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It was dry here today, until a little while ago, and we've now got very light rain.
Not.enough.for.the.allotment! Ian - our greenhouse wouldn't have suited you today - it only reached 18C with the vents never opening all day. No good for people, tomatoes or melons!
What we need is tropical rain - heavy, preferably at night - with no falling off of temperature, and an immediate return to warm sunshine. I suppose I live in the wrong country, really.
Jean
Usually the best kind of conditions for tomato growing is diffused sunshine (shining weakly through thin cloud) and humid conditions (doesn't have to be hot), that way the plants doesn't get stressed out (too much light and heat can be just as damaging as cold and dryness).
Oh dear, I promised myself I try and remove myself away from the tomato thing as the job drove me nuts . . . and I don't even like the fruits!
Really, the best kind of rain for farming is regular bouts of light rain so that it can soak into the ground. Any torrential rain we would get would simply just ride over the now-quite baked hard ground and straight into the nearest river!
Hi Ian, Et All
Just been having a read through this thread. How very interesting.
(To say the least!)
Down on the South Coast we have had b****r all rain for a long time. Few drizzles here and there, but nothing major.
The lawn is really showing it. There's brown patches appearing all over (not that I care about the lawn at all!!)
Still, great thread, keep up the good work people!
(Me feels a hosepipe ban coming on soon :nuts: )
Hi Andy and thanks for the kind comment and encouragement! Indeed, it's very much the same story regarding lawns at my end. That little bit of rain we had the other day has become a distant memory as I look out the window to see my lawn remaining as brown as ever. The only green bits are the more rugged clover!
I'm now quite convinced that water restrictions are on the way - especially if June and July carry on in the same manner as April and May at least over Southern parts. It doesn't have to get hot for this kind of thing to occur, but weeks and weeks of very little rainfall, such as what has been happening.
Ooooh... I can't believe i've only just found this thread!
I'm a student studying geography, next year (if exams all go to plan) I'll be reading physical geography at Aberystwyth Uni, however I want this to lead me into meteorology
- I would have done a straight degree in meteorology however I'm utter crap at maths
I'm situated in Norfolk, between Norwich and Cromer, and Norfolk is one of the driest places in the UK on an annual reading due to what's known as the 'mountain shadow' from Snowdon etc. Over the last couple of weeks we've actually had relatively decent amounts of rain, ranging from drizzle to hard almost tropical downpours! No thunderstorms though
yesterday was drizzly all day and this morning is looking relatively overcast with patches of broken cumulus - at least the gardens looking green again!
Must say this low pressure we've currently got is lush... But I do like a good high pressure for the end of college (parties, balls and other shananigans)
Hi Toby! All the best on your course and if you do have any meteorological-related questions then feel free to ask away.
I'm 44 now, but I once attended a sciences course in my late teens back in the 80's as a spring board to making meteorology a careers thing, but unfortunately homesickness and my hearing loss meant I didn't handle college life very well. It was all too much too soon for little ol' me, and like you, I was - and still hopeless - at maths.
However, that hadn't dented my passion for all things weather-related. I don't have blood running through my veins, it's rain water! Instead of my interest in meteorology diminishing in time, it had grown stronger. The advent of the internet helped it along as I can share my knowledge - as well as self teaching myself - from the comfort of my hobby room without even getting off my chair!
Indeed, East Anglia is one of the driest place in the UK, and like your location, I, too, live in a rain shadow as the hills to the back of Folkestone has the effect of "wringing" out rainfalls as they head towards us in from the West, North West and the North. As a result my town gets far less rain than the North of Kent - hence how I got into the habit of saying we live under "The Folkestone Weather Shield".
However, we usually are the first area to recieve thunderstorms in the form of French Imports as they form over France and then lumber towards the South East of England during the summer months. We've had some real corkers two years ago, but totally lacking last year. I'm hoping for some juicy ones this summer!
Once again, all the best on your course!
At the end of the day, as a nation we do talk about the weather. It's so true that it's always a conversation starter - and I'm thinking that this thread is reflecting it, but in a much more sophisicated way.
)
but the melons are bit slower off the mark.