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Posted: 21-07-2013 12:51 Post subject:

Overcast and cool in Dublin.

Posted: 22-07-2013 10:07 Post subject:

Perhaps it's as well the heatwave is coming to an end...

The heat is giving ladybirds a taste for human flesh
Garden insects that normally feed off greenfly are biting humans in their search for liquid refreshment
By Cherrill Hicks
6:51PM BST 21 Jul 2013

Forget heat stroke, sunburn and dehydration. This month’s heatwave may lead to an altogether more surprising health hazard – ladybird bites.
The garden insects, which normally feed off greenfly or blackfly, have reportedly been switching their attention to humans in their search for liquid refreshment.

“This last happened in 1976, when we had a damp spring with lots of aphids, so the ladybird population thrived,” says Matt Shardlow, chief executive of Buglife. “Then it got dry and hot and the aphids shrivelled as they couldn’t get any water out of the plants. The ladybirds got desperate for water and started biting people.” Shocked

The worst culprit is the harlequin ladybird, an invasive species larger and shinier than the native variety and usually coloured orange with black spots or black with red spots. “It’s often the larvae that will bite, and they are generally black and bright orange,” says Shardlow.

Other creatures that normally suck the sap from plants, grass and trees are also turning to us for their water supply. “I was bitten at the weekend by both a leafhopper and a flower bug – which is very unusual,” says Shardlow. “I could see them – they have this long thin proboscis like a straw, with which they normally suck the sap from plants. This is a behavioural change brought on by a dry, hot spell.”

No figures on insect bites and stings are collected nationally, but Jolyon Medlock, head of medical entymology at Public Health England, believes the ongoing heatwave may well result in more bites as people cool off in gardens and parks, or leave windows open at night.
“When it’s this hot, you can’t advise people to close windows, but there is one species of mosquito active at the moment that will come into the house and bite during the night,” he warns. “This is especially likely if there is a standing collection of water nearby, such as a paddling pool.”

Insects that bite include midges, mosquitoes, flies and fleas (as well as spiders), although this year people should also watch out for horseflies, according to entymologist Steven Falk.
“We are seeing increasing numbers of horseflies, which like dry hot weather – both the large ones, called gadflies, and smaller ones, called cleggs,” he says. A horsefly bite can be particularly painful and take longer to heal because these insects cut the skin when they bite, rather than pierce it.

Most insect bites and stings in the UK are not serious. They should be washed with soap and water and a cold compress used to reduce any swelling and redness.
“Swelling is a reaction to the histamine in the insect’s saliva or venom, which is injected into human tissues to make it easier to feed,” says Dr Simon Stockley, the author of heatwave guidance published by the Royal College of General Practitioners. “It can be treated with ice and hydrocortisone cream. Taking antihistamine tablets for two or three days can help.”

If a bite becomes infected, and the skin becomes red, swollen and painful, an antibiotic treatment is needed. Some people may have a dangerous allergic reaction to insect bites and stings, adds Dr Stockley. “Anyone who has problems breathing or difficulty swallowing after an insect bite should be treated as an emergency.”

In the UK, insect bites do not normally cause infectious disease – aside from Lyme disease, which is transmitted by tick bites, characterised by a red “bullseye” rash. Left untreated, it can affect the nervous system, joints and heart.

The wisest course is to avoid insect bites by using repellent, covering up, and wearing gloves when gardening.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/10193879/The-heat-is-giving-ladybirds-a-taste-for-human-flesh.html

Posted: 23-07-2013 08:50 Post subject:

Posted: 23-07-2013 09:17 Post subject:

UK heatwave: Storms follow hottest day for years

Violent storms have marked the end of a three-week heatwave with thunder and lightning hitting the UK overnight.
Train services out of Manchester's main railway station have suffered major disruption after a lightning strike hit the signalling system.
A car and the roof of a house caught fire after being hit by lightning and there has been some localised flooding.

The change in weather comes after the hottest temperatures in seven years - which peaked on Monday at 33.5C.
The temperature - recorded in London - marked the hottest day since July 20, 2006.

Network Rail said trains out of Manchester Piccadilly will be delayed by at least 60 minutes, with no details about when they will be back to normal.
Passengers have been told that all services have been suspended out of Piccadilly.
Tram services have also been hit in Manchester after a lightning strike affected signalling for the city's Metrolink service.

Storms have hit England and Wales overnight and will last intermittently throughout today and tomorrow, coupled with torrential rain and the risk of flash floods.

A number of properties in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, were damaged by lightning, with firefighters called just before 06:00 BST. A car in the town also caught fire.

In Wiltshire firefighters tackled a blaze in the roof of a house on Stonehenge Road in Durrington at about 18:30 on Monday.
Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said they received "many" lightning-related calls overnight.

London, Kent, Essex and Cambridgeshire were also affected. In Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, 21mm of rain fell in less than an hour, the BBC Weather Centre said.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning - "be aware" - for rain for parts of England, Wales and Scotland.

On Monday, 33.5C (92.3F) was recorded at Heathrow and Northolt, west London.
The Environment Agency issued one flood warning, meaning "flooding is expected, immediate action required", and another flood alert, meaning "flooding is possible, be prepared", for areas between Gore Point and Hurlstone Point in Somerset.

The Met Office's Yellow warning for Tuesday predicts "thunderstorms or longer spells of thundery rain during the course of Tuesday, with some torrential downpours in places".
It also warns of "the risk of localised disruption to travel" and "surface water flooding".

In Wales, Natural Resources Wales said heavy rain was likely to cause roads to flood and drains, ditches and small streams to overflow.

A further yellow warning of rain has been issued for Wednesday, affecting eastern parts of England and parts of Scotland, in particular the north-east of the country.

As for the seven-year-high daytime reading of 33.5C - recorded at Heathrow and Northolt on Monday - that may be revised upwards as the BBC Weather Centre said delayed reports from smaller weather stations could produce a higher reading.
It was the hottest temperature since a reading of 36.5C was recorded at Wisley, Surrey, on 19 July 2006.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23415544

All quiet here, but we may get storms later.