A legal firm acting on behalf of the Met Office has confirmed today that they have received a writ detailing a court action against them, regarding their use of the term “Beast from the East”.
It is claimed that this was the alias used by a retired WWWF wrestler whose glittering, sweaty career spanned 40 years. The ex-wrestler is said to want,
“a share of all associated advertising revenue streams and royalties from anyone using the term.”
The Russian retiree, now living in Romford, notably won a string of tub-thumping bouts during the Autumn of 1983. He was briefly crowned champion when he took the title from The Crazy Cowboy, a showdown that carried considerable political symbolism during the Cold War years.
This isn’t the first time the Met office’s use of frivolous and patronising names for dangerous weather systems has got them mired in controversy.
They were also subject to legal action when they were forced to subtly change the name of a North African tropical weather system to “the Grumble from the Jungle” during a particularly oppressive heat wave in the notorious summer of 2003.
In other news, Vladimir Putin has commented on the case saying the term is a disgraceful example of cultural appropriation and Russophobic in nature.
He is said to have told British envoys to expect hordes of ruthless barbarian warriors riding upon the wind, to descend upon London and besiege the gates of the Met office building.
More on this breaking storm of controversy as it happens.