SE & East Anglia Regional Weather Discussion 23/04/2017 onwards

[snowray]

4 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

Allotment is doing well thank you. Had some painful losses from that stupid frost the week before last, lost most of my greengages, apricots and plums. The trees were loaded with fruitlets, I could have cried lol! Otherwise, everything coming on well, am going to put the tomatoes and winter squash out a week or two early as the forecast is warm. All the brassicas are out and growing fast. Beans next. That rain last week did wonders. Sounds like you are doing well, do you have a plot or are you growing in the garden? Don't know much about rhubarb, it does seem to grow fast here.

Was my dad had the green fingers, passed away 4 years ago though, I'm a complete amateur trying to grow a few things in the back garden. I usually stick to basics, tomatoes, chard, spinach, potatoes, lettuce.

Planted a fair few fruit trees, just cherry and fig here, want to get a decent apple tree down too but the garden is not that big unfortunately. Got a bit of land in N Italy where I planted some trees, apple, pear, apricot, cherry, fig, Jujubi, peach, got a real nice persimmon that produces lots of fruit, too much in fact and the branches are always breaking off. Also have a couple of young walnut trees doing well over there but a really old walnut tree that produced lots of big walnuts died last year, bit gutted. Talking about frosts, they were so bad in the mountains there about 3/4 weeks ago that they have lost all their fruit, even the potatoes died I was told. I personally don't go to Italy much any more though, maybe once a year.

[snowray]

37 minutes ago, Surrey said:

This year in the garden I have giant pumpkins, parsnips, carrots, runner beans, giant tomato, chillis, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, asparagus. 

The stuff that comes back each year raspberries, apples, ruhbarb, strawberries. 

Herb garden has rocket, baby leaf mix, basil, mint, thyme and purple basil. 

 

Busy year coming up! 

Yes I forgot to mention herbs, I have most of herbs here too, love fresh herbs. I'm looking for some giant tomatoes to plant right now as it goes, any idea where I can buy a few plants, B&Q I was thinking or a garden centre?

[stainesbloke]

1 hour ago, snowray said:

Was my dad had the green fingers, passed away 4 years ago though, I'm a complete amateur trying to grow a few things in the back garden. I usually stick to basics, tomatoes, chard, spinach, potatoes, lettuce.

Planted a fair few fruit trees, just cherry and fig here, want to get a decent apple tree down too but the garden is not that big unfortunately. Got a bit of land in N Italy where I planted some trees, apple, pear, apricot, cherry, fig, Jujubi, peach, got a real nice persimmon that produces lots of fruit, too much in fact and the branches are always breaking off. Also have a couple of young walnut trees doing well over there but a really old walnut tree that produced lots of big walnuts died last year, bit gutted. Talking about frosts, they were so bad in the mountains there about 3/4 weeks ago that they have lost all their fruit, even the potatoes died I was told. I personally don't go to Italy much any more though, maybe once a year.

Wow, your Italian garden sounds amazing!! How come you have land there? Who looks after it? If I had a garden there, I'd be there all the time lol. That frost affected much of Europe, I know France suffered with many vineyards getting hit and places like the Czech Republic had all their fruit crops wiped out. Very disheartening! But it's nature I suppose. Your Dad would be pleased that you took on growing stuff, I'm sure. Sounds like you already have green fingers. I've had my allotments 4 years now and love it there. Bought John Harrison's book, 'The Essential Allotment Guide' when I started and that has been a constant companion, it gives advice on how best to grow most veg and some fruit, very good. Google is great too. Have learnt so much! The main thing I took from it all was not to be scared to try something and just grow stuff you actually like.

Big Boy is a good giant tomato, should be able to get it in a garden or DIY centre. There are better varieties though and one of the fun bits of growing your own is the vast range of seeds available.

Hope you have a successful growing season this year 

 

Edited May 21, 2017 by stainesbloke

[Captain Shortwave]

Not too bad, sunshine and just some fair weather cloud, temperatures peaking around 19/20C.

[snowray]

1 hour ago, stainesbloke said:

Wow, your Italian garden sounds amazing!! How come you have land there? Who looks after it? If I had a garden there, I'd be there all the time lol. That frost affected much of Europe, I know France suffered with many vineyards getting hit and places like the Czech Republic had all their fruit crops wiped out. Very disheartening! But it's nature I suppose. Your Dad would be pleased that you took on growing stuff, I'm sure. Sounds like you already have green fingers. I've had my allotments 4 years now and love it there. Bought John Harrison's book, 'The Essential Allotment Guide' when I started and that has been a constant companion, it gives advice on how best to grow most veg and some fruit, very good. Google is great too. Have learnt so much! The main thing I took from it all was not to be scared to try something and just grow stuff you actually like.

Big Boy is a good giant tomato, should be able to get it in a garden or DIY centre. There are better varieties though and one of the fun bits of growing your own is the vast range of seeds available.

