Summer 2016

[Summer Sun]

The sun is burning through the cloud nicely now and what a difference it makes a fresher feel when it was cloudy now it's pleasantly warm 

[Nick L]

2 hours ago, cheeky_monkey said:

I think its toss up between the US plains and the Canadian plains..talk about swings and roundabouts with regard to climate and day to day even hour by hour changes you never see here.

Yep, Oklahoma City has its record max and min for 11th November on the same year! 28c in the afternoon, -8c overnight. The cold fronts you get sweeping through there are incredible, can actually feel the temperature dropping and winds changing in a matter of minutes. 

The UK climate is dire.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

2 hours ago, Summer Sun said:

Complete cloud cover in the NE back to normal... was lovely yesterday

Horrible start here, north sea mist, burned off about 11am

[Summer Sun]

Just now, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

Horrible start here, north sea mist, burned off about 11am

Started ok here with some sunshine then the cloud rolled in and now it's burning away again

[Summer Sun]

2nd day running Kinlochewe, Highlands is the UK hot spot with 27C/80F at 15:00

[Costa Del Fal]

This afternoon is even better than yesterday now. Wall to wall sunshine and it feels even warmer. Cracking day and the best August summery spell for some time imo.

Edited August 17, 2016 by Costa Del Fal

[BornFromTheVoid]

Strange weather. The last 2 days were warm, sunny and very windy. Today is rather calm, cloudy and raining.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

surprised not more thoughts about next weeks possible heat? and this is GFS the most Atlantic model

[markyo]

9 minutes ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

surprised not more thoughts about next weeks possible heat? and this is GFS the most Atlantic model

Again not seeing that happening,slight warm up yep but thankfully cooler nights to should be quite nice

[Evening thunder]

Re the UK climate I think there's more than one meaning when people talk about it being 'diverse' or not.

The weather types we can experience are diverse, even if some don't happen that often. We do get a lot of changeable days weather (normally...), showery days, sunny one minute, raining the next etc.

But then many temperature especially continental areas can experience this, as well as much larger temperature swings on both day to day weather scale and seasonal scale, with more thunderstorms, snow, severe weather at times etc (perhaps Atlantic storms/strong winds is the one we get more than quite a few places). 

There are certainly other climates I'd choose over this one, including much of continental Europe and significant amounts of the US and Canada (though I wouldn't want to be land-locked so it will have to be a maritime location - the east coast may do it). More thunderstorms, snow, and sunshine are on my list.

However, thinking about it there's quite a few I wouldn't like... many places are too dry sometimes or all the time, or too constantly hot and humid in summer, especially if they don't have air-con (and some places can go months with mostly the same weather even if the seasonal range is bigger). The Mediterranean? nah, too constantly dry/hot in summer,  too mild in winter. Then there's the tropics which are generally the same all year (maybe wet/dry seasons), all the arid/desert areas, and various other climates. So maybe the UK is actually in the better half of climates for those interested in weather, just frustratingly close to better climates both geographically and in language terms (English speaking countries).
We can't rely on any weather type at any time of year really (many places you can usually bet on e.g. summer being generally hot/sunny), not so here.. maybe that's what some mean by diversity.

So not sure I can agree with simply saying our climate is 'dire', even though it can feel like it due to often being frustrating...

Anyway, turned into a bit of a longer rambly post than intended.

Today started sunny here, then turned quite cloudy/hazy with a light shower bringing the first rain drops for over half a month.

Edit: I meant first rain in half a month, not a whole month lol

Edited August 17, 2016 by Evening thunder

[stainesbloke]

2 hours ago, markyo said:

Again not seeing that happening,slight warm up yep but thankfully cooler nights to should be quite nice

GFS has been toying with a southerly flow next week with high pressure on the near continent for a few days now....very nice if it comes off (I'm off work next week). I'd prefer the area of high temps to cover more of the UK though. And BH weekend looks quite nice for the S half of the country at least. Bank!

