Latest news with #JasonNicholls
The Independent
a day ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Extreme heatwave hits Europe as temperatures set to soar above 40C in holiday hotspots
Popular European destinations are facing extreme temperatures with the hot weather expected to soar well into the 40s in major holiday hotspots. Warnings are in place for cities including Paris and Rome over the weekend and into next week, while wildfires have erupted in Greece. Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon warned that southern and western Europe was experiencing a heatwave which was also extending into southeastern parts of the continent. 'Temperatures are expected to be 5-10C above normal fairly widely in Europe, with the potential for a few locations to reach around 40C in the southeast, and possibly even higher across parts of Iberia from Friday, likely challenging some June records,' he said. 'This excessive heat will extend north across other parts of western Europe early next week, and plays a role in the heatwave parts of the UK is expecting, though not with temperatures as high as those previously states,' added. AccuWeather lead international forecaster Jason Nicholls said similar to the 'burst of heat' earlier this month, a strong area of high pressure is going to build over western Europe from Morocco, bringing high temperatures. That system will extend ' upward through Spain, Portugal, into France, and eventually spreading out towards Germany and Italy as we get into the weekend', he said. Mr Nicholls added: 'Worst case scenario, people could be suffering from heat stroke or heat exhaustion, especially if they're outside during the prime heating part of the day, like midday/afternoon hours.' Spanish and Portuguese temperatures to exceed 40C Temperatures in Spain began to rise sharply on Friday, with heatwave conditions expected to continue until at least Tuesday with extremely high temperatures potentially reaching 42C in parts of the country, according to Spain's meteorological office. 'Very high and persistent temperatures are expected, both during the day and at night, which could pose a risk to exposed and/or vulnerable people,' the agency said. In the Canary Islands, temperatures could reach as high as 36C on Saturday, while inland Mallorca will occasionally reach 38C. Also on the Iberian peninsula, Portugal's weather forecaster has issued an orange warning for extreme high temperatures over the weekend. Temperatures in Lisbon and central Portugal are forecast to exceed 42C by Sunday and the high 30s in southern parts of the country. France issues orange alert for 'stifling' heatwave Paris is facing a heatwave from Monday, with temperatures peaking at 39C on Tuesday and forecasters urging caution for people who have to be outside for longer periods of time. Mr Nicholls said those temperatures at this time of year for Paris were not common, last occurring in 2022. In the south of France, temperatures are expected to reach 40C in some areas and authorities have issued a severe fire risk warning and an orange alert for extreme heat for nine departments across central- and south-east France by Saturday. In inland areas of those departments, temperatures could climb to 42C, Le Parisien reports. Meteo France warned that high surface temperatures on the Mediterranean Sea could also affect overnight minimum temperatures, 'making nights more stifling during the heatwave'. In Greece, summer wildfires force Athens evacuations In Greece's first heatwave of the summer temperatures approached 40C in Athens on Thursday, as a large wildfire broke out south of the city forcing authorities to issue evacuation orders. The fire, which reportedly broke out within a populated area, was fanned by strong winds that frequently changed direction, sending plumes of smoke fanning out across the sky. "We're telling people to leave their homes," local town councilor Apostolos Papadakis said on Greece's state-run ERT television. A work stoppage was declared for certain workers including delivery riders on Friday by the Ministry of Labor for Friday afternoon with temperatures set to reach 41C, Greek newspaper Ta Nea reported. Several popular tourist destinations in Italy are expected to swelter through prolonged stretches of temperatures in the high 30s. In Rome, daytime highs won't dip below 37C until Thursday, according to Il Meteo, while temperatures in Florence will alternate between 38C and 39C from Monday. Naples will also reach highs of 37C on Saturday and Monday, while in the northeast, Venice will reach 36C on Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures in other Italian destinations are forecast to be milder, reaching the mid-30s for Naples and high 20s for Bari in Puglia over the weekend. As the heatwave moves north through next week, weather experts warn temperatures in parts of Germany could near 40C by Wednesday. 'Up to 40 degrees Celsius is possible by the middle of next week,' Dr Karsten said. The forecasting site predicts the heat to remain above 30C for five days and above 35C for three during the upcoming German heatwave. Frankfurt is expected to reach 38C on Wednesday, while in Berlin temperatures will reach 35C.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Telegraph
‘X-oholic' harassed female police chief ‘for the thrill'
