Latest news with #DanHarris
Times
a day ago
- Climate
- Times
How to track temperature change over the years
If you wish to know current hourly temperatures across various weather stations in the UK then is the website for you. By clicking on a temperature symbol you can see the latest reading and comparisons with the rest of the day, the month, the year and even historical readings going back decades. As for 'normal', this is the temperature taken at the same time of day and time of year averaged over a 30-year period, from 1991 to 2020. This is a striking way of showing how the country's climate is changing with rising temperatures — important benchmarks because it is easy to lose sight of how much hotter each place is becoming. The website, designed by Dan Harris and Ed Hawkins, was inspired by a similar idea in Australia. Another vivid example of changing climate is Hawkins's use of 'climate stripes', with various shades of red for hot and blue for cold, representing the average temperature for a single year going back over nearly two centuries. The result is a powerful way of showing how the climate has warmed not just in the UK but also across every country in the world, mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels. As for this June in the UK, it comes as no surprise that it was hotter than normal, especially in the southeast and East Anglia, where last month's two heatwaves were concentrated. Many parts of the UK also suffered a severe lack of rain, with northeast, east, central and southeast England having particularly low rainfall after early June. The dry conditions followed six months with little rain that left many eastern and southern rivers with low levels of water. Reservoir storage has also declined across most areas after high demand in the hot weather, so it is no wonder that hosepipe bans may be coming shortly in Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and Southern Water areas.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Climate
- Scoop
Wheeled Excavator Programme Clears The Way For Safer Roads In Hurunui
Press Release – Hurunui District Council Water is the biggest enemy of the roading network, said Councils Chief Operations Officer Dan Harris. The wheeled excavator programme is helping to move water away from our roads as quickly as possible, making a real difference to road safety and … A new 'light-touch' initiative to improve roadside drainage across Hurunui District is already proving its worth, with 150 kilometres of roadside cleared in just the first month of Council's wheeled excavator programme. 'Water is the biggest enemy of the roading network,' said Council's Chief Operations Officer Dan Harris. 'The wheeled excavator programme is helping to move water away from our roads as quickly as possible, making a real difference to road safety and road quality.' 'It's a smart, light-touch approach,' said Council's Roading Manager Charlie Hutt. 'We're opening up culvert ends, getting water moving and making note of the roads needing a little more.' Hutt said the work often occurs where large-scale drainage work would have been too costly or disruptive. Two wheeled diggers are employed to carry out the roadside drainage improvements, reshaping and clearing culverts, removing trees and opening up blocked drainage channels. Each digger is accompanied by a spotter, armed with a shovel and a sharp eye, ensuring targeted, efficient maintenance. Councillor Robbie Bruerton, Chair of the Operations Committee, described the initiative as a 'good piece of work, done the right way.' 'The biggest complaints we were getting were about drainage and road deterioration.' The programme had tackled those issues, with real cost savings, Bruerton said. The programme follows a trial undertaken in 2023, with an additional pilot carried out in 2024 around well-known hot spots in the district that were prone to flooding. Hutt said these previously problem areas were performing well, even after recent rain. Funding for the current and next two financial years has been budgeted for in the Long Term Plan. Part of a further year will be funded by Resilience Improvements money granted by Waka Kotahi NZTA, on Council's Vulnerable Roads. Mayor Marie Black welcomed the success of the trial. 'This is a great example of innovation and partnership delivering better outcomes for our communities.'
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Wheeled Excavator Programme Clears The Way For Safer Roads In Hurunui
A new 'light-touch' initiative to improve roadside drainage across Hurunui District is already proving its worth, with 150 kilometres of roadside cleared in just the first month of Council's wheeled excavator programme. 'Water is the biggest enemy of the roading network,' said Council's Chief Operations Officer Dan Harris. 'The wheeled excavator programme is helping to move water away from our roads as quickly as possible, making a real difference to road safety and road quality.' 'It's a smart, light-touch approach,' said Council's Roading Manager Charlie Hutt. 'We're opening up culvert ends, getting water moving and making note of the roads needing a little more.' Hutt said the work often occurs where large-scale drainage work would have been too costly or disruptive. Two wheeled diggers are employed to carry out the roadside drainage improvements, reshaping and clearing culverts, removing trees and opening up blocked drainage channels. Each digger is accompanied by a spotter, armed with a shovel and a sharp eye, ensuring targeted, efficient maintenance. Councillor Robbie Bruerton, Chair of the Operations Committee, described the initiative as a 'good piece of work, done the right way.' 'The biggest complaints we were getting were about drainage and road deterioration.' The programme had tackled those issues, with real cost savings, Bruerton said. The programme follows a trial undertaken in 2023, with an additional pilot carried out in 2024 around well-known hot spots in the district that were prone to flooding. Hutt said these previously problem areas were performing well, even after recent rain. Funding for the current and next two financial years has been budgeted for in the Long Term Plan. Part of a further year will be funded by Resilience Improvements money granted by Waka Kotahi NZTA, on Council's Vulnerable Roads. Mayor Marie Black welcomed the success of the trial. 'This is a great example of innovation and partnership delivering better outcomes for our communities.'
