Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: Andrew on April 01, 2007, 09:35:14 AM
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Time for a new Weather topic. I've called it just 'Weather' this time, I suppose we will be moaning it is too hot and dry shortly !
Which leads me nicely on to a bright sunny morning here and 22C already.
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really? It's a wee bit chilly here this morning 9C
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22C ? It's not even as warm as that indoors!
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If you think we can fall for that one today Andrew...........? ::) 22oC indeed. In your dreams. And as for too hot? Never!!
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OMG I didnt even think what day it was. Good one Andy Pandy!
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22C ? It's not even as warm as that indoors!
It was in my home, I never said it was outside which was only 11C :D.
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well no complaints here today. It a clear blue sky and 16C
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for the last week or 10 days we have had fantastic sunsets visible from all over the town. Have you had them too?
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and too show how the flowers are being affected due to lack of rain
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Are these in pots Mark? Even here, plants in the garden don't wilt like that in drought. They just grow shorter. I hope you got the hose out after taking the pics.
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first and last are in the ground. The Anemone is in a 4 inch pot but the Narcissus are in a 5L+ pots
But on the other hand the blossom this year is outstanding. Looks at this cherry planted by the road service. Prunus spinosa - black thorn/ sloe - are looking brilliant. I nearly bought a Magnolia loebneri at the weekend that was laiden in pink flushed flowers
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Often too warm and very dry here in Norfolk. Forecast a warm Easter with no rain for at least a week. Narcissus in a dry raised bed wilting a bit :(
Anyone for cacti?
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A stunning day here in NE England - frost on the car this morning but clear and crisp and now lovely and warm - really feels like spring
Sue
just a shame I'm at work :(
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Another warm and sunny day in the west - with no wind. Visited Glenarn and Geilston gardens today, then the Hill House at Helensburgh ending up at Loch Lomond - see picture.
Weather moan! When we left it was cloudless, with only aircraft vapour trails in the sky. Three hours later, looking back at the sky towards Glasgow, there was a thin veil of white clouds. With the centre of Scotland being the main flyway to the USA, we get all the carbon, water vapour and unburned kerosine dumped on us. These vapour trails expand and form light clouds which can, by mid-afternoon, give us an overcast sky. We get little enough sun so it is rather annoying to see this happening.
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The weather forecast tonight said that cant remember the town in Aberdeenshire had the hottest temperature today - 21C
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Aboyne
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Aberdeenshire had - 21C today? No wonder Maggi shivers in her shoes! :D
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I've just been looking at the 5 day forecast for me and the good weather looks set to continue over the holiday weekend - this must be a mistake - it always rains on bank holidays!
I'll be stocking up on the way home as I think the good weather will call for a nice tall glass of pimms to celebrate!
Sue
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If this is Global warming, bring it on ;D
Inside cooling off
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Lovely sunny day here, 22C OUTSIDE at the moment.
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Just nipped out for a look: it is around 12 degrees C here now. It wasn't as good a day today as yesterday, there were times when the sky became quite cloudy, with some dark cloud that looked as though they might have some rain to spare, but they passed over and it got brighter again. Not so warm though, but 12 isn't bad for teatime in April! Let me know when you go away on holiday, Andrew, I'll come down there and house/plant sit for you!
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Hot here this afternoon but not 22C hot. First day this year I've worked in the garden without a jumper, and finished up with another red nose and forehead. A certain other member of the family suggested that it's because I was in the front row when noses were handed out. Cheek!
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This morning I walked, with my wife, around Mount Congreve in my shirt sleeves, two glorious hours among the magnolias, just fabulous. In the afternoon, I had a three hour walk with my son, off along the riverbank, again in my shirt and found it very hot.
How is it that after all that walking I am still growing a comfortable pot belly. Might have something to do with the chocolate caramel squares I made at lunchtime and consumed in plenty after dinner this evening.
Paddy
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Paddy, you are finding out that exercise in fresh air and sunshine makes you hungry ! I find that excercise and freezing weather makes me hungry. Also, that sitting about, warm or cold, makes me hungry. Ach, let's face it, I'm just hungry! There are worse vices. Besides, I don't think of it as a vice, it is a pleasure !! I wish you hadn't mentioned the caramel slices, though, it's made me a bit peckish.......
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Maggi,
Showing vestiges of my religious past, today I have baked a large batch of hot-cross buns. It's hard to describe something which is so nice as being bad for you.
Paddy
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Fine, bright day here, with quite a breeze though, so a fresh hot cross bun would be the ideal accompaniment to a cup of coffee in the garden.... you're making me hungry, again!
I haven't a recipe for hot cross buns... but all is not lost, I'll go for some secular pancakes instead!
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Maggi,
Showing vestiges of my religious past, today I have baked a large batch of hot-cross buns. It's hard to describe something which is so nice as being bad for you.
Paddy
One man-so many skills!!!!!!
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And the skill most practiced of them all is that of eating what I cook (unfortunately for my waist size)
Paddy
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23C here this afternoon. I shall have to think seriously about painting shade on my greenhouse-every year when I start to do that the weather turns cloudy and rainy for weeks. What shall I do? ;D
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What shall I do?
That IS the question! From a personal point of view, it is delightful to spent warm sunny days pottering among the flowers but it cannot be denied that a lot of the flowers, and larger shrubs, too, are really feeling bad from lack of water. The Acers are putting out thier leaves and would like a good soaking ,too, I think. I know a lot of my rhodos are really thirsty and bulbs are going over too fast. Naturalised daffodils seen today were drooping in the heat and this when there was a fair amount of cloud on and off through the afternoon.... so, on balance, I'd say you have to paint on the greenhouse shading... we need that rain!
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here are some rain stats kindly provided by Bob Gordon
21st March 2007 5mm
28th March 2007 5mm
and that's it so far. There was enough in my area last night to form beads on my recently waxed car but not enough for the garden
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I DEMAND RAIN!!
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I DEMAND RAIN!!
Article taken from the Antrim Times:-
"A young!! Antrim gardener was brought before Antrim Magistrates today having been arrested last night. It appears that he was caught in a semi-naked state, with the visible parts of his body gaudily marked with many shades of emulsion paint, dacing around the clothes dryer in his garden and chanting at the top of his voice.
In his address to the Magistrates the gardener asked for clemency as he was only trying to end the current drought by pleading to the Rain Gods.
After considerstion the Magistrates bound him over to keep the Peace and served him with a Community Service Order requiring him to closely mow all grass verges between Antrim and Belfast berore breakfast time each Tuesday until 2014".
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very good David. Really made me laugh out loud but I would like some rain. One of my beds is dry to over 4" 10cm
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Last night a kids sports club up in queensland had 12,000 litres of water stolen from their tank. It was keeping their playing fields green, plus the toilets etc in the clubhouse. They drained the tank. Must have been done with a professional tanker and pump etc. Yesterday stage 5 water restrictions were put in place in south east queensland which further restricts their watering times...... obviously someone decided they wanted some water for their tanks to help with the restrictions. Just awful to have the club lose the whole contents of their tank. So much of southern Australia is in severe drought now, so you're not alone Mark, even if we are across the other side of the world. LOL
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I'll tell you where the rain is.......bloody Spain!!!!! Guess where I've been? :(
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Well, having just spent a week listening to swifts screeming overhead [the rain was elsewhere in Spain, thankfully], I decided to check my swift boxes. I didn't even need to get close to see that the left-hand box had been tenanted by starlings. I horsed them out, along with half a hay stack (and a bit of my camomile 'lawn'!) and fitted sloping battens and that seemed to do the trick. Time will tell.
