The Great Meteorological Thread

[LauraJ23]

Lovely pics Ian, I am kind of missing the snow! It was a lovely frosty morning this morning at -2 and been 5c all day

 

[Ian D J]

Lovely pics Ian, I am kind of missing the snow! It was a lovely frosty morning this morning at -2 and been 5c all day

Hi Michael - and everyone else reading this bit. I didn't get to see a frost this morning but it turned out to be a jolly nice ol' day with plenty of sunshine all day - a total contrast to what it was like here yesterday.

 

[LauraJ23]

According to metcheck there is snow and sleet forecast over the next week for my postcode.

 

[Ian D J]

According to metcheck there is snow and sleet forecast over the next week for my postcode.

Hi Micheal. Indeed, winter has arrived at least over the Northern half of the UK. For now, most of the proper snow will fall mostly over high ground over Scotland and then Northern England later on today. Right now, it is snowing in some of those places - and even settling.

In the meantime . . . good mornin' all from a rather dull and overcast Folkestone. I don't expect to see any snow over here not for a while yet, but things may take on a bit of a wintry flavour at this neck of the woods right at the tail end of this week and perhaps into the weekend. All a long way off, of course.

Anyway, some more "on this day exactly a year ago" type photos. The following three photos were taken on 4th Dec '10 as the Great Late Autumn Cold Snap tightened it's grip . . .

Actual real icicles hanging off my house, where the icicles even had icicles hanging off them:

At a local graveyard taken later on in then day:

But then, a few hours after that photograph was taken, temperatures went from -4 C to +4 C later on in the evening as mild Atlantic air temporarily crept back in. Did provide rellef from all those icy roads, but the cold air continued to hang over the hilly areas - and produced a rare event I have only seen once in my life. Photos of that to follow in a couple of days.

Until then, hope you all have a good Sunday.

 

[Gerrard]

Brrr indeed
But I guess at least your daytime temps are still higher than ours.

I dunno, not got out of bed yet..

 

[Cobra]

I dunno, not got out of bed yet..

Greetings from a dull and overcast UK

It really is a "non-weather day" today

 

[SarahLee]

Eagerly awaiting the arrival of Winter. We haven't even had a frost yet this year.
Any sign of the cold, crisp mornings making their way South yet Ian?

 

[Ian D J]

Eagerly awaiting the arrival of Winter. We haven't even had a frost yet this year.
Any sign of the cold, crisp mornings making their way South yet Ian?

Hi Sarah! Actually, most of us should wake up to a crisp clear frosty morning tomorrow morning. Same goes on Tuesday but then a depressioin system will cross eastwards across the UK on Wednesday bringing a spell of general cloud and and rain to most parts.
But then once that band of cloud and rain clear away on Thursday we'll all be back in a cold and fresh N.W wind bringing sunny spells and wintry showers to all parts, along with frosty nights.
The trouble is, the wind may prevent any frost from taking too much of a hold, except perhaps in well-sheltered areas.

 

[LauraJ23]

Well the snow that was forecast today, was rain, with a very bitter wind to it as well, was quite clear earlier but there is still some cloud going through.

 

[Gerrard]

Evening, Ian, Cobra, Michael, Sarah, Duncan, and anyone I've forgotten..

Well today has been sunny here in downtown Malaga with an afternoon temp of 20c but a bit of a chill tonight is expected..

 

[Ian D J]

Mornin' all you awakenin' souls from a rather damp Folkestone, but skies are becoming clear as I type.

At this point exactly a year ago, a thaw had actually set in around these parts and shifted most of the laying snow. However, low level freezing cold and moist air crept back in from the north east and while it didn't have that much of an effect at sea level (it merely felt chilly and damp), it made for an - in my eyes - once in a life time weather event over the higher ground. For the first time in my life, I got to see a proper full on rime frost.

This was the scene that greeted me when I arrived at work at Farthing Common (7 miles inland and 400 feet ASL) at 8 am . . .

Below, note the lack of laying snow on the grass.

By mid-day.

 

[Gerrard]

Morning Ian, hope you are well.

Couple of nice snaps there.. ( Old jokes are the best)

Well we fly into Liverpool this evening an I know there is going to be a heatwave..

Here the sky is blue but only warm- ish..

 

[Ian D J]

Morning Ian, hope you are well.

Couple of nice snaps there.. ( Old jokes are the best)

Well we fly into Liverpool this evening an I know there is going to be a heatwave..

Here the sky is blue but only warm- ish..

Hi Micheal, I'm very good ta. Just got in from a rather brisk bike ride.

Not sure how to break it to you, but Northern England and most of Scotland are on storm-force winds alert for Thursday night and into Friday morning.
80 mph-plus gusts are very likely over Northern and Eastern Scotland on Thursday night and then over North East England afterwards on Friday morning as the associated deep and vigorous depression system crosses over Scotland and out into the North Sea.

 

[Gerrard]

Hi Micheal, I'm very good ta. Just got in from a rather brisk bike ride.

