Tag Archive for: Heat

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands

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Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands: Almost 450 runners braved soaring temperatures to compete in the annual JCB Lakeside 5 and Fun Run – raising £4,300 for charity.

The competitors laced up their running shoes to take on either a five-mile course or two-mile fun run around the picturesque JCB World HQ at Rocester. While most dressed to keep cool as temperatures nudged 28˚C, some runners donned colourful fancy dress outfits based on the Wizard of Oz. Charles Bevan, 78, of Abbots Bromley, dressed as the Tin Man, while his son Jason and fellow JCB Lakeside Running Club members Liz Carrington, Helena Fisher and Ben Ord, came as the Lion, Wicked Witch, Dorothy, and Scarecrow. The event raised £4,300 towards JCB’s £2 million appeal for the NSPCC.

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands

Former JCB employees Charles Bevan and Mick Grindey, 63, of Uttoxeter, have the unique distinction of having run in every single JCB Lakeside 5 since the first was held in 1983 – a total of 40 races, three having been cancelled due to Foot and Mouth and Covid. They were presented with mounted scale models of JCB backhoe loaders to honour 40 years of helping organise the JCB Lakeside 5.

Charles said: “This year is full of mixed emotions as it is likely to be my last race. I am 79 next month and I have run every year dressed as everything from Popeye to Fred Flintstone and even a pantomime horse. I have loved every minute, and I am so proud of what we have achieved raising thousands of pounds for good causes. The support we receive every year is amazing and it was great to see so many people here again this year as we mark our 40th race here at JCB.”

Race Director Mick Grindey, who joined Charles at the starting line, said: “It was 28 degrees on the starting line, so we have been touched by all the support this year. It was definitely one of the busiest we have had and to have run beside Charles on each one over the past 40 events has been an honour.”

Ben Marshall, from Werrington, was the first JCB man to cross the line. Based at JCB’s World HQ, it is the 3rd time he has taken part. Joined by a team of runners from the Backhoe Loader assembly line, he completed the course in 29 minutes and 53 seconds.

Dental hygienist Angela Kiwomya came in at 49 minutes and 50 seconds to claim the place as  first JCB woman over the finish line. She said: “It is the first time I have taken part and was great to be part of the event. The atmosphere is amazing, and it was rewarding to do something for such a good cause.”

Chris Gidlow, of City of Stoke Runners, was the overall winner securing first place for the second time in a row. Beating his last time by just over 10 seconds he made it across the line in 26 minutes and 44 seconds. First female was Joanne Bentley, from Stone, who also claimed the title for the second time crossing the line in 35minutes 1 second.

Uttoxeter Road Runners had a team of 25 runners with Andrew Butterworth, of Uttoxeter, dressed as a dinosaur for his 10th JCB Lakeside 5. He said: “I normally just wear a wig and tutu so it was definitely a lot warmer with the full dinosaur outfit in this heat. The crowd were brilliant though and it was a great atmosphere.”

JCB’s Paula Woods, who works in finance at World HQ, took to the track for the first time with colleague Mark Jeffs. The 54-year-old said she was keen to take on the challenge: “I figured if I didn’t do it now, I never would, and I have found the whole experience really inspiring. It was a lot harder than expected with the hills.”

Among the other competitors were a 15-strong team of JCB India colleagues and their families. They are part of a group of design engineers in the UK on secondment from JCB India’s factory in Pune they wanted to join colleagues in racing. Badjarang Jadhav said: “It was a great experience to share with our families, and we have all enjoyed being part of such a fun event here at JCB.”

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Makita powers up the heat

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Makita powers up the heat: In addition to powering the expanding line-up of cordless tools and accessories, Makita has introduced two new heated base layers to its range of job site apparel.

Powered either with Makita’s 18V LXT battery or the 12Vmax CXT battery, professionals can stay warm when working in cold, harsh job site conditions with the new DCX200 and DCX201 heated base layer shirts.

Makita powers up the heat

Makita powers up the heat

With four dedicated heat zones (front waist, both forearms and back) for optimum heat distribution and three heat settings to adjust to changing weather conditions, these new garments can provide continuous heat for up to 33 hours (when used on the low setting with the BL1860B 6Ah LXT battery – sold separately).

Both base layers are made from elasticated fabric to allow unrestricted movement, are machine washable and have a simple switch on/off button that is easily accessible at the front. The key difference between the two products is the style – the DCX200 is a simple pullover style shirt with a round neck, while the slip on DCX201 features a half zip with a stand-up collar.

The new long-sleeved base layers can be powered by Makita’s 18V LXT or 12Vmax CXT batteries which can be placed in a battery holder attached to the waist belt.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita UK commented: “Our heated base layers are perfect for anyone who works in cold conditions – whether outdoors or indoors. The four heat zones cover the front waist, top centre of the back and both forearms, providing effective and welcome warmth that will enable users to more comfortably carry out their work, all year round.”

The unisex DCX200 and DCX201 heated base layer shirts are available in a range of sizes, from XS to 3XL and join a growing line up of heated jackets and vests from the manufacturer that are ideal for the colder months.

To find out more about Makita and its range of products visit: www.makitauk.com.

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Golf courses tackle extreme heat

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Golf courses tackle extreme heat: Smoking bans, course closures, early finishes, just how are some golf courses tackling the high temperatures?

Read the full article from Golf Monthly here

Golf courses tackle extreme heat

Golf courses tackle extreme heat

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Irrigating During Heat

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Irrigating During Heat: Reesink Turfcare’s Robert Jackson discusses irrigating during warm weather.

