The Great Meteorological Thread

[Cobra]

: but the melons are bit slower off the mark.
Jean

Oh, and almost forgot. Here's today's weather-related cartoon pulled from the archives . . .

PMSL Ian
Not a lot to report today, light drizzle earlier
wind gusts? well enough to give the very large silver birches to the rear
of me some serious abuse.
Now given way to a breeze and broken cloud, a nice spring evening all in all.

The paid liars I mean the forecasters are say that "I" am going to get wet tomorrow (Monday)
lets see what happens when I open the curtains

 

[Ian D J]

PMSL Ian
Not a lot to report today, light drizzle earlier
wind gusts? well enough to give the very large silver birches to the rear
of me some serious abuse.
Now given way to a breeze and broken cloud, a nice spring evening all in all.

The paid liars I mean the forecasters are say that "I" am going to get wet tomorrow (Monday)
lets see what happens when I open the curtains

Hi Cobra! It's been a day of bright spells and cloudy periods over here at Kent - and it remained dry the whole time - again!

I've just noticed that about tomorrow's forecast - but my own expertice is telling me that I don't think there will be as much rain by tomorrow. Oh, there'll be a good deal of cloud cover about over the East and South of England, but any rain about will be light and patchy in nature. Scotland and the North West of England will get to see a day of sunny spells and showers.

And then things slowly become more summer-like as we wear on into the rest of the week as high pressure builds over us. I'm also looking out for something of a thundery breakdown over Southern England by the weekend but that's me getting ahead of myself.

Y'all have a great Bank Holiday tomorrow whatever the weather!

 

[Cobra]

I'm also looking out for something of a thundery breakdown over Southern England by the weekend but that's me getting ahead of myself.

What's that chances of that Ian? I may be heading down that sorta direction
for the week-end

 

[Ian D J]

What's that chances of that Ian? I may be heading down that sorta direction
for the week-end

There is a lot of talk about a thundery-type spell across Southern England as things turn more humid and unstable in from the South by the weekend, but that's really a long way off. Will have a better grasp of things by Tuesday at the earliest.

 

[norvic-boy]

Looking forward to that high pressure system comin' over top in the next three days... just in time for my 6th forms summer ball!

Few cold weather fronts comin' over in the next 24-36 hours... just looks like crappy boring drizzle tomorrow - for us in Norfolk

 

[braveboy2012]

Did I mention we are in the spa tomorrow?!

Outlook is very warm with showers!

 

[Ian D J]

Looking forward to that high pressure system comin' over top in the next three days... just in time for my 6th forms summer ball!

Few cold weather fronts comin' over in the next 24-36 hours... just looks like crappy boring drizzle tomorrow - for us in Norfolk

Yep, a case of it getting worse before it gets better.

Did I mention we are in the spa tomorrow?!

Outlook is very warm with showers!

Sounds like a good plan!

Off to bed now, here's hoping my gut feelings for not being quite so wet tomorrow does ring true.

 

[Cobra]

There is a lot of talk about a thundery-type spell across Southern England as things turn more humid and unstable in from the South by the weekend, but that's really a long way off. Will have a better grasp of things by Tuesday at the earliest.

Thanks

 

[*Babs]

You've probably seen it before ... but ...

 

[jeangenie]

You've probably seen it before ... but ...

I hadn't seen it before - but I like it! I bet it's right 99% of the time.

Well, we managed to have our bbq outside - we've all got good warm jackets! It was cold and very windy - salad blowing all over the place, tidal waves in the wine glasses and we over-catered on the sausages! Anybody for a cold sausage? But, being true Brits, we stuck it out! :nuts:

If it's going to rain tomorrow, I hope it does a good job. Whatever happens, I hope you all enjoy the last Bank holiday for ages.

Jean

 

[Ian D J]

You've probably seen it before ... but ...

Dang, you've just revealed my secret.