A man who harassed a female chief constable online told a court he was an 'X-oholic' because of his addiction to social media. Jason Nicholls was chasing the 'instant dopamine rush' of 'likes' on X, the social network, when he bombarded Jo Shiner of Sussex Police with abusive posts over two years, he said. Nicholls shared hundreds of posts, memes, mock-up images and satirical videos on X, formerly known as Twitter, criticising the chief constable's work. The 55 year-old started a 'Twitter soap' he called 'Shiner Street' which detailed the 'ups and downs' of her force, and created a wanted poster of her face which accused her of 'crimes against policing'. Admitting stalking, Nicholls claimed to be the UK's 'first registered X-oholic' and said his social media 'addiction' had dominated his life for over a decade While awaiting sentence at Portsmouth magistrates' court, Hants, Nicholls breached his bail conditions by sending emails to police. At sentencing, magistrates told Nicholls he showed a 'flagrant disregard' for Ms Shiner and a 'significant degree' of planning had gone into his mock-up images on social media. It was heard that Nicholls, from East Cowes, Isle of Wight, stalked Ms Shiner from October 2022 to August last year. As well as his social media posts, he contacted media outlets including BBC Radio Sussex, falsely telling them she had been 'arrested'. He also created a poster which joked that she was 'separated at birth' from Uncle Albert, the Only Fools and Horses character. Prosecutors said there were a large number of posts which were distressing to Ms Shiner and she was 'professionally embarrassed'. Nicholls admitted one count of stalking without fear and distress and two counts of breaching bail conditions. In a statement in court he said: 'I am an X-oholic – blind to risk or consequence, I have lost control of my online life, impulsively chasing the instant dopamine rush of likes, shares, and replies through an overwhelming flood of posts, memes, and satirical videos. 'Today, I've hit rock bottom, but I'm ready to take his [sic] first steps toward recovery.' Nicholls apologised to Ms Shiner and Sussex Police and asked for 'forgiveness and understanding' relating to the 'addiction that has dominated my life over the past decade'. 'Above all, I am here to ask the court for support in breaking free from this overwhelming compulsion,' he said. 'I may be the UK's first registered X-oholic, but I won't be the last.' Nicholls was jailed for 15 weeks, given a restraining order, and ordered to pay £239 in costs. Magistrates said 'the defendant has a flagrant disregard for court orders because the defendant has a flagrant disregard for people and their property'. They said his offending featured a 'persistent and prolonged course of action' and a 'significant degree of planning creating mock up pictures and Twitter accounts'.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Daily Mail
UK's 'first X-oholic' is jailed for online stalking of chief constable he subject to hundreds of social media posts and memes 'to get dopamine rush' from likes and shares
Britain's first self-declared 'X-oholic' has been jailed after he stalked a female police chief constable - claiming his online harassment was driven by the rush of trying to get likes on social media. Internet creep Jason Nicholls bombarded Sussex Police's Jo Shiner with hundreds of abusive social media posts over the course of two years. The 55-year-old started a ' Twitter soap' called 'Shiner Street' which detailed the 'ups and downs' of her force and also created a wanted poster with her face on for 'crimes against policing'. On the platform, now called X, Nicholls shared hundreds of posts, memes, mock-up images, and satirical videos criticising the chief constable's work. Admitting his stalking, Nicholls said his social media 'addiction' has 'dominated' his life for over a decade as he tried to chase the 'instant dopamine rush' which came with posting online. He claimed to be the UK's 'first registered X-oholic' and says he now hopes to help others like him whose online lives have become 'unmanageable'. Now Nicholls has been jailed for 15 weeks and has been slapped with a restraining order against CC Shiner. The order bans Nicholls from contacting CC Shiner, tagging her in posts online - and also bans him from contacting Sussex Police unless there is a genuine emergency or to report a crime. Nicholls created a wanted poster with Chief Constable Shiner's face on for 'crimes against policing'. While he was awaiting sentence at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, idiot Nicholls breached his bail conditions by sending emails to police. At the sentencing hearing on April 25, magistrates told Nicholls he showed a 'flagrant disregard' for CC Shiner and that a 'significant degree' of planning went into his mock-up images on social media. It was heard that Nicholls, from East Cowes, Isle of Wight, stalked CC Shiner from October 2022 to August of this year. He sent the constable a 'great deal' of online communications to her personal X account and email address, among others. Nicholls alleged there was 'corruption' within the force and suggested police were 'not investigating a matter reported by the defendant'. Nicholls he showed a 'flagrant disregard' for CC Shiner and that a 'significant degree' of planning went into his mock-up images on social media. He used his social media account to 'vent his anger' towards the constable and gave specific examples of the posts he made. Among other posts, he edited CC Shiner onto cartoon pictures of sheep, put her face on a wanted poster for 'crimes against policing' and alleged online that her force was 'covering up crime'. He also contacted media outlets including BBC Radio Sussex, falsely telling them the chief constable had been 'arrested'. Nichols also created a poster which joked that she was 'separated at birth' with Uncle Albert from Only Fools and Horses. Prosecutors said there was a 'large number of posts' which were 'distressing' to CC Shiner and she was 'professionally embarrassed'. He admitted one count of stalking without fear and distress and two counts of