Southeast and East Anglia weather discussion

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

1 hour ago, LightningLover said:

Genuinely incredible forecast!!! BRING IT ON!!!

Woould you mind if I opt out of your enthusiasm?

[Buzzit]

At this rate I’m tempted to start a side business in air conditioning..

[Snipper]

Current temparatures at various weather stations. 

[yamkin]

A lovely 30C in Shirley, Croydon & will peak to 31C by 4pm  Tomorrow is going to be interesting. Don't be surprised if temps climb to 40C 

[Bogman]

As exciting as it is to say "I was there.............", I'm not looking forward one iota for tomorrow.

It's a rare event, and yes, it is down to global warming, and no, none of us are doing enough about it.

 

But, for those who aren't going to be in a nice air conditioned office/house/shop, it's going to be a very, very uncomfortable 48 hours. 

For those who are creaming themselves over it, then, fair play, fill your boots, but I for one, sat in an office from 7am until 6pm, with no air con, wearing a suit and tie won't enjoy the ride. I like the sun and warmth, but tomorrow (even now mind) will be too excessive.

 

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

7 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

This is not meant to cause offence but I’d appreciate it if you (and others) cease putting a dampener on genuine excitement at the current (and brief!) extreme weather. It’s a weather forum for weather enthusiasts. It’s perfectly fine to only want average conditions, all year round but in the UK’s generally boring climate, extremes are rare and noteworthy.

A genuine question to all of you that are rightly worried about climate change: what are you doing about it? Are you having children, that’ll add to the Earths burden? Or, don’t you think that applies to you, just ‘other people’? Have you planted trees? Cut your energy consumption? Recycled and upcycled? Joined Greenpeace and other environmental groups, to put pressure on China, India, the USA and other gross polluters? I’ll admit to being pretty terrified about the future of our planet but I know I’ve done things to try and help, however small. Can’t help the excitement for extreme weather. 

As one of those who hates this weather, I'm still slightly excited and enthused by it.  I'm glad that it isn't going to last much longer, though.  I think what annoys me is when people say "I want it to be as extreme as possible" which makes me wonder whether, if it was 45C they'd be calling for it to hit 50C or something.  There has to come a point when an interesting and memorable extreme causes so much misery and chaos that it becomes antisocial to want it to continue.  I don't think we're at that point yet, and I don't think many (if any) heat fans here are daft enough to want unlimited heat to the point where even fit, healthy people were suffering heatstroke, but I do think that more people than you'd imagine (particularly commuters, care home staff and people who do heavy manual work outside will be relieved when the current period comes to an end.  I also have commented recently that I doubt that our Netweather community would be as patient with those wanting similar extremes of cold or high winds. 

Unfortunately, as a disabled person who recharges electric wheelchairs from the mains and who uses as large vehicle to take me and a wheelchair on any journey beyond a mile or so, my carbon footprint is much larger than I'd like it to be.  In order to minimise it to a socially-acceptable level, I'd have to decide to not leave my village until either buses are made fully-accessible round here or until an EV that will accept an electric wheelchair becomes affordable to us, which, if you think about it, would make life in the modern world very difficult at best.  I am, however, a monthly donor to Greenpeace and would love to be able to afford in future to replace our VW diesel(!) vehicle with an equivalent hybrid or full EV alternative.  BTW, we bought our vehicle in 2008 when we were being told by the government of the day that diesel was the future and superior to petrol.

[Methuselah]

We have our first official 32C of the year here, today!

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

4 minutes ago, Bogman said:

As exciting as it is to say "I was there.............", I'm not looking forward one iota for tomorrow.

It's a rare event, and yes, it is down to global warming, and no, none of us are doing enough about it.

 

But, for those who aren't going to be in a nice air conditioned office/house/shop, it's going to be a very, very uncomfortable 48 hours. 

For those who are creaming themselves over it, then, fair play, fill your boots, but I for one, sat in an office from 7am until 6pm, with no air con, wearing a suit and tie won't enjoy the ride. I like the sun and warmth, but tomorrow (even now mind) will be too excessive.

 

If I were you I'd take my tie off and inform anyone who argues that I'l put it back on when you find a way of making the office less than an oven.  If they fore you for it then they're obviously pretty awful people.

[Captain Shortwave]

Up to 32c here so pretty much matching yesterday, just the highest temperatures are in the Far East of the region compared to the Channel Islands yesterday. 

The trouble is that whilst record breaking temperatures like tomorrow are more likely, you are talking a less than 1% chance of it happening compared to a slightly lower value 100 years ago. You still need all of the parameters in your favour.

however consistent trends in rising global temperatures and the frequency where daily mean temperature records are broken throughout the year are the concern. I must admit I should do more, I have tried to install plant life into the garden mostly to tackle the falling bee population which is another crisis we face. 

Oddly as much as cutting emissions is one thing, perhaps sacrificing some of our land to plant trees and install more woodland in urban areas would go a long way as our problem is two fold by the fact we create more carbon dioxide whilst are removing the organisms that use it.

