Tropical Storm Karl dumped heavy rains on the Yucatan Peninsula today as it moved toward the Gulf of Mexico, where it is expected to pick up steam and become a hurricane threatening Mexico’s central coast by the weekend.

IT’S AN ill wind that doesn’t blow someone some good. Even the volcanic ash has benefited some people – the mâitre d’hotel at Rick Stein’s seafood restaurant in Padstow was beaming from ear to ear when I was there recently.