Stormy Weather II

[Serial_Apologist]

It's quite overcast here but having been on to RNIB to discuss my retinoschisis - and they were wonderful - I realised that I was repeating myself in conversations on a point that was not the main one in my head. It was on light bulbs and sunshine. The flashing persistently occurs only in artificial light. Consequently, I spent just under a hundred pounds yesterday at the local hardware shop on the last old light bulbs they had in stock. I had gone over to the new ones very late last year. I'm not saying the bulbs are the root cause because they are not or that the problems have miraculously gone away. But there does appear to be a significant difference. It could be mind over matter but I'm not so sure. Shame they are unlawful.

That sounds bad. Candles wouldn't help: they really do flicker! A neighbour just asked if she needed her eyes testing since, looking up, all she could see was a featureless grey sky. I told her no: stratus cloud just looks like that - weather people have a great word for it: clag!

[oddoneout]

It's quite overcast here but having been on to RNIB to discuss my retinoschisis - and they were wonderful - I realised that I was repeating myself in conversations on a point that was not the main one in my head. It was on light bulbs and sunshine. The flashing persistently occurs only in artificial light. Consequently, I spent just under a hundred pounds yesterday at the local hardware shop on the last old light bulbs they had in stock. I had gone over to the new ones very late last year. I'm not saying the bulbs are the root cause because they are not or that the problems have miraculously gone away. But there does appear to be a significant difference. It could be mind over matter but I'm not so sure. Shame they are unlawful.

I don't believe they are unlawful in this country, but they are being phased out. As a matter of interest do you/did you notice a difference between the compact fluorescent type of energy saving bulb and LED versions?

[oddoneout]

Quite a change here with a much needed night of rain - of the useful kind that soaks in rather than running off. Temperature up, so distinctly sticky out now, and the washed down pollen is beginning to rise again, atishoo.

[DracoM]

Rain at last, brisk to boisterous easterlies.

[Lat-Literal]

I don't believe they are unlawful in this country, but they are being phased out. As a matter of interest do you/did you notice a difference between the compact fluorescent type of energy saving bulb and LED versions?

Thank you for your reply. I am having an "oh my god" sort of moment. I'm down to 60W so perhaps that is it but it is definitely making a 50% plus difference. Possibly 75%. It feels to me that it is the nature of the light. Old versus new. I'm a bit of a greeny but green as in green. Less so on energy saving. I delayed change. Instinctively I felt the new might not suit. Memories of coming over all dizzy in my teens in early fluorescent light. I looked directly into one at the newsagents today and felt almost blinded by it so it is the new too. I love the light. There were always sensitivities to it though. Looking into a camera outdoors. In required cricket. I'm a sensitive soul in all ways. I'm really wondering now. I like the old bulbs. There is also something about identity here. Some people laughed when I said I liked to see the sea because it obviously sounded like a play on words. But now for practical reasons I'm having to think about how I see the light and even the eye itself. It is real - the diagnosis is very clear with the need to monitor - but it is also the problem with having imagination.

[BBMmk2]

Well today hmmm going to be hot!

[DracoM]

Just listened to forecasts local and national, and NONE of them so much as mention the wind: up here, it is a far more than 'brisk' and it's from NE, so has an edge in it. Tender new plants hanging on for dear life in places. Bet it's pretty 'brisk' on the Yorks and NE coasts too.

[Serial_Apologist]

Just listened to forecasts local and national, and NONE of them so much as mention the wind: up here, it is a far more than 'brisk' and it's from NE, so has an edge in it. Tender new plants hanging on for dear life in places. Bet it's pretty 'brisk' on the Yorks and NE coasts too.

Do you live in a SW-NE aligned valley by any chance, Draco? I ask because you often report strong winds coming from that direction where you are, when it's not always reported on synoptics, and it could be explained by funnelling.

Certainly a bit more wind here today than yesterday, which suggests any showers coming along should keep moving rather than hanging around. So far no signs other than a solitary lightning flash off Southend of any weather to speak of. The forecasters aren't of much help either, so I think I'm just going to have to keep the eyes on cloud formation and upper wind direction, once all this clag has cleared.

[oddoneout]

Became very warm quite suddenly lunchtime/early afternoon, but with sun now going down it is distinctly cool thanks to the cold quarter wind - as has been the case so often this year.

[DracoM]

<< Do you live in a W/SE aligned valley by any chance, Draco? I ask because you often report strong winds coming from that direction where you are, when it's not always reported on synoptics, and it could be explained by funnelling>>


NW/SE, BUT just north of us is a deep gully and any wind northerly gets funnelled hard. ENE becomes high wind.
SE dale divides, one SE, the other NE, so guess what...........!!

At the mo, just been out for a walk gutted afterL'pool's defeat and the wind is fierce, blustery and practically knocked me off my feet at one point.
SW

[Nick Armstrong]

Thread title being amply justified at the moment down here...



Sounds like the Western Front outside!

[Serial_Apologist]

This, as Cali suggests, is pretty mega by British standards - flashes every second (the poor radar posted by Caliban just can't cope with the overload!) - mostly cloud-to-cloud and hard to distinguish through the accompanying waterfall, but with the odd cloud-to-ground "depth charge". The strikes are too frequent and too vivid for observation. These tropical-type storms seem to be becoming more of a regularity these days, though I imagine this one will go down in history alongside September 4 1958. Given that the storm area covers at least half of the capital this will probably qualify as an MSC, or mesoscale sub-synoptic convective system, of which we don't get that many in Britain. There seems now to be some back-building, which is what people really mean when they talk of a storm returning. What's actually happeing with these elevated systems is another cell feeding off the downdraught from the main one heading away. I hope it moves away soon, I'm quite tired!

[Nick Armstrong]

This, as Cali suggests, is pretty mega by British standards - flashes every second (the poor radar posted by Caliban just can't cope with the overload!)

As this close-up about 11.30pm over our respective necks of the woods illustrates (the circles being thunder sound-waves...)

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks for recording that for the records Cali. I see there's another long and rather fat line creeping in from Kent right now, about 40 miles long - part of an organised convergence trough aligned WNW-ESE. This probably means another hour and a half of nocturnal disturbance here, but there's nothing else appearing further SE than Canterbury so I'm hoping this will drain the energy out of the atmosphere, at least until it re-triggers tomorrow - much as I enjoy a good storm. For weather watchers, this is everyone's favourite weather, with snow coming close behind!

[Nick Armstrong]

For weather watchers, this is everyone's favourite weather

TV's "Mr Weather" was moved to express himself in no uncertain terms: