Friday notes

Weather a bit iffy today, with occasional showers and just now a half-hearted attempt at sunshine. Things are drying up in terms of flooding down in Gloucestershire, and images of boats in the middle of meadows, or draped across a lock, present themselves. The water situation remains dire for 340,000 residents of Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, who depend on bottled water and bowsers for their supply.

Warnings have gone out regarding the flood waters, which contain all sorts of nasties, varying from excrement to dead animals. Although dilution helps to ameliorate this problem, the sight of little kiddies playing in the floods was horrifying. I once cycled through a flood, and it stank.

Tropics are beginning to liven up a bit - watch out for early next week, when something could form in the Atlantic. The Western Pacific is cooking up a tropical system as I speak - more details over the next few days. Across the blue divide, Dalila is fizzling out over cool ocean waters. A tropical cyclone requires water temperatures of 80F or more, but Dalila is over waters only just above 70F.

A worrying report on the news this lunchtime about diabetes tablets Actos and Avandia, which appear to contribute to heart failure in 2% of users, even in those under 60. A doctor will always appraise risks versus benefits, and if you have heart problems you are unlikely to be prescribed these tablets. If in doubt, always speak to your doctor first.