Good mornin' all you slowly awakenin' souls from a rather murky and muggy Folkestone, but it's still very much on the dry side.

Doesn't look like being a very insipiring bank holiday at all for those living in the Central part of the UK today. Oh well, might as well enjoy the rain for those who do get it.

 

[Gremlin]

Dang, you've just revealed my secret.

Good mornin' all you slowly awakenin' souls from a rather murky and muggy Folkestone, but it's still very much on the dry side.

Yep same here in not so sunny sussex, but at least it's dry
no rain means no mowing the lawn
just have to top up the pond occasionally

 

[Cobra]

Well we got what you lot have been hoping for,
that fine all soaking rain. its been at it since early morning
and still no let up in sight. Oh well, didn't want to cut the grass anyway

 

[Ian D J]

Well we got what you lot have been hoping for,
that fine all soaking rain. its been at it since early morning
and still no let up in sight. Oh well, didn't want to cut the grass anyway

It's still very dry here, in fact we've had quite a fine, warm and bright morning which enabled me to get some gardening on.
It's now gone quite overcast and radars are showing rain crossing over the Channel and making landfall on the South Kent coast right now. It's only just this minute I'm starting to see a few splotches of rain showing on my motorbike cover. I'm finding it very hard to contain my excitement.

 

[Cobra]

.............. I'm finding it very hard to contain my excitement.

I do worry about you sometimes Ian

still hissing down here

Hope you get yours
(erm thats not quite how it was meant to come out )

 

[jeangenie]

Well we got what you lot have been hoping for,
that fine all soaking rain. its been at it since early morning
and still no let up in sight. Oh well, didn't want to cut the grass anyway

We've had light drizzle on and off all day - better than nothing, but not as much or as consistent as we need - and I didn't want to cut the grass either.

I'm finding it very hard to contain my excitement.

I do worry about you sometimes Ian
)

Just take it steady, Ian - after so long without rain it could easily go to your head.

Jean

 

[ladysue]

Its still very dry here but it has clouded over now so maybe we will get some much needed rain.

 

[braveboy2012]

still hissing down here

Yes, you are quite noisy for a snake aren't you?!

 

[Ian D J]

I do worry about you sometimes Ian

still hissing down here

Hope you get yours
(erm thats not quite how it was meant to come out )

Well, we had a little bit of rain at around 2 pm - produced all of 1 mm . . . and then the sun came out for the rest of the afternoon and the bit of dampness we had very quickly evaporated in the late afternoon warmth. The Great Dryness of 2011 continues.
To be honest, I've given up all hope of seeing any green lawns around here until Autumn at the earliest.

 

[Ian D J]

Oh, and here's today's weather-related cartoon . . .

 

[Cobra]

Oh, and here's today's weather-related cartoon . . .

I guess it quit raining about 2 hours ago
I guess we had a few mm but the soil is only lightly damp

 

[ladysue]

We had some light rain late in the day that went on for a while. Its not as much as we need but it was something. I must get something to catch the rain so I can tell how much we have had.

 

[jeangenie]

The drizzle has stopped here. Looks like sun forecast for tomorrow for us - unless Ian knows different!

The cartoon made me giggle, Ian - nice one!

Jean

 

[Ian D J]

We had some light rain late in the day that went on for a while. Its not as much as we need but it was something. I must get something to catch the rain so I can tell how much we have had.

Mornin' Sue. There's two ways you can measure rainfall. The first one is very simple and basic, a little plastic cone you stick in the ground, the measurement on it's side is calibrated to measure the correct amount as it catches the rain.
Pros: Cheap and cheerful and never needs batteries.
Cons: You have to have it placed out in as open an area as possible (away from shelter) and you have to trudge outdoors every time to look at it.
Needs emptying manually if you want to "reset" it on a daily basis.

