Sunny76

It’s hazy today, due to slightly more cloud about. Yesterday and Friday was quite clear, yesterday even more so due to the easterly breeze. There’s not much we can do about the air traffic. I think it’s always been like that. Just try and enjoy the weather. Maybe the contrails stick when it’s less windy. On other days you can get several aircraft in the sky and the skies remain a clear blue.

It really is nice. Reminds me of those clear blue skies of April and May 2020, which I think was countrywide at the time, and those cold sunny days of last April. Mils can be a nightmare, but mine isn’t too bad. She’s 1200 miles away.

2018 was chilly from memory. I think we were still in a cold period, and wasn’t Easter in late March that year? The first half of April was cold at times, I remember working outside in it. Yes it makes a difference. Less of those blue dry hands that I seem to suffer from when daytime temps are under 18c.

Yes that’s a bloody shame isn’t it. My partner is working today at the garden centre, but she’s part time. They all have to commit to 2 bank holidays each throughout the year. Luckily, she’s off on Easter Sunday, as the centre is always closed then, and off again on Monday.

Finally a day when it feels warm enough to not need a jacket, although I still wore my light one when leaving the flat. Now sitting by a pond and soaking up the rays. All we need now is the warmer evenings. Glad to see the back of the chilly weather and nagging cold winds. Easily the warmest day of the year so far with 21c reached and exceeded. 23c now in west London.

It wouldn’t surprise me if we have another cloudy and disappointing summer, but hopefully a sunnier May.

Mostly forgettable, apart from the warm sunny April, with a hot Easter weekend, around 28-29c. Don' t think we've had a warmer one since. I was in Brussels on the Good Friday, when some afternoon storms broke out, and I think these may have been the same ones that hit London on the Saturday. No storms during the summer, and a very poor one. A mild autumn and very mild Christmas. This was the poorest winter 2011-12, during the colder years of 2008-13.

I think I might have the dates mixed up, in regards to the storms in the London area. The storms moved in during the night, on a Friday morning.

I think this just tells us why spring 2020 was so good. It was clear because of the lack of aircraft. Similar to that week in April 2010 when all flights were grounded across the world, due to the Iceland volcano. A southeast or easterly breeze usually helps to keep the skies clearer. And in responds to posts about 2021. It was a rotten summer in the London region. 2020 was only slightly better, as the start of June was hot and sunny, which was the extension of the sunny spring during the first lockdown. As soon as the shops and pubs reopened in mid June, the weather changed, and then we only had brief spells of hot sunny weather, in late June, then a whole month of dull weather in July, with only a few sunny days, and a hot sunny day on the last day of July, which lead to a hot spell in early august, and some thunderstorms mixed in. After mid August, summer 2020 was pretty much done. We had a great spring, so it made the dull summer more bearable, however, 2021 only had about 3 weeks of sunny weather between late May and August. August was atrocious.

I forgot about the storms in mid to late July. This year did see a return to summer storms, especially in the London region.

I think it’s safe to say the 2010s are now well and truly in the rear view mirror, for us to look back at them. Almost 10 years ago now, but 2013 stands out as one of the better years, with the cold snowy years of the late 2000s continuing, but also coming to a close. Warmer summers return after a string of cooler or poor ones since 2007. January was quite snowy at times, and a notable covering in the month. Think it was mid month, but remember it feeling cold for quite a number of days. February was chilly and dull. March was very cold and frosty with biting winds. April saw an improvement, but felt chilly despite some warmer days. May was quite cold, and similar to 2012, with longer periods of cold and damp weather. June was chilly to start with, and cold on and off to mid month. A switch to warmer weather did take place towards the end of the month. July was hot and sunny, probably the warmest month since summer 2006, August was mainly sunny and hot at times. A perfect summer, but pegged back by the coolish start to June. September was cool and dull, which lead into a mild winter. The mild winters returned with a vengeance from this point on, unfortunately! The warm September theory doesn’t hold water, in regards to mild winters.

This was definitely the part of the warming trend that started in December 1987, which was followed by a poor summer in 88, but with months mostly above average. 1989 was just an extension of this mildness, which probably helped the hot summer that year to transpire. We were locked into a very mild phase at time time, until about late 1990. At the time, it was the warmest period on record, and even since then, not many periods have been warmer. 1987-1990 was the first shift into a warmer climate, with less snow and better summers.

