Have You Noticed The Reduction In Daylight Hours Yet ?

[Isolated Frost]

Days like this are beautiful. Warm sun, comfortable light breeze. Been playing badminton in the back garden and it's really lovely.

But then you have days in November and December that you simply can not replicate in sheer beauty and fascination.

It's 7am, you wake up, total darkness outside, a light layer of frost, and tranquility. An incredibly descriptive silence. You just wake up and you just see darkness, I don't know why, but I absolutely love it. At 8am, the sky is a shade of navy blue, you can make out the sun in the distance, but you can also feel the raw, frigid air, and that makes me feel alive.

The sunsets make it for me though. Coming home from school with darkness descending on me. Of course it's not practical, but it is stunning. We may love our sunny heatwaves, our rainy bursts, our windy gales and our stormy days, but nothing beats Winter evening darkness, especially not with some pristine snow falling.

The picture above is Sunderland. Now, I know many of you do not know what Sunderland is like, but for the most part, I'd have to describe as pretty grim. You will never get this beauty in the sunshine of Summer, never.

Simply put, I love all types of weather, and long, sunny, summer days are up there with the best, but absolutely nothing beats the winter nights

[Cheese Rice]

Lets be realistic now, while Isolated Frost post sounds like a wondefull trip to narnia the reality is most of winter brings dull, damp conditions with temperatures of 10.c. This only made worse by the decrease of sunlight. Don't get me wrong its nice having it dark early when there's frost/snow but these conditions tend to be a rarity.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Cheese Rice

[Isolated Frost]

Lets be realistic now, while Isolated Frost post sounds like a wondefull trip to narnia the reality is most of winter brings dull, damp conditions with temperatures of 10.c. This only made worse by the decrease of sunlight. Don't get me wrong its nice having it dark early when there's frost/snow but these conditions tend to be a rarity.

Oh of course, but dark mornings are very similar in winter, regardless of cloudy or clear conditions. I love waking up to a dark landscape regardless of the weather, but a wintry feel does add something to it.

[Summer Sun]

Yes sadly its now getting dusk just before 20:45

Edited August 14, 2012 by Summer Sun

[magic]

I have noticed the earlier nights while letting the dog out but on the whole it just gets dark some time after coming in from working, and the (solar) batteries are still well charged atm.

From a personal standpoint I'm not at all a morning person so the idea of getting up earlier (aka moving the clocks forward) in the winter sounds like a mood depleting vision of hell. (UTC-1 might sound nice to me! )

Don't really have any objection to moving to UTC+2 during the summer (again personally) but I need my morning light, which is already in short supply during the depths of winter.

[laserguy]

Days like this are beautiful. Warm sun, comfortable light breeze. Been playing badminton in the back garden and it's really lovely.

But then you have days in November and December that you simply can not replicate in sheer beauty and fascination.

It's 7am, you wake up, total darkness outside, a light layer of frost, and tranquility. An incredibly descriptive silence. You just wake up and you just see darkness, I don't know why, but I absolutely love it. At 8am, the sky is a shade of navy blue, you can make out the sun in the distance, but you can also feel the raw, frigid air, and that makes me feel alive.

I wish I had the gift of appreciating both sides of the coin, like you! As it is,those soft blue summer sunrises send me scurrying back to bed; winter morns have me up and about. And yes Pete, I noticed the shortening of the days on 22nd June - if only in my mind! But yes the days are shortening at such a pace now,that it's noticeable from one day to the next.

[Aaron]

Lets be realistic now, while Isolated Frost post sounds like a wondefull trip to narnia the reality is most of winter brings dull, damp conditions with temperatures of 10.c. This only made worse by the decrease of sunlight. Don't get me wrong its nice having it dark early when there's frost/snow but these conditions tend to be a rarity.

That's nonsense and you know it. There's very little places in the UK where winter temperatures are typically 10C, even for average maximums. Not even the Scilly Isles manage that. From my experience, winters here are rarely wet, but are often dry and cloudy, temperatures generally around 5 - 7C during the day and -2C and 3C at night, extended periods of overnight frost are common, snow is not infrequent even if it doesn't stay on the ground for long.

Besides, some of us enjoy winter for other reasons as well, such as Atlantic storms that deliver gale force winds (like the one this year which delivered a 75mph wind gust at Leeds Bradford). For a lover of 'unusual' weather, that I can at least see occurring, summer is just a very boring season. This isn't to say I won't enjoy days that are usable, but they're not visually exciting.

Now.. if storms occurred more frequently.. but snow is more common here anyway, so another reason why I prefer winter to summer.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Aaron

[Somerset Squall]

I started noticing it in the last week of July. Even more so now. Pretty much dark by 9pm!

[Methuselah]

That's nonsense and you know it. There's very little places in the UK where winter temperatures are typically 10C, even for average maximums. Not even the Scilly Isles manage that. From my experience, winters here are rarely wet, but are often dry and cloudy, temperatures generally around 5 - 7C during the day and -2C and 3C at night, extended periods of overnight frost are common, snow is not infrequent even if it doesn't stay on the ground for long.

Besides, some of us enjoy winter for other reasons as well, such as Atlantic storms that deliver gale force winds (like the one this year which delivered a 75mph wind gust at Leeds Bradford). For a lover of 'unusual' weather, that I can at least see occurring, summer is just a very boring season. This isn't to say I won't enjoy days that are usable, but they're not visually exciting.

Now.. if storms occurred more frequently.. but snow is more common here anyway, so another reason why I prefer winter to summer.

