Have You Noticed The Reduction In Daylight Hours Yet ?

[Jax]

Was just saying yesterday that it seems we are already "drawing in", I miss the long days and being able to go out in the light late and see *nature* but I will add it does slow the weeds up a bit (but not enought that the buggers do not keep growing).

[toggerob]

Darkness also brings the benefits of astronomy aswell as meteorology. The fact of feeling like i've actually slept a night without having to wake up to sunshine blaring outside. Less-humid & hayfever prone days, less chance of running into the town drunks whilst hiking/camping on the hills, and more importantly that feeling of festivities when Fireworks night, Samhain and Yule come round the corner once more.

[Thundery wintry showers]

We've had many debates on how the UK clocks should be changed, but any changes that we make aren't going to alter the overall amount of daylight- removing problems with evening darkness creates extra problems with morning darkness and vice versa.

Personally I find the onset of the dark nights quite depressing during the autumn months and that the dark nights drag on in January, although I don't mind December so much.

Ideally I would prefer a daylight range like they get at about 40 degrees either side of the equator, from around 10 hours per day in midwinter to just over 14 in midsummer- this could mean 8am-6pm in midwinter, and then 7am-9pm in midsummer (allowing for BST). I recognise that this, too, would have downsides for a fair number of people, particularly for those who benefit from the daylight at 4-6am in a British summer, but from my personal perspective it would have very few minus points. I doubt that I would mind the advancing nights too much if I knew that even in the middle of January it would still be light at 5:30pm.

[Peejayem]

I enjoy being sat inside when it's dark outside and surrounding myself with creature comforts cos' it's cosy. I find the light extremely uncomfortable and the usual summer activities that everyone is almost obliged to partake of leaves me cold. I find even moderate summer warmth to be stifling and restrictive, and who wants to expose themselves to the blast of a perpetual thermonuclear explosion anyway? I have a fascination with rain and cloudscapes, and really couldn't care less if I never saw the disc of the sun for the rest of my days. Moving ever noticeably in the right direction now but I can't wait for the darkness and gloom of mid Nov - mid Jan. But.... each to their own an' all that. Still,lots to be thankful for as Essan alludes to; the land of the midnight sun would freak me out totally in summer, the lack of variation in Equatorial regions just as much (as well as the horrendous heat) !

Are you a vampire by any chance?!

[Bottesford]

Personally I find the onset of the dark nights quite depressing during the autumn months and that the dark nights drag on in January, although I don't mind December so much.

That about sums me up too. The increase in darkness in autumn feels 'heavy' and trapping but by Christmas you're in the festive mode, you're used to the short days and it suits the time of year anyway.

Then it starts to drag on and by the end of Jan you just want it gone!

[Cheese Rice]

It seems to me that those that prefer dark prefer it due to the *limited* activities associated with it rather than having a love for it just looking dark.

[NorthernRab]

We get the extremes of both up here and both can be quite frustrating. The very long days in June can end up disturbing your sleep if you don't have good curtains for example, whereas in winter children go into school as the sun rises and leave as it sets. Both have their positives of course, playing golf or sitting in the garden reading at 11:30 is great, likewise during a cold spell the short days can make for cosy evenings

Edited August 13, 2012 by NorthernRab

[Convective]

I noticed last month when I was sat in at midday with all the lounge lights on because it was so dark with the clouds and rain.. I wouldn't mind that we are heading into Autumn/ Winter if we had atleast had a Summer fist.. Once again, Winter will drag on until the end of May next year.. Either that or in the middle of January we will get a snippet of Spring just to confuse all the wildlife....

[Cheshire Freeze]

It seems to me that those that prefer dark prefer it due to the *limited* activities associated with it rather than having a love for it just looking dark.

Believe me, Crewe looks more aesthetically pleasing in the dark!

[Mesoscale]

I love the long summer evenings but what I do not like is the way early mornings my bedroom faces northeast so I always get the sun lighting up my room. I love coming out of university at 4pm in winter when its cold and its getting dark I get this weird good feeling! There both great for different reasons.

The only problem I have is we never get a long stretch of the same temperatures like other countries have around us, in summer id prefer it to be 25c everyday and in winter id prefer it to be -5c all the time. We don't have time to get used to it and even with the long and short days doesnt help.

I havent really noticed the evenings getting shorter because its still pretty light out there at 8pm.

[Thundery wintry showers]

That's a

I love the long summer evenings but what I do not like is the way early mornings my bedroom faces northeast so I always get the sun lighting up my room. I love coming out of university at 4pm in winter when its cold and its getting dark I get this weird good feeling! There both great for different reasons.

The only problem I have is we never get a long stretch of the same temperatures like other countries have around us, in summer id prefer it to be 25c everyday and in winter id prefer it to be -5c all the time. We don't have time to get used to it and even with the long and short days doesnt help.

I've seen the bit in bold suggested in the past, but it is inaccurate: continental areas generally have higher temperature variability. Over much of continental Europe, a summer heatwave will often produce temperatures above 30C and sometimes approaching 35C, and in exceptional cases, most notably August 2003, it may climb to 40C. On the other hand, away from the Mediterranean coast, maxima in the area of 15-18C are not unusual when frontal depressions take a southerly track and bring cool moist north-westerlies off the North Atlantic.

