Rainy

WIRRALCAM system is showing massive surge now at high tide.. Waves near lighthouse top at Fort Perch Rock http://www.wirralcam.org/mersey.shtml

SW Bowland. Clearance come through now. Pressure riisng. Wind still wild. Fantastic high tide scenes on the WirralCam. Specially at Fort Perch Rock. http://www.wirralcam.org/mersey.shtml

I'm finding this animation interesting. Thank you John for posting the link ealier. http://www.yr.no/satellitt/europa_animasjon.html The system appeared to be on a bee line for Biscay and France earliier. But then, nearing the SW approaches, it seemed to pause, take a breath, then decided to make a run towards the Channel.

Did anyone detail the lightning hit at Piccadilly Sta Manchester. See Mancunian Matters. Pic and info. Wakeup call around the north west.

31.2C max here yesterday. The clegs were rampant. A nice E breeze picked up during the day and kept the midges away in the evening.

Today was our hottest day so far this summer. Max 28.6C.

Very bright sky to NNW tonight. Is there anything going on?

It's been rough up here tonight, Rattling the slates.. Some scary big gusts. Wind comes all the way from Crosby to our back door. It's a long time since we had a big gale. So this must be March going out like a lion.

Suggest you go teach the MPs !!! It's hard work though, but eventually, when the penny drops about the realities of shale gas fracking, their enthusiasm for it wanes. Admittedly politicians have to know about all sorts -- but they do have aides who should be giving them proper advice. Another Lancashire MP, who I met last summer, has a constituency partly within the area licensed for exploration. He didn't know the name of the fracking company at work in Lancashire (since 2008 !) , nor anything about the earthquakes. His aide / researcher supposedly watching the shale gas issue, didn't know the difference between conventional and unconventional wells.

Just heard Beeb Radio 5 this afternoon at 3pm, Richard Bacon show, will be having discussions about the current cold weather. Experts etc and implications for farmers. Also-- Has`this link been posted http://m.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/25/frozen-spring-arctic-sea-ice-loss

Exactly RP. It's amazing (indeed scary) how little our decision makers know about fracking and its consequences. I heard a local Lancashire MP mention the prospect of our county having in the future a landscape of "nodding donkeys'. It's only when people make an effort to investigate, that the real horror and indeed the leg pull of this industry hits them. And of course its serious impact on climate change seems to be nobody's business. .The industry is dangled as a cure for all our problems by various commentators -- comments slipped in here and there. Alas the Beeb has always to present "balance". which means irresponsible and uninformed people get air time.

Sheep do rid the land of "weeds" and thus put a stress on species diversity. Fields turned to billiard tables. Talking of which, the pastures were showing a bit of greening until this current cold blast. All now gone khaki coloured which the old folks used to describe as "aste". Perhaps a corruption of east, since it's usually these cold east winds which cause the damage. Curlews and lapwings were calling around the meadows until this week. Saw one curlew very briefly yesterday. All gone away somewhere. Snowdrops have given up and had a mass shrivel and death in the last 2 days. Normally they wouldn't all go at once like this. .

Light showers of small round snow grains now and then

Yes, remembering March 1969 well. Baby born at home. Bitter cold. For several days white outs, deep snow and much drifting in east wind as recently. Snowplough cleared way for midwife and doc. Electric overhead cables weighed down with ice when the thaw started. Then sudden switch to sunshine and warmth in early April.

It was worse up here mid March 1969. Drifting fine snow from the east for a few days, like now, but drifts much bigger. Council snowblower machines tried to keep up with drifting, working non stop up and down the lanes every day.. I think Easter was very early April that year. By then it was lovely and warm and daffys well out. Pic attached was taken mid March 1969

Light snow is back. Preston North End's match is on at Deepdale. Brr.

Raging E wind and drifting snow. But not really a big fall round here. No more than a couple of cms. So maybe it keeps coming from out of Yorkshire. Heard there has been a heavier fall towards Gisburn and Skipton and back roads tricky. Drifts here only about a foot deep. Many places swept clear by the wind. Temp 0.8C. Sky lighter grey. Can almost see where the sun should be.

Blizzard for the last 2 hours. Can't tell how much is falling, but masses of dusty snow is blowing in great clouds off the roof. There will be some nice drifts about by morning if this continues. Temp been 0C all evening. No drips here. Paths dry and swept clear in places.

Not much snow lying. About 1cm. Very little falling for the last hour. Stone surfaces damp. But across the fields it's still drifting, coming all the way from Yorkshire. Current temp 0.7C. Thankfully any nuke emissions from Sellafield will get blown out to sea by this E wind. But if it is serious, I feel sorry for the I of Man and NI though. Meanwhile all the wind turbines are busy, I presume .....

Been out to look .. Sky fairly clear with some strips of clouds overhead. There looks to be a wall of cloud to the east. Amber alert on Aurorawatch. Presume we look N'wards? How high up?

This is probably not the correct place to post this http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/16/britain-farming-crisis-how-tough But do take notice everyone. Things are going wrong.. Farms in large areas of the north and west of the UK, specially in the hills, have been mostly at a standstill since late "summer".. After the very wet and sunless autumn, this long sunless winter is adding to the misery. We need a rapid pick up as soon as possible with warmth, sun and evaporation. Are we nearing the oft warned change to "weather like Newfoundland".?

Splodgy snow now. Sticking wetly on grass and car. Temp 3.0C

Snow seems to have stopped apart from the odd flake. . Fine ice pellets rattling down. 3cm snow on ground. Sneaky cold breeze now. Temp risen steadily over the last hour. Now 1.3C. Cloud base risen on fells. Now about 1200ft.

Steady light snow continues. We're plastered. 2cm lying. Temp risen now 0.1C

Fine light snow. Just over1cm lying. Temp minus 0.3C.