Stormy Weather II

[Serial_Apologist]

So it is France’s fault that the weather will get cooler this week ?

Oh unquestionably!!! Isn't it always???

[Serial_Apologist]

Overcast and cool seems to be the order of the day, although the mandatory wet Bank Holiday doesn't seem to be likely here. I had already rather thought watering duties will be the order of the day for this week before I read SA's post, so now will have to get the hose rigged up to fill the waterbutts at the bottom of the garden which are not going to get any free top-ups soon enough to help. My new neighbours have already cable-tied a hose to the other side of my chain link boundary fence. They put up a greenhouse a few weeks ago and have since added two collection barrels for the roof runoff, but apart from one brief violent episode it hasn't rained since, so after a lot of trips up and down with watering cans they now understand why I have lengths of hose rigged up on my side of the fence!

The cold front is going through right now as I write, though one wouldn't know it, the sky still that milky white it was all day yesterday, but with small cumulus starting to appear, indicating the wind shift to westerly and slight moistening of the otherwise stable lower atmosphere. A weak trough forming across the country will probably produce homegrown showers tomorrow widely, possibly the odd clap of thunder from the more vigorous ones, which will be slow-moving, so best either to do any outstanding outdoor activity today or wait until Wednesday. I was surprised at how dry the ground now is everywhere around here, even with cracks starting to appear, more indicative of a late summer drought.

[BBMmk2]

Not great then, SA?

[BBMmk2]

A good day, today, 18C! I’m getting a new mobility scooter, on Thursday! Yesss! Been without hone for three weeks now!

[Old Grumpy]

A good day, today, 18C! I’m getting a new mobility scooter, on Thursday! Yesss! Been without hone for three weeks now!

Have a good trip, BBM!

[DracoM]

Cloudless horizon to horizon up here.

[Serial_Apologist]

Cloudless horizon to horizon up here.

Not cloudless here, but it's only thin cirrus and altocumulus perlucidus in patches, with a very clear atmosphere and cool-feeling NEerly expected to continue for the remainder of the week. I do like the sound that term "perlucidus", somehow suggestive of pearls - and this type of cloud can produce iridescence around sun or moon - though it actually means light penetrating through.

[DracoM]

Ditto here now.................sorry to be giving too early a whoop at a sun-filled sky.

[oddoneout]

A bit overcast first thing and a distinctly chilly breeze but the temperature suddenly upped noticeably at about 11am - we volunteer gardeners found ourselves quickly shedding initially necessary layers! The combination of high pollen count and a great deal of dust in the air makes things rather uncomfortable, and watering is getting to be an issue. At home I can pop out for a few minutes and spread the load but for the once a week volunteer gardening it takes a great deal of time that then can't be spent on actual gardening. Not being able to use hoses may be desirable in terms of water consumption but on a large site it makes for a heck of a lot of traipsing to and fro between tap and point of use, even when loading up a barrow with more than one can at a time.

[Serial_Apologist]

A bit overcast first thing and a distinctly chilly breeze but the temperature suddenly upped noticeably at about 11am - we volunteer gardeners found ourselves quickly shedding initially necessary layers! The combination of high pollen count and a great deal of dust in the air makes things rather uncomfortable, and watering is getting to be an issue. At home I can pop out for a few minutes and spread the load but for the once a week volunteer gardening it takes a great deal of time that then can't be spent on actual gardening. Not being able to use hoses may be desirable in terms of water consumption but on a large site it makes for a heck of a lot of traipsing to and fro between tap and point of use, even when loading up a barrow with more than one can at a time.

Is that because you have no piped water supply? Or are you on a hosepipe ban?

[cloughie]

Been probably the best dayof the year so far .

[oddoneout]

Is that because you have no piped water supply? Or are you on a hosepipe ban?

Ironically in some respects it's neither of those. There are taps around the site, but not adjacent to the places where water is most needed for garden purposes. The issue is that we can't have hoses trailing around the place when there are visitors on site, especially when there are school groups in, so if a hose has to be used for filling the pond or doing a major session in the cottage veg patch it has to be fitted in before opening and, in the case of the pond filling which takes longer and overruns that, when there aren't any school groups in. Most of the team have other responsibilities at that time in the morning so getting in early enough isn't an option. Fortunately it is unusual to have a problem this early in the season when plants are being moved or planted out and are growing quickly and have high water needs.

[BBMmk2]

Have a good trip, BBM!

It’s being delivered! Can’t wait! Especially as the weather looks good today!

[DracoM]

Wicked NE wind buffeting us up here.

[Serial_Apologist]

Wicked NE wind buffeting us up here.

This looks to be a feature over the next 2-3 days with the pressure gradient tightening. Subsequently winds remain in the N-NE quadrant, which means it is expected to remain on the cool side but largely dry everywhere for as far ahead as I can see, bar the odd passing shower.