Stormy Weather II

[Serial_Apologist]

Brilliant sunrise this morning - which I missed! - always a bad sign.

[cloughie]

Brilliant sunrise this morning - which I missed! - always a bad sign.

Do you mean the brilliant sunrise or the fact you missed it - I guess you meant the shepherd’s warning! I missed the brilliant sunrise too - cloudy here now with rain expected so no brilliant sunset methinks!

[oddoneout]

Glorious sunrise here as well - but of the golden variety, rather than shepherd's warning pink. Clouded over fairly quickly, but patchy with glimpses of sun and no rain so not too bad a day. Milder but not feeling it in the breeze. Heavy rain due this evening together with strong winds, which I'm not looking forward to as I have a half-hour drive to a rehearsal; I really don't like nighttime driving these days and avoid it as much as possible, as the lights cause far more problems for my eyes now. Yet another age-related bit of tiresomeness.

[Serial_Apologist]

Do you mean the brilliant sunrise or the fact you missed it - I guess you meant the shepherd’s warning!

Both!

[Serial_Apologist]

Glorious sunrise here as well - but of the golden variety, rather than shepherd's warning pink. Clouded over fairly quickly, but patchy with glimpses of sun and no rain so not too bad a day. Milder but not feeling it in the breeze. Heavy rain due this evening together with strong winds, which I'm not looking forward to as I have a half-hour drive to a rehearsal; I really don't like nighttime driving these days and avoid it as much as possible, as the lights cause far more problems for my eyes now. Yet another age-related bit of tiresomeness.

Similar with me. I don't now drive, but cycling at night can be damned dangerous - not least because the newer low-wattage street lights for purposes of energy-saving, one assumes, fail to show up any potholes. And at any rate, the low-angled sunshine at this time of the year means effective blind-out when taking a southerly route: motorised drivers at least have the option of lowerable flaps to shield the eyes; I have to dismount.

When I think of the Reclaim the Night demos I used to join back in the 1980s for better street lighting, it astonishes me that instead of street lights designed to shine maximum light downwards, as opposed to into people's rooms or up into the sky causing light pollution, we now have to put up with light levels akin to the gaslighting of my childhood side streets. It may look good - practically, it's a disaster, especially for unaccompanied women after dark.

[DracoM]

Local supermarket has gone out of its way to COVER the top of parking area lights, thus illuminating the area actually relevant.
Meanwhile, the local boarding school with late afternoon lessons - has covered every area it 'owns' with lights that are NOT covered - 'for security'.
Now, if you had evil intent and chose to hide with back against wall immediately under these lights, the kids coming and going are TOTALLY blinded by the power of the searchlights, hence VERY vulnerable to lurkers.
Unbelievable folly. Many locals - one who a couple of years ago was lighting consultant for a new local council building - have pointed this out - result? Zilch.

[Bryn]

Similar with me. I don't now drive, but cycling at night can be damned dangerous - not least because the newer low-wattage street lights for purposes of energy-saving, one assumes, fail to show up any potholes. And at any rate, the low-angled sunshine at this time of the year means effective blind-out when taking a southerly route: motorised drivers at least have the option of lowerable flaps to shield the eyes; I have to dismount.

When I think of the Reclaim the Night demos I used to join back in the 1980s for better street lighting, it astonishes me that instead of street lights designed to shine maximum light downwards, as opposed to into people's rooms or up into the sky causing light pollution, we now have to put up with light levels akin to the gaslighting of my childhood side streets. It may look good - practically, it's a disaster, especially for unaccompanied women after dark.

When LED street lighting was installed locally, I celebrated it as a significant contribution to the reduction of light pollution. Now I am not blinded as I emerge from walking through the local wooded park on my way home, late at night. Previously, the sodium lights dazzled and made that section of the journey perilous. What I do find somewhat worrying is the poor colour discrimination these supposedly 'white' light lamps provide. They make the green wheelie bins look the same colour as the blue ones.

[Serial_Apologist]

Local supermarket has gone out of its way to COVER the top of parking area lights, thus illuminating the area actually relevant.
Meanwhile, the local boarding school with late afternoon lessons - has covered every area it 'owns' with lights that are NOT covered - 'for security'.
Now, if you had evil intent and chose to hide with back against wall immediately under these lights, the kids coming and going are TOTALLY blinded by the power of the searchlights, hence VERY vulnerable to lurkers.
Unbelievable folly. Many locals - one who a couple of years ago was lighting consultant for a new local council building - have pointed this out - result? Zilch.

It's very strange how different authorities responsible for outside lighting seem to be taking opposite, but equally counterproductive decisions on this. A friend who lives in Orpington recently sent me a night time photograph of the one single, but very powerful LED light, like the ones mentioned by Bryn, sited at the end of the cul-de-sac where he lives. It is mounted on a tall pole, and shines down like a sports stadium arc light from a height of (I would estimate) 50 feet, illuminating the entire street - gardens and house frontages included. Anyone thinking of putting up Christmas lighting outside would have serious competition in the visibility stakes.

Six miles to the north of here, a new skyscraper in the vicinity of Elephant & Castle - I call it the headless razor as it looks like the handle bit of an old-fashioned razor without the blade attachment - has had an incredibly powerful light mounted on the top which shines southwards, illuminating every north-facing surface from its location to way south of even here, in all probability, whenever it's turned on. What the point of it is beyond me - it's not like those red lights mounted on tall buildings and cranes as warnings to aircraft which illuminate the northern middle distance from here at night like some giant oil refinery.

[DracoM]

Rings so true.

Back to weather - it is absolutely shelling it down with rain here now.
Weather websites say it is 7C. My garden thermometer - sheltered from the westerly wind - says 4C...........and with knifing windchill.what do you reckon..........??
Pah!

[Serial_Apologist]

Rings so true.

Back to weather - it is absolutely shelling it down with rain here now.
Weather websites say it is 7C. My garden thermometer - sheltered from the westerly wind - says 4C...........and with knifing windchill.what do you reckon..........??
Pah!

It is obviously a front to your dignity, Draco!

[DracoM]

[teamsaint]

Horrible freezing frog from here to beyond Basingstoke this morning. Cleared up once I got into Surrey of course. Central London was mild and pleasant really.

[BBMmk2]

Indeed from the above posts, the weather has changed. It’s been quite a joy looking out to a blue sky etc. With my situation, these days, I can’t go down town very much, with the cold.

It’s certain a contrast from what the weather has been like, the past few days!

[teamsaint]

Indeed from the above posts, the weather has changed. It’s been quite a joy looking out to a blue sky etc. With my situation, these days, I can’t go down town very much, with the cold.

It’s certain a contrast from what the weather has been like, the past few days!

Looking nice for good old Sussex by the Sea this weekend though BBM, as it is here in S Wilts. Hope you get out and about a bit over the next few days.

Its a bit gloomy here today ,bit of rain and dark.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Drizzerable weather this morning in this bit of the Pennines - the sort where you get soaked just dashing the few feet from the door to the car, and people's umbrellas are dripping onto their trousers and shoes, making them even worse than if the brollies had been left at home. Worst day of the past week, weatherwise.