East Anglia & The South East Regional Discussion - Part 2

[Hughsey]

Few showers around today, no storms club remains though, glad to hear of people seeing storms though .

Hope you managed to dodge the showers for your walk, nothing worse than walking in rain

Is it weird that I quite like walking in the rain?

[Anthonyb]

Hope you managed to dodge the showers for your walk, nothing worse than walking in rain

Just about to leave now and the sun is shining :-)

I'm in east London now (recently moved) looking at the radar the showers are decreasing by the hour which is good. Maybe another hour of showers for west London and then things drying up for evening.

I really do hate this weather though, I work nights and have to endure 6 months of cold dark nights and miserable weather.

Only in the UK does it continue to be miserable in spring!

I have also made my feelings clear about this so called drought in the past!

I would give my right arm to have hot dry sultry weather this summer with no rain, couldn't give a damn about what it might do to the economy, winter rain will repair it. I've suffered 28 years of living in rainy England.

Suppose I could move abroad... Haha

[Steve C]

I'd rather it rained now and May, followed by a decent summer, than happened last year. I'm hopeful this may be the case.

I've been checking on how dry England has been, compared to normal and found these datasets on the Met Office site.

http://www.metoffice...te/uk/datasets/

Doing a few quick calculations, it looks like only 4 out of the 12 years this century (the years 20XX) have been drier than average, although admittedly 2010 and 2011 were among them. 2000 was a seriously wet year. The years 2007 & 2008 deviated further from the long term average (being wet) than 2010 & 2011 (being dry)

Looking way back, it would be interesting to see the response of water companies / government et al, if we had a year like 1921, which had a rainfall deficit greater than 2010&11 combined.

I personally think this year will end up being wet overall, but that's just obviously a guess. I also think these drought scares will become more frequent in the future; not due to the weather per se, but rather the increasing population and our management of water resources.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Speed67

[Hughsey]

Sorry above was for Anthonyb but appears Hughsey answered, am so confused, its not hard!...like speed67 would rather have this weather now than from June onwards, past couple of years April and may have been lovely then pants summer, let's hope that's reversed this year!

Sorry to confuse you :L

[IanM]

And relax.... Take a couple of breaths and drop the back and forth please, before it gets out of hand.

Thanks

[JennyJane1]

we had a very brief hail storm, about five minutes this afternoon, but it didn't seem that cold to me.

I went to see if the baby bird was ok and he was, much bigger now, i noticed that the adult birds had put a pringle crisp in the nest and that made me laugh!

[Snowangel-MK]

Nothing very exciting here today - lots of lovely storm clouds and a few heavy showers but no thunder or hail like some lucky ones have had.

At least we are getting the right weather for the season for once - April should after all be about sunshine and showers !

Hopefully MK will get all the summer storms to make up for missing out now

Edited April 20, 2012 by MKsnowangel

[abruzzi spur]

Lots of heavy downpours here today. Walked down to collect 2 of the 3 children from school (I knew I had forgotten something) and I could see the rain sweeping towards Reigate hugging the southern edge of the North Downs - very dramatic skies, with a backlit grey wash of rain moving ever closer and swirling in the wind. Downside - cricket is off tonight. Upside - log fire lit, wine on the go.

AS

[Guest archiesmummy]

Is a lot calmer looking out there now, wonder if will be same for the weekend? Mind you the marathon runners might appreciate some showers, as long as doesn't make it slippery or dangerous for them..good luck if anyone on here doing it!

[Jason T]

Ahhhh. Cant beat good old traditional april showers,Hopefull this time is the mark of a pattern change,To long now we have had summer through march and april only for summer to be bloody pooo from may onwards. However yes we are still very low on the water table to call of the BAN. we would need a good 4 to 5 weeks of this to over come the drought. My advice......Now would be a good time to get those water butts filled.

JT

[Guest archiesmummy]

Beautiful morning here, so deceiving though, suspect is going to be much like yesterday after lunch time...

[Snowangel-MK]

Beautiful morning here, so deceiving though, suspect is going to be much like yesterday after lunch time...

Same here... but as I was up and out at the crack of dawn I'm not too bothered if we've had the best of the day, I'm working later anyway !

[Anthonyb]

Been lovely in east London this morning, garden finally had a chance to dry out. Showers lighter than they were this time yesterday. Will be very happy if my garden stays dry today, but I doubt it.

[Snowangel-MK]

Will be very happy if my garden stays dry today, but I doubt it.

I will be very happy if it rains here now...I've got my new raised beds planted and although everything has been watered in with watering cans filled from the water butt a few showers would be good...it has clouded over a bit so you never know !

[biddie]

big hail again

[Anthonyb]

I will be very happy if it rains here now...I've got my new raised beds planted and although everything has been watered in with watering cans filled from the water butt a few showers would be good...it has clouded over a bit so you never know !

Did u get your rain? Only had 2 light showers in East London today and the sun is now beaming once again for a pleasant evening! Such a relief not having to clean the dogs paws every time he comes in from the garden.

My gardens had enough watering the past week, torrential showers with Hail and thunder the past few days.

One bonus to this crap weather - my grass is a beautiful green.

Edited April 21, 2012 by Anthonyb

[Guest archiesmummy]

Possible thunderstorms moving into Essex from hertfordshire..hope it gets dark so can see the lightening better than past few days!

[Snowangel-MK]

Did u get your rain?

yep...timed perfectly after the dogs walk - the new plants are now well watered in !

[Anthonyb]

Well certainly no heavy thundery showers in east London today.. Thank god.

Only 3 light showers all day, seems like the first decent day in ages, felt very pleasant in the strong April sun in between the cloudy spells.

Can't wait to see what may brings, here's hoping for a dry pleasant month. No more rain or the pathetic so called thunderstorms of this week just making a nuisance

[Steve C]

Yesterday was pretty pleasant here and I managed to cut my grass, which I was pleased about.

Dry till late afternoon, when the predictable heavy showers moved in.

It look like early and midweek might provide quite a lot of rain in this area - probably enough to put my area into a rainfall surplus for the year to date.

[Anthonyb]

11:30am and latest radar has the showers well away from our region, hope it stays that way but Im guessing that will change late afternoon.

Although sky news just said that London only due lights showers later so fingers crossed.

[Steve C]

Just finished a walk.

Took note of a developing cumulus cloud, about 40 minutes ago. I only noted it as it was moving in my direction and as I said, it was developing. It passed over me and delivered a light shower. Now it's a towering cumulonimbus, with a well developed anvil cloud. I'd now be certain that the rain under it is no longer light...

[Snowangel-MK]

Just had quite a heavy shower here, I wasn't expecting anything until later in the afternoon - sun's out again now though !

Hopefully a good sign for later that we might get something stormy here and not just be a breeding ground for those of you further east....

...either way I intend to enjoy the rest of my weekend

[Anthonyb]

Still sunny spells here and NO rain... Pleasant Sunday so far.

Fingers crossed I don't have to suffer those measley showers later.

Edited April 22, 2012 by Anthonyb

[Anthonyb]

Excellent to see that cluster of showers moving across southern England moving from East to West instead of NE. Looks like will miss me and areas to north of London and I'll stay dry.. Happy days