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The entrance must be slightly too big. The swifts will be here in two weeks so get your CD player and attraction CD ready. Just buy a cheap speaker from a car shop and hang it below one of the boxes. I'm going one step further with mine. When my mum goes to Spain in May I'm drilling holes in the gable wall and putting nest boxes in the attic
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The swifts will be here in two weeks so get your CD player and attraction CD ready.
Okay, I'm missing something here... why would we be using a special CD to atttract swifts for? Isn't a ready made nest box a good enough incentive for them?
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Yeh maggi, how will swifts ever be able to dance with their short legs, they can't even stand up :D
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yes and no. The swifts dont know the boxes are there.
What happens is non breeding swifts literally harass breeding pairs by banging on the entrances to their nest sites with their bodies and wings to see/hear if anyone is at home. The resident pair will then duet to say this site is occupied. The attraction CD is a looped 10 second duet which when played will attract non breeders and pairs that have lost their nest sites usually down to modernisation of a building or PVC facias and soffits going up. They will buzz the boxes and hopefully take up residence. An interesting bit of info is swifts take 3 to 5 years to mature and during all this time they never land. It must be very frightening for such an aerial bird to enter a dark nest site for the first time. They spend only 96 days at their nest sites. They have been arriving all over Europe this week and arrived in Holland yesterday. This warm weather may push them in to the UK earlier than ever
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Yeh maggi, how will swifts ever be able to dance with their short legs, they can't even stand up
Now that's a problem I sympathise with!! ;D
The attraction CD is a looped 10 second duet which when played will attract non breeders and pairs that have lost their nest sites
But I don't understand how a duet can attract the birds when, if they prospect an occupied box, they discover it is being used by being sung at ! Surely a tape of anything will tell them the box is in use?
Or is the tape of a lonely swift? But then it would need to be of a male and female to work with lonely hearts of both sexes... this is getting too muddled for me!
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The CD just has swifts screaming, so it must draw them down to investigate? The hole size is as instructed and I would think any hole a swift can get through a determined starling will? It was quite a sight watching several dozen wheeling about in the early evening, just as the tiny bats came out (~7.00 p.m. and still broad daylight).
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Here the wether from South West germany :
Yesterday we had 27° C ....and for the weekend is said : 30° !!!
and no rain ......
8) Greetings Hans
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It is hard to make a sun but what about watering plants?
Atleast in Ireland it should not be a problem with water so why not water them?
Joakim
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It is very difficult to wet the ground properly with a watering can or hose pipe. The soil in some places is actually shrinking away from raised bed walls
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Maybe most of you would like rain but we had it all day on Monday. The past few days have been sunny and warm - if you think 18c is warm. We went to Brodick Castle gardens yesterday and it was more like the end of May. However, they had warning notices up about muddy areas and the danger of slipping. Earlier in the year they had a landslide which gouged out a 50 yard wide area all down the hillside, luckily missing any of the choice shrubs. If I can get Photoshop to downsize the rhoddy pictures, I will post them in the Rhododendron section.
I have been up-country in the past few weeks passing Lochs Doon, Bradan and Riecawr. They are at their highest levels I have seen in 36 years. No doubt we will have a hosepipe ban in a month's time!
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Well I did it! What, you may well ask? I shade painted my greenhouse yesterday when the outdoor temperature reached 22C.
Today, reasonably warm but I've just put a jumper on, grey skies and drizzle on and off all day, and rainy spells forecast for tomorrow. This happens every year when the great controller in the sky sees me get my shade paint out ::)
Mark, next time you do a rain dance make sure the Rain Gods know what your address is please ;D
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yes I see you are in for heavy rain tomorrow while we bask
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That's your fault, playing around with the Deity can be dangerous! :o
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Joakim, I've been thinking that very thing all week! You are quite right!
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If only you could hear the plants singing outside right now. It's raining good and hard. Just in time for me to plant out the bedding display tomorrow. This year it will be all red using c150 Arctotis 'Red Devil'
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Raining ... good and hard ... sorry can you explain? Not a concept I am familiar with any more!
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Must be a Norn Iron expression meaning heavy.
Bright sun between clouds today. The rain hardly penetrated the ground
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We've had rain on and off today and yesterday and most of last night but it hasn't been very heavy. If it turned to heavy rain now, then the lighter rain over the previous hours would be more inclined to soak in better but there is no sign of that, the sun is out just now! TSK!
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The forcast tells me it has been raining here this afternoon, Maggie. Funny, I didn't notice it - lovely day. We had welcome rain on Thursday that soaked the garden nicely and it was wet yesterday when we went to Perth show.
Today we had ClanMinty in for a short while on their way to Fort George and then Jim Sutherland's. Ian has a busy week ahead planting all his produce.
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I expect those little Minty's are quite a size now? I haven't seen them for a while. They'll be big enough to be a bit of a help in the garden, I would think? You've got to train 'em young, don't you think? They came to the Aberdeen Show when they were little and the oldest girl, whose name excapes me ( all their names escape me, I'm hopeless) first visited our garden when she was a tiny little baby, only weeks old as I remember, she sat in her carry seat thingy in the cutest colourful outfit and slept through most of the afternoon!
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Today was our 24th successive day without rain, temp. 24°C... everything bonedry... :'(
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Some bits and pieces coming in from the Atlantic for us tomorrow. It might make it to Northern France Luc but I doubt if you will get it.
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Here still 27 ° C -and no rain since 3 weeks !
By digging weed today I could feel that the soil is dry ( for the first 5 cm ) but deeper it is cold - this must be from the cool nights .
I hope for rain -but the forecast says rain for thuesday - with a possibility of 15 % - later warm + warm +warm ....
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Sorry Mark ... I did know what you meant! Just so dry here. And now I read Maggis' post too (sigh)
Not only is it bone dry here but we are visited with an increasing plague of bugs! I have sounded off already about the hardy outdoor aphids. Now I notice massive cutworm damage on dwarf bearded iris (leaves and flowers full of holes - like swiss cheese) and on Gladiolus tristis! Despite it being a wand-like 60cm tall all evidence of flowers has been removed from several stems. .... Oh and I picked three lily beetles off my 3 remaining fritillary flowers today too >:(
BRING BACK WINTER!!! thats how I feel right now!
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Chucking it down here now. Planted the last of 19 drills of potatoes in one of my shared allotments this afternoon, so the rain is welcome.
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Are you trying to upset me :'( :'( :'( ;)
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Nah, he does it naturally! :P
He's upsetting me, too. After our light rain, it is now dry again and a fine, mild night. TSK! :-\
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the rain last night was no use at all. I was planting snowdrops today in gaps where there have been deaths. The soil kept falling in because it's so dry. One bed is so dry I had to use a daisy grubber to break through the hard surface.
