Spring 2018 - Moans, Ramps, Chat etc

[Ice Man 85]

1 hour ago, Sunny76 said:

A warmer and sunnier summer is too much to ask for? 

Thats not warm, thats hot. factor in the humidity and its hell. As I've said before; you are very lucky to find conditions like that enjoyable.

[cheese]

2 hours ago, Thundery wintry showers said:

Lack of sunshine has probably been the main issue for south-east England during this spring so far, rather than cold (as some have pointed out, the cold March has been offset by a warm April).

Up here, it's been rain - March was exceptionally wet with over 100mm, and April has had just under 90mm. This is the driest period of the year on average and yet it's turning out to be the wettest!

Edited April 30, 2018 by cheese

[stainesbloke]

6 hours ago, Thundery wintry showers said:

Lack of sunshine has probably been the main issue for south-east England during this spring so far, rather than cold (as some have pointed out, the cold March has been offset by a warm April).

Yes, cooler temperatures are no major issue when there is plenty of sunshine. Apart from those 3 warm days, it has been relentlessly dull, grey and miserable.

[Weather-history]

Looks like the wettest March-April period for England and Wales since at least 2001 

[B87]

2 hours ago, stainesbloke said:

Yes, cooler temperatures are no major issue when there is plenty of sunshine. Apart from those 3 warm days, it has been relentlessly dull, grey and miserable.

Exactly, this is almost certainly going to be one of/the cloudiest spring on record, unless May somehow ends up like 1989 and gets over 300 hours of sun (if that happened, the season would still have below average sun).

Edited April 30, 2018 by B87

[sundog]

Walpurgis night April 30th ,May Eve's night. https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.thoughtco.com/walpurgis-night-the-other-halloween-2595375&ved=2ahUKEwjqkdnrxOLaAhVlBMAKHeNkDJ8QFjAAegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw1soTwBnOodAkncL1yRMTYS

Halloween isn't the only night the supernatural rules. There's a penetrating chill in the wind. The bright moon rises behind the shivering, nearly naked trees. A profound sense of foreboding permeates the darkness. This is the night, after all, when witches ride their broomsticks through the sky, and the natural world is forced to confront the powers of the supernatural.

No, it isn't October 31 and this is not Halloween.t's April 30 and it's Walpurgis Night.

 

 

 

 

Like Halloween, Walpurgis has its roots in ancient pagan customs, superstitions and festivals. At this time of year, the Vikings participated in a ritual that they hoped would hasten the arrival of Spring weather and ensure fertility for their crops and livestock. They would light huge bonfires in hopes of scaring away evil spirits.

But the name "Walpurgis" comes from a very different source. In the 8th Century, a woman named Valborg (other iterations of the name include Walpurgis, Wealdburg and Valderburger) founded the Catholic convent of Heidenheim in Wurtemburg, Germany. She herself later became a nun and was known for speaking out against witchcraft and sorcery. She was canonized a saint on May 1, 779. Since the celebration of her sainthood and the old Viking festival occurred around the same time, over the years the festivals and traditions intermingled until the hybrid pagan-Catholic celebration became known as Valborgsmässoafton or Walpurgisnacht -- Walpurgis Night.

The Other Halloween

Although not widely known in the US, this May-Eve night shares many of the traditions of Halloween and is, in fact, directly opposite Halloween on the calendar.

According to the ancient legends, this night was the last chance for witches and their nefarious cohorts to stir up trouble before Spring reawakened the land. They were said to congregate on Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains -- a tradition that comes from Goethe's Faust. 

To ward off the witches' evil, the citizenry would burn bonfires, sprinkle holy water and adorn their homes with talismans of blessed palm leaf. One of the best ways to keep evil at bay, they thought, was through noise. This is an idea that probably dates back to early man. On Walpurgis Night, the citizens would ring bells, bang drums, crack whips and beat blanks of wood onto the ground. As technology advanced, they would shoot firearms into the air.

Walpurgis Night even features its own version of Trick or Treat in some parts of Europe, especially Germany. In Bavaria, for example, where the celebration is known as a Freinacht or Drudennacht, the young might roam the neighborhoods pulling mischievous pranks, such as wrapping cars in toilet paper and smearing doorknobs with toothpaste.

In Thueringen, Germany, some of the little girls dress up as witches, wearing paper hats and carrying sticks.

In Finland, where the holiday is called Vappu, the ordinarily reserved Finns run screaming through the streets wearing masks and carrying drinks.

Halloween-like scarecrows make an appearance, too. Life-size or smaller strawmen are created and ritually imbued with all the back luck and ill will of the past year. They are then tossed on the Walpurgis bonfires along with worn-out, burnable household items.

A Time of Magic

Some believe that Walpurgis, like Halloween, is more than a time of ritual spellcasting -- that it is a time when the barrier between our world and the "supernatural" is more easily crossed. "

 

Edited April 30, 2018 by sundog

[Summer Sun]

What a beautiful morning it is out there 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

8 minutes ago, Summer Sun said:

What a beautiful morning it is out there 

not sure I agree, at least here, could do with it 15 degrees warmer

[BruenSryan]

On 29/04/2018 at 22:31, weatherguru14 said:

shall I repeat  stats are nonsense?? Of course April will come out above average when you have mids 20s for a   4 days.. Over all April as been dire. apart from about  5 days last week. This spring as been dreadful compared to springs in recent years..