Or there's the modern technological approach, an electronic gauge in the shape of a plastic box but, again with a cone on the top to collect the rainwater. The rainwater goes onto a little tiny tipper inside the box and each tilt of the tipper triggers off a signal (usually 0.5 mm per tip) wirelessly back to a console located indoors. Most modern electronic weather stations will always come with a rain gauge (look for that feature when looking for one in the average Argos catalogue).
Pros: You can see measurements all in the comfort of your room. Can also be reset from indoors.
Cons: Needs quite a bit of setting up. Are more expensive than traditional cones (cheapest being £40 as far as I know). Needs batteries.

The drizzle has stopped here. Looks like sun forecast for tomorrow for us - unless Ian knows different!

The cartoon made me giggle, Ian - nice one!

Jean

Mornin' Jean. We had some "useful" light rain last night which added another 1.5 mm which has gone a long way in trying to revive my lawn. It is being a lush bright and sunny start as I type this at 6.15 am but showers running down along the Eastern side of England later on today may provide a little bit more rain this afternoon (but will with some decent sunny spells). Every little bit helps!

Glad you like the cartoon - and while we are in that vein, here's today's weather-related cartoon pulled from the archives . . .

 

[Ian D J]

What's that chances of that Ian? I may be heading down that sorta direction
for the week-end

As promised, I'd thought I'd give you an update when we get nearer to the time.

I'm 99% confident that by the weekend, the bulk of the UK will turn out dry with plenty of sunshine, along with warmer temperatures - yes, even and especially over the North.

But, as always with my forecasts there is always a "but", winds may become a fresh east over the South of the UK by then. That may have the effect of dragging low cloud and fog in from the sea to affect Eastern and Southern coastal areas - but Kent is still set to collect some good sunshine due to it being close to the Continent.

 

[jeangenie]

Today has dawned bright and sunny, and after the rain yesterday everywhere looks fresh and much greener! Nature's amazing - just a day's rain has made a huge difference! Like Sue, I haven't got any means of measuring how much rain has fallen , but I think yesterday will have encouraged loads of annual weeds to sprout on the allotment! :bang: But today's my birthday, so I'm leaving them to get on with it.

It looks as though Kent is back to drought-making weather, then, Ian. Can you see hosepipe bans looming in the forecast?

I like the fork lightning cartoon. One of my 'must get someday' photos is a really spectacular lightning shot. I've tried a few times - and failed!

Chris - I hope the weather doesn't disappoint when you head this way!

Jean

 

[Ian D J]

Today has dawned bright and sunny, and after the rain yesterday everywhere looks fresh and much greener! Nature's amazing - just a day's rain has made a huge difference! Like Sue, I haven't got any means of measuring how much rain has fallen , but I think yesterday will have encouraged loads of annual weeds to sprout on the allotment! :bang: But today's my birthday, so I'm leaving them to get on with it.

It looks as though Kent is back to drought-making weather, then, Ian. Can you see hosepipe bans looming in the forecast?

I like the fork lightning cartoon. One of my 'must get someday' photos is a really spectacular lightning shot. I've tried a few times - and failed!

Chris - I hope the weather doesn't disappoint when you head this way!

Jean

I've taken a few lightning photos in my time! This is easily my favourite, taken during a short and localised but violent storm that literally turned up at my front door three years ago. I love my storms but this one did terrify me a bit, the loud boom made me jump out of my skin.

I had my D40 set to a 30 second exposure . . . and then this beaut showed up.

As for the hosepipe ban, I'm surprised there isn't one in force already at least for around here but I think since the advent of metered water supply, people have become more wiser when it comes to water consumption these days and so that will go some way to preventing - or at least - delaying any hosepipe bans.
Naturally, if the weather carries on with this "blocked high pressure" pattern for the rest of this summer - a time when heatwaves can occur (as we are still coming out of winter and spring) then, yes, water restriction of one sort or another will take place across the South and East of the UK - if it hadn't already without us realising it!