breaching bail conditions. When he appeared at court and admitted stalking last December, Nicholls took the unusual step of producing a statement about his so-called social media addiction. It said: 'I am an X-oholic—blind to risk or consequence, I have lost control of my online life, impulsively chasing the instant dopamine rush of likes, shares, and replies through an overwhelming flood of posts, memes, and satirical videos. When he appeared at court to plead guilty last December, Nicholls took the unusual step of producing a statement about his so-called social media addiction in which he declared 'I am an X-oholic' 'Today, I've hit rock bottom, but I'm ready to take his first steps toward recovery.' He added: 'For me - who has ADHD, which makes me especially susceptible to addictive behaviour - Elon Musk's free-speech platform X became like a high-street fixed-odds gambling machine, offering a quick, seductive, and psychologically numbing high.' Nicholls apologised to CC Shiner and Sussex Police force and asked for 'forgiveness and understanding' relating to the 'addiction that has dominated my life over the past decade'. 'I deeply appreciate the difficult and vital role the police play and regrets that my actions crossed the line,' he continued. 'Above all, I am here to ask the court for support in breaking free from this overwhelming compulsion. 'I may be the UK's first registered X-oholic, but I won't be the last.' The father said X has 'transformed how people in the UK air their problems, challenge people in power, and catch up on the news'. 'Now Donald Trump is back in the White House, I fear my addiction will only worsen,' he continued. 'Today, this court has an opportunity to show national leadership in acknowledging that something has to be done to help X-oholics like me live a normal life.' At Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, Nicholls was jailed for 15 weeks, given a restraining order, and ordered to pay £239 in costs. Magistrates said 'the defendant has a flagrant disregard for court orders because the defendant has a flagrant disregard for people and their property.' They said his offending featured a 'persistent and prolonged course of actions' and a 'significant degree of planning creating mock up pictures and Twitter accounts'.
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Climate
- Straits Times
US CPC sees 74% chance of ENSO Neutral conditions through June-August
El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions are expected to be favored through the Northern Hemisphere in summer 2025 (74% chance during June-August), the United States' Climate Prediction Center said on Thursday. Chances of ENSO neutral conditions exceed 50% through August-October 2025, it added. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT La Niña is part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climatic cycle, which affects water temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. La Niña results in cooler water temperatures, increasing the chances of floods and droughts, which can impact crops. When ENSO is neutral, water temperatures stay around the average level, leading to more stable weather and potentially better crop yields. CONTEXT The sugar production estimate for the ongoing 2024/25 season has been revised down to 28 million tons due to the adverse impacts of El Niño and limited groundwater resources for irrigation, a report issued on May 05 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service post in New Delhi showed. KEY QUOTES "Neutral ENSO really has no usual conditions associated with it as a neutral ENSO results in other conditions influencing the local and global pattern," AccuWeather's lead international forecaster Jason Nicholls said. "The pattern this spring has resulted in some dryness concerns in the UK and northern Europe while southern Europe has been wet. It looks like the pattern will change heading into summer with more rain opportunities in northern Europe which may improve crop prospects." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
US CPC sees 74% chance of ENSO Neutral conditions through June-August
(Reuters) -El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions are expected to be favored through the Northern Hemisphere in summer 2025 (74% chance during June-August), the United States' Climate Prediction Center said on Thursday. Chances of ENSO neutral conditions exceed 50% through August-October 2025, it added. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT La Niña is part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climatic cycle, which affects water temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. La Niña results in cooler water temperatures, increasing the chances of floods and droughts, which can impact crops. When ENSO is neutral, water temperatures stay around the average level, leading to more stable weather and potentially better crop yields. CONTEXT The sugar production estimate for the ongoing 2024/25 season has been revised down to 28 million tons due to the adverse impacts of El Niño and limited groundwater resources for irrigation, a report issued on May 05 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service post in New Delhi showed. KEY QUOTES "Neutral ENSO really has no usual conditions associated with it as a neutral ENSO results in other conditions influencing the local and global pattern," AccuWeather's lead international forecaster Jason Nicholls said. "The pattern this spring has resulted in some dryness concerns in the UK and northern Europe while southern Europe has been wet. It looks like the pattern will change heading into summer with more rain opportunities in northern Europe which may improve crop prospects."