Hope you have a successful growing season this year 

 

I got some inheritances out there in Italy, not as good as it sounds though, its a lot of responsibility and piles of Italian taxes to pay all the time, after all the country is almost bust so they keep making up new taxes...particularly if your non-resident. Well I go over a couple of times a year and I rented a cottage to an lady and her daughters last year who is English/Italian, they are keeping an eye on things. Rents are real low though compared to here, it just about pays for the upkeep of properties and the taxes, nothing left over. Also very difficult to sell in more inland/mountain areas, if you want an Italian bargain, this is the ideal time to buy.

[Blessed Weather]

Lovely start to the new week here with hazy sunshine. My local East Anglian forecast is going for plenty of sunshine today, but I have to say the satellite suggests lots of high cloud drifting in from the west, so 'bright' rather than 'sunny' seems more likely. The Arpege cloud cover charts for Mon thru Thurs suggest we have to wait for the winds to turn into the easterly quadrant before we get clear skies Thurs onwards (black is no cloud):

Of course the problem with an easterly breeze this time of the year is the North Sea temp of only 11C, so temps pegged back on the coast. But overall - a great week coming up.

 

[Dami]

Lovely out there this morning. Could feel the heat already at 8:30. No breeze then although we now have one. And for me to feel warm it must of been.

A little gutted that this heat isn't forecast to spark off any storms, taking the risk for the next week with a huge pinch of salt.

Summer stuffs awaiting in the wardrobe 

hoorah.

[NO LONGER POSTING]

Well hello summer... We have missed you

Glorious here! 

Edited May 22, 2017 by Surrey

[snowray]

Well what a wonderful day, 24c, wall to wall sunshine, a slight breeze. Going to look for tomatoes today, probably a little late to be planting them though.

[Captain Shortwave]

Lovely day, just a light southerly wind with lots of sunshine. Temperatures up to 24C.

[seaside 60]

Anyone else got a greenfly invasion.

Had it since end of last week and today we have swarms of them flying around.

Weather hot and sultry just the weather I hate these days and little wind.
Hopefully sea breeze time later in the week.

[Sardonixs]

Beautiful day to have off work today, reached 25.5c making it the hottest day of the year so far. 

[Blessed Weather]

11 hours ago, Blessed Weather said:

(snipped)

My local East Anglian forecast is going for plenty of sunshine today, but I have to say the satellite suggests lots of high cloud drifting in from the west, so 'bright' rather than 'sunny' seems more likely.

Well the local forecast was right and my prediction was rubbish! It was a fairly cloudy morning but from early afternoon the cloud melted and the sun came out. A very pleasant max temp of 22C.

[Dami]

I made the mistake of wearing jeans, a long sleeved t -shirt, sleeves pushed up and sandals. Even with a breeze i was baking.

Gah still a week of this and it's gonna get hotter. 

felt quite sick when i got home

[March]

Recorded 26C making it the hottest day of the year here. 

[Chris74]

What a lovely end to a lovely day very warm even when I left work at 7am      looking forward to the hot weather to come hopefully some nice storms to so long as this doesn't end up being our summer.

[stainesbloke]

Vile grey grot here after a beautiful day yesterday. Hopefully just a one day blip before the sunny skies return tomorrow.

[Dami]

It felt cooler this morning, but my word I prefer it. Although I like a bit of humidly and stormy-ness , I hate heat. I am not looking forward to the next few days, summer stuffs or not. I don't do heat well. 

[snowray]

Horrible, cloudy, drizzle on and off.

Ohhhh as I type the sun is trying. No gone again. 

[seaside 60]

Been bright all day, warm often cloudy but thin enough to feel the sun coming through.

Very use able summer type day.

[Captain Shortwave]

Nice day, it did turn cloudier for a while during the middle of the day but the stratus tended to melt away leaving lots of sunshine and patchy cumulus. A high of 22C.

[seaside 60]

Beautifull start to the day.

15c and full sunshine and no wind.

[Mark wheeler]

Beautiful start here too with clear skies . What a contrast to last week. A shame that the BH weekend seems to be looking a little less glorious now with fronts moving in quicker than previously thought although bbc still going for 30c on Saturday . One can't grumble though and I will take this early summertime spell with open arms .

Edited May 24, 2017 by Mark wheeler

[Blessed Weather]

Glorious start. And by 17.00 Arpege reckons 26C for London...... 25C for several places...... 24C for many!! Lovely jubbly!!

[claret047]

32 minutes ago, Mark wheeler said:

Beautiful start here too with clear skies . What a contrast to last week. A shame that the BH weekend seems to be looking a little less glorious now with fronts moving in quicker than previously thought although bbc still going for 30c on Saturday . One can't grumble though and I will take this early summertime spell with open arms .

Hello mark,

It is a beautiful day here in Mid-Essex too. With theses light warm mornings I wake early and I am really enjoying this weather, although having to water the allotment every evening is a bit of a bind.

Although I am far from an expert, I have a feeling the possible breakdown to our weather over the Bank Holiday weekend may be too progressive. I hope so as I was looking forward to giving my BBQ its first outing of the year on Monday, when I have all the family over to visit.

Will you be enjoying the weekend weather or having to work?.

Kind Regards

Dave

Edited May 24, 2017 by claret047