Not sure how to break it to you, but Northern England and most of Scotland are on storm-force winds alert for Thursday night and into Friday morning.
80 mph-plus gusts are very likely over Northern and Eastern Scotland on Thursday night and then over North East England afterwards on Friday morning as the associated deep and vigorous depression system crosses over Scotland and out into the North Sea.

Yes but apart from that.....

 

[Ian D J]

Yes but apart from that.....

There'll be some brief sunny spells in between the blustery and wintry showers.

 

[Cobra]

Well we fly into Liverpool this evening an I know there is going to be a heatwave..


Here the sky is blue but only warm- ish..

Its currently 43o down here, but maybe a little cooler up Liverpool way

There'll be some brief sunny spells in between the blustery and wintry showers.

It was Blowing half a gale today up on that exposed Landfill, the poor old Pere x Lanner was struggling to get back after a brief excursion to the outer
limits

 

[Ian D J]

Its currently 43o down here, but maybe a little cooler up Liverpool way


It was Blowing half a gale today up on that exposed Landfill, the poor old Pere x Lanner was struggling to get back after a brief excursion to the outer
limits

And I think it's going to get a lot more blustery where you are.

Here's a quick handy little guide on what conditions will be like tomorrow and into Friday.

* * * Storm force winds. * * *

Valid for Thursday night and into Friday Morning for Scotland, Northern England and Eastern England.

As a rapidly deepening depression system crosses over Scotland on Thursday night, winds to it's southern side will pick up to as storm force. Firstly over Scotland on Thursday night, and then over East Scotland, North East England and possibly as far south as Eastern England on Friday morning.
With winds coming in from the NW and then in from the N for a time, it may produce some coastal tidal flooding along the East Coast. Some structure damage and travel disruptions are also likely in the above mentioned areas.

 

[Cobra]

Holy Crap!
I've got a thick black line going right through my house




Actually I think that I am just on the "right" (correct) side of that

 

[LauraJ23]

Evening all! Been very wet and horrible here! Rain, sleet and hail and plenty of it! I just wish the proper snow would come. Looks like I am just on the better side of that black line too, just I think

 

[Gremlin]

Coming home late last night I got sprayed by a gritter lorry coming out of Crawley on the A264, roads totally dry !!!
This morning still dry and no frost, sometimes I think the councils just waste money

 

[Carter64]

Certainly hope so!
High-tide around 14:00, should be great to get some wild stormy sea pics
Might get the locally clichéd waves crashing over Roker Pier.
Then a short walk to The Smugglers (pub) to get dry and warm
In fact, I should perhaps pop down The Smugglers today, just to make sure everything's ok...........................

 

[Ian D J]

Mornin' Mike, and that certainly does sound like a good plan.

The warnings are still very much applicable (no last minute changes, that kind of thing) but here at cloudy and damp ol' Folkestone it is still quite calm. Just rather grim looking, really.

Hope our northern friends will stay safe as things become quite wild over the North and East of the UK for the next 24 hours.

For more details, check out my Cloud Master forecast (just been updated): http://thecloudmaster.webs.com/

 

[Carter64]

Mornin Ian.
Starting to get blustery up here, we've had a vicious little squall just now.
Tomorrow should be my best hope, the wind isn't in the right direction just yet, it needs to swing round.
Thanks for the link

BTW, last time I used the words 'Starting to get a bit blustery' was during a phone call home to my Dad, around 11pm, from a caravan site in Old Romney, Kent.............Thursday 15th October 1987 lol.

 

[Ian D J]

Mornin Ian.
Starting to get blustery up here, we've had a vicious little squall just now.
Tomorrow should be my best hope, the wind isn't in the right direction just yet, it needs to swing round.
Thanks for the link

BTW, last time I used the words 'Starting to get a bit blustery' was during a phone call home to my Dad, around 11pm, from a caravan site in Old Romney, Kent.............Thursday 15th October 1987 lol.

Hehe, that's a real case of "famous last words" if I may say so.

Hope you get what you want out of this one, while at the same time say safe. Indeed, ideally the wind need to come straight in from the north, or better still, north east combined with a rising spring tide/tidal swell if you want to see waves crashing over the sea wall (which you are aware of anyway), but at the moment it's looking like being a westerly/north westerly wind feature.

 

[Cobra]

It must have been gusting at around 50mph this morning!

The met office reckoned that the wet stuff would hit here about 3pm.
and bloomin 'ek right on cue it started hissing down!

Luckily I had just got in for the day

 

[Ian D J]

Hi Chris, 'tis being a filthy ol' day, isn't it?

A 165 mph gust has been recorded at The Cairngorms! Just been officially confirmed by the Met Office, that was 8 mph shy from the all time UK record for the strongest wind.

Certainly turning wild over the Northern half of the UK at the moment. It's not tooooo bad here over the South East, just dull and wet with constant heavy drizzle blowing in a fresh to strong south west wind. However, I am expecting things to turn squally for a short time at around 6 pm as a cold front passes over us.

 

[dinners]

Yep 165mph

Just short of the 173mph record

 

[Cobra]

Blimey! thats a tad on the rough side

 

[Ian D J]

Mornin' all you awakenin' souls from a fine and clear - and soon to be sunny - Folkestone. Can't see a frost, though, but there will be one tonight. (A widespread one at that as temperatures falls to as low as -5 C in many inland areas).