[Heisenberg]

Its definately getting darker in the mornings. I have been up at 5 every day during the Olympics for travel reasons and it has been noticiably darker as the weeks have gone on....

[Weather-history]

Noticeable last night when watching the lightning display about 9pm, wouldn't have been able to see much, 6 weeks ago.

[AWD]

I too, have now noticed!

[laserguy]

It seems to me that those that prefer dark prefer it due to the *limited* activities associated with it rather than having a love for it just looking dark.

There's some truth in that; as well as having a genuine aversion to light and warmth I'm constantly pestered/expected to go out in it to do things I really don't want to do or have any interest in. A lose lose situation which is alleviated on both counts by the approach of autumn.

[Costa Del Fal]

There's some truth in that; as well as having a genuine aversion to light and warmth I'm constantly pestered/expected to go out in it to do things I really don't want to do or have any interest in. A lose lose situation which is alleviated on both counts by the approach of autumn.

This is a genuine, serious question but do you do what you can to miss outdoor events such as friends BBQ's etc due to such hate of the light and warmth. Do you go and just put up with it but secretly hate such things?

Whilst I respect your preferences, does such extreme feelings affect normal activities in anyway?

[Manchester_Sunset]

I noticed Sunday, travelling back from manchester over woodhead, it was getting darker.

[Keraunic]

I don't mind dark nights so much but those two weeks or so just before Christmas when you're closing the curtains at 15:30 ish are sooooo dismal. But then so is the run up to Xmas. But yes, it's certainly noticeable that the nights are drawing in.

However,i do sympathise with Laserguy. I hate it when people say that you should be out on 'a lovely day like this'. Why? I prefer my activities indoors and I've never been sporty like my siblings. I can't sunbathe (not that that interests me) because I had a melanoma removed 4years ago, and walking in extreme heat is exhausting. I prefer Spring/Autumn for that. And apart from anything else warmth and light bring put all the undesirables in the neighbourhood (kids and chavs) and all those smelly BBQs. (sorry BBQ fans)

God I sound like a misery guts. I'm not......honest. :o

Edited August 14, 2012 by Keraunophile

[Relativistic]

It seems to me that those that prefer dark prefer it due to the *limited* activities associated with it rather than having a love for it just looking dark.

No, not at all. I love it looking dark. And it doesn't prevent me from doing anything in the dark either as I still do activities whilst it is dark, such as sports.

[Bottesford]

No, not at all. I love it looking dark. And it doesn't prevent me from doing anything in the dark either as I still do activities whilst it is dark, such as sports.

*IN* the dark or under artificial lighting?

[laserguy]

This is a genuine, serious question but do you do what you can to miss outdoor events such as friends BBQ's etc due to such hate of the light and warmth. Do you go and just put up with it but secretly hate such things?

Whilst I respect your preferences, does such extreme feelings affect normal activities in anyway?

I go with the flow, but those around me can tell I'm not having fun. The light and warmth feels like an invisible suffocating blanket which I'm trying to shrug off all the time,manifested by restlessness,irritability and feelings of impending disaster. Just want to go home and pull the curtains tight. Going out today with the family and although I know it's important, I'd rather it was all over and done with,or better still rained off. I work an almost permanent night shift by choice as I have an excuse (sad I know) to sleep thru' the day and avoid the light. If I play my cards right in winter I need only be awake during the hours of darkness, and in summer I can sidestep the 'usual' daily activities. On hols this week so gotta grin and bear it. While most folk start to hunker down as winter begins to grip, I'm the one pestering others to go out! Really come alive as summer fades. I do appreciate that I have a problem that would probably respond to professional intervention but as yet haven't sought any. Maybe in spring 2013.... LG - broadcasting from a darkened room.....

[Letitsnowyorkshire]

I havent done a late shift at work ( 9pm finish ) in a while and did one last night . I did certainly notice a difference.

[Methuselah]

I go with the flow, but those around me can tell I'm not having fun. The light and warmth feels like an invisible suffocating blanket which I'm trying to shrug off all the time,manifested by restlessness,irritability and feelings of impending disaster. Just want to go home and pull the curtains tight. Going out today with the family and although I know it's important, I'd rather it was all over and done with,or better still rained off. I work an almost permanent night shift by choice as I have an excuse (sad I know) to sleep thru' the day and avoid the light. If I play my cards right in winter I need only be awake during the hours of darkness, and in summer I can sidestep the 'usual' daily activities. On hols this week so gotta grin and bear it. While most folk start to hunker down as winter begins to grip, I'm the one pestering others to go out! Really come alive as summer fades. I do appreciate that I have a problem that would probably respond to professional intervention but as yet haven't sought any. Maybe in spring 2013.... LG - broadcasting from a darkened room.....

Then you are noticing it too, barrie...Just from a different standpoint.

[Milhouse]

I couldnt bear to be without sunlight, warmth and the fresh air during the summer. To have it lasting till 10pm in mid summer is heaven for me as i can just go out into the garden as i please or go cycling at 9pm to take in the fresh evening air. I always get a sense of sadness and despondency as the nights draw in and it really hits on that first dull wet evening of Autumn when the realization sets in that another summer of another year is over.

[cheeky_monkey]

Sunrise is 2 mins later every day here and it is now 30 mins before sunrise that i get up and reading this thread i have just realised i will be getting up in the dark until April