Wildswimmer Pete

Neither. Warm and sunny every time.

I remember the summer of 1959, it was a cracking one. Christmas '59 was also remarkably mild.

A half decent August day but for that dratted cloud and chilly breeze. Not sunbathing weather given the intermittent sun and chill.

I wonder if that appalling toll is down to isolation and SAD?

This glorious August day is now experiencing near-torrential rain @ 5.15pm.

Monumentally vile August day. more like November. Overnight temp 13C, currently 14.7C, breezy and heavy rain. Yes, what passes for the British "summer" is already over.

If that's you in your avatar then obviously you are young and can travel, given that you post from Canada and several towns in south England. To quote from my earlier post elsewhere: "Que? Easily just move abroad? Is it that really easy? OK for someone young with no established home. How about the elderly, or those with medical conditions? Given the current political climate how long will your EHIC card last? There's the distinct possibility that expat Brits could be deported from the Costas to the UK. Where would they able to buy or rent suitable accommodation given the chronic shortage of housing?" The prospects for me moving to anywhere outside the EU would be even worse. Canada wouldn't accept me as a.) I'm old and b.) have serious heart condition.

The usual rain overnight now broken cloud and sunny intervals. Current temp. 19C which is definitely below par for a mid-August afternoon. Despite the temp. there is a chill in the strong breeze. Looks like Autumn is back over the next few days.

Que? Easily just move abroad? Is it that really easy? OK for someone young with no established home. How about the elderly, or those with medical conditions? Given the current political climate how long will your EHIC card last? There's the distinct possibility that expat Brits could be deported from the Costas to the UK. Where would they able to buy or rent suitable accommodation given the chronic shortage of housing? Sadly I was pressured by family not to do I wanted - leave the lousy British climate behind for good. Now it's too late.

Yet another wretched August day. Cold (just 15C), windy and heavy rain. That's all we see over the past few "summers": rain, rain and yet more *%$£" rain. I'm talking about the rain that falls during usual waking hours before someone starts quoting stats at me. Looks like August 2019 is rivalling August 1962, the nastiest August I can remember.

I do as I don't like long pants. Also in winter I don't have to wash long pants because they a covered with mud etc. Legs are washed in the bath and easily dried. I do have an electrically heated jacket for cold weather.

Sunny this afternoon but we still have that nagging cold breeze.

Yet another cold. wet and dreary Autumn day. Overnight min10.7C, currently 13.7C. Just had to run the heating for an hour to take the chill off my place. This what we laughingly describe as "high Summer." I pity the schoolkids who have to take their holidays at home rather than in warmer, sunnier climes.

I was going to post that "Autumn is already waiting in the wings" but that's now incorrect. Given the chilly night we had (min 10.9C) Autumn has now arrived. Already the standard pattern is being followed again. Cold night, cloud bubbling up at breakfast time with the current temp 14C and I'll bet the cloud melts away around 8pm to lead to another unseasonably cold night. This is supposed to be "high Summer". Indoor here 17C, a degree lower and I'll have to put on the heating as I'm not a spring chicken anymore and have a heart condition.

Had a brief glimpse of the sun before the cloud returned. Managed the stellar heights of 17C. I've always asserted that in my area, August is an Autumn month. So "Summer 2019" turned out to be just three hot days at the end of July.

Yet another dank, damp, cold and grey August day more akin to November. Overnight min 13.7C, current temp. a roasting.............err.............14.7C. This is during what we laughingly describe as "high summer!"

Friday was a patchwork: warm and humid as the cloud built. Mid afternoon a couple of thunderstorms then noticeably chillier. Min last night 15.9C but today is definitely an autumnal day. Heavy rain overnight but no thunder, heavy showers in the morning although dry now. The wind is something else, a full gale. Needless to say, cloudy. At least I got a line of washing on the line. Looking at model output, this confirms my opinion that August is the first month of Autumn, as it has been during my lifetime. 2019 a good summer? Three hot days and that's it. Otherwise an often chilly cloudfest.

A half decent day (not fully because of all the cloud) temp 22C after mild night. Managed to catch some rays in my garden. Sadly it's back to Autumn for the weekend and all next week.

That's because I actually experienced it. We went on a week's holiday to Scotland and it rained solidly all the way up the A6 over Shap (M6 didn't exist then) then to Kirkcudbright were we stayed. We had just one fine day so I could go to the beach. Otherwise confined to base by the persistent rain and cold winds. Rained solidly going home. That's one reason I'll never pay for a holiday in UK anymore.

A pretty vile August day. Chilly, windy, heavy showers with the sun just briefly appearing. Weather more like October. This is turning out to be a rerun of August 1962, the vilest August I can remember. Mark my words, going on past form, high pressure and fine weather arrives just as soon as the kids go back to school.

14C minimum last night. Currently around 20C which is bit substandard for early August and there's a strong breeze that will result in some windchill. Spells of cloud at the moment. Feels like early Autumn.

Wet overnight but the forecast warmth didn't happen. I had to put on a hoodie before the bike ride to my hospital outpatient appointment. What has been a recurrent feature of previous Augusts are the clear nights with cloud bubbling up during the morning which melts away towards evening. Felt chilly outdoors this evening, definitely not BBQ weather.

I was expecting to have a good moan given the cloudy morning, even had light shower. However after getting my electric bike out the weather cleared up so the ride to the pool and back was in glorious sunshine. It's still around 20C at 7:40pm.

That's why the Lancashire cotton trade became established. The constantly damp climate helped the spinning of cotton yarn. Sadly the constant damp also exacerbates chest complaints which is why the Northwest is notorious for bronchitis.

If that figure comes from sunshine recorder data it'll be even worse. Most of the time the sun is out during the early morning until breakfast time when the almost inevitable grey lid slams down.