 

[ladysue]

Thanks Ian for the advice on rain measurers. I think it will have to be just the simple one for me at the moment as money is limited. I bought my grandson ( aged 8) a weather station last year because he was interested but I dont think it gets used at the moment. Perhaps I can get him measuring the rain for me as he lives nearby.

Today it is a mixture of sun and cloud here and quite windy so I dont know if we will get any rain. I am just going to put my washing out so that might make it rain

 

[norvic-boy]

Oooh really odd stuff happening here in the east...

Started off this morning with patchy cloud... but mostly glorious sunshine. About an hour ago, there was a noticable change in air temperature, and clouds are now really developing and rising high! Word has it -thanks to social networking sites- hail was seen/felt in Norwich about half an hour ago! And looking out across the fields in the city direction there are definitely developing stratocumulus clouds! Possibles for cumulonimbus! fingers crossed! I've been deprived of a good storm recently!

Theres definitely rain accumulating in this area! (Link dropped at 1310) http://www.meteogroup.co.uk/uk/home/weather/radar/united-kingdom.html?tx_mgradarplayer_pi1

 

[Cobra]

As promised, I'd thought I'd give you an update when we get nearer to the time.

I'm 99% confident that by the weekend, the bulk of the UK will turn out dry with plenty of sunshine, along with warmer temperatures - yes, even and especially over the North.

But, as always with my forecasts there is always a "but", winds may become a fresh east over the South of the UK by then. That may have the effect of dragging low cloud and fog in from the sea to affect Eastern and Southern coastal areas - but Kent is still set to collect some good sunshine due to it being close to the Continent.

Thanks for the update Ian
"Medium" drizzle mid morning but quite short lived,

Heavy thunder spots not long ago,
didn't stay long enough to more than damp the path.
50% blue skies now with Cumulus clouds floating around

 

[norvic-boy]

Just one of the clouds forming over head!

 

[Ian D J]

The exact same thing is happening here, Toby - we've just had a very beefy power shower that gave us 3 mm in the space of ten minutes. Can hear the lawn sighing in relief from here!

 

[Ian D J]

Just one of the clouds forming over head!

Looks like it was giving you the middle finger! I've got one too, but slightly more . . . rude in appearance! Taken earlier on this morning.

 

[Ian D J]

Thanks for the update Ian
"Medium" drizzle mid morning but quite short lived,

Heavy thunder spots not long ago,
didn't stay long enough to more than damp the path.
50% blue skies now with Cumulus clouds floating around

It is being very much the same here, we've just had a nice beefy power shower. All those sparrows nests that were built in the guttering because it has been so dry for so long have all been washed away, awwww.

 

[norvic-boy]

The exact same thing is happening here, Toby - we've just had a very beefy power shower that gave us 3 mm in the space of ten minutes. Can hear the lawn sighing in relief from here!

Looks like it was give you the middle finger! I've got one too, but slightly more . . . rude in appearance! Taken earlier on this morning.

Thats quite a nice little bit... shame only 3mm though! We want 3cm in 10 minutes please!

 

[Cobra]

Toby's looks more like "Dumbo" (trunk top right) heading for the skies
Ian trust you to get a rude cloud

 

[braveboy2012]

Ian, your picture looks like a Power Ranger, I can't see anything rude...

....ahhh, now I see it!

Have you ever noticed a power ranger looks like a *ahem*!!!!

 

[Ian D J]

Ian, your picture looks like a Power Ranger, I can't see anything rude...

....ahhh, now I see it!

Have you ever noticed a power ranger looks like a *ahem*!!!!

I see a power ranger in it now you have come to mention it. I don't think we ever tire of looking for shapes in clouds.

 

[norvic-boy]

Got some more for you to have a butchers at

re-edit from earlier - that tree was bugging me

 

[Ian D J]

Cheers for showing them, Toby! That certainly is a decent round of convective type cumulus. It's been a good day for cloudspotting today.

PS: Can't say I've noticed the tree.