Stormy Weather

[Serial_Apologist]

Several people have stopped me to remark on the gloomy weather predictions in the press - ie deluges right through until September.

There is no evidence of this, folks. It's going to be mostly dry now, at least until Wednesday, with temperatures picking back up to normal, even somewhat above.

So remember folks - the press is here to add gloom to overwhelming gloom in other areas of life, the object being to "remind" us all that there is nothing anybody can do about anything, so don't even try, OK?

[Anna]

It's going to be mostly dry now, at least until Wednesday, with temperatures picking back up to normal, even somewhat above

HA! So that's why I got soaked going out and coming back this morning and why, at the moment, I cannot see through the rain and the hills are obscured by mist? It is however promised to be dry tomorrow through to Wednesday. It's so downright miserable at the moment I'm going to cook curry, dhal and naan to inject a bit of warmth into my life!!

@ marthe. Thanks for info re Lewis Morris. I see from digging into their family history that they were in Tintern (up the Wye Valley from Chepstow) and they all had strong connections with the West Indies and in particular Barbados and one of them, Valentine Morris, bought the Piercefield Estate which is now a ruin, the grounds are Chepstow Racecourse. Well, the Barbados connection explains why Barbadoes Hill and Barbadoes Wood (between Tintern and Chepstow) is so named. I've often wondered about that and I'm sure it must be the reason.

Edit: salymap has not been seen for 2 days, does anyone know if she is OK?

[Dave2002]

Re msg 4739
Marthe

Don't think we ever managed to go to Chepstow, but seen quite a few of the others - http://www.destinationnewport.com/mansion.asp
Haven't been to Rough Point either. I guess we're going to have to come back again. Nice little houses they have there, particularly some of the cottages!

Some great museums too, including this one - http://www.americanillustration.org/ Do you still have to book a year in advance when the moon is full?

[Richard Tarleton]

A catalogue from Lands End, the online clothes retailer, crashed through the letter box, with "The Great British Summer" emblazoned across the front. As it's not full of rainwear I assume they're not being ironic.

[Jonathan]

The way I look at the weather is last year they predicted a BBQ summer. They were 100% wrong.
This year they predict loads of rain so there is no reason why they can't be 100% wrong again.

Having said that, I assume the reason for the run of bad weather is that the Azores high pressure zone has not built enough to drive the seasonal depression track northwards to Scandanavia so it's running it's standard (winter) course.

[ahinton]

HA! So that's why I got soaked going out and coming back this morning and why, at the moment, I cannot see through the rain and the hills are obscured by mist? It is however promised to be dry tomorrow through to Wednesday.

Not in this fairly closely neighbouring neck of the woods it isn't - at least not according to my iPhone. I went out to a fairly new and most delightful French restaurant for lunch today out in the sticks west of Abbey Dore, so close to the Welsh border and nestling almost into the Herefordistan side of the Black Mountains; food and service fantastic but could hardly see my way there and back for the mist and rain - and the roads were badly flooded and, as it's in Hedrefordistan rather than Wales itself, they're also full of potholes, unlike most of the Welsh side roads that I've encountered and which are, for the most part, in vastly superior condition.

[Pianorak]

. . . I assume the reason for the run of bad weather is that the Azores high pressure zone has not built enough to drive the seasonal depression track northwards to Scandanavia so it's running it's standard (winter) course.

Actually I blame the jet stream which is stuck over much of southern England which in turn means low pressure systems are likewise parked across England and Wales. Tuesday next week looks reasonable - make the most of it!
Other speculations on the weather are freely available.

[Serial_Apologist]

I keep forgetting that Anna is on the other side of the world, tut tut slap me on the wrist etc!

Jonathan and Pianorak are right about the reasons for the bad summer, as far as they go; what no one has yet explained - or rather, I have seen no explanation - is why this is the third summer in a row when the jet stream is tracking much farther to the south than it is supposed to.

[Pianorak]

S_A : New Scientist opined recently that the present extremely weak solar cycle may have had effect on the jet stream which periodically weakens and goes into huge irregular wavy shapes. Just another theory though.

[Nick Armstrong]

Extraordinarily windy in London today. No rain though... yet.

[mangerton]

HA! So that's why I got soaked going out and coming back this morning and why, at the moment, I cannot see through the rain and the hills are obscured by mist? It is however promised to be dry tomorrow through to Wednesday.

Anna, if that's the forecast for your part of the country, it's probably correct. I've been in Somerset and Warwickshire for the last week or so having my "summer" holiday. I'm in Bristol tonight and return home tomorrow. I expect to take the rain with me.

I hope you enjoyed the curry!

[marthe]

So much to catch up with. First of all, to dear saly: I hope all is well and that your back is no longer troubling you. I'm sending all good wishes across the Atlantic. @Anna, thanks very much for additional info about the Morris family. The Barbados connection is interesting because Newporters made their money in the sugar/molasses/rum/slave trade. There was also a big connection between wales and early Philadelphians. There were prominent Morrises in Phila. as well as Cadwaladers and others. There's an important collection of c18 furniture called the Cadwalader Collection. It's story is worthy of Downtown Abbey!.

Dave 2002: Yes those Newport "cottages" are something else. NMAI (Illustration Museum) still operates along those lines (see post 4383). Rough Point is well worth visiting. I work for the foundation that owns and operates RP but work
at their other museum house, the Samuel Whitehorne House.

[BBMmk2]

We have the BHF London to Brighton Bike Ride today. It completely interrupts my usual sunday activities, eg going to parents' place for Sunday Roast!! Pah!

I think it's going to be a mixed bag today.

[Anna]

I went out to a fairly new and most delightful French restaurant for lunch today out in the sticks west of Abbey Dore, so close to the Welsh border and nestling almost into the Herefordistan side of the Black Mountains; food and service fantastic

Is that Moi et Toi? Just being nosy, it's the only place that google brings up near Abbey Dore (I love the Abbey, spent many happy hours there) Also, what do you think of The Hardwick?

[Serial_Apologist]

We have the BHF London to Brighton Bike Ride today. It completely interrupts my usual sunday activities, eg going to parents' place for Sunday Roast!! Pah!

I think it's going to be a mixed bag today.

50 miles each way wlould be a bit much for my 66-year old legs these days. 30 years ago would have been a different matter, though 86 miles in one day was in truth the furthest I managed to stump up.

Apologies to all for my not spotting the rain area creeping up from France that's going to hit the SE tonight and tomorrow morning.