[stainesbloke]

8 minutes ago, chrisbell-nottheweatherman said:

As one of those who hates this weather, I'm still slightly excited and enthused by it.  I'm glad that it isn't going to last much longer, though.  I think what annoys me is when people say "I want it to be as extreme as possible" which makes me wonder whether, if it was 45C they'd be calling for it to hit 50C or something.  There has to come a point when an interesting and memorable extreme causes so much misery and chaos that it becomes antisocial to want it to continue.  I don't think we're at that point yet, and I don't think many (if any) heat fans here are daft enough to want unlimited heat to the point where even fit, healthy people were suffering heatstroke, but I do think that more people than you'd imagine (particularly commuters, care home staff and people who do heavy manual work outside will be relieved when the current period comes to an end.  I also have commented recently that I doubt that our Netweather community would be as patient with those wanting similar extremes of cold or high winds. 

Unfortunately, as a disabled person who recharges electric wheelchairs from the mains and who uses as large vehicle to take me and a wheelchair on any journey beyond a mile or so, my carbon footprint is much larger than I'd like it to be.  In order to minimise it to a socially-acceptable level, I'd have to decide to not leave my village until either buses are made fully-accessible round here or until an EV that will accept an electric wheelchair becomes affordable to us, which, if you think about it, would make life in the modern world very difficult at best.  I am, however, a monthly donor to Greenpeace and would love to be able to afford in future to replace our VW diesel(!) vehicle with an equivalent hybrid or full EV alternative.  BTW, we bought our vehicle in 2008 when we were being told by the government of the day that diesel was the future and superior to petrol.

But you’re doing something to help and you’re doing what you can in your current situation. If everyone did the same, there’d be positive results. Have you contacted your MP about your local, non wheelchair friendly buses? The local newspaper would probably like to know that it’s difficult for you and others in similar situations to get around. 

Im sure many will be relieved when this heat moderates. It’s only a couple of days, though. I’d understand the hysteria more if we had weeks of it.

[all weather]

My opinion is this is just another cycle in earth's warming which isn't a first, but the rate of warming might be. When we start entering another ice age i wonder who will get the blame? No doubt i will get climate change fanatics on my case but as I said, its just my opinion. I love extremes, makes weather that bit more interesting. People just need to be careful.

[Ben Lewis]

30 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

This is not meant to cause offence but I’d appreciate it if you (and others) cease putting a dampener on genuine excitement at the current (and brief!) extreme weather. It’s a weather forum for weather enthusiasts. It’s perfectly fine to only want average conditions, all year round but in the UK’s generally boring climate, extremes are rare and noteworthy.

A genuine question to all of you that are rightly worried about climate change: what are you doing about it? Are you having children, that’ll add to the Earths burden? Or, don’t you think that applies to you, just ‘other people’? Have you planted trees? Cut your energy consumption? Recycled and upcycled? Joined Greenpeace and other environmental groups, to put pressure on China, India, the USA and other gross polluters? I’ll admit to being pretty terrified about the future of our planet but I know I’ve done things to try and help, however small. Can’t help the excitement for extreme weather, though and I feel no guilt for it.

Great post. 

Climate change/ people who don’t like heat/ people who have to work with no air con (me included) and people who have to sit on a sweaty train... etc - are there in front of us every day. 

But by no means, will I let someone put that shoulder of guilt on me for liking extreme record breaking heat. 

 

[stainesbloke]

13 minutes ago, Captain Shortwave said:

I must admit I should do more, I have tried to install plant life into the garden mostly to tackle the falling bee population which is another crisis we face. 

Oddly as much as cutting emissions is one thing, perhaps sacrificing some of our land to plant trees and install more woodland in urban areas would go a long way as our problem is two fold by the fact we create more carbon dioxide whilst are removing the organisms that use it.

Yes!! Fantastic idea. We desperately need more trees in the UK, as one of the least forested countries in Europe. Planting flowers attractive to bees and other pollinators is another wonderful step to take.

Edited July 24, 2019 by stainesbloke

[Buzzit]

Agreed, I grow my own vegetables on my deck and have put in a few large lavender plants alongside a few other bee friendly species.. in the small spaces available.. Here in Acton there is a local bee keeper who makes fabulous honey (though production is small) and I love seeing bees in my very small garden 

[Dbarb]

The problem isn't us, that's what annoys me as we can only do so much while countries like China and Indian dump pollution into the environment at an alarming rate.

[Matty88]

Whilst the above makes interesting reading, this is a weather forum not a debate on whether man has made the climate change! It's our natural instinct in Britain to get emotional and start panicking about global warming whenever we get a few hot days The actual science of the current matter in question is down to weather system/jet alignment, although I do believe the climate change 'warming' is happening - the actual science of which still needs to be determined, I'm not yet jumping on the 'we did this to ourselves its all man made we can save the earth by switching off our lights' band wagon. It could all be down to the warming sun... for example. Anyway .... there's a whole debate in this! I also believe World population growth and deforestation is far more concerning right now... we should be focusing on that. 

