Oy! I had the misfortune of being stuck in London for 5 days during that summer! It's the ONLY time I have been in the UK and it wasn't cold, overcast, and drizzling.

In 2004 I looked out the windows of my piso attico (5th floor) in the l'eixample of Barçelona and noticed light snow flurries. Originally being from the Intermountain West of the USA my first thought was, "Ah, how pleasant. Snow." Then I remembered that it rarely, as in practically never, snows in BCN. For two weeks we trudged through mucky dog-blast ridden sludge and piles of snow. Barçelona does not have any snow-removal equipment. Ibiza actually had snow-covered beaches and icicicles hanging from palm trees. Odd, indeed.

Last August there were traffic jams all over Buenos Aires not because people do not know how to drive during inclement weather (actually, there's a big question whether or not porteños know how to drive at all). The traffic jams were caused by people stopping in the middle of the autopistas and downtown avenues, getting out of their autos, and staring up in amazement. Snow in Buenos Aires? This is the sub-tropics! They say ("they" being the professional weather guys) it snowed once before about 70 years ago.

My favorite city for over-blown weather predictions is Austin, Texas. When it rains the streets turn slimey from the ubiquitous fungus that covers everything. It's like driving on roads covered in snot. (Pretty, no?) Then everyone whispers "I hear it's going to snow," with the same reverance as if they were awaiting a nuclear exchange.

However, I believe we should all bow our heads and pray for the folks in the prairie and flat-land states in the USA where tornados wipe out entire communities within minutes. That's extreme weather.