South East England & East Anglia Regional Weather Discussion 15/02/14

[Bluebreezer54]

I use the library now, not many to choose from  and not always up to date but £2.50 a week I can cope with, saves on a sub I cannot afford or want.

Are you sure that Lovefilm or Netflix wouldn't work out cheaper than your £2.50 a week dvd from the local library ??

 

Edit: Quite breezy but dry here.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Bluebreezer54

[Alixzandra]

Just took the dogs for a brisk walk on the downs behind me, temps dropped rapidly to 5.4 degrees, the clouds were ominous to one side and bright blue to the other, an intense hail and icy rain literally bore down before we could get back.

[lassie23]

^^^ Is that a recent article Lassie, do you have a link to it please ?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/flooding/10653092/Met-Office-told-councils-to-expect-a-drier-than-normal-Winter.html

[Charltonkerry]

Afternoon, had to do an unexpected call today to just north of Birmingham, so decided to leave early only to be frustrated by a hay stack on fire just before the M25 / A1 junction this morning, how did a hay stack catch fire after all this rain, surely it was to wet? Unless of course it was covered and internal combustion took place, still going tonight on the way back.

Claret047 (Dave) firstly I'm here and I'm not afraid of your wife (mainly because she not here :-) otherwise I would be shacking in my boots) but when you are married to an old battle axe like I'm am, then nothing can scare you. You see you are totally different from me, my wife don't know how to turn the computer on, therefore I can say what I like about her, and get away with it. For your lovely and undoubtedly beautiful wife (I can creep as I just realised she's an Essex girl and we all know there reputation, think you might be able to tell, that my bravery is receding extremely quickly) information I have always referred to Dartford (my home town) as dirty Dartford, therefore I needed to find a nickname for for my work place ( Harlow) so after doing a quick tour around Harlow and surrounding areas and surveying the locals 'orrible Harlow just sprung into my mind, can't understand why? I Think I might have got around Daves wives, with that great bit of Kentish charm, anyone else agree?

Jax, please see excuse above.

Been a beautiful day driving around the M25, M1, M6, M42 and the return journey, a little bit of drizzly stuff in the midlands, good visit as well, nice enquiry, but more importantly its a right old challenge for my brain box, extending a bespoke refrigeration plant which isn't / hasn't been designed to is a challenge indeed, see money ain't everything it the challenge (last bit was put in just in case the client is reading this pile of old rubbish). Didn't think I could do what he wanted, but after having a good old root round, I think I can, assuming he's got the pennies.

[Jax]

Are you sure that Lovefilm or Netflix wouldn't work out cheaper than your £2.50 a week dvd from the local library ??

 

Edit: Quite breezy but dry here.

I only watch the odd one or two here and there and often in dribs and drabs, I have looked into the other options but even then I can see me paying for a service (more so in the summer) that I would have tied myself into and not be using, the only thing I watch on a regular basic is BBC Breakfast news every morning before work, all else is as and when I can be bothered ( I went nine months without a telly after all ), unless it is equestrian sport (not racing that bores the pants off me) like three day eventing, olympia and horse of the year show, then I am glued to the telly.

 

 

EDIT: forgot to add some weather, it is currently sunny with a light shower here so have a rainbow.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Jax

[lassie23]

A lovely, crisp day down here, now 7.6 degrees, one intense shower with bright blue sky, been gardening all day, so stood in the greenhouse and watched it pass. Loads of frog spawn appeared in the pond, so hoping no sharp frosts develop. Coffee break over and back to the garden before the light fades!

Were you weeding and digging the soil, or have you started planting? The spinach, coriander, fennel, spring onions and rocket in my garden have all survived the winter. I never know when to plant tomatoes, beans etc because a late cold snap would kill these fragile plants.

[Jax]

Jax, please see excuse above. 

Poor excuse, but I will take it anyway as you are alright :lol:

[Bluebreezer54]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/flooding/10653092/Met-Office-told-councils-to-expect-a-drier-than-normal-Winter.html

Thanks for the link Lassie. I thought the Met Office had ( quite rightly ) given up doing Long Range Forecasts but that was probably just for the general public. Even so if this story is true it makes for pretty grim reading.

 

I say that as someone who has tended to defend the Met Office on many occasions.

[Alixzandra]

Were you weeding and digging the soil, or have you started planting? The spinach, coriander, fennel, spring onions and rocket in my garden have all survived the winter. I never know when to plant tomatoes, beans etc because a late cold snap would kill these fragile plants.

