Stormy Weather

[Anna]

Anna is situated in a very good location for this type of airstream

Gosh, I didn't know I was in a Föhn airstream! Aren't I the lucky one? Isn't Dundee the most well known example?
17.9° yesterday, and another day devoted to the garden, quite exhausting but well worth it. Today a cloudy start with a chill wind, sunny spells and a high of 12.6°, Thursday here looking bad with heavy rain and strong wind. Odd thing, re butterflies, yesterday I set free SIX tortoiseshells which had hibernated (not sure where) overwinter, and were trying to get out of a window. Two were a bit sleepy with closed wings but placing them gently on the outside windowsill in the sun they opened their wings, soaked up the rays, and were up and away in a matter of seconds.
Edit: And a Happy St. Patrick's Day to our Irish contributors!

[Serial_Apologist]

Gosh, I didn't know I was in a Föhn airstream! Aren't I the lucky one? Isn't Dundee the most well known example?

Not all the time, Anna!

17.9° yesterday, and another day devoted to the garden, quite exhausting but well worth it. Today a cloudy start with a chill wind, sunny spells and a high of 12.6°, Thursday here looking bad with heavy rain and strong wind. Odd thing, re butterflies, yesterday I set free SIX tortoiseshells which had hibernated (not sure where) overwinter, and were trying to get out of a window. Two were a bit sleepy with closed wings but placing them gently on the outside windowsill in the sun they opened their wings, soaked up the rays, and were up and away in a matter of seconds.
Edit: And a Happy St. Patrick's Day to our Irish contributors!

Yes, where do they come from?? Two ladybirds, in my case, crawling up the insides of two of my windows - which hadn't been opened since October last, at least! They couldn't have got in through my front door one day, while I was sneaking in and out, surely?

My great delight of the week has been sighting a pair of song thrushes, just at the back of the block here. The last of this species seemed to have vacated the more rural location where I lived until 10 years ago, but they're still going around here.

I forgot to mention yesterday my being continually overtaken by "Boris bikes" on my Chelsea run. They may look heavy, but it seems they can move quite fast.

[cloughie]

The golden orb did a brilliant job yesterday! had the windows open and our cat a lovely time basking on the window sill!!

Looks like another good day here but with some cloud, which should burn away, as the morning progresses.

It hasn't burnt away here and the afternoon has progressed!

[DracoM]

Well, up here in Ultima Thule, it is cold, grey and very windy, rain threatening. So less with the fantastic weather stuff, please...............brrrr!

[Serial_Apologist]

Well, up here in Ultima Thule, it is cold, grey and very windy, rain threatening. So less with the fantastic weather stuff, please...............brrrr!

And I am afraid you are in for very strong winds again from Wednesday onwards, where you are. A shame we can't un-moor the Great Ship Britain and move her further south for a while - at least until this particular winter is well and truly out of the way!

[mangerton]

Arachnophobes look away now......

I noticed a spider on my bedroom wall on Saturday, and that's the best I can do on the wildlife front.

Although Dundee is almost as far west as Anna's location in SE Wales*, it benefits from the Föhn effect by being sheltered by the Grampians. (Annual rainfall in Ft William is 74", in Dundee it's 27".)

* On a related note, here's a good pub quiz question - Which is further east, Edinburgh or Liverpool?

[Padraig]

Edit: And a Happy St. Patrick's Day to our Irish contributors!

Go raibh maith agat, a Anna; agus Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig ort, agus ar gach duine anseo.
Thank you Anna; and St.Patrick's Day blessings on you, and everyone here.

[Anna]

On a related note, here's a good pub quiz question - Which is further east, Edinburgh or Liverpool?

Edinburgh, which is on the east coast is further to the west than Liverpool, which is on the west coast and is further east then Edinburgh.
This is because Britain does not stand up straight and the earth is not flat. Therefore, for example, the latitude of Edinburgh is 3°11' West and Cardiff 3°10' West (which is confusing to some people)
OT: Plenty of rain clouds gathering here although a nice rosy dawn earlier.

[MrGongGong]

Edinburgh, which is on the east coast is further to the west than Liverpool, which is on the west coast and is further east then Edinburgh.
This is because Britain does not stand up straight and the earth is not flat. Therefore, for example, the latitude of Edinburgh is 3°11' West and Cardiff 3°10' West (which is confusing to some people)
OT: Plenty of rain clouds gathering here although a nice rosy dawn earlier.

It puzzles me a bit why Britain is always shown as "standing up straight" as if the Sussex coast was somehow a horizontal straight line.
I'm sure there is something to do with visual perception that makes people think that this is "right' ?

oh and the BBC TV habit of having the weather map at such an angle so that the Isle of Wight is bigger than the whole of Scotland

[cloughie]

It puzzles me a bit why Britain is always shown as "standing up straight" as if the Sussex coast was somehow a horizontal straight line.
I'm sure there is something to do with visual perception that makes people think that this is "right' ?

oh and the BBC TV habit of having the weather map at such an angle so that the Isle of Wight is bigger than the whole of Scotland

...and the presenter usually stands in front of West Cornwall and the isles of Scilly whilst biasing the narrative to the South east!

[MrGongGong]

...and the presenter usually stands in front of West Cornwall and the isles of Scilly whilst biasing the narrative to the South east!

It's ok though
once Scotland becomes "independent" I won't need to wear reading glasses to see Aberdeen on the map as it wont be there at all

(or is that another thing that mr Salmond wants to keep ? )

[amateur51]

Standing outside Cadogan Hall last evening waiting for ticket-bearing friend to appear, I noticed that the temperature hile not cold was on the chilly side particularly in a any wind.

The street was festooned with masses of thick white cherry blossom which seemed all the more appropriate as the visiting orchestra was the Tokyo Philharmonic. I hope that its members felt welcomed as a result

[mangerton]

It's ok though
once Scotland becomes "independent" I won't need to wear reading glasses to see Aberdeen on the map as it wont be there at all

(or is that another thing that mr Salmond wants to keep ? )

Which do you mean? I think he wants to keep Aberdeen, but there's been no word yet about reading glasses.

[mangerton]

Edinburgh, which is on the east coast is further to the west than Liverpool, which is on the west coast and is further east then Edinburgh.
This is because Britain does not stand up straight and the earth is not flat. Therefore, for example, the latitude of Edinburgh is 3°11' West and Cardiff 3°10' West (which is confusing to some people)
OT: Plenty of rain clouds gathering here although a nice rosy dawn earlier.

Well done, Anna! That'll be a drink I'm owing you.

You're right too about Britain not standing up straight, and the earth not being flat. These characteristics are especially pronounced in Liverpool and Edinburgh, especially at weekends, which is why so many people fall over.

OT, grey here, but dry. (That Föhn effect again!)

[Serial_Apologist]

You're right too about Britain not standing up straight, and the earth not being flat. These characteristics are especially pronounced in Liverpool and Edinburgh, especially at weekends, which is why so many people fall over.

I was going to say, I put it all down to those drinking hours extensions every time there's an international footy competition held here.

So glad others don't like the BBC's TV weather presentation. As GG says, it shrinks the north. It also produces nausea when panning backwards down the east or west coast, like sitting with a back to the engine. There were loads of complaints when it was first introduced, amid much trumpeting about cost and generously giving clever website designers jobs, and we were told that changes always elicit complaints, and in a few years everyone would be used to it.

WELL, NOT ME!!!