winter

Dr Corrigan believes that - as long as temperatures continue to rise, and in particular winters become warmer - the increase in rat numbers is likely to continue.

The air-conditioning - built for Russian winters - was barely adequate in scorching Indian summers.

Charities in Shropshire are urgently calling for benefit reforms, warning that working families could face a "dreadful" winter as food and energy bills continue to surge.

It added that in regards to chrysanthemums, the main fluctuations in their price was season-dependant as they are grown in the Netherlands, and come autumn and winter require more energy to produce.

The judges said: "A novel about how to live, and about the tensions within marriages, set against the most dramatic winter in living memory. It's a joy to read, a nerve-shredding pleasure."