Scoop
18-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Cost-Saving Water Project Sets Examples For Small Councils Nationwide
Hurunui District Council's award-winning Water Safety Project for protozoa compliance has been recognised yet again - this time for the impressive cost savings it's delivered while meeting new water standards. Council won the Excellence in Cost Effective Impact Award at the 2025 LGFA Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards held last week. The category is new to the awards and recognises programmes or projects that generate significant and demonstrable reduction in costs without compromising the achievement of the desired outcome. Hurunui's Water Safety Project previously won the Excellence in Water Project Award at last month's Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) Excellence Awards. Council's Chief Operations Officer Dan Harris said winning the Excellence in Cost Effective Impact category award was especially meaningful as the project had been born out of the challenges of meeting the costs of impending drinking water standards, which, for many of the districts' smaller supplies, would have been unaffordable. The project involved upgrades to 16 water treatment plants at a total cost of $24 million to comply with water safety regulations requiring protozoa protection for each of these plants. 'It was an ambitious project by any standard but especially challenging for our district with its population of around 13,800 residents spread across 8,641 km2,' Harris said. In 2015, Council consulted with its communities on a way forward to meet protozoa compliance. 'We agreed to implement a district-wide equitable rating system for all drinking water supplies. This combined all finances for all but one of our schemes,' Harris said. To keep costs down, Council established an in-house Project Management Office (PMO), which significantly reduced the reliance on external consultants. Judges at the awards recognised the project as a 'prime example of how rigorous project management and quality engagement can enable a council to meet both a critical regulatory requirement and a significant community expectation'. Council CEO Hamish Dobbie said Hurunui is proud to be leading the way in developing a model of water delivery that is uniquely tailored to the district and has resulted in significant cost savings. 'Judges at both awards have commented that our model can be replicated by other councils, and is especially valuable for smaller councils managing multiple schemes,' Dobbie said. Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said delivering robust infrastructure with good financial management sits at the heart of Council's strategic vision. 'As a smaller council, we're showing that through collaboration and strong financial management, it's possible to deliver innovative solutions with benefits well beyond our own district.' This is the second year in a row Hurunui District Council has won its category at the Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards, having previously won the Community Engagement category last year.
North Wales Live
16-06-2025
- Health
- North Wales Live
Soundproof booths and mental health days needed for employees, HR experts say
HR specialists are encouraging employers to introduce sound-proof work booths and designated mental health days off to cater for the needs of the emerging generation in the workplace. They recommend creating an environment where everyone can thrive. It includes offering flexible work schedules, promoting regular breaks, and implementing mentorship programmes. The study commissioned by Benenden Health, which surveyed 500 HR professionals, revealed that a staggering 77% are taking steps to ensure their workplaces are suitable for neurodivergent individuals. These recommendations were part of a report aimed at highlighting how employers can better support Generation Alpha as they join the workforce. Benenden Health's Chief People Officer, Mike Hay, stated: "It is important to understand and support neurodivergent individuals, including those within Generation Alpha, who will make up a growing part of the workforce." "Communication is key," he further added, "creating space for open, two-way conversations where employees feel safe to disclose their needs is essential, especially for those who may have faced stigma in the past." Dan Harris from the organisation also commented: "Autism diagnosis has increased by almost 800% in 20 years and other neurodivergent diagnoses are also on the rise. Businesses of the future need to adapt to this and are set to fail if they don't bring in measures to support these individuals." These measures include fostering open dialogue, advocating for regular breaks, and endorsing flexible working schedules. Mike commented: "In the next five years, the workforce will be the most diverse it has ever been, and we need to acknowledge that it takes time to learn and adapt our workplaces and leadership styles to support everyone's needs." A substantial 81% acknowledge the significance of these adjustments, suggesting a universal need for every individual to feel supported in order for productivity and creativity to truly thrive. Over two-thirds have seen an increase in employees asking for reasonable adjustments in the workplace over the past year to meet their needs. This view was echoed by those aged between 13 and 18, as a survey of 500 teenagers showed six out of 10 know with someone who is neurodivergent. Meanwhile, a fifth speak to their parents about neurodiversity on a regular basis. More than half of parents believe this openness is attributed to a growing awareness of what neurodiversity is and what adjustments may be needed.