Hope everyone had weathered (pun fully intended) yesterday's storm.

This reminded me of a cartoon I did a few years ago . . .

And I've just thought of a nice little cartoon for my Photography Cartoon thread, so watch that space later on today.

 

[Ian D J]

It does seem likely that another lively and active Atlantic depression system is set to tumble in from the west as we go into Tuesday.
Initial thoughts are that it looks like tracking just that little bit south than yesterday's storm (the center crossing over Northern England) so indeed more of Southern England could feel the effects of it.
It's still early days yet, though, I'll have a better idea of it tomorrow or Sunday, certainly one to keep an eye on when it comes to strength, tracking and timings.

For quite a while I have been saying how Christmas Day is likely to be a mild and bright but somewhat breezy one and my thoughts remains unchanged at this point. With that in mind, chances of a White Christmas - at least for us Kent people - is virtually zilch from where I'm sitting.

But I'm still going for a big pattern change to much more wintry conditions for most parts as we go into the latter half of January.

 

[Cobra]

Hi Ian another cold day with a very fresh wind!
We had another cloud burst around an hour or so ago
(curious as thats about the same time as yesterdays)
The winds appear to be easing, and the sky is clearing as the sun goes down.
You could be right about the frost
Day off tomorrow, so no scraping windscreens at silly O'Clock even if it does

 

[LauraJ23]

Been a mixed bag here the last couole of days. Yesterday we had loads of rain which was pretty much torrential. Today, sunshine followed by a fairlt good down poor. Tonight a few flakes of "icing sugar" snow and the frost which started somewhere around 20:45.

 

[Ian D J]

Mornin' all from a sunny Folkestone. Indeed I got to see the first proper hard air frost upon awakening at 7.30 am, that type of frost aren't that common around here due to my coastal location.

Looks like being a very lively week weather-wise as we go into next week. I'm expecting stormy conditions for most on Tuesday and into Wednesday. Then after a brief respite on Thursday, another active Atlantic depression may sweep in from the west to bring more very unsettled and windy conditions to all by next weekend.
In other words, a very changeable week.

I'm already enjoying this December due to how interesting and changeable our weather is being at the moment. In my eyes that is a vast improvement on November which has been a rather flat and featureless month!

Unfortunately I am very confident that there won't be a White Christmas this year. I think most of us will get to have a brown/green one where it'll stay mild and bright - especially to the South and East of the UK - on the day.
Although, having said that, I'm still going for a big pattern change to much more wintry-like conditions as we go into the second half of January.

 

[Cobra]

Afternoon Ian.
A very hard frost this morning here too, there are still traces of it
in the "sheltered areas", on the grass and the cars.

However, its now clouding up fast and it is still at 2oC.

Shame really, as they don't look like snow clouds

 

[Ian D J]

Afternoon Ian.
A very hard frost this morning here too, there are still traces of it
in the "sheltered areas", on the grass and the cars.

However, its now clouding up fast and it is still at 2oC.

Shame really, as they don't look like snow clouds

Mornin' Cobra and all you awakenin' souls from a fine and soon to be sunny Folkestone.

Going by the outputs for the rest of the week and more especially Friday, looks like I'd better make the most of this temporary current settled spell.

 

[LauraJ23]

Morning all, woke upto a fairly good hard frost this morning, despite local weather saying just a bit of ground frost in some areas. Now lovely and sunny with blue skies. What a difference to yesterday which saw persistant rain, causing very bad visibility on whilst we were traveling the a38.

 

[Gerrard]

Blimey! thats a tad on the rough side

Sounds like my first wife.. .

Back from Liverpool and a weather forecast from here later..

 

[Cobra]

Sounds like my first wife.. .

A bit of a non weather day, here today
It clouded over a the sun came up, (no frost though)
'Twas bloody chilly in that stiff breeze and just a grey cloud cover.
A few spots of rain early afternoon amounted to just that.

 

[Ian D J]

A bit of a non weather day, here today
It clouded over a the sun came up, (no frost though)
'Twas bloody chilly in that stiff breeze and just a grey cloud cover.
A few spots of rain early afternoon amounted to just that.

Hi Cobra! It's actually been a sunny and cheerful ol' day here, even felt pleasantly mild in the sunshine since winds were quite light.
It wasn't until in the last couple of hours ago that showers hanging over the Channel tumbled in to give us a bit of a soaking.

From between 8 pm tonight, all through the night tonight and into tomorrow morning looks set to be wet and windy for most of Southern England, Wales, Central England and Eastern England. Wind speeds will vary betweem 35 mph to up to 70 mph gusts, along with up to an inch of rain in places.
It's actually quite typical winter fare, just that it's something we haven't had in a long time.

Of course and as already mentioned, Thursday night and Friday Morning's weather system will need close watching as that may make things turn quite stormy over Southern and South East England.

 

[Gremlin]

Been a very wet and wiundy night here, just let the dog out and skies have cleared for the moment so might get a dry drive to work/
Forecast not looking good though, think I might get a tad damp today
Catch you all later if I don't get blown away