Corbyn's forecast for January contained these words, publically available on the Internet:

"After a mixed and increasingly cold start, January will be an icy blast, the coldest and windiest part colder and windier than 1987, more like 1740."

and

"January 2008 will turn colder in the first week with sleet or snow likely in places. Generally cold conditions continue through the month and overall January 2008 will be unusually cold with heavy snow at times in the South and SouthEast. Overall January 2008 is likely to be as cold or colder than 1987 when averages over day and night were only 0.8C above freezing in Central England.

It is likely to be in one of the six coldest Januarys for 100 years and is expected to include at least one exceptionally cold spell similar in type to that experienced in part of January 1987 and in the legendary January 1740 when biting Easterly gales or near gales at times and snow wreaked havoc.

There is likely to be a number of days when temperatures in parts stay below freezing all day. The lowest night temperatures in parts of the Midlands, North England or Scotland could be minus 17C or possibly colder at times."

All that couldn't be further from the truth!

Sandy Tomkins, Birmingham, UK

Corbyn's forecast for January contained these words, publically available on the Internet:

"After a mixed and increasingly cold start, January will be an icy blast, the coldest and windiest part colder and windier than 1987, more like 1740."

and

"January 2008 will turn colder in the first week with sleet or snow likely in places. Generally cold conditions continue through the month and overall January 2008 will be unusually cold with heavy snow at times in the South and SouthEast. Overall January 2008 is likely to be as cold or colder than 1987 when averages over day and night were only 0.8C above freezing in Central England.

It is likely to be in one of the six coldest Januarys for 100 years and is expected to include at least one exceptionally cold spell similar in type to that experienced in part of January 1987 and in the legendary January 1740 when biting Easterly gales or near gales at times and snow wreaked havoc.

There is likely to be a number of days when temperatures in parts stay below freezing all day. The lowest night temperatures in parts of the Midlands, North England or Scotland could be minus 17C or possibly colder at times."

All that couldn't be further from the truth!

Sandy Tomkins, Birmingham, UK

Corbyn's forecast for January contained these words, publically available on the Internet:

"After a mixed and increasingly cold start, January will be an icy blast, the coldest and windiest part colder and windier than 1987, more like 1740."

and

"January 2008 will turn colder in the first week with sleet or snow likely in places. Generally cold conditions continue through the month and overall January 2008 will be unusually cold with heavy snow at times in the South and SouthEast. Overall January 2008 is likely to be as cold or colder than 1987 when averages over day and night were only 0.8C above freezing in Central England.

It is likely to be in one of the six coldest Januarys for 100 years and is expected to include at least one exceptionally cold spell similar in type to that experienced in part of January 1987 and in the legendary January 1740 when biting Easterly gales or near gales at times and snow wreaked havoc.

There is likely to be a number of days when temperatures in parts stay below freezing all day. The lowest night temperatures in parts of the Midlands, North England or Scotland could be minus 17C or possibly colder at times."

All that couldn't be further from the truth!

Sandy Tomkins, Birmingham, UK

What Climate Change? That was last century!


“The fact is that the global temperature of 2007 is statistically the same as 2006 as well as every year since 2001. Global warming has, temporarily or permanently, ceased. Temperatures across the world are not increasing as they should according to the fundamental theory behind global warming – the greenhouse effect. “


http://www.newstatesman.com/200712190004

Dr Alister McFarquhar, Cambridge, UK

On my reading of Paul Simons' piece that Piers Corbyn takes exception to, I did not gather the impression that a “forecast” by Mr Corbyn’s outfit of extreme cold was suggested for early January; quite the opposite I read it as they were indicating such an occurrence later in the month (of January).
Mr. Corbyn, in raising this is, I fancy, merely revealing what an accomplished self-publicist he is - for himself and his organisation.
Astoundingly, he calls a warning of a storm in each of two 6 and 5 day windows, a forecast? I would call that a guess! That this sort of non-information appears to have a value to it also suggests to me that we collectively continue to seek snake-oil and rabbits feet in the face of the future.
There are of course 10 more days to go in January and his reiterated statement "exceptionally cold weather later in the month", can readily be assessed soon. That is, if anybody is bothered, apart from Mr. C.

ROHAN, Solihull, UK

This deliberately ignores the key point. The effect of climate change is to exacerbate extreme weather events. Solar activity may help to create specific weather events, and hence allow them to be predicted. But it is our warming climate that determines the magnitude of all these events. In short, these guys should stop squabbling and work together!

Dr Richard Milne, Edinburgh,