Stormy Weather II

[oddoneout]

A fair bit of sun this morning and it has stayed dry despite clouding over before lunch. The wind remains unpleasant - too much of it and raw cold.

[pastoralguy]

We're just back from Morrisons' where the trolley huts have all blown over resulting in much carnage!

[DracoM]

Can a serious weather watcher tell us: is this Jan/Feb pattern set to continue year after year from now on?

[zola]

Can a serious weather watcher tell us: is this Jan/Feb pattern set to continue year after year from now on?

Well, it was only two years ago we had the 'beast from the east' an entirely different weather pattern.

[DracoM]

But, again, a Jan/Feb time of year beset by extreme conditions that seem to go on and on - well, 'extreme' for some parts of UK?

[eighthobstruction]

....just saw fire brigade in village pumping I think....very sustained rain all day, drains getting overtaxed....huge puddles the size of tennis courts, and still it continues - raining more rather than less....

[Serial_Apologist]

But, again, a Jan/Feb time of year beset by extreme conditions that seem to go on and on - well, 'extreme' for some parts of UK?

There is undoubtedly a growing tendency for weather patterns to become exaggerated versions of their old selves: deeper depressions with tighter pressure gradients in winter; longer and more frequent periods of locked-in patterns all-year round; larger temperature differences either side of frontal systems making for broader and heavier rain belts running along them. It is also most unusual for the whole country to fall under warm sectors of Atlantic depressions in winter, as has happened this year - normally these would have become fully occluded on reaching the British Isles, with the warm sectors passing across France and on into the eastern Mediterranean. Warm sector air is both more compressed and moisture-laden than polar air, resulting in high amounts of orographic rainfall in the hilly areas of Scotland, Wales and the North, as DracoM has testified. This has also been why temperature readings have been constantly 3 or 4 degrees above the seasonal norms, with frosts being notably absent.

[BBMmk2]

Thank you SA. I think we had a storm, last night, judging by the winds!

[DracoM]

Wild, wild night here, wild dawn, early sun, already ousted by thickening cloud. Any minute now....and here it comes .... wild and wilder rain.................

Is this what it's like on the Faroes every day?

Just tried to walk a mile or so, and the wind reminded me of an Alpine storm. At times, could not keep on my feet and had to hang on to railings and tree stumps! Billows of sleet like thrown gravel.

[Pulcinella]

I managed a quick dry walk to the local Coop/PO (stocking up on some stamps before the outrageous new prices come into effect!), but now we have sheets of rain and it's very blustery. Surprisingly, the solar panels still produced enough to get the battery up to 95% capacity, though it's being drained already (washing machine and stereo).

[BBMmk2]

I managed a quick dry walk to the local Coop/PO (stocking up on some stamps before the outrageous new prices come into effect!), but now we have sheets of rain and it's very blustery. Surprisingly, the solar panels still produced enough to get the battery up to 95% capacity, though it's being drained already (washing machine and stereo).

Pulcie, that’s rather good going, re the solar panels.

I think we had a storm last night. Storm Ellen, wasn’t it called? Still, occasionally there’s a blustery spell.

[Petrushka]

Yet more heavy rain here earlier on (and looks like more to come) with strong winds. Really sick of this weather now and, if the forecast is right, there seems to be no end in sight for the foreseeable future.

Getting out just to go down to the shops is proving to be a challenge!

[Serial_Apologist]

East Malling in Kent - sheltered to some extent, a pretty village nestled into the North Downs escarpment and benefitting from being its own microclimate - reached 16.5 degrees earlier, or 61 F - the highest anywhere so far this year. Even here it managed 15.5 (60 F) at 12 noon, albeit with a near-gale blowing. Shortly afterwards the cold front came through from the NW with a 10 minute burst of quite heavy rain, bringing the temperature down 5 degs C, which, while still a couple of degs above the late Feb average, was quite a dramatic drop - 10 degs F in old money. The wind has now dropped down to moderate to fresh - inaudible from in here.

Forecasters are I am afraid predicting the changeable weather to continue, but less extremely so, with winds originating further north meaning the rest of Feb and first part of March look like being colder - especially for us cossetted lot in the south, who have been spared the cold experienced further north, if not the wind and the rain.

[Bryn]

East Malling in Kent - sheltered to some extent, a pretty village nestled into the North Downs escarpment and benefitting from being its own microclimate - reached 16.5 degrees earlier, or 61 F - the highest anywhere so far this year. Even here it managed 15.5 (60 F) at 12 noon, albeit with a near-gale blowing. Shortly afterwards the cold front came through from the NW with a 10 minute burst of quite heavy rain, bringing the temperature down 5 degs C, which, while still a couple of degs above the late Feb average, was quite a dramatic drop - 10 degs F in old money. The wind has now dropped down to moderate to fresh - inaudible from in here.

Forecasters are I am afraid predicting the changeable weather to continue, but less extremely so, with winds originating further north meaning the rest of Feb and first part of March look like being colder - especially for us cossetted lot in the south, who have been spared the cold experienced further north, if not the wind and the rain.

I did my undergrad placement st the East Malling Research Station. The walk from the railway to the research station did not take in much of the village. I only really took that in from the train window. Yes, I do remember it having a rather pleasing micro-climate.

[johnb]

The wonderful large old gnarled mulberry tree in my garden has been blown down.

Heartbroken.