Anyway, back to weather! I am reserved as to whether the heat record will be broken tomorrow, it may just get close in London and its surrounding suburbs... possibly 36.5 or along those lines. The storm potential is there - although how widespread/severe it may be is the question, it could either explode into life or contain itself into narrowly aligned cells. Tomorrow mornings charts will be key  

 

 

[Bogman]

27 minutes ago, chrisbell-nottheweatherman said:

If I were you I'd take my tie off and inform anyone who argues that I'l put it back on when you find a way of making the office less than an oven.  If they fore you for it then they're obviously pretty awful people.

 

The tie is the least of my problems.........................

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

15 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

But you’re doing something to help and you’re doing what you can in your current situation. If everyone did the same, there’d be positive results. Have you contacted your MP about your local, non wheelchair friendly buses? The local newspaper would probably like to know that it’s difficult for you and others in similar situations to get around. 

Im sure many will be relieved when this heat moderates. It’s only a couple of days, though. I’d understand the hysteria more if we had weeks of it.

Our local MP is a smug, complacent Tory who uses an automated email system that informs you that, unless you provide the sort of contact details I would be uncomfortable sending via. email that he can't get in touch.  It's one of the safest seats in the country, and, while he was locally active in the first few years of his tenure, he seems to have become generally complacent and remote these days.  There have been many complaints about buses into Norwich by disabled people - if there's a mum with a buggy the space that is otherwide assigned to wheelchairs will be occupied (there really need to be areas for each, IMO), plus it's too small to take even my kid-sized electric wheelchair (I'm smaller than average).  Not only that, but some disabled people have travelled into the city on one bus, only to be refused access to the return service by a driver who claims that their wheelchair batteries are an H&S risk and he isn't allowed to take them.  Each time, First Group says they're retraining drivers but it still keeps happening.  Not only that, but the City Council won't compel First or the other bus company locally to convert the old, polluting buses they offload on us from other parts of the country to lower emission standards, yet have spent millions over the last few years installing cycle routes and closing roads to private cars.  The roads that were widened in the '60s and which did a good job of getting vehicles around and out of the city quickly became buses or taxis only, so that cars were sent down narrow medieval streets, causing delays and measurably increased pollution, yet the idiots are quoted in the press as saying that their schemes are a success.  Their only focus is on stopping any and all motorists from getting anywhere near the city, yet they seem baffled as to why once-thriving shopping streets are part-empty.  Park and Ride services are not much better if you're disabled.

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

12 minutes ago, Bogman said:

 

The tie is the least of my problems.........................

Might make your boss(es) realise it's a problem.

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

27 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

Yes!! Fantastic idea. We desperately need more trees in the UK, as one of the least forested countries in Europe. Planting flowers attractive to bees and other pollinators is another wonderful step to take.

We're fortunate enough to have a fair-sized gardern and we grow several plants and bushes that attract dozens of bees - lavender, buddleia, cotoneaster, lilac, plus I'm growing sage and lemon thyme.  They also love the Tithonia I've grown from seed that are betwen our path and the fence down the side of the bungalow.

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

32C here now.

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

35 minutes ago, all weather said:

My opinion is this is just another cycle in earth's warming which isn't a first, but the rate of warming might be. When we start entering another ice age i wonder who will get the blame? No doubt i will get climate change fanatics on my case but as I said, its just my opinion. I love extremes, makes weather that bit more interesting. People just need to be careful.

I read last week that we are technicaly still in an Ice Age, just one of the interglacial periods (New Scientist magazine, not a tabloid paper).

[shotski]

1 hour ago, Jimmyh said:

it is quite interesting in here when there differing views of excitement or trepidation. i think Trotski and dont take this the wrong way. this type of weather is unheard of here. the last really high temperature was 2003. i would love to see records broken, we are weather enthusiasts, this is why we are on here discussing it.

Poor souls cant have a true understanding on global warming, and as this is a short term mega heatwave. Explain what the difference is for storms with wind at 75mph or freezing weather that is -18 in the home counties. its a weather extreme. dont disagree on global warming but dont rain on peoples excitement.  

Mate if you don’t understand what the difference is between worldwide high temperature records toppling and a freak weather event your either ignorant or poorly educated on climate change. 

40 degrees, that’s great. What next I wonder. 

Also I love extremes cold & heat so obviously don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade as it is weather forum after all. Just very concerning, that was my initial point.

 

Edited July 24, 2019 by shotski

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

I think that, if summer like last year (from the POV of lack of rain) and this (extreme heat events) become more frequent, farmers and gowers will have to switch crops and varieties in order to be able to farm with less water use (many are allowed to take so many thousand gallons from groundwater in the East Anglian chalk aquifers) and less concern regarding crop failures.  It might require the British consumer to accept that certain traditional British vegetable crops will either become more expensive or will have to be supplied from abroad.

Edited July 24, 2019 by chrisbell-nottheweatherman

[stainesbloke]

14 minutes ago, chrisbell-nottheweatherman said:

We're fortunate enough to have a fair-sized gardern and we grow several plants and bushes that attract dozens of bees - lavender, buddleia, cotoneaster, lilac, plus I'm growing sage and lemon thyme.  They also love the Tithonia I've grown from seed that are betwen our path and the fence down the side of the bungalow.

Sounds like a proper haven for wildlife, how lovely and you’re very lucky. What do you think of the Tithonia? Grew lots last year and they were monsters lol