Winter begins as Palasia threatened with storm evacuation

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has announced the official start of winter 2013-4 in the Austenasian calendar, as a storm forces thousands from their homes in the United Kingdom. In the UK, two people have died and tens of thousands of homes are without electricity due to the storm, with winds over 100 mph having been recorded in some locations. Thousands have been evacuated from their homes in preparation for a storm surge along the east coast of England. Deputy Prime Minister Lord John Gordon informed government officials over Skype earlier today that his town of Palasia has been put under a state of emergency, being situated close to the areas in which the British government has issued flood warnings. He also noted that flooding of Palasia was “anticipated” and evacuation was “possible”. Other areas of mainland Austenasia are not thought to be so much at risk, although all have been experiencing above-average wind speeds throughout the day, with heavy rain falling in Greater Wrythe this afternoon. Glencrannog is forecasted to have sleet and strong winds tonight, but that is unlikely to affect its non-existent population. The Emperor has sent a message of support to Palasia and advised all residents to stay indoors should they be worried about the weather. UPDATE 6 DECEMBER 11:00 – Lord John Gordon has informed the Emperor that the residents of Palasia “are all fine”, and that despite it being “very windy with a bit of flooding” there was “nothing serious”. The state of emergency within Palasia, under which Lord John had been given emergency powers, has also been lifted.

Summer 2013 starts in Austenasia

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has announced today to be the first day of the summer of 2013 in the Austenasian calendar. Greater Wrythe has seen sunny weather recently, in contrast to a cold and rainy spring. Temperatures are predicted by the UK Met Office to reach 22°C later this afternoon, which could make today the hottest day of the year so far (the same temperature also having been recorded in late April) after the coldest spring in 50 years. The Emperor has also confirmed that the spring of 2013 in the Austenasian calendar started on 13 March, an announcement which was not widely publicised outside of the immediate Imperial Family.

Austenasia hit by snow

Two inches of snow have fallen over Wrythe and Zephyria today, with more expected to fall over the weekend. Snow was observed to fall on Wrythe Public Park at roughly 09:00 this morning, with roughly an inch having fallen in the Carshalton area by 12:00 and another inch by 16:00. The snow had mostly stopped by early evening, but more is expected to fall on Sunday afternoon. Most of Britain has seen snow today, with 26 centimetres reported in some areas of South Wales. Over 3000 schools were closed across the UK, with all schools attended by Austenasian subjects and residents closing at lunchtime. Conditions on the roads are already bad, with slush predicted to freeze into ice over the night.

First winter snowfall in Carshalton

Dawn broke over Wrythe, Zephyria and Orly this morning to reveal snow falling in Carshalton for the first time this winter. The snow lasted from roughly 06:30 to 08:50, with about two inches falling but only a few centimetres settling. There was no noted disruption to British transport systems, with bus routes running and schools open. The snow had mostly become ice and slush by noon, and had melted away by late afternoon. The last time snow fell in Austenasia was at the start of February earlier this year. It is expected that heavier snow will fall over the rest of the winter.

Winter starts in Austenasia as new laws are passed

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has announced the start of winter in the Austenasian calendar, and given Imperial Consent to two new Acts of Parliament. Austenasia has been battered by heavy winds and large amounts of rain over the past week, although thankfully there have been no floods as in the surrounding United Kingdom. This morning finally saw an end to the rain, although the temperature was several degrees colder than yesterday. This change in weather conditions has been used to mark the turning point from autumn to winter this year. The Emperor has also given Imperial Consent to two Acts of Parliament, passing them into law. The first has revised the law on homicide, defining the required acts and intentions for murder and manslaughter in greater detail and creating a separate offence of second-degree murder for killings in which, while harm was intended, it was not realised death was a possibility. The second act has codified Austenasian law on the subject of how international treaties are to be ratified.

Archaeological dig put on hold due to rain

HIH Crown Prince Jonathan has announced that work on the archaeological dig currently underway in Wrythe Public Park is to be put on hold until the spring due to bad weather. The dig, which started on 16 August earlier this year and is organised by the Imperial Geographical Society, is excavating an area which had been under paving stones since before the Imperial Family moved to what is now the Imperial Residence in January 2004. The trench which has been dug has so far unearthed various pieces of glass and pottery, an at present unidentified animal bone, several metal nails, and a two pence coin which dates the construction of the patio under which the dig is taking place to no earlier than 1992. The trench has also unearthed a large tree stump with an extensive root system, formerly sealed under the patio – two tree stumps were already visible and used as steps down from Wrythe Public Park’s patio to 2 Imperial Road. With the discovery of this third tree stump, it is thought that there was once a row of trees marking the end of the now Imperial Residence’s garden before 2 Imperial Road (the garage) was built. The last digging which took place was in early October – due to rain since then, further excavation has been continually postponed due to the soil in the trench becoming waterlogged. With rainfall yesterday, the Crown Prince (who is leading the dig) has announced that digging is being formally put on hold until drier weather. Fans of Cool Barbie will recognise the area of the dig as being where a Dalek was imprisoned in Prisoners Freed. Thankfully, the diggers have not reported unearthing any hostile aliens yet.