting at all?
Ha! On such assertions are myths built. Of the 96 hourly observations
at Heathrow from 00z on the 19th to 23z on the 22nd, 19 were outside
fog limits (i.e. over 1km vis). The fog was "thick" (i.e. 200m or below)
for slightly less than one-third of the time, and it was never "dense"
(i.e. 40m or below). The longest sequence of synoptic observations
with visibility below 1000m was 23, from 02z on the 21st to 00z on
the 22nd.

This is a scientific newsgroup. Let's have facts.

Philip

"Jon O'Rourke" wrote in message
...
"Graham P Davis" wrote in message
...
Jack ) wrote:

You must be mistaken, Jack. A spokesman (for BAA?) on Radio 5 Breakfast
this
morning that the problems are due to dense fog - dense? - at Heathrow and
that it's unprecedented for it to last so long at this time of year. Of
course that means all the long-lasting freezing fogs that I remember
occurring at this time of year must also be a figment of my imagination.

--
Graham Davis
Bracknell

It's at least somewhat unusual to have fog warnings out over a period of
days without interval for Heathrow.

Nobody at Heathrow, myself included can ever remember such a continuous
period of Low Visibility Procedures (which drives the reduction in
movements) Its not the denseness per se, but conditions of cloud below 200ft
and Runway Visual Ranges of Less than 600m. I can remember several days of
24-36hours but we were into the fourth day of these conditions - came out at
06Z this morning with some SC around.

Phil