Summer 2021: Moans, Groans, Ramps and Banter

[In Absence of True Seasons]

37 minutes ago, Stabilo19 said:

It's so depressing. Our island is a cloud magnet.

We must have had one of the worst summers in the world this year, and I don't think that's an exaggeration. At least places with similar climates (e.g. Western coastal Canada) had extreme heat this summer. The SE had a whole lot of nothingness..  

Canada generally has great summers tbh. I have friends who live in Ontario as well as Alberta and British Columbia. Been over there a few times in summer, lovely every time.

The heat they had this year is really rare but it's common for them to have weeks on end of 20 - 25c or 30c pleasant clear skies throughout summer. Might get some rain but will never have the weeks on end of grey sky like we get here. People associate Canada with cold and dark but forget that North American seasons are very distinct. 

[NEVES SCREAMER]

12 hours ago, Daniel* said:

Looks on poor side for Midlands actually…

I counted 10 days at 25c. And 7 of those came in one block. So take 7 off 92 and that leaves a paltry 3 days in 85 in our 'summer' that managed 25c. I wouldn't count the Midlands as being average. Just plain rubbish.

[mb018538]

9 minutes ago, In Absence of True Seasons said:

Canada generally has great summers tbh. I have friends who live in Ontario as well as Alberta and British Columbia. Been over there a few times in summer, lovely every time.

The heat they had this year is really rare but it's common for them to have weeks on end of 20 - 25c or 30c pleasant clear skies throughout summer. Might get some rain but will never have the weeks on end of grey sky like we get here. People associate Canada with cold and dark but forget that North American seasons are very distinct. 

Canada isn't totally surrounded by ocean like the UK - ok the far west coast (BC) gets plagued by low pressure like the UK, but having that huge US landmass that massively heats up to the south helps Canada benefit from the continental climate. Drier air so less cloud. The UK just sucks being totally surrounded by cold seas, a sure-fire recipe for cloud.

[markyo]

3 hours ago, Azazel said:

freezing this morning. Colleague has all the windows in the office wide open because he struggles in temperatures of more than 10 degrees.

Or inversely is it you struggling in temps less than 18c?.....One persons struggle is another's person's joy don't forget! That's my Confucius bit for th morning!

Edited September 2, 2021 by markyo

[Azazel]

3 minutes ago, markyo said:

Or inversely is it you struggling in temps less than 18c?.....One persons struggle is another's person's joy don't forget! That's my Confucius bit for th morning!

True enough, though I think the vast majority of people would find it "uncomfortable" sitting at a desk in an office in less than say 16 degrees.

[NEVES SCREAMER]

32 minutes ago, Azazel said:

True enough, though I think the vast majority of people would find it "uncomfortable" sitting at a desk in an office in less than say 16 degrees.

Anorak time (quite literally). Under The Office Shops and Rsilwsy Premises Act I'm pretty sure the legal minimum is 16c. Anything below that and you could technically go home !!!

[Azazel]

Just now, NEVES SCREAMER said:

Anorak time (quite literally). Under The Office Shops and Rsilwsy Premises Act I'm pretty sure the legal minimum is 16c. Anything below that and you could technically go home !!!

Haha yeah, in the winter i'm usually sat here in thermals, jumpers, hoodies and a coat with a hot water bottle and fingerless gloves as it gets down to anywhere between 2-8 degrees in here.

 

Just a t-shirt, longsleeve and a jumper today though and I'm just about managing now the windows are shut.

[markyo]

28 minutes ago, NEVES SCREAMER said:

Anorak time (quite literally). Under The Office Shops and Rsilwsy Premises Act I'm pretty sure the legal minimum is 16c. Anything below that and you could technically go home !!!

There is no legal minimum. Only advisory min. 

[Thundery wintry showers]

The Met Office "season so far" sunshine maps were interesting in that after June and July the negative sunshine anomalies were largely confined to south-east England, but as they publicly released updates through August, I could see those negative anomalies steadily creeping northwards.  The Midlands had a particularly considerable shortage of sunshine in August which is why in the overall summer maps the region has essentially joined the south-east in having 70-90% of the average.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Thundery wintry showers

[Nick L]

6 minutes ago, markyo said:

There is no legal minimum. Only advisory min. 

Correct.

[LetItSnow!]

I did see a few comments say about how the very same weather patterns would deliver a below average summer in the past... I looked through each day's chart of the summer of Wetterzentrale and I have to disagree. A 50-100+ years ago, I do agree it wouldn't have been *as* warm, but I think it's innacurate to say that the very same weather patterns would have ever delivered an appreciable cool smmer. Looking at the first-half of June for example, there was so much high pressure and winds from a southern quadrant that there was little chance of returning to average. I do think a notable fact was warmer nights due to cloud cover in the south, not sure how minimum temperatures worked out for the north though. I just thought some comments were making out like we were within straight northerlies all summer and still returned above average temperatures and that was not the case. On another note, the charts for Jul. 2021 remind me of Jul. 2001 but switched around. Jul. 2001 had a hot start and end with a cool middle-half and had a C.E.T. of 17.3. I wonder if that month returned similar sunshine/rainfall amounts. I suppose that's for another thread though.

[Northwest NI]

On 02/09/2021 at 05:59, Weather-history said:

That's weird, look at the area around Londonderry, Northern Ireland. How did that area have comfortably below average sunshine? That's unlucky

I noticed that, and thought it can’t be right. We also have had a beautiful mostly dry and sunny summer, bar first two weeks of August, which were poor.

Last 2 weeks again have been amazing though not as hot as the July spell.

[NEVES SCREAMER]

28 minutes ago, Nick L said:

Correct.