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Typical Devon day today. A mist rolling down from Dartmoor, at times it's difficult to see across the road, and a thin but persistent drizzle, but the plants look better for it. The snails are happy about it as well!
According to our local television news South West Water have announced that there will be no need for water restrictions this Summer as all reservoirs are over 90% full. If Tony, Brian and Andrew in the dry Eastern part of England would like me to bring a few buckets full with me when I visit Norwich at the end of next month let me know ;D
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We had never before in April so dry wether -in whole Germany is be warning before fires in the woods - special in the east .
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If you want rain, come to the west of Scotland. Our sunshine left about 10 days ago. Driving up to Kilmarnock today, I was going through flooded sections of road and occasionally aquaplaning. However the plus side is the greenery. The grass is growing beautifully and the cows in the fields look happy.
I have seen lots of bluebells by the roadside so I will have to go to a few spots I know where they still grow in profusion. At least it is not too cold with a temperature of 14c.
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Tom,
Please send us a cloud or two full of that soft Scottish rain - they will be more than welcome ! Please pm me for road directions... ;D
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Anthony Darby,
You have rocketed in my estimation. Any man who sows spuds has to be a sound fellow. Of course, I have to wonder what variety. There is a great difference in national tastes for spuds between Ireland and England (south of, anyway) regarding spuds. While they like the waxy(we would say 'soapy' potato, we like those that are floury.
So, what variety?
Allotments, or 'plots' as they were called in my childhood, are a rare thing here in Ireland unfortunately. I fondly recall many evenings with my father attending his plot when I was a child, great friends, great fun with the other children, great company and always plenty of currants and strawberries for us kids.
Two days of light rain here and very welcome as the ground was becoming quite dry even at this early stage of the year. The disadvantage, of course, is that it has brought on a rash of weed seedlings.
Paddy
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light rain? The heavens opened up here many times yesterday and very welcome. The plants this morning look very refreshed. It may be a coincidence but over night all the dwarf bearded Iris seem to have put on huge growth. All now have flowering stems
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Paddy. 50% Arran Pilot and the rest: Wilja; Pentland Javelin; Edzell Blue and Pink Fir Apple.
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Anthony,
Over here it would be Golden Wonder and Kerr's Pinks as first choices and then something for variety.
Sounds appetising.
Paddy
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'Main crop' potatoes don't do as well as the 'earlies' up here Paddy. Pink Fir Apple are quite small, so may be OK?
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27th day without rain, 30 °C forecasted for later today :'(
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I never thought I would have enjoyed rain so much. Well not me personally. It's come in time to give all my bedding a good start before the trip to Czech Republic - loads of moisture to get the roots into the soil
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>:( >:( >:(
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Luc you can have some if you wish. Bring a few buckets with you
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Luc, I watched some TV of the Fleche-Wallone cycle race earlier... it didn't look very sunny... is it really that hot? :-\
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Thanks Marc, I'm on my way !
Maggi - it is somewhat covered this afternoon - windless and very (looking for the right word) warm and heavy (?)... Not very pleasant.
Who won the Fleche ??
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Luc, it sounds as though the word you are looking for to describe the day is " muggy" :P not nice weather!
Davide Rebellin of the Gerolsteiner team won the Fleche.... they were all looking pretty tired and hot so I thought the weather was less good than it appeared... on TV it seemed a good day to rush around on a bike!
I heard that Marianne Vos beat Nicole Cooke in the Women's Fleche race. Miss Vos is making good success for a young lady.
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Anthony,
Over here it would be Golden Wonder......
They come in little packets over here! ;D
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maybe so but the best crisp over here is Tayto
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Yes Maggi, "Muggy" seems the word I was looking for - some wind has appeared since this afternoon - clouds have gone - all blue sky again.
Forecast is another 30 °C tomorrow and then only 27/28 until at least Sunday.
If it doesn't rain until next Tuesday - we will have had 0,0 rain in all the month of April,Never seen or heard before !!
Thanks for the bike-race info !!
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Rain stats since the rain started. Bob Gordon collects data from his garden every morning that covers the previous 24 hours. I spoke to him just now re the Dublin show. I've missed one Mondays. Unfortunately the measurements are in 'old money'
.1" Sunday am,
.2" Tuesday am
.55" Wednesday am
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Thanks for the bike-race info !!
You're welcome, Luc. There are some compensations for an afternoon at the ironing board! :D
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That was excellent timing Maggi ! Wished I had been ironing watching the race instead of in this office.... However, this does give me the compensation of being able to lurk at the forum every now and then.... ;)
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According to 'The Beeb', it has been the warmest April in Britain since records began nearly 350 years ago. 8) I seem to remember my Hawthorn hedge (Crataegus) struggling to flower before the end of May. This year the flowers opened yesterday, 30th April and I saw my first Orange Tip butterflies (Anthocaris cardamines) on Saturday! Thirty years ago the nearest were 80 miles north at Kingussie and just coming out at the end of May.
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31st day without a drop of rain today overhere - quite windy and temperature of abt 23°C - no rain forecasted for another week....Will the Sahara stretch North and reach Belgium soon ???? ???
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8 days since last rain and it's affecting plants again. So many new plants in bud. Who wants to baby sit and take photos?
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Carol is finalising the translation of a book; French - French/English - English/English!
We are looking for an English term that relates to those few days in late spring when winter tries its last gasp.
Here we call it the 'Gab o' May' and the direct French translation is 'Blackthorn Winter'.
But we cann't figure out a general English term for this. I was born and brought up not too far from two other regular contributers to the forum and, though it was a long time ago, I don't remeber the weather going back on itself like this in Yorkshire. It is obviously recognised in France and I can still remember being snowed in one morning in June in Aberdeenshire.
Does anyone else know what I am talking about and is there a generaly recognised name for this?
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Winter's last gasp comes to mind?
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The last of this winter's snow melted earlier this week and this morning I woke up to a landscape that was all white. Last year we did not have a month inwhich the temparature did not drop to at least 32 degrees, Oh by the way I am in the U.S. In the Oregon Cascades at about 4,750 feet elevation. We had six nights in June with frost, one in July, and two in August. It is a challanging place to garden.
Bob Crain
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Welcome to the forum Bob, that does sound a tough place to garden with frosts every month, puts our complaints in perspective.
We have had frosts in June in Aberdeen and they can start again in August but that is exceptional.
The saying here is that we have four months of bad weather followed by winter ;)
I am looking forward to coming to Oregon in April, 2009 hope you have got rid of the snow by then.
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Carol is finalising the translation of a book; French - French/English - English/English!
We are looking for an English term that relates to those few days in late spring when winter tries its last gasp.
Here we call it the 'Gab o' May' and the direct French translation is 'Blackthorn Winter'.
But we cann't figure out a general English term for this. I was born and brought up not too far from two other regular contributers to the forum and, though it was a long time ago, I don't remeber the weather going back on itself like this in Yorkshire. It is obviously recognised in France and I can still remember being snowed in one morning in June in Aberdeenshire.
Does anyone else know what I am talking about and is there a generaly recognised name for this?
