THE weathermen have described it as the coldest November since records began, the ultimate cause for it unknown; or is it?

Our sun also has been displaying very unusual behaviour over past years by having none or very few sunspots on its surface for longer than its normal cycle.

These cycles of high and then low sunspot activity normally last for 11 years duration between them. This time however this low activity is different by its persistence and some scientists are now saying that there is a link between our climate and solar activity.

When solar winds – or lack of them – interact with our upper atmosphere the resulting effects can interfere with the jet stream allowing Arctic Siberian winds to dominate Europe: exactly what’s happening now!

These cyclic lows have been attributed to why the River Thames has frozen over in the past and before that, the Little Ice Age in 1450.

So if you see an iceberg rolling down Coney Street, don’t be too surprised and as for me: I will be looking through my telescope searching the sun for any signs of fairer weather.

Phil Shepherdson, Chantry Close, Woodthorpe, York.

• COULD somebody start to warn the people of and around York about the problems that are going to arise when all this snow starts to melt. Has anybody thought about this and what will happen to a lot of people when it does? The council needs to address this problem before it happens, which as sure as eggs are eggs it will.

Mick Knapton, Lowther Street, York.

• OUR recycling boxes were put out for collection on Monday; as they were not collected, I contacted the council to find out what was happening.

I was told there would be no collection of the recycling boxes until December 12 (the next official day). I pointed out that I have four full boxes comprising of plastic, tins card and paper awaiting collection and that I have no more boxes to put the material in. I was told that they would collect the recyclable material if left in carrier bags but not in black bags. The reason that they could not collect the material was because of the weather.

Geoff Alderson, Maple Grove, York.