Stormy Weather II

[oddoneout]

There has been a useful quantity of useful rain - steady, persistent, but fairly light, so soaking well into the bone dry earth. Odd then that the recording station shows dry overnight, and so both the Met Office and BBC weather forecasts would have you believe that it is and has been dry... Oh well, not to worry, the main thing is that the garden is finally getting a drink, which with luck will prompt the french beans into flowering again. The downside is that I will now finally lose the tomatoes to blight, so will need to harvest what's there asap.

[DracoM]

Strange light in sky this a.m................is it? ...could it be..? surely not....?

[Serial_Apologist]

It's a very odd meteorological situation facing us over the forthcoming week - one I'm not surprised all the official forecasters have been experiencing trouble with predicting, the models being algorhythmically based on precedent, which is missing in the evolving picture. In short another instance of once regular cycles being replaced by constant blocking caused by the breakdown of the Atlantic jet, in turn caused by equalising temperature tendencies between the tropics and the Arctic as a consequence of global warming. So instead of western-borne winds and weather systems and the old flip-flops between rain and sunshine, today's new norms are as likely to be controlled by what is going on to our east and south, and this is certainly to be the case over the next few days. Not good news, I am afraid.

[Old Grumpy]

So..autumn starts more or less as filthy, as murky, as mood-depressing and chilly, wet and windy as the drab summer most of us have just had - or at least those of us north of London....

Not such a bad summer Eastside. Plenty of days neither to hot nor too cold; too wet too dry etc - quite pleasant really!

[eighthobstruction]

....2 degrees short of a full packet, East of Eden, left of course - though threatening right, twisted, lost somewhere near Zouch....but in general it's been ok....(clammy)....

[Serial_Apologist]

Today, cloudy, rain now stopped (but for how long?!) wind increading to a moderate nor-easterly, noon temperature a muggy 16C. All as predicted, so I thought I'd post one of today's photos sent in to the BBC as it shows one of my beloved haunts these days, the Thames towpath on the stretch between the Hammersmith and Barnes bridges.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers/report/89b2b0ce-703a-46c3-8ced-62bf075e6f32/

[Nick Armstrong]

Today, cloudy, rain now stopped (but for how long?!) wind increading to a moderate nor-easterly, noon temperature a muggy 16C. All as predicted, so I thought I'd post one of today's photos sent in to the BBC as it shows one of my beloved haunts these days, the Thames towpath on the stretch between the Hammersmith and Barnes bridges.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers...-62bf075e6f32/

Absolutely throwing it down here at the moment!

[Serial_Apologist]

Absolutely throwing it down here at the moment!

Twilight here at the moment. When this happens in thundery conditions you can be quit sure the main developing mass of the storm is right now directly sitting on top of us like some huge hippo. The next thing is usually for all the rain which is being contained by powerful updraughts within the cloud mass, making it so deep and impenetrable, to be released in a huge cataract. I'm not surprised that rainfall amounts of over an inch in an hour are being reported.

It seems the forecasters have underestimated how far north the main rain belt would reach - the midday forecast locating the main rain belt running NW from Dover through to SW Surrey and on westwards across Hants and Wilts into the West Country and S Wales; but it is very easy to err by very narrow margins in situations of this kind, leading to enormous differences. The annoying thing is that with the front not being expected to move much over the next four days it's going to be hard to know when to venture out to the local shops.

[oddoneout]

Twilight here at the moment. When this happens in thundery conditions you can be quit sure the main developing mass of the storm is right now directly sitting on top of us like some huge hippo. The next thing is usually for all the rain which is being contained by powerful updraughts within the cloud mass, making it so deep and impenetrable, to be released in a huge cataract. I'm not surprised that rainfall amounts of over an inch in an hour are being reported.

It seems the forecasters have underestimated how far north the main rain belt would reach - the midday forecast locating the main rain belt running NW from Dover through to SW Surrey and on westwards across Hants and Wilts into the West Country and S Wales; but it is very easy to err by very narrow margins in situations of this kind, leading to enormous differences. The annoying thing is that with the front not being expected to move much over the next four days it's going to be hard to know when to venture out to the local shops.

From my perspective, watching the garden drying out more and more, the annoying thing is rain going where it's neither wanted nor needed! The NE airflow, gusting up to 30mph is an added unpleasantness, as it is lifting the dry earth being moved about on the development site at the bottom of my garden - gritty eyes and irritated nose.

[Old Grumpy]

Misty here this morning - more on higher ground. Went for a walk along the western escarpment of the Hambeleton Hills - weather map said "rain"- more like Scotch mist. Still got a little damp - especially walking back into the NNEasterly wind.



Sun has come out now - well in the valley at least

[DracoM]

Hot, yes..HOT! Cloudless all day. Felt like a real summer.................erm, but it's September..............erm...!

[Old Grumpy]

Hot, yes..HOT! Cloudless all day. Felt like a real summer.................erm, but it's September..............erm...!

Sunny here earlier, 23°C. Now dull and cloudy, but dry.

[Pulcinella]

Mixed day here, but still nearly 18 kWh exported from the solar panels!

[oddoneout]

Hot, yes..HOT! Cloudless all day. Felt like a real summer.................erm, but it's September..............erm...!

Glad you've had a break from the grottiness. September can often be a bonus - Indian summer - sometimes seems like a taunt to children going back to school, especially if the summer hasn't been that good.
It got to 26 today, but a noticeable easterly breeze prevented it being too hot.

[Serial_Apologist]

Glad you've had a break from the grottiness. September can often be a bonus - Indian summer - sometimes seems like a taunt to children going back to school, especially if the summer hasn't been that good.
It got to 26 today, but a noticeable easterly breeze prevented it being too hot.

We saw that! Down here it did not exceed 18.5C all day, with thick stratus clag, extending down to ground level at times, and the odd burst of drizzle. We missed the thunder I'd been expecting though, although someone in W London reported hearing it at 5.30 this morning. What's sad for me is that I have been waiting all summer for a visit from some very dear old friends, and had been really looking forward to booking us for lunch next Tuesday at the Dulwich Wood inn, which has a very nice garden out back: the day is now expected to be dull, with a temperature not exceeding 17C - which probably means 16C up here, too cold for sitting outside.