David, you have had me pondering all day (I knew that with a name like Shaw you were not a Scot-good old West Riding name, hundreds of Shaws in Huddersfield). The only phrase I can think of is "backendish". It is one my Dad used regularly, and I find myself using it too but then have to come up with a translation for the locals. It is used, at any time of the year, whenever the weather turns unseasonably cool, often as a morning greeting to a neighbour. As in, over the garden fence "bit backendish today Arthur" always accompanied by a rubbing of the hands and arms.
I'm sure it wouldn't fit Carol's translation though ;D
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Not heard of 'backendish' but certainly 'backend' referring to the late autumn.
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Not heard of 'backendish' but certainly 'backend' referring to the late autumn.
Anthony, that's the root of the expression but the added 'ish' appeared to mean that it could be used in any season.
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David
Shaws are a sept of Clan MacIntosh who backed Bonnie Prince Alex, sorry Charlie, in the uprising and originated in Loch Ness side. Some were shunted southwards and ended up in Rotherham! I am not a historian but this is possibly an interesting line of investigation for someone.
Anthonys 'winters last gasp' sounds to be a possible option to our query.
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Ah, the Shaws of Loch Ness ;D
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I don't think anyone would land in Rotherham unless forced to do so!!
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Ah, the Shaws of Loch Ness ;D
Ohhhhhhhhh ;D
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The Martians landed in Huddersfield - Mike Harding wrote a boooook about it. ;)
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He also ran into the back of my car when I worked in Manchester.
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Rather breezy today. Not the 250mph winds such as they are having in the States but it is blowing a gale out there. Not possible to do anything outside.
This is a view of the soil blowing in the neighbours tatty field. This should happen in March, not May!
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Aye, David. Someone's definitely left a gate open. Two of my blue Camassia spikes have been snapped off :'(
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Quite breezy out here too - 37th consecutive day without rain... :( Record from 1857 broken... :(
Rain is forecasted for tomorrow though !!!!! :) Let's hope for the best.
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Hi Luc,
You have beaten me my last rain was 30th March they keep saying tomorrow but it goes everywhere but here,have to have a page on here for Cacti.
Derek
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Back to winter today. After a sunny day in Glasgow yesterday, the rain started at 10 pm last night until 10 am this morning. I spent the morning in the greenhouse potting up plants for our local Ayr group plant sale on Wednesday. Why is it that all your plants are either over or yet to flower at sale time ! This afternoon we went to Bargany Gardens near Girvan, to see the blossom on their Cherry tree archway. We did. It was lying on the ground under the trees thanks to a near gale. We spent a good 15 minutes sheltering in a fancy woodland gazebo before the rain finally relented. Then it was off, by car, to the walled garden for a look at the 100 yard long azalea bed before the rain hit us again. Temperature today was 9c. After all, it is the Bank Holiday weekend.
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Some clouds around earlier which might have some rain in them, but passing too fast to drop it, so far. Very gusty winds... look at this poor tree peony wich is being blown at right angles, westwards...
[attachthumb=1]
This is what the flower looks like, it is a seedling from an "almost rockii!!" Flower is 24 cms across !
[attachthumb=2]
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Local difficulties with uploading photos has been attended to by Fast Fred the Webmaster so those of you having trouble earlier should be able to post away to your heart's content now... I just managed to upload two without a problem.
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:)
Hurray !
It's raining !
(not often I use this phrase... ;D)
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The Aussies usually celebrate the rains breaking with a beer Luc. This year, unusually, I felt like doing it when it started raining on Saturday night, but I would have had to stop first as I was at a 50th birthday party. :D Cheers Anthony.
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Well that must have been a dilemma Anthony... stopping and starting alover again ??? ::) I do love the Aussie habits though !
As for me - this is not a bank holliday out here - I'm at the office :( and no beer around.... >:(
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No rain here in Aberdeen.... a day of watering ahead and still lots of wind to dry everything up again.
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Typical British Bank Holiday weather here today. South Westerly gale, grey skies and rain.
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Who talked about global warming ???? ??? ;D
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Luc,
Did you have much rain? here we had the first since March tha leaves got wet and dust as well but I left a bucket out there was not enough in it to measure so back to the Rain Dance tomorrow.
Derek
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We had some torrential downpours, both yesterday and today, and yesterday even a hail storm which wrecked my Trillium grandiflorum flowers. :'(
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We had lots of wind Derek - an occasional shower of a few minutes but nothing substantial so far.
I just made a little hole in the ground - the moisture has reached a depth of 0,5 cm (hurray) after that plain sand again. More rain is forecasted for tomorrow (and more wind... sigh) - we keep our fingers crossed.
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We've had a few light showers overnight but nothing like enough to actually do any good. Thankfully the wind has dropped but I see lots of watering in the near future.
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Heavy rain here in Austria, since yesterday 8 pm 120 l/m2 in my garden.
Hans
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Started raining here about 1130 yesterday and is still going strong. South Westerly gale force 6, mist down from the Moor, thoroughly miserable!!
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Finally RAIN... on and off for the past 36 hours, everything is now nicely wet and if it would stop I could go out and plant up the crevice bed we have been working on, on and off, since last October! Snag is that is unlikely, first we get a drought and then a monsoon... ho hum the joys, the joys
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is it raining in N Ireland?
Czech Rep had first rain for at least 5 weeks this week
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is it raining in N Ireland?
Czech Rep had first rain for at least 5 weeks this week
Mark, according to the BBC weather pages it was raining fairly steadily in Antrim today, light showers tomorrow and Friday with heavier rain on Saturday and Sunday. Fairly normal really! Hope you are enjoying yourself, we are awaiting a surge of pictures when you get back to a computer.
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Started raining here about 1130 yesterday and is still going strong. South Westerly gale force 6, mist down from the Moor, thoroughly miserable!!
Rain finally stopped at about 1600 but still very windy and sky still very grey. A short row of Bearded Irises I was going to be quite proud of are shredded.
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First decent rain today how about you Luc
Derek
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Drought is over and forgotten Derek - we've had quite some rain already this week :) lots of wind as well wrecking Rhodos that are opening up >:( - at least I could stop watering half of the garden every night :)
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Yesterday lunchtime we had rain coming down in 'stair rods'. One of our staff found his car above the bottom of the offside door in water. :o Teach him for parking in a disabled space. ::)
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One of our staff found his car above the bottom of the offside door in water. Teach him for parking in a disabled space
Well it certainly would be disabled if it was underwater! Did he have to snorkel to get back in?
cheers
fermi
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Fortunately by 3.40 p.m. (home time for kids) the water had subsided and I noticed the car had been moved back a metre.
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Had to scrape ice off the car this morning :(
Here's the car; steam caused by sun hitting the shed roof and frozen water droplets on a shaded deck (photos taken at 08.00 BST).
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are you sure that isnt the steam room?
If those in Europe look at the moon and Venus, tonight, the latter is at it's closest to earth in a few years
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note to "Smiffy" from the Gang in Aberdeen tonight... hi form us, we were out for a short walk with Lily after supper and remarked on how close Venus was to the Moon, or vice versa! Lovley clear sky and not yet dark at that time. Much more dramatic now it's dark. We've had a great day at the Aberdeen show... more of which later ( much later... Ian and I both off to BBC tomorrow morning... perhaps someone else will have pix???!!!???) Fun supper with load of chums/forumists and a sing-song is taking place next door as I write! Much talk with Julia, Ian,Carole and Fermi about Czech Events..... John and I are only mildly jealous... at least we can see the photos!