2018 was certainly the year irrigation systems across the country had their work cut out. It delivered the hottest weather the UK had experienced since 1976 and in some parts of the country months passed without rainfall.

Irrigating During Heat

Many clubs react to extreme weather by seemingly panicking that their irrigation system isn’t up to scratch, and then as soon as the weather’s back to normal quickly forgetting the frustration. My advice would be, don’t! Have an extreme weather programme in place and invest now to ensure that if the same happens again, you’re prepared.

An irrigation system is designed to supplement rainfall, not replace it. Even the most advanced and expensive irrigation systems may have dry and wet areas, particularly during prolonged dry spells. The proper irrigation management goal is to provide water based on the wetter not drier areas. When the system has completed its cycle, and if needed, dry areas can be supplemented with spot or hand watering, typical, for example, with greens and surrounds.

It’s long been recognised that a blanket application of water is not only wasteful, but during a heatwave sometimes not possible, and tackling this in practice is now made easier with improved sensor technology, control software and advanced sprinkler designs. The ability to accurately tailor water application to precise conditions and requirements can help ensure turf will respond as expected in relation to its localised environment.

Measuring changes in moisture, temperature and other variables such as salinity is not new. What modern technology can do is make this monitoring not only easier but integrate it into how the irrigation system is controlled. Take the wireless Toro Turf Guard soil monitoring system. The system employs self-contained sensor units that can be positioned without the need for wiring. Each sensor sends signals to monitoring software, repeaters and a powerful base station allowing large areas to be covered.

Data is recorded and enables more informed adjustments to irrigation schedules to be made. As well as water-saving benefits, accurate monitoring can help alert users to the conditions that can lead to other problems, drainage issues and turf stress. As the wireless sensors are not static, they can be moved around to easily optimise their positioning, taking into account changes in shading on a pitch through to moving to a different position on a green.

Irrigating During Heat

It follows that soil monitoring systems were primarily developed to prevent over- and under-watering. Equally important, information recorded by soil monitoring provides valuable data over extended periods. Using this information can help ensure an irrigation system can be adapted over time to make the best use of applied water, with the potential to decrease consumption and help maintain sward health.

Computer-based software, such as the Toro Lynx system, can be employed to deliver not just irrigation control, but detailed information when it’s in use. With portable tech, it allows the irrigation system to be ‘interrogated’ while other tasks are carried out.

For example, those systems programmed to set off the sprinklers late at night can be monitored remotely, with the software detailing which sprinklers are running and for how long. The system can be set up to work with soil sensors, to include Turf Guard wireless units, providing an alert when the sensor picks up a change in moisture that may need attention. This provides the information to support the decisions required to programme the irrigation control system.

The problem with an outline like this is that it can over simplify what’s on offer. The Toro Lynx programme is advanced enough to provide full mapping of a golf course, but equally at home looking after a single stadium football or rugby pitch. It is designed to fit user needs and be upgraded to take advantages in developing technology.

In conclusion, a modern irrigation system can deliver not just the correct volume of irrigation water to specific areas of turf, but also provide detailed information that can be of great help in monitoring overall turf health. The best irrigation systems optimise available irrigation water to reduce costs and will deliver reliable and upgradeable performance over its lifetime, no matter what the weather!

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Golf Club Feels The Heat

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Golf Club Feels The Heat: The impact of the UK’s current heatwave can be seen at Oxford Golf Club.

Just a month ago Oxfordshire’s oldest golf course resembled a lush green oasis, but after the driest June on record, the fairways have frazzled.

Now the most verdant parts of the course on Hill Top Road, Headington, are the greens and tees, which are watered via an irrigation system.

Doug MacGregor, the club’s head greenkeeper, said: “I’ve been a greenkeeper for 25 years in Oxford and Scotland and these are some of the most extreme weather conditions I’ve experienced.”

Meanwhile in Oxford University Parks, walkers are likely to have blamed falling water levels in the pond on the scorching weather.

It is thought hundreds of fish died last week after levels plummeted rapidly, but the water loss was not the result of evaporation – the university suspects river gates on the Cherwell were opened to increase depth of water downstream, without realising the implications.

Golf club worker Mr MacGregor took a photo of the course one month ago and again this week from the 10th hole, to demonstrate the impact the weather can have.

The experienced greenkeeper and his team of five are working to keep the course in good shape amid sizzling temperatures of up to 30 degrees C, with the hot spell set to continue this week.

Mr MacGregor added: “We had a tough winter but came through it and then had a very wet period and a lot of grass growth before the heatwave.

“The course has looked magnificent in recent months and now the weather has changed the fairways and rough have really struggled to maintain moisture levels.

“This, coupled with the lack of a mains irrigation system at the club, has meant that they have suffered in terms of grass density and colour but they are still playable.

“The weather has a massive impact on the course and we have to adapt daily -we live by weather reports.”

The team’s day starts at 6am with an analysis of data from the club’s weather station.

The information informs them which areas of the course have lost moisture and enables them to establish where to focus their efforts.

“With the heatwave we have adjusted our tactics significantly,” said Doug.

“We also have a high-tech moisture meter which we use by hand to take readings on different spots of the greens.

“Wind is a big factor and different parts of the green will need more water than others.

“The readings enable us to focus on areas which require attention and apply the necessary levels of water accordingly.

“The soil is very warm and dry, and we continually aerate it. We have reduced the amount of grass cutting we do.

“I love looking after the course and it’s great when people comment on the quality.”

Met Office forecasters said today’s temperatures would be cooler than yesterday.

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