Edited August 17, 2016 by stainesbloke

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Just now, stainesbloke said:

GFS has been toying with a southerly flow next week with high pressure on the near continent for a few days now....very nice if it comes off! Plus BH weekend looks quite nice for the S half of the country at least. Bank!

so have all the models now, hopefully it's tempered a bit, like these last 3 days, perfect summer days, sunny and 23C

[stainesbloke]

Just now, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

so have all the models now, hopefully it's tempered a bit, like these last 3 days, perfect summer days, sunny and 23C

Increase temps to 27C or so and that'd be perfect for me 

[Weather-history]

Another good day

 

[Nick L]

I'd rank today as the best of the summer for me. Gorgeous wall-to-wall sunshine with pleasant warmth. 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

38 minutes ago, Weather-history said:

Another good day

 

yes, can just see at the end signs of the change? ugly change it is as well, saw it here

[Woollymummy]

Last night at Thelnetham and today at Walberswick, super sunny Suffolk, glad we got a bit of proper summer :-)

[Costa Del Fal]

Another gorgeous day here but some trees really showing signs of stress now under the really dry conditions. Some tree leaves turning an autumnal yellow and red colour. Easy to tell it is water stress though as this occurring at the top of the trees, thus occurring where leaves recieve the maximum light and heat and are obviously also furthest from the root systems and water source. 

Our front lawn is completely brown now. 

Edited August 17, 2016 by Costa Del Fal

[cheese]

12 hours ago, Mapantz said:

The British Isles is very well known for its changeable, diverse and variable weather, that's a fact. It can't be like that in every location, I agree, but it is here, and that's why I enjoy it so much.

It's also known for raining every single day of the year, but that isn't true either. UK's climate is maritime, very boring, no extremes. Just uninteresting by and large.

Edited August 17, 2016 by cheese

[Nick L]

8 minutes ago, Costa Del Fal said:

Another gorgeous day here but some trees really showing signs of stress now under the really dry conditions. Some tree leaves turning an autumnal yellow and red colour. Easy to tell it is water stress though as this occurring at the top of the trees, thus occurring where leaves reforge the maximum light and heat and are obviously also furthest from the root systems and water source. 

Our front lawn is completely brown now. 

Thankfully we'll be getting a good dollop of rain over the coming days. Long, long overdue down here. We can't have had much more than 20mm since the start of July around here.

[March]

I think when people say "diverse" what is meant is "unstable", and for other's it means "extremes". For example, Spain is not that far away but you can go there and it's possible to have the same weather for a few weeks. Here it is hard to get 3 days in a row with the same conditions, even in summer. I like it tbh. 

[Mapantz]

1 minute ago, Nick L said:

Thankfully we'll be getting a good dollop of rain over the coming days. Long, long overdue down here. We can't have had much more than 20mm since the start of July around here.

Up to 0.4mm here, now. At his rate, my cricket pitch will become soggy!

[cheese]

Just now, March said:

I think when people say "diverse" what is meant is "unstable", and for other's it means "extremes". For example, Spain is not that far away but you can go there and it's possible to have the same weather for a few weeks. Here it is hard to get 3 days in a row with the same conditions, even in summer. I like it tbh. 

Not unusual at all to go weeks with nothing but low pressure banging into us in summer and winter, especially in recent years.

[cheese]

5 minutes ago, Nick L said:

Thankfully we'll be getting a good dollop of rain over the coming days. Long, long overdue down here. We can't have had much more than 20mm since the start of July around here.

Is it really needed though? We are a long way off from any kind of drought. Your lawn might be going brown but I don't think that's too much of a crisis is it?

We've had 27mm so far this month, which is more than we had in all of July. Most of it fell on one day though - and it hasn't rained much since.

Edited August 17, 2016 by cheese

[Nick L]

1 hour ago, cheese said:

Is it really needed though? We are a long way off from any kind of drought. Your lawn might be going brown but I don't think that's too much of a crisis is it?

We've had 27mm so far this month, which is more than we had in all of July. Most of it fell on one day though - and it hasn't rained much since.

A technical short term drought is 2 weeks without measurable rainfall. We've not had any significant rainfall since the 1st August, just traces of rain since then, so we're effectively in the Met Office definition of a short term drought here. 

But no, rain is not "needed", but I would welcome it, I do enjoy the odd rainy day. Just not like June.

Edited August 18, 2016 by Nick L