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I was out leading a bat walk tonight and lots were commenting about the moon and Venus. Only found out when I got home what was happening
so how is Fermi and where are the photos from his Swedish/Czech trip.
A wee parcel of bulbs going your way next week. For you only not the Bulb Master and maybe a Hepatica
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from the BBC re Venus
"Venus is putting on a fine show, shining brilliantly in the west after sunset in the constellation of Gemini, the Twins. Not since May 2004 have we seen such a performance – and it's getting better. Over the month Venus appears to increase in size due to the movement along its orbit which brings it closer to the Earth. This means increasing brightness too."
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Cool pic Mark. Deafening silence fae Aberdeen. :-\
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There may be deafening silence from Aberdeen, but it's been pretty noisy IN Aberdeen! All off to bed now... Fermi's off to London tomorrow, he hasn't had five minutes to himself to do anything with his pix, not even show us them..... you'll see them eventually, I'm sure.
That Bookeroo fellow is putting us to shame with his Southport report on so quick.. but his party can't have been as much fun as ours!
Thanks for sending your plants, Anthony, you did well... we'll make you wait to hear more!
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Magi
Your and Ian's parties are always the best!
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Kind of you to say so, Carol, we do like to spend quality time with our chums... here's a glimpse into last night's party, to give a flavour of the evening......
[attachthumb=1]
Fuzzy, out of focus? What can you mean, we were all sober as flower show judges!
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Maggie, are you offering a prize for the person who can identify most faces in your picture ;D
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Anthony you had me looking through previous pages to see what photo you mean and then I realised. It's difficult taking a self portrait to keep folks happy
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The one that Maggi and Fermi had put, not your present pic Mark.
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The pic we posted on your behalf, Mark, was of an Abelam mask.... from the Eastern Sepik region of Papua New Guinea... from Ian's collection... we call this mask President Ian 2nd, on account of it's resemblance to the former SRGC President of that ilk.... Ian Bainbridge....see for yourself the uncanny likeness in my next post! ;D
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Neither looks like Mark but which is the Abelam Mask and which is President Ian 2nd?
[attachthumb=1] [attachthumb=2]
What is the difference between the two?
The Abelam mask is used for the Yam harvest ceremonies and the former president is used to all sorts of mickey-taking ;)
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Ah, PNG is a place I definitely want to visit. I used to correspond with a chap who worked in Wau. He was stopped in his jeep, having dropped off some visiting photographers, and shot by members of a neighboring tribe. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the son of our host in Tuscany last year was one of the photographers, and didn't find out his friend had been shot until he got back, all bedraggled, having waited in vain to be picked up again.
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Given that experience of life in PNG, Anthony, I think you should hold off from a visit until the children have left university and bought their first homes... your income will be needed until then... unless you have massive life insurance of course..... why is Vivienne phoning the travel agent? :-X
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Just got back home after visiting friends in Norwich:-
Thursday 24th. journeyed up-beautiful day-27C as we hit the M25.
Friday 25th. fine until lunchtime
Saturday 26th-Tuesday 29th, rain, more rain, and yet more rain, and pretty cold too.
If Tony Goode tells me again that East Anglia is too dry I'll eat my very soggy hat ;D
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-27 in May! ;D
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t'was meant to be a hyphon not a minus. It was +27C and I had a soggy shirt to prove it.
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Well, just for the record, one of the days at the recent Test Match at Headingly was the coldest ever recorded at 7.2oC :-X .... and Scotland beat Lancashire at Old Trafford! ;D May has been Baltic! Even when the sun does shine it is still too cold to sit outside. :(
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Likewise, one of the days at the end of last week was the coldest May day ever recorded here in Ireland
Paddy
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Emigrate to down here lads--You'd needn't worry about your soggy hat Mr Nicholson with rainfall for this month about 50% below average and May the warmest since records began. 8)
Lesleys area has been receiving 18 c highs with us a bit lower south ,reaching 16c today--been more like spring weather than autumn for weeks now---too much for me to be landscaping in overalls---almost tempted to go back to shorts/teashirt. :o
With only 3 weeks to the shortest day am i tempting fate in thinking winter is going to give us a miss this year. :-\
Cheers Dave.
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yesterday was our hottest day so far with 24C. Being driven all day in an air con Merc was great chilled to 16C
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after a few weeks with no rain it is here and very welcome. Rain has been falling for about 12 hours now enough to half fill my wheel barrow with water for my half barrel water feature
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One days rain wasnt enough as we are back to very high temperatures. We, well I, have just had a max of 25C. Right now at 10am it's already 20c
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The car was showing 27C an hour ago.
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Hi all ,
We had today 32° C outside -and inside 26,5° C .....phhhhhhh 8)
Greetings
Hans
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way too hot today. 6pm and it's 24C
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Doubt we managed 14C!
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Saturday was glorious with temperatures around 20oC. It was our primary school funda raising picnic and I'd borrowed a few animals for a 'Zoo', charging 50p entrance. Raised £169 just on the zoo.
Today my classroom is 28oC. Thank goodness it's hometime. Small matter of 180 exam papers still to mark!
Further to that: 3.40 p.m. and temeprature has reached 30oC ???.
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Dull and overcast here all day with a couple of short showers during the morning but still warmish.
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Up to 34C the last days. Some plants are suffering but the cacti likes it.
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Brisk morning here. Still snow on the ground with a frost of -2C. Enjoy that 34 while you have it.
Susan
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Wind, rain and 16/18ºC. Jolly north Portugal in June! ???
Chloë
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Does Portugal now have Scottish weather and vice versa ?? ???
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16 - 18oC - that's a heat-wave here. We could eat outside in the garden without the need for any of our patio heaters! 8)
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We have a wine festival here this weekend, so we definitely haven't gone totally Scottish :D If it doesn't get washed away ...
Actually the average annual rainfall where I live is between 1600 and 2000 mm a year - quite high. And it can rise to well over 2000 in the almost mountainous hills.
Chloë
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what a difference a couple of days make. Very cold on Friday with a max of 12C. Today it's 25C
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Managed an hour in the garden this morning before being driven inside by thunderstorms with torrential rain and hail, the eighth day running that we have had heavy rainstorms at some part of the day. I assume our Summer was in April this year!
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Thunderstorms and hail anounced for tonight over here.
Keeping my fingers crossed... : :-\
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For those who were not around to see the sunrise on the longest day, here is my view of it, the low clouds spoiling it a bit.
[attachthumb=1]
In case you were wondering, I was up for work, like I was yesterday and will be tommorrow.
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Must have been nice to see the sky above the clouds. Here I needed to put the dining room light on this morning to read the paper over breakfast. The whole of the day has seen heavy grey clouds, lots of very heavy showers, and, at 1500 Maureen put the central heating back on. Such is the Summer solstice :(
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rain forecast here for yesterday and today. I've been in shorts and light shirt- currently 20C
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It's been a crazy year so far, weather wise, here in Devon with a very hot and dry April followed by a miserably wet May and most of June to date. At present the Summer bedding is looking most bedraggled and sorry for itself but the slugs and snails are thoroughly enjoying it, and it has been so damp and unseasonably cool that my Cowslips and Double Primroses, in the garden, which are usually well past their best and ready for a Summer rest, are beginning to flower again-see pictures below.
