Stormy Weather II

[oddoneout]

Is everyone still in one piece? The wind dropped here very suddenly before midnight, so sleep was had thank heavens.
A section of fence has suffered which poses problems for me in trying to remove the two panels and fence post affected. I'm hoping sledgehammer and crowbar will break down the panels enough to remove them piecemeal, but my ability to wield either is very much reduced these days so there may need to be a Plan B, but what that would be I'm not sure at the moment. Fencing contractors are not an option at this stage.
Rain is putting paid to volunteer gardening today, so any storm damage will have to wait to be dealt with; fortunately at this time of year there isn't too much to catch the wind and be affected.

[Joseph K]

Mild and changeable. Was sunny most the morning, then when I set out on my walk it started raining, then stopped and the sun came out (some spectacular clouds too). Now it's overcast and raining again.

[DracoM]

Biting, buffeting westerly up here, fine light, but....blimey!

[Serial_Apologist]

It was very windy up to and even after midnight here, probably exceeding gale force: great long heaving build-ups to max force followed by slow let-ups, not like the sudden impulsive gusts more associated with unstable westerlies which bring branches and roof tiles down and flatten fence panels; so it was gratifying not to find as much débris around on my walk this afternoon as I had anticipated, though there has been a certain amount of damage around London, including a tree blown down a mile away which crushed a parked car, and of course that large roof taken off in Slough, which is being ascribed to poor construction.

The delayed retreat eastwards of the cold front revealed an impressive back edge of its associated cloud sheet, with little convective cumulus coming borne on the colder westerly wind in its wake. The gardener has done a wonderful job of "finding" discarded potted plants in the neighbourhood (he never says where he finds them!) for placing on the flat roof at the end of the block. It covers a heavily padlocked electricity sub-station, on which we placed a fine wooden seat facing eastwards for "early birds" last summer, so that the space is now filling up nicely with pots of different sizes containing plants of many varieties, on what was previously a tarmacadamed void sorrounded by a plain metal railing. He also spread our wonderful home-produced compost over all the shrub and herbaceous borders, and gave the two low-spreading Japanese maples short back-and-sides to make sure they won't obstruct the entrance to the eastern wing, or the pathway to the rest of our block. The garden should look great with the coming of spring!

Tomorrow looks set to mark the last of these vigorous weather systems crossing the country bringing rain and strong winds; pressure is forecast to rise from the south-west on Friday, veering winds around to the north-west, a somewhat colder direction, but not in any way cold by severe winter standards - the high then intensifying as it transfers east across the southern half of the country. Anyone with a barometer will see the needle move far across to the right by Sunday. How long-lasting this particular anticyclone will turn out to be isn't certain - high pressure systems determine their own behaviour, which is not as predictable for the forecasters as weather systems borne on upper jet streams, which they block and divert around themselves, so we'll just have to wait and see, and meanwhile enjoy the relatively cool weather they bring in winter, and the benefit of colder nights for wildlife in need of either hibernation or a bit of a slow-down in the rate of growth: our first snowdrops are just about due to bloom hereabouts.

[BBMmk2]

SA the winds down here were around the 80 mph! We have a weeping willow tree and that was bending very nearly right over!

Due to climate change, on a different level, I hear this wonderful planet of ours, will be experiencing a higher level of volcanic activity.

[oddoneout]

SA the winds down here were around the 80 mph! We have a weeping willow tree and that was bending very nearly right over!

Due to climate change, on a different level, I hear this wonderful planet of ours, will be experiencing a higher level of volcanic activity.

Do you mean the effect that volcanic eruption can have on weather? Or do scientist now think that climate change can affect what's happening in the earth's core - that would be frightening, although from Gaia's point of view a good way to get rid of the annoying ticks on her skin...

[Padraig]

It's cold, so it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocrblv7EC4w

[cloughie]

Wet and windy mostly here today - not a day to go out unless necessary but nipped out to pick up newspapers between the heavy showers!

[Serial_Apologist]

Do you mean the effect that volcanic eruption can have on weather? Or do scientist now think that climate change can affect what's happening in the earth's core - that would be frightening, although from Gaia's point of view a good way to get rid of the annoying ticks on her skin...

I even saw a commentator yesterday include volcanic eruptions and earthquakes among the consequences of humankind's mismanagement of earth's life systems!

[cloughie]

The rain went off later this afternoon leaving a really lovely sunset - a virtual 3D tapestry in salmon pink, blues and white.

[DracoM]

Absolutely rodding it down up here and a buffeting, loudmouth wind with it as well.

[BBMmk2]

Absolutely rodding it down up here and a buffeting, loudmouth wind with it as well.

Down here too. Another rotten night.

[LeMartinPecheur]

An April-showery day here, quite a lot of sun and blue skies Can Spring be far behind?

(Yes, probably...)

[Serial_Apologist]

An April-showery day here, quite a lot of sun and blue skies Can Spring be far behind?

(Yes, probably...)

A good Force 5 blowing here as the wind shifts around to the west proved quite an obstacle en route to the local shops this morning, along with a wind chill suggesting lower than actual temperatures of around 8C. An inversion has kept the processing clouds quite flat, but I can now see cumulonimbus tops looming up on the western horizon, indicating the next trough and associated showers, expected to pass through in the next couple of hours. I wonder if it will thunder! - the last such shortwave caused a suspected tornado down at Barton-on-Sea, first thing this morning.

That will be the last of the "bad weather" for several days to come, as high pressure builds up across the country - a rare instance of a northern displacement of the "Azores High" for the time of year, which will not be bringing the warm conditions that would be expected had this instead been occurring in June or July!

[teamsaint]

A good Force 5 blowing here as the wind shifts around to the west proved quite an obstacle en route to the local shops this morning, along with a wind chill suggesting lower than actual temperatures of around 8C. An inversion has kept the processing clouds quite flat, but I can now see cumulonimbus tops looming up on the western horizon, indicating the next trough and associated showers, expected to pass through in the next couple of hours. I wonder if it will thunder! - the last such shortwave caused a suspected tornado down at Barton-on-Sea, first thing this morning.

That will be the last of the "bad weather" for several days to come, as high pressure builds up across the country - a rare instance of a northern displacement of the "Azores High" for the time of year, which will not be bringing the warm conditions that would be expected had this instead been occurring in June or July!

Yes, thats exactly what I thought.......

Anyway, its a nice winter day here, the odd shower, well one I think, quite cool, but clear and cheerful.
Just right for an evening run, I’d say.
River levels have risen this week round here, by around 20 cm on the Avon at Harnham and above the “ minor flooding possible” level, but they seem to have stabilised.