Hi Have Pm'd the answer to your question rather than answer in the forum and go wildly OT, though I suppose gardening obviously has weather related connotations :-)

[lassie23]

Thanks for the link Lassie. I thought the Met Office had ( quite rightly ) given up doing Long Range Forecasts but that was probably just for the general public. Even so if this story is true it makes for pretty grim reading.

 

I say that as someone who has tended to defend the Met Office on many occasions.

Indeed, if it is true then it shows no improvements in the met office long range forecasting and they should stop making these predictions.

[lassie23]

The International Research Institute for Climate and Society have just issued their latest ideas for sorting and summer 2014.It predicts temperatures to be above normal across all of western Europe through spring (March to May inclusive), and places percentages chances across the north of the UK of 55% above normal, 30% near normal and just a 15% risk of temperatures below normal.For the summer months (June to August inclusive, see below) percentage risks are 50% above normal temperatures, 35% near normal and 15% below normal temperature.These are significant signals from the model and confirm current thinking of a milder than usual summer.

 

warning they did predict near normal rainfall for this winter.

[Captain Shortwave]

Evening all

Nice day today, plenty of sunshine and pleasant too. Cooking dinner for the missus tonight when she arrives in Saffron Walden... better be soon because I'm starving

[alexisj9]

Afternoon all. Just a quick visit from me but thought I would mention there are some lovely cloud and seascape images on the live Bognor Regis webcam today, I even saw a rainbow earlier. Have a good weekend.

 

http://www.bognorregisbeach.co.uk/live

I've been watching the cloud scape in the channel today, it's been beautiful. I'm glad only a few light showers came on shore.

[stun12]

Evening all. The MetO winter outlook was here;

 

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/pdf/m/8/A3_plots-precip-DJF-2.pdf

 

Jax, my son manages to find all sorts of places on the internet to watch the latest movies (and much older ones) and it seems to be harmless enough as far as viruses are concerned. He also uses torrents quite a lot, also with no problems, though some people may have ethical issues with that in terms of copyright. I did recently watch five series of a BBC production which were never put out on DVD and were also, for obvious reasons, no longer on iPlayer.

 

A lovely walk this morning with the doggies. I even leapt out of bed because it was already getting light at 6.40 and I was quite looking forward to it for a change. Just need the muddy quagmire to sort itself out a bit. A couple of showers during the day but mostly bright - I can live with that, but not very warm, so the woodburner is lit. With all the trees we lost in the woods, I can't see us running out for the next 10 years or so. 4.3C and clear here.

[Iceni]

Just took the dogs for a brisk walk on the downs behind me, temps dropped rapidly to 5.4 degrees, the clouds were ominous to one side and bright blue to the other, an intense hail and icy rain literally bore down before we could get back.

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

 

Saw one just like that yesterday - just walking the dogs down the hill in a field and there this huge ominous black line squall was (a line squall was what the skipper of this sailing yacht we holidayed on called them). Of course we turned around and just managed to get back to the car as it began to rain. I was quite worried about thunder, as my Black Lab is terrified of it and might just run off, but luckily there wasn't any. Just more rain... as if we needed it.

 

I have to walk them on this farm hillside now as everywhere else is too slippery and there's 6" mud.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Iceni

[Snowangel-MK]

I suppose gardening obviously has weather related connotations :-)

It has ... and we have a dedicated gardening thread here on Netweather which can be found in the lounge area :-)

[Alixzandra]

Saw one just like that yesterday - just walking the dogs down the hill in a field and there this huge ominous black line squall was (a line squall was what the skipper of this sailing yacht we holidayed on called them). Of course we turned around and just managed to get back to the car as it began to rain. I was quite worried about thunder, as my Black Lab is terrified of it and might just run off, but luckily there wasn't any. Just more rain... as if we needed it. I have to walk them on this farm hillside now as everywhere else is too slippery and there's 6" mud.

Hi Iceni, It was really strange, could feel the wind whipping up and could see the line coming towards us (the rain and hail was visible as it moved forward) and was quite some way off, but still got to us as we reached the track (chalk/mud/wet underfoot, wish I'd worn my riggers rather than the garden wellies, sliding all over the place)...bloody autocorrect keeps changing wellies to willies lol. We were literally running down the track, it was like needles on your face'. Then straight back to blue sky.