My wife keeps a diary in which she records, each day, whether or not we have had rain (who is the sad one in our family??). Her record is not scientific, for example it could rain during the night, but if in the morning the drive is dry and there is no more rain on that day, then the day is recorded as a dry one. (she would never make the Meteorological Office!) Her diary shows that from 2004 to date we have had, give or take one or two days, very similar numbers of rain days. Here are some figures:- They seem to prove the old rhyme 'glorious Devon, rains six out of seven'
2007 2006 2005 2004
January 20 16 22 22
February 20 15 14 16
March 16 20 14 17
April 8 14 22 15
May 19 22 17 11
June 12 9 13 14
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I meant to show this last night when talking about the so British weather
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Ah --Mark-- blue sky i remember it well .
After threatening to revert to shorts and teashirts at the beginning of the month winter has finally caught up with us -- a light covering of snow here overnight.Inland has received a hammering over the last couple of days with the main road north to Dunedin ,(Lesleys abode), currently closed and the opening of the Winter Festival in Queenstown cancelled.
Thought you'd like before and after pics of a tree Dahlia.
Cheers Dave.
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Wasn't able to load more than one attachment in the previous posting so here's the rest....
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Tree Dahlia close up .
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Finally --not a particularly good shot because of the conditions.Plant today looking decidedly worse from the weather.
Cheers Dave.
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Do you grow the tree Dahlia in the ground or a large pot?
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In the ground Mark.
It appears quite hardy here while at rest --the only problem being early frosts at flowering time can see it die off prematurely.
I received the plant ? as a large hollow Bamboo like stem about 60 cm in length .I didn't hold out much hope for it but was informed to bury the stem horizontally just under the soil surface and be patient.The new growth/s appear vertically from the dormant leaf rings.
I have it in other spots in the garden now --Compost makes a difference--while the pics show the plant as some 4/5 metres in height there is a smaller growth under 2 meters elsewhere in poor soil that had a single flower this season.
Cheers Dave .
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When we got up this morning it was 13? - it is now 12? and raining and we have the promise of strong winds and even heavier rain tonight. I thought I was going to esccape it all by going south next week but the forecast for Ipswich and London is no better :(
David is insisting that after lunch we head off to the potting shed and repot a load of crocus corms - guess I'll need my long johns on :o
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good ole Norn Iron comes up good again! 13.15 and it's ...
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it's pouring outide now but still quite warm. I'm going out to buy a few miniature Hostas and might be brave enough to keep my shorts on
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Mark, I hope you kept your shorts on!
We're in mid winter and don't we know it! Not quite as bad as NZ with snow and road closures but cold enough! Only 20mm of rain so far for June (usually one of our wetter months) with a low of -2C yesterday and a top of +9C, so a bit better than Lesley's 0C all day!
cheers
fermi
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yes shorts stayed on and flip flops. Today is much cooler 14C so it's long trousers for work
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Mark,
Warm weather in the south also but some frightening thunder storms and dreadful flash flooding. The garden was awash in the latter days of last week, soil washed off beds etc. There is quite a slope in the garden and surface water runs down to it also from fields above. The road outside the front gate had over a foot deep of water on Wednesday last, couldn't get out all day. It's improved since then thankfully.
Paddy
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Another lovely sunrise here,
[attachthumb=1]
the colours changed when I zoomed in.
[attachthumb=2]
No prizes for guessing what happened later.
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Andrew would grey and wet figure in the prizes?
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wow!
16 here today with some rain.
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Victoria has had some wild and wooly weather as winter settles in.
Yesterday my workplace in Woodend (at the foot of Mt Macedon) was blacked out and the wind and rain lashed the place most of the day; got home to Redesdale to find a meagre half a mm in the rain gauge and only one and a half this morning. Elsewhere there are floods due to rising rivers (in Gippsland in the East of the State).
cheers(?)
fermi
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Good to have you back Maggi. Hope you are feeling more like your old (young!) self and that the computer is feeling well too!
It's chucking it down here for the third July day running (pretty good average that!)
Some June rain day figures for June from Maureen's diary:-
June 2007-21
" 2006-9
" 2005-13
" 2004-14
Nuff said!
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Thanks, David, I am on the mend though still having trouble with the eye infection. Weather is veering here between hot and sunny and pouring rain... some areas are really waterlogged... where we walk the dog, not in our garden. Ian is still trying to dry out the potting compost, it is proving a slow task. I was deadheading rhodos yesterday, in the sun, but was getting soaked from the water still held in the foliage oall around me! Ah, the British summer, it's a wonderful thing!
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Despite high temperatures for most of June we have just had the wettest June in 50 years with 5 inches 12cm of rain. That's twice the average for June
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Oh for a day of sunshine... but then we had our summer in April I fear. Maggi you couldn't be any wetter than you were at Kirrie when we did Back to Troughs ;D
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Maggi you couldn't be any wetter than you were at Kirrie when we did Back to Troughs
That is very true, Carol... I have soaked in a bath for an hour and been less wet than we were at Kirrie that day! What a great day that was, though, eh?!!
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Cut the grass today and got burnt! It did rain later, but a lovely clear evening and still broad daylight outside at 10.37 p.m.
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Mark,
that's probably why we've had the driest June! Only 24 mm for the month! We've had more rain in the first week of July than all of June! And we're SUPPOSED to have a wet winter!
cheers
fermi
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Maggi, we had a fantastic day at Kirrie - perhaps we should organise another one just so we can enjoy getting wet again ;D
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over and inch 2.5cm of rain fell on Friday but the weather is making up for it today. 23C and lovely sky all day
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another good day today 22C but a huge thunder storm has just put an end to it. In 30 minutes it has dumped one inch 2.5cm of rain on us and it's still coming down. As you can tell I bought a rain do-dah a couple of week ago
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3cm / 1.25 inches fell in 45 minutes today
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It's been snowing in Victoria! Some roads into the neighbouring town were closed earlier in the day.
It's now nearly 5pm and very overcast so maybe more snow ahead!
cheers
fermi
in a cold and wintry Kyneton!
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I've just been to look at the river Wye, which is about half a mile from my house.
I was expecting it to be flooded, but the river is back within it's banks.
The photo shows a railway bridge. The water can reach the top of the 3 arches when there is a bad flood.
Gloucester is less than 30 miles away, so we are lucky here.
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We've had some great days of sunshine recently and very little rain well, just enough to keep the garden going. 20c most days. Here are a few photos taken just now
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mark, stop winding people up ;D
I don't think we have reached 20C since before 22nd May :(
We were all so glad to see the rain that day, but since that time there hasn't been 2 days in a row without rain at some point :(
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Will you hit him or shall I! I've got skin growing between my fingers a toes and feathers where the sun don't shine ;D
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he he! The photos above show the northwest, south and east sky
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How is everyone going with the awful flooding in the UK that they're showing on the news here? Are any of our regulars (or even irregulars) affected? Some areas they're talking about the worst flooding in living memory, so it's pretty bad I'm guessing. I'm hoping that everyone we know is OK. Thought I'd just post a quick message wishing everyone the best, and I figured this was probably the best place to do it.