 

 

36 minutes ago, markyo said:

There is no legal minimum. Only advisory min. 

Accepted. It's just ACOP guidance. Soz.

[Mac_SE]

Another day stuck under the grey prison. Looked like it would brighten just now up but didn't.

 

[reef]

Summer was doing alright here at the end of July, as both months were warmer and sunnier than average. August has seen to that though, coming in 0.2C below average and recording only 120 hours of sunshine. For comparison August 2008 recorded 123hrs here, so it was the dullest August on record for us. Interesting how in the last four years, three have had the sunniest month of the year in the spring.

The most notable aspect of the summer was the lack of heat. We only had five days with maxima above 25C, though 2007 (2), 2008 (3), 2009 (4), 2012 (3) and 2014 (1) all recorded less. It was however the 4th driest since 1995, a stat probably helped by the lack of thunder days (just 7).

The Summer index ended up at 231, exactly average. At the end of July it was running in the top 10.

 

[al78]

On 31/08/2021 at 23:20, SunSean said:

Although i prefer to use the astronomical seasons, so summer hasn't ended for me yet, i would still say this summer has been about as enjoyable as chewing broken glass. As i have said before, its not the temperatures i have been disappointed by but the sheer lack of sunlight. It has been utterly pathetic in the South East and you could record more sunshine in the Mariana trench than what we have had here. Vile.

A shame you use the astronomical seasons. The first half of June in the SE was quite good, so starting summer on 21st June makes the season even worse, unless the first three weeks of September bring warmth and sunshine (which it certainly hasn't over the first two days).

[al78]

16 hours ago, The real Lomond snowstorm said:

Well, this area of the world has just had the best summer since records began in 1884 according to the BBC. The driest, warmest and sunniest.

Overall Scotland had the 4th best summer but the West of Scotland was better than that and Glasgow area was the best since record began.

This coincided here in Loch Lomond with a very large number of visitors this year  even if they were mostly passing through to places further north. 

Yes, I had excellent weather on my highland walking trip at the end of May/early June. It is a pity I couldn't have spent the whole summer up there, I would have got a fantastic amount of hillwalking done. It is almost as if SE England and the Scottish highlands have swapped summer climates this year. Can Scotland please come and reclaim their weather, I am getting bored of it now.

[stainesbloke]

Summer has returned here after a couple of grim weeks. 23°C, light winds and sunny all day. Very pleasant Nice sunset yesterday 

[The real Lomond snowstorm]

4 hours ago, Azazel said:

Haha yeah, in the winter i'm usually sat here in thermals, jumpers, hoodies and a coat with a hot water bottle and fingerless gloves as it gets down to anywhere between 2-8 degrees in here.

 

Just a t-shirt, longsleeve and a jumper today though and I'm just about managing now the windows are shut.

How does it get to somewhere between 2 and 8C inside in winter (in an office I assume)? 

Even with no heating on you'll normally maintain a warmer temperature than that indoors, probably around 12C .

I once went away for three weeks over Christmas and New Year, forgot to leave the heating on, came back home in -5C temperatures with deep snow outside (which had been lying for a week) and the temperature indoors was about 10C when I arrived back in the morning. 

Admittedly the walls remained cold for a couple of days even when the air temperature returned to normal.

It must be a drafty building.

[The real Lomond snowstorm]

32 minutes ago, al78 said:

Yes, I had excellent weather on my highland walking trip at the end of May/early June. It is a pity I couldn't have spent the whole summer up there, I would have got a fantastic amount of hillwalking done. It is almost as if SE England and the Scottish highlands have swapped summer climates this year. Can Scotland please come and reclaim their weather, I am getting bored of it now.

Was that the Knoydart trip ? In 1991 I did my first Knoydart backpacking trip and it was also at the end of May, beginning of June.

It was horrible weather for the first few hours walking and then the weather cleared and it remained hot (arguably too hot) and sunny for the whole week. I remember sitting on the top of Ladhar Bheinn in shorts and T-shirt with Rum shimmering in the sea and camping near the summit of Sgurr na Ciche  near Loch Arkaig and seeing a temperature inversion in the morning with the Knoydart peaks showing through.

A fantastic trip.

 

[al78]

8 minutes ago, The real Lomond snowstorm said:

Was that the Knoydart trip ? In 1991 I did my first Knoydart backpacking trip and it was also at the end of May, beginning of June.

It was horrible weather for the first few hours walking and then the weather cleared and it remained hot (arguably too hot) and sunny for the whole week. I remember sitting on the top of Ladhar Bheinn in shorts and T-shirt with Rum shimmering in the sea and camping near the summit of Sgurr na Ciche  near Loch Arkaig and seeing a temperature inversion in the morning with the Knoydart peaks showing through.

A fantastic trip.

 

Yes is was. My only regret is that I didn't get to the summit of any Munros, but even lower level walks over bealachs can provide superb scenery. The weather was too hot for me on the first couple of days which is why I had to change my backpacking route to one with less ascent.

[summer blizzard]

On another note i was quite happy with my summer forecast (based on expected ONI, PDO and QBO conditions and taking into account the spring tropical convection timings. I called for a little cooler than average June and July which was wrong but the pattern turned out correct (warmth in early June and late July, cool and unsettled between) so more an amplitude issue. August to be cooler than average (though i also went wetter). 

So not full marks and with micro scale errors but the macro pattern was correct pleasingly.  

[I remember Atlantic 252]

usual E'ly again, north sea mist clearing after 5pm, expect same tomorrow

[Summer of 95]

Sun is out! Still have that cool wind but at last some proper daylight

[dubmuffin]

There are rumours on the Model thread of a summer next week...