All the ominous signs suggesting Beijing is in for a cold harsh winter are proving to be just that, ominous signs. Yet a tropical creature like me is not happy.

The weather forecasts after the heavy snowfall in Beijing in late November were chilling, with fears of the mercury dropping to-19 C. But what followed was, well, a welcome relief, at least for me. Of course, Beijing has issued two red alerts against air pollution in two weeks, but they don't bother me much because I come from a more toxic (that is, environmentally) country.

What is worrying is winters getting colder in some places - remember the last winter in the United States - and, more seriously, summers getting hotter. This year is already on course to becoming the warmest year in recorded history - another passing year, another record broken.