All the best!!
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Martin Baxendale is from Gloucestershire - sorry for the slip of the finger
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There's just been mention, in another thread, of whether the AGS Garden at Pershore may be affected by the flooding. I have heard nothing but fear the worst.... there's a lot of water down there!
It has been sunny at times here today, which was pleasant as we had two surprise callers from Sweden, who have been up to Shetland, who came to visit us. They were, as might be expected from an employee of the Gothenburg Botanic Garden and the Curator of a more northern Swedish Arboretum, delightful luncheon guests. There was much talk of rhododendrons and trees....wonderful!
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I've just had a look at a satellite photo of Pershore and the AGS garden seems to be a reasonable distance from the river Avon. I guess the bridge will have been closed, so they will have been cut off from Pershore town centre, but the garden should be OK.
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Here are a few pictures (not very good ones!) taken in Tewkesbury in the March 2007 floods. Those at present are significantly worse (and I mean very significantly worse) indeed the place I stood to take these pictures, quite close to the confluence of the Rivers Severn and Avon, is I am told, at least five feet under water. The red brick buildings seen in the top right hand corner of some of the pictures is a water treatment works supplying drinking water to the Tewkesbury and Gloucester areas and is now inundated with water and unable to function and bottled water and supplies from bowsers are having to be brought in.
Last Friday we should have attended an outdoor concert by Jules Holland and his R&B Orchestra at Westonbirt Arboretum a few miles to the North East of Gloucester; luckily we found out that it had been cancelled owing to the weather whilst we were sitting in a massive traffic cue on the M5 north of Bristol. It took us over four hours to get to the hotel we had booked for the night just south of Cheltenham, a little over 20 miles from where the traffic jam started.
The following day we set out to try to get to mother in laws house in Ledbury, about 10 miles North West of Tewkesbury. The motorways were jammed solid and knowing the area quite well I tried a number of minor roads but all were either flooded or blocked by abandoned cars or rocks and gravel washed down from the hillsides. My route would have taken me through Evesham to Pershore but it was impossible to get through. To cut a long story short our journey back to Devon took us 9 hours. Absolute chaos.
But at least we had a bed for Friday night. Our daughter, who had spent the week working in Manchester, left Manchester at 1500 on Friday afternoon, by 2100 she had, with a struggle, got to just South of Worcester on the M5 (about 140 miles) before the Motorway ground to a halt, and there she stayed until 0645 the following morning. She was not pleased!!!
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People on the forum have been asking how it's going in Gloucestershire with the floods. It's hellish. We're okay on our side of Stroud, with tap water still running (despite numerous rumours it might go off as water is diverted to where it's most needed) but the other side of the town (the side served by the same - submerged and non-operative - water treatment works as served flooded Tewkesbury and Gloucester) is without water, including my parents' house. We're being told it could be 7 to 14 days before the water's back on!
Residents from Tewkesbury, Gloucester and Cheltenham have been driving to Stroud to try to find bottled water in the supermarkets (their supermarkets have run out and supplies brought in my the military aren't keeping up with the demand, plus the water bowsers in the streets are running dry almost as soon as they're filled, and yobs are vandalising them!). It's approaching third-world standards. How hundreds of thousands of people are supposed to manage with no running water and no flushing toilets for up to two weeks I just don't know. The public health implications are horrendous. The hospitals are virtually non-operative too except for emergencies.
At least they managed to keep the electricity sub-station at Gloucester from submerging, otherwise we'd also have about half a million people in the area without power as well as about 300,000 without running water.
I was a reporter on the local paper in Cheltenham in the 1970s and ran the Tewkesbury offiice for a year, and I remember the locals then saying the flood defences being put up were totally inadequate for the confluence of two big rivers - the Severn and Avon, so it's been a disaster waiting to happen (apparently, money in recent years has been diverted from maintenance and improvement of existing flood defences to building new flood defences in areas of flood plains where new housing was being built).
Here in Stroud, no-one was even warned the water was going off. Looks like the people in charge forgot that half of Stroud was served by the same water treatment plant as Tewkesbury, Gloucester and Cheltenham! No-one even had time to fill a few buckets. And there are no water bowsers appearing here, and no distribution of free bottled water. So I have no idea how people are managing, except that I do know there's a fair bit of people on the water-running side of town helping out friends on the dry side with offers of showers, containers of water, etc. But in terms of organised response, it's a total cock-up.
Oh well, musn't grumble!
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On television earlier it showed a reporter hitching a lift on a tractor to get to a cut off village near Gloucester. All the villagers were complaining that they had no water and no sign of any help.
Given the Met Office warning and flood gauges in the tributary rivers showing the amount of water heading towards Tewkesbury and Gloucester the response seems more chaotic than it should have been.
Looking at BBC news online it says 'There are further fears residents in northern parts of nearby Stroud could also lose running water because a crucial reservoir is running dry'.
I hope this doesn't affect you.
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just look at this cloud from last night. The end is n'eye ( N Irish for now)
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Ian has a picture of a similar one over Aberdeen ,Mark but he is saving it for his bulb log next week. ;)
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At one point while I was a teenager we had a massive storm front rolling in...... the edge ended up sitting almost straight above us (it was on a farm, so there was just our house, nothing around it except paddocks..... er that would be "fields" to most of you lot ;)) and it was rolling over nad over, like a great barrel spinning in place. I've never seen anything like it. It was basically clear sky on one side, black clouds on the other, with this rolling interface where the lower edge of the clouds was rolling up the face and back into the clouds. Mark's pic reminded me a bit of that.
Actually a bit more recently we had storms here (last summer, so definitely more recently! ;D It's been nearly 20 years since I was a teenager. :o) where as they moved in I was at a friends place and we went outside to watch the storm front. There were fascinating eddies in the clouds etc and we could have sworn that at one point we saw a funnel forming (Tornadoes in storms are not something that is common in the majority of Australia). Heard a few hours later that a mini tornado touched down in the next suburb shortly after we were out watching, so we probably did actually see the funnel starting to form. I think I actually took a pic of it with my digital camera too, although it is never the same in two dimensions as it is when you see it in person. Storms are just such amazing things!!
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pssst! 9pm and 21c. Lovely south wind blowing
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The warm wind stayed until yesterday morning.
While the south east baked today we had one inch 2.5 cm of rain that has cleared way now, 8pm, too late to be of use
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Aberdeen was dull but dry while I was at the BBC working but it has got pretty wet now. Stops and starts a bit but overall it is soggy! Not so mild, either.
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Last night went from bad to worse.... torrential rain all night and more thunder and lightning than I am prepared to tolerate...Lily didn't like it either. Ian roused himself long enough to come downstairs to unplug the pc etc.....I think he was actually sleepwalikng... nothing bothers that man!
Hasn't been too bad today but looks like more rain will come during the night.... will the repotting EVER be finished at this rate?