Maybe the mid august storm was the same one my folks were talking about, but got the night mixed up, or maybe there was a separate storm over the London area on the Saturday night before that.

It’s strange how time works. 1989 to 2005 feels much further away from each than 2005 does to present day in 2022. That being said, 2005 still feels like a very long time ago. Another example would be 1989 at the time, probably felt like a lifetime away from say 1979 or 84. Maybe technology has something to do with it. Anyway, slight digression there. 1989 is definitely one of my fonder memories, and it was the start of a decent run of mostly sunny warm summers, apart from a couple of poor ones, between 1989 until around 1997ish.

Definitely the first decent one since 1984, and the first one I remember clearly for long periods of warm or hot sunny weather. Maybe not as good as 1983, but probably slightly better than 84. It felt like a blessing at the time, after years of poor summers with only a few weeks of hot weather.

As this was discussed just recently, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to chalk up some memories. Don’t remember much about the start of the year, but at the time I vaguely remember it being dull and cloudy. That sounds about right, because according to the stats it was a very mild winter. End of March, nice warm and sunny. April had some warm sunny days, but it was cold at times. May was very warm and humid, with thunderstorms quite widespread towards the end of the month, mostly on the 24th. June to August was mostly warm or hot. Another storm in the London area moved in on a Saturday night sometime during August, but I missed it as I was away in Ireland at the time. September was sunny, and early October was warmish. November was cold and cloudy. Don’t remember much about Christmas that year.

Sounds like a classic 2020 for you. Apparently, there were some storms in the London area yesterday. Unfortunately, I work in the basement and heard nothing lol.

Hard to believe it’s 33 years ago. I remember hiding underneath my blanket, and scared to sleep in the dark during that storm. I was sweating under the blanket, but was convinced the flat was haunted at the time, because of the storm lol. My stupid imagination got the better of me. Probably all your life since joining Netweather

1992 was very thundery. The end of May, around the 24th, again, similar to 1989. Was quite a lot of warm or hot days during May 92, and the storms hit the London region and South during Friday night and Saturday morning. The Friday was very muggy and cloudy. We had another storm, travelling back from a day out at Margate, after a few hot days in the high 20s. This was early in the July I think, and the weather started to turn as we travelling closer to London. It was dark by 6:30. Storms lasted into the night, and we had more overnight storms. August produced another overnight storm on a Saturday, which I think was earlier in the month. The latter half of august was much cooler and unsettled. Confident that 2022 will make up for the lack of thundery activity since 2019. 1999 was a classic for overnight storms. We had one in late May, then another one in early July. I left for Canada on August 11th, and didn’t return until 2001, so missed 2000 over here. It was a thundery summer in Toronto though. 1993 didn’t produce any notable storms, apart from an afternoon/early evening one which was quite loud, on a weekday in September.

Yeah, although the second half was cloudy and nothing special, August 2018 had a decent first half and was very sunny. April that year was quite cold, especially during the first half, and the warm weather didn't really arrive until the latter stages of the month. August 2013 in my opinion was a classic August, and felt like a proper summer month, also 2016. Summer weather in August was very welcome. Something similar to 2018, or even 1987, where it was cool and cloudy to begin with, but turned hot during the second half, with thunderstorms thrown in.

I think if we endure a poor April this year, we might benefit from a better August. It’s going to happen sooner or later.

It was also quite a hot and humid night. That would have been my 13th birthday, so quite memorable. The Friday was humid, but no more storms. I remember watching Christine on LWT during this time. They used to have a Friday night film back in those days.

May 2018 was a brilliant storm. That was the one on Saturday night towards the end of the month. Frequent lightning and high winds. July 2017 was the last time we had a number of storms in the evening and into the night. June 2016 was similar.

I remember the thunderstorms overnight on May 24th 1989, but missed an overnight storm in August, as I was in Ireland at the time. Just remember my mum mentioned they had a bad one in the London area during that time.

I was pointing more towards the May to August period. I never expect storms in April, and haven’t seen one since April 2004.