In fact since last July apart from October..the last 7/8 months have been terrible. cant remember  such a long period of weather that's been this depressing..

I can, 2012-13. Exceptionally wet, multiple months colder than average and dull too. January and March 2013 were yuck, never again please. Worst time of my life from personal experience to the weather to everything. 

I've not been finding 2017-18 too bad besides October, March and April rubbish here whilst August and September mediocre. November and February were beautifully sunny. 

Edited May 1, 2018 by BruenSryan

[Sunny76]

The weather has been dismal, when you don’t make comparisons to 2012-13. 

2017/18 has been cold and dull for the most part. The sunny February seems a distant memory after all the snow and cloudy weather that followed. 

[BlueHedgehog074]

3 hours ago, Summer Sun said:

What a beautiful morning it is out there 

Definitely an improvement on yesterday. Surprisingly the temperature is only 12*C here at the moment (but rising), although it feels more like +16*C or something. 

[Weather-history]

Had to scrape the frost off my car windscreen this morning.

[Sunny76]

Still wearing the winter jacket today. Didn’t want to take the risk of feeling cold.

[cheese]

3 hours ago, Weather-history said:

Had to scrape the frost off my car windscreen this morning.

Not too unusual really. Even in May we occasionally get air frosts. 

The low here was 0C, and the high was 15C. Spring is the season of large diurnal ranges.

Edited May 1, 2018 by cheese

[matt111]

The nagging cold wind has certainly been a feature here so far this spring, exceptionally so yesterday. Hopefully by the weekend into next week we’ll have some actual warmth without the cold wind to ruin it. 

[weatherguru14]

Am no expert, so I have been told. But the chars look amazing if you like early summer weather. I really hope it  comes to fruition and its not a big  let down..

[Ice Man 85]

2 hours ago, weatherguru14 said:

Am no expert, so I have been told. But the chars look amazing if you like early summer weather. I really hope it  comes to fruition and its not a big  let down..

You needn't fear. If it means making me suffer, they'll verify.

[Evening thunder]

I've actually quite liked this spring, the variety from the March 'beasts' to the very warm spell in April has had a more continental element to it. On the 19th March I woke to 15-18cm of snow and on the 19th April it reached 23.6C here.

Ok March was very wet and a bit dull but with some interest and the snow, I didn't mind so much. April has also been a bit duller than normal but we had that 5 warm sunny days and then thundery activity, and it looks like another warm up is coming.

I prefer a spring that warms more strongly rather than starting off above average but staying homogeneously mild, or warming slowly with cooler April/May's relative to their averages.

I know it's been worse for sunshine levels in some other areas though.

[Milhouse]

20 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

Still wearing the winter jacket today. Didn’t want to take the risk of feeling cold.

Rubbish isnt it. Had to wear 2 coats when cutting the grass the other evening. One more day of vile cold wet conditions then its much improved for the long weekend 

[B87]

This spring could be our dullest on record, it's been totally disgusting in terms of sunshine.

Mar: 70 hrs (avg 115)

Apr: 95 hrs (avg 169)

May: ??? (Avg 199)

May would need to record 318 hours for the spring to have average sunshune. Our sunniest May on record recorded 310 hours, so we have no chance.

Edited May 2, 2018 by B87

[stainesbloke]

44 minutes ago, B87 said:

This spring could be our dullest on record, it's been totally disgusting in terms of sunshine.

Mar: 70 hrs (avg 115)

Apr: 95 hrs (avg 169)

May: ??? (Avg 199)

May would need to record 318 hours for the spring to have average sunshune. Our sunniest May on record recorded 310 hours, so we have no chance.

Absolutely dreadful. At least we’ve had a fair bit of snow, a short warm spell and a very thundery night to add a bit of interest. Hopefully summer will be sunnier than average but going by recent summers, unlikely.

[matt111]

Yes it’s certainly been variable if dull a lot of the time. Two decent snow events here in March, more than the last few winters put together let alone the fact it was spring, followed by the heat and storms you’d associate more with July than April. More surprises this month? Hopefully more sunshine too. 

Edited May 2, 2018 by matt111

[Sunny76]

I kind of classed the early March snow as a continuation of winter 17/18, which actually seems a long time ago already. March was very cold and duller than expected, and while I can live with that, April has been a major disappointment. Not enough sun and lack of mild temps. The brief warm spell wasn’t really long enough to enjoy it.

Edited May 2, 2018 by Sunny76

[Summer Sun]

23.7c or higher will make it the hottest May day BH on record

The current record of 23.6c has stood since 1996

[Nick L]

17 minutes ago, Summer Sun said:

23.7c or higher will make it the hottest May day BH on record

The current record of 23.6c has stood since 1996

That seems strangely low?

The TORRO records show at least 27c for the first 7 days of May...although of course the bank holiday may have just danced around any hot weather!

http://www.torro.org.uk/hightempsyear.php

Edited May 2, 2018 by Nick L