It´s unusual to be able to talk about bad weather here in our adopted country as we are continually reminded of the Mediterranean climate and the 320 days of sunshine a year. But Storm Filomena hit Spain recently bringing snowfalls not seen in Madrid since 1971. The capital ground to a halt as Barajas airport closed, train services in and out were cancelled and emergency services and military rescue teams worked to free stranded motorists and clear main roads. It was not confined to the capital as many other areas in the north and south of the country were also severely affected. Not a good start to 2021!

As COVID continues to be a major source of concern, there are various levels of restriction imposed in each autonomous region and please check and follow the guidelines where you live.

If you are stuck indoors, we can find a handful of new programmes for you to watch on TV and read more about in our magazine features this week.

Channel5 shows another Royal documentary with Queen Victoria: In Her Own Words on Saturday.

There are several scenic and travel programmes including Billionaire Cruise Ship: Paradise Island on Channel4 and Incredible Journeys with Simon Reeve on BBC TWO, both on Sunday. Secret Safari: Into The Wild is on Channel4 and Luxury Cruises: From Boom to Bust on More4, both on Tuesday.

Two celebrity reality shows begin with Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion, each weeknight on E4 and Celebrity Best Home Cook on BBC one on Tuesday and Wednesday.

New drama comes in the form of Marcella, the third series is back on ITV on Tuesday.

The 16^th series of American drama NCIS starts on 5USA on Monday and Damien is new for FOX UK on Thursday.

And there is even another new quiz show as Lightning, presented by Zoe Lyons, starts on BBC TWO each weekday evening.

For our 100s of competition enthusiasts, as we now have an earlier weekly deadline for printing the magazine, we have brought forward the closing date of the prize crossword and codeword competitions.

Editor´s Pick of the week

Greatest Hits of the 70s on Channel5 on Friday at 11pm

This two-part retrospective celebrates bestselling singles from across a classic decade. Each episode features six iconic and fondly remembered songs, exploring in detail the stories behind each one. Featuring music videos and footage from the archives, we hear from the artists, songwriters, musicians and producers behind these timeless recordings as they share with us the inside track on their creation. From the moments the songs were written and recorded, right through to chart success, these 90-minute films retell their stories with love and fan-like obsession.