And is that not depressing enough?

[Turnedoutniceagain]

About 8:30-ish before the House Martins (16 nests in our eves !) gave way to the bats tonight. Beautiful evening

[Bottesford]

That's nonsense and you know it. There's very little places in the UK where winter temperatures are typically 10C, even for average maximums. Not even the Scilly Isles manage that. From my experience, winters here are rarely wet, but are often dry and cloudy, temperatures generally around 5 - 7C during the day and -2C and 3C at night, extended periods of overnight frost are common, snow is not infrequent even if it doesn't stay on the ground for long.

Notch up the night temps to 1c to 3c make the frost and snow much rarer and you've got here too. Terribly dull temperatures for the majority of the time which don't have the visual appeal of very low temperatures and they frost etc. they bring. For me winter needs to be extremely mild or extremely cold to be of much interest. Average is still cold requiring heating, lots of clothes and most of nature is gray and lifeless but missing the excitement of the extremes.

Summer however is fine whilst average (albeit not exciting) and only poor when cold or very wet.

Besides, some of us enjoy winter for other reasons as well, such as Atlantic storms that deliver gale force winds (like the one this year which delivered a 75mph wind gust at Leeds Bradford). For a lover of 'unusual' weather, that I can at least see occurring, summer is just a very boring season. This isn't to say I won't enjoy days that are usable, but they're not visually exciting.

Don't need to wait till winter for Atlantic storms - early summer featured an absolute ton of them although admittedly very sluggish affairs in general.

[damianslaw]

Certainly noticing the nights drawing in during recent days, despite the sunny evenings. We are now entering the time of year when the rate of daylight loss really accelerates - loosing 14 minutes each week both morning and night, this increasing to 16 minutes by the end of the month and through September, in a months time the sun sets at 19.15 in London, warm evening by then are really not much use so make the most of the coming couple of weeks.

[Essan]

Nights like this I;d rather it got dark at 4pm - more chance of it cooling off.

Id rather long nights in summer (cooler) and shorter ones in winter (more time to undertake harder winter treks in the snow). Makes so much more sense to me :lol:

[Geordiesnow]

Those worrying about the darker mornings/nights, fear not, the days will be getting longer again in just over 4 months

I'm still at the time of year where its a bit "sad" too see the dark nights are drawing in as it means summer is drawing to a close as a season if not necessary the weather but once October arrives, the dark evenings is something I will relish. I must admit, once we head into February, I tend to like the lighter evenings as it means more time too see the stunning convective clouds from the North Sea in snowy set ups.

No doubt one thing will be keeping most people occupied during the dark winter months and that is looking at the models hoping for some cold spells!

[Relativistic]

*IN* the dark or under artificial lighting?

Playing sports under lighting of course!

But otherwise I do enjoy being up early and it being entirely dark.

[Cheese Rice]

That's nonsense and you know it. There's very little places in the UK where winter temperatures are typically 10C, even for average maximums. Not even the Scilly Isles manage that. From my experience, winters here are rarely wet, but are often dry and cloudy, temperatures generally around 5 - 7C during the day and -2C and 3C at night, extended periods of overnight frost are common, snow is not infrequent even if it doesn't stay on the ground for long.

Besides, some of us enjoy winter for other reasons as well, such as Atlantic storms that deliver gale force winds (like the one this year which delivered a 75mph wind gust at Leeds Bradford). For a lover of 'unusual' weather, that I can at least see occurring, summer is just a very boring season. This isn't to say I won't enjoy days that are usable, but they're not visually exciting.

Now.. if storms occurred more frequently.. but snow is more common here anyway, so another reason why I prefer winter to summer.

Your wrong sorry, I'll dig out the temperatures when I get a chance to. Granted 10.c is an exaggeration though, but not far off.

[AWD]

19.30 seems to be the time the lights need to go on now, with the sun setting by 20.10.

Fully dark by 20.30.

[Raynee]

I noticed a couple of weeks or so ago, finishing work at 8pm each night and needing the car headlights on. Not looking forward to the cold, wet dark winter nights at all

[snowfluff]

I noticed a couple of weeks or so ago, finishing work at 8pm each night and needing the car headlights on. Not looking forward to the cold, wet dark winter nights at all

WHAT!! With those lips.....

[Bottesford]

Yeah lights go on here not long after 7 even on clear days. With that an end to outdoor dining outside of weekends

Gladly got another 6-7 weeks before the evening commute becomes a miserable experience again - and worse still being in the office when its pitch black out. Incoming 'sunset' headaches again!

[Gibby]

Losing about 5 minutes of daylight a day currently in the South probably more in the North.

Edited September 5, 2012 by Gibby

[Mark Neal.]

Certainly noticeable now. A few weeks back I would be coming home from work and it would be still be very light and sun just starting to go lower. Now pitch black by time I have left the village where I work. Winter is coming...

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Woke my daughters up at 6am for school - in the dark !!

[Coast]

It's really kicking in now and after a pretty dark Summer, I'm not looking forward to the Autumn nights getting longer and the mornings darker

[cyclonic happiness]

I always feel like the darker nights of winter and the lighter days of summer, come in waves of one hour.

It'll seem to stay light until 9pm for ages and ages and them overnight, it'll lose an hour and we'll be getting dark at eight, and then it'll stay like that for ages and then we lose another hour, if you see what I mean?

But the light is fading quickly now and the air is smelling of frost this morning! (winter's coming!!!! )