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Going from sunny and 31oC and very humid to 11oC and constant drizzle is a bit of a shock to the system. BTW Paul, we have paddocks - small grassy areas surrounded by a fence with a horse (or three) in it. Fields are bigger. Talking of grass. We flew into Atlanta on Saturday lunchtime. Lots of houses with big spaces round each one (well, bigger than yer average UK housing scheme), but I could not see anything that actually resembled garden. All lawns: as if roads, houses and driveways had just been plonked onto a field!
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40mm 1.5 inches of rain fell over the last 24 hours on the daty of the AGS Ulster Group annual picnic fund raising day. Lots of money was raised anyway for the John McWhirter travel fund
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Outdoor temperature yesterday at 1700 hours-13C
" " today " " " -24C
What a weird year?? ???
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similar here yesterday but only 21 today
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I presume that's not minus 24, David, although it certainly felt like it while I was potting bulbs outside this afternoon. It was also very dark ::)
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Anne,
Until your comment I thought that they WERE minus degrees. After your comment I realised you were summer. I thought that Devon got a LOT colder than I realised if it was -24 at 5pm. ;D
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'twas only a badly placed hyphen, I can assure you that all temperatures (at present!) are above freezing.
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So are ours. As I mentioned in the Southern Hemisphere thread we are having a very warm August.... where we should have 19 nights below 1'C we've so far had 2.
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Typical. Third day back at school since the summer holidays and my (south facing) classroom is 28oC and rising. There is a grill on the wall for airconditioning, but the powers-that-be never connected it ot anything, so it doubles as modern art - being just about as useful. >:(
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back to skewl! Two more weeks in N Ireland
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It's now 3.25 and 29oC in my classroom. Seven weeks of cold and rain and as soon school restarts the sun comes out! :'(
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Never mind Anthony, in a few weeks you will be off for half-term right in the middle of an 'Indian Summer' 8)
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Anthony, you are lucky here in sunny Sussex it is 15 c and blowing a Gale.
Derek
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Glasgow had the hottest day today with 25C
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27C late this afternoon but quite windy.
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Half term. What's that? We have an "October week" (there is no corresponding holiday in the spring or summer terms), which for me is from Friday 13th October. It was scheduled for the previous week but the powers that be in Falkirk Council moved it back so my wife and children have the week before me and are going to Center[sic] Parks for 4 days. This means I have been forced to slum it in Trinidad for a week. ::) Heigh ho.
Lovely evening tonight, but eaten alive by midges and today the ants have chosen to allow all the winged kings and queens to fly, so our alfresco tea (before sundown and the plague of midges hit) was interesting.
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Anthony,
There are other teachers on this forum so I think it should be forbidden to mention the return to school. It is a very upsetting subject.
For those of you who think teachers have great holidays let me inform you that my summer 'holidays' were spent redecorating two bedrooms, one bathroom, hallway, sitting room, living room, dining room and the kitchen. I officially finished this list of duties this evening, am now enjoying a bottle of wine and dreaming of what I might do tomorrow - yes, it's only dreaming because by tomorrow she who must be obeyed will have thought of a few more 'little jobs' that need to be done.
Paddy
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8 weeks is better than my 3!
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What are 'holidays'? asks stressed-out self-employed person. :'(
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I'm with you on that Paddy. I have replaced a broken electric shower and the intestines (note technical term) of a toilet cystern in thee last two weeks.
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I bet you are pretty glad that your Mexican holiday was over by the time of Hurricane Dean , though, Anthony? Not the type of holiday weather that one hopes for!
And next, Trinidad? Did you win the lottery?
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Lottery - I wish. ::) A friend owes me. He popped over there yesterday. He and his wife run Zoolab UK.
Class completing a table on blood. Classroom temp now 30oC 8) and we are all melting. Every pupil is in a shirt and tie by the way! :)
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a very warm 25C here just now
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For those of you who think teachers have great holidays let me inform you that my summer 'holidays' were spent redecorating two bedrooms, one bathroom, hallway, sitting room, living room, dining room and the kitchen.
Do you take bookings Paddy (or Anthony) :D.
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35ºC (42ºC in my car sitting in the sun just now) and starting to rain. Tropical ain't in it! So a picture of Pembrokeshire in July to cool me down ...
Chloe
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OK Guys, A teacher's life is a tough one but someone's got to face up to these difficult and challenging areas in life and fate destined that I would be one of those chosen for this ardous task. And Mark, the NINE weeks of holidays are so brilliant. I love them.
Andrew, bookings considered if a satisfactory financial arrangement can be agreed.
Re weather: we have had the wettest summer in years but there have been advantages: trees and shrubs have made excellent growth; fruit cropping has been exceptionally heavy; moisture in the soil has allowed the division and replanting of herbaceous plants to be done during the summer as time allowed; hostas, bergenias and primulas have all responded very well to division during this summer; grass remained greener than usual for the past few years. On the down side, I found that weeds enjoyed the conditions equally well and thrived all summer.
Oh, the gardener is never happy with the weather.
Paddy
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I cannot understand why Paddy had to spend the summer decorating: he and Mary have only been married for 28 years; given that they decorated the place when they moved in, it can't possibly have needed redoing, yet, surely??!! ::)
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But Maggi, some women are so demanding!
Paddy
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Dear me, yes, Paddy... it seems that Mary is just such a difficult woman: I suppose she washes her windows regularly too? :o
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One of our neighbours washes the path outside the garden
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Mark, she's a poor sad woman... ask her if she'd like some work in a house in Aberdeen!
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This morning had an autumn smell and feel about it. Did anyone else get it?
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Leaves are turning red around here: sycamores and Virginia creepers, where the night temperature has reached a critical minimum.
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Same autumn feeling here Mark - excellent, sunny weather 20-22°C at noon but very chilly nights (8°C) and early mornings !
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Hottest day of the year today. 28C at 1500 hours in my front garden. And there I was planting Narcissus bulbs. Has the world gone mad?? ???
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28 C...goodness me, has Mrs N left the oven door open?
It felt cooler here today because there was a bit of a breeze, but it was sunnier than yesterday.... strange weather again... again... again!!
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Breeze, sunny, warm - suddenly lots of plants in pots are wilting. They need watering - badly. Now, where is the hose attachment!
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Sky News tonight said the last time we had these temperatures and sunshine was back in April '07!
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Huh! Not seen much sun in Millport this week, although I did see the Aurora and a big shooting star during our annual barbecue at Fintry Bay last night.
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Not chained to the classroom desk this week then Anthony?
'It's not a holiday it's fieldwork' How many times must I have heard that in a 35 year career working with teachers!! ;D
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The earliest we finished was 9 o'clock in the evening and on Wednesday we started at 8.30 a.m. with a trip on the RV Aora trawling for an hour. Caught hunners of squat lobsters which we barbecued, along with some Dublin Bay Prawns and a large scallop. Got to bed at 2 a.m. Back to school for a rest!
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How many times must I have heard that in a 35 year career working with teachers!!
I had no idea you were a psychiatrist, David. 8)
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I most times felt I needed to be!! :P
Anthony, it's tough at the top!
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Tough at the bottom too.
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could someone send me just one night of rain? Doing some repotting this afternoon pots are bone dry top to bottom
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We have had a little rain, but when Ian was planting yesterday the ground was dry as dust only an inch below surface. :P
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I was trying to plant Colchicums but the fork wouldnt go in
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Luckily, when our ground