[Dipsy]

Spring is definitely on its way, saw pigeons on the fence outside my office trying to make whoopee, well he was, she was having none of it!

[john pike]

hi all

 

hope your well

 

tonights update

 

tonight

 

some cloudy drizzly bits locally

 

a breezy westerly flow

 

a localised frost is possible but i expect it to be avoided for most

 

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tomorrow

 

a breezy south west wind

 

rain

 

 

 

should stay dry and expect plenty of sunshine

 

temps

 

around 8 degrees but will feel chilly in the wind

 

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tomorrow night

 

 

 

a strong and gusty south west wind

 

40-50 mph

 

rainfall

 

 

expect some showery rain being driven in on the strong wind

 

nothing heavy though and most areas will likely stay dry

 

temps

 

around 6-7 degrees

 

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sunday

 

still windy on a south westerly

 

around 40-50 mph

 

rainfall

again a chance the odd shower may make it via the strong wind

 

however dry weather is more likely

 

temps

 

could reach around 12 degrees

 

but feeling cool in the strong wind

 

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sunday night

 

winds easing on a more south - south west flow

 

rainfall

 

it looks to stay mainly dry

 

temps

 

around 8 degrees

 

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monday

 

a breezy south west wind and may get a tad gusty in the afternoon

 

rainfall

 

dry am and may stay dry until late pm

 

rain will arrive at some time though

 

temps

 

around 8 degrees

 

 

be back later with the rest

[Alixzandra]

It has ... and we have a dedicated gardening thread here on Netweather which can be found in the lounge area :-)

Thanks MK! I already follow it, it's a nice place to drop by and share stuff with fellow gardening enthusiasts :-)

[Jason T]

Evening people, Hope your day been OK.

 

We are helping to put out the 200 tons of hay on fire in Potters Bar.

[Iceni]

Thanks for the link Lassie. I thought the Met Office had ( quite rightly ) given up doing Long Range Forecasts but that was probably just for the general public. Even so if this story is true it makes for pretty grim reading.

 

I say that as someone who has tended to defend the Met Office on many occasions.

 

I don't see the point - either tell both the public and councils or admit defeat and don't predict a whole season predominant weather at all.

 

Councils will spend according to MetO advice infinitely more on preparation for a particular sort of winter than the public - say if they'd predicted Winter 13/14 correctly, I might have bought that nice mac in the sale, or invested in some really good wellies, if I should have bought snow stuff, no harm done.

 

But councils spend millions of our council tax and government money - so in a macro-economic sense, it's worse.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Iceni

[Summer of 76]

I don't see the point - either tell both the public and councils or admit defeat and don't predict a whole season predominant weather at all.

 

Councils will spend according to MetO advice infinitely more on preparation for a particular sort of winter than the public - say if they'd predicted Winter 13/14 correctly, I might have bought that nice mac in the sale, or invested in some really good wellies.

 

Councils spend millions of our council tax and government money - so in a macro-economic sense, it's worse.

I wonder how many tonnes of rock salt are sitting around council depots at the moment, funny how one year we nearly run out and then this year it was sand bags in short supply.

[Charltonkerry]

Evening people, Hope your day been OK.

 

We are helping to put out the 200 tons of hay on fire in Potters Bar.

So it was all your fault, I lost an hour off my life stuck on theM25 whilst all the rubber neckers had a look, seriously you lads do a marvellous job, and must face some horrendous jobs.

Be interested to know how it caught light, obviously only if you are allowed to let on.

[Iceni]

Hi Iceni, It was really strange, could feel the wind whipping up and could see the line coming towards us (the rain and hail was visible as it moved forward) and was quite some way off, but still got to us as we reached the track (chalk/mud/wet underfoot, wish I'd worn my riggers rather than the garden wellies, sliding all over the place)...bloody autocorrect keeps changing wellies to willies lol. We were literally running down the track, it was like needles on your face'. Then straight back to blue sky.

 

Yes the wind before the squall hit was quite fun. It had been totally calm and I heard a lovely thrush singing for the first time this year, then when the squall was about 1/4 mile away, this swirly updraft (or downdraft?) hit us and we ran for the car. Opened the back of the Landy, both dogs jumped in and we set off home again.

 

Sorry dogs... yesterday was a swizz.

 

PS My 5 year old niece came home from school and said her teacher had read them 'The Wind in the Willies'.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Iceni