Stormy Weather II

[oddoneout]

Much cooler today, and the rain finally set in about an hour ago. The tender veg seedlings out for their daytime airing will need to come in now as even if the sun does get out later it will still be cold and the likes of melon and pepper won't benefit from being cold and soggy. It's at times like this that I really notice the lack of a greenhouse, it's difficult finding space for the trays inside (especially if they are wet) if it's necessary during the day - at night they can just be put on the floor, on top of the microwave etc as I'm not using those spaces then.

[gurnemanz]

Only 15C with quite strong cool breeze. Radar shows a shower approaching N Wilts. Hope washing is dry before it arrives

[Serial_Apologist]

Only 15C with quite strong cool breeze. Radar shows a shower approaching N Wilts. Hope washing is dry before it arrives

I remember, a few years ago, one of the neighbours frantically banging on the door to warn me of an impending thunderstorm, saying she was bringing her washing in and asking if other clothes on the line were mine. I told her yes, but that I was going to leave them there. "Why?" she wanted to know. "Well" I answered, "if you leave your washing out in a thunderstorm, afterwards, when you first put the clothes on, they give you this lovely tingly sensation". "Really?" she wanted to know. "No - only teasing", I replied.

[Old Grumpy]

I remember, a few years ago, one of the neighbours frantically banging on the door to warn me of an impending thunderstorm, saying she was bringing her washing in and asking if other clothes on the line were mine. I told her yes, but that I was going to leave them there. "Why?" she wanted to know. "Well" I answered, "if you leave your washing out in a thunderstorm, afterwards, when you first put the clothes on, they give you this lovely tingly sensation". "Really?" she wanted to know. "No - only teasing", I replied.

[gurnemanz]

I remember, a few years ago, one of the neighbours frantically banging on the door to warn me of an impending thunderstorm, saying she was bringing her washing in and asking if other clothes on the line were mine. I told her yes, but that I was going to leave them there. "Why?" she wanted to know. "Well" I answered, "if you leave your washing out in a thunderstorm, afterwards, when you first put the clothes on, they give you this lovely tingly sensation". "Really?" she wanted to know. "No - only teasing", I replied.

Nice story. Luckily rain shower came after washing was dry and my short bike jaunt into town.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Thanks for your kind thoughts, Sainty. Hopefully the next couple of months will see sanity restored in various ways!

[oddoneout]

So who nicked our desperately needed rain? Late last night the forecast was still showing strong likelihood of several hours worth during the night, as it had earlier when I decided on that basis I didn't need to do more than limited watering, and it would be a good morning to plant out bean seedlings ahead of the possibility of showers later in the day. Reading between the lines of the Met and Beeb forecasts for my location I think the chance of that later rain is limited; I suspect we'll be on the outer frayed fringes of the rain bearing mass given its projected line of travel and the direction of the wind.
So, out with the hose for tubs and the newly planted fruit trees and more watering can action for the racks of seeds, cuttings and plants in waiting. To be fair I wasn't depending totally on the free stuff and can allocate time this morning to deal with the lack - but it would have been nice... It's tiresome, and rather worrying, to have to be doing so much watering at this stage of the growing season in addition to the usual suspects (trays of veg seedlings, planted tubs)but the ground is so dry that even established plants with roots well down are struggling on occasion to keep their top growth supplied, especially when sun and wind combine, so anything planted out needs supporting more than should be the case. Having invested time and money raising my veg there is only so much failure I'm prepared to allow, even without considering the lack of said produce I could have expected and its effect on my shopping bills.

[Serial_Apologist]

So who nicked our desperately needed rain? Late last night the forecast was still showing strong likelihood of several hours worth during the night, as it had earlier when I decided on that basis I didn't need to do more than limited watering, and it would be a good morning to plant out bean seedlings ahead of the possibility of showers later in the day. Reading between the lines of the Met and Beeb forecasts for my location I think the chance of that later rain is limited; I suspect we'll be on the outer frayed fringes of the rain bearing mass given its projected line of travel and the direction of the wind.
So, out with the hose for tubs and the newly planted fruit trees and more watering can action for the racks of seeds, cuttings and plants in waiting. To be fair I wasn't depending totally on the free stuff and can allocate time this morning to deal with the lack - but it would have been nice... It's tiresome, and rather worrying, to have to be doing so much watering at this stage of the growing season in addition to the usual suspects (trays of veg seedlings, planted tubs)but the ground is so dry that even established plants with roots well down are struggling on occasion to keep their top growth supplied, especially when sun and wind combine, so anything planted out needs supporting more than should be the case. Having invested time and money raising my veg there is only so much failure I'm prepared to allow, even without considering the lack of said produce I could have expected and its effect on my shopping bills.

Rain looks highly likely for you this afternoon and tomorrow morning, odders.

[oddoneout]

Rain looks highly likely for you this afternoon and tomorrow morning, odders.

Well someone's getting it but not here, currently in a big gap between potential rain cloud bands. The forecast has been downgraded from 80% chance heavy rain starting at lunchtime to 60% chance light rain for a while in a couple of hours, and then supposedly something overnight. If the mass over the North Sea doesn't move south then the night rain might happen but I'm not banking on it, although I'll do my best to provoke rain tomorrow by heading to the city for purposes which will involve a fair bit of walking...

[Serial_Apologist]

Well someone's getting it but not here, currently in a big gap between potential rain cloud bands. The forecast has been downgraded from 80% chance heavy rain starting at lunchtime to 60% chance light rain for a while in a couple of hours, and then supposedly something overnight. If the mass over the North Sea doesn't move south then the night rain might happen but I'm not banking on it, although I'll do my best to provoke rain tomorrow by heading to the city for purposes which will involve a fair bit of walking...

Another solution is to wash your car (assuming that is you have one!) - it's our equivalent of the native American's rain dance, always guaranteed to work.

[oddoneout]

Another solution is to wash your car (assuming that is you have one!) - it's our equivalent of the native American's rain dance, always guaranteed to work.

Hah! I don't wash my car (except screens and lights), but even those who do don't seem to be able to summon up the effect as well as in former times - and this on an unmade road which should be extra magic...

[oddoneout]

Well, no rain in the afternoon as I suspected might be the case but it did come during the night. Looks to be about half an inch, so worth having - I really must get the gutter back up on the shed to funnel free water into the butt, the current arrangement of buckets catching the drips off the roof (corrugated sheet) has its limitations, although does show how much can be collected even with a less than ideal set-up. The trip to the city will be re-arranged so I can take advantage of the damp and get on with planting out the bean and pea plants and doing weeding without causing my joints a mischief hacking through rock hard soil. Distinctly cool at the moment although that might improve later if the sun manages to get through.

[BBMmk2]

Apparently, we are due a thunderstorm, today!

[Serial_Apologist]

Apparently, we are due a thunderstorm, today!

There's one approaching from the west as I write!

A few days of unsettled weather should help make up for last month to a small degree. Then after that it looks like it's back to no-man's-land in terms of predicting.

[Serial_Apologist]

Huge bang of thunder from a flash as far away as Wandsworth just now - must have been cloud-to-ground, so something will have been hit, hopefully a lightning conductor. Ooh - another: this time Brixton

These seem to be just single cell thundery showers in a cold air stream rather than "proper" half-hour storms; but they can still pack a punch, and give destructive hail, even the odd tornado. Dramatic cloud shapes. An interesting day's weather in store!

Surrounded by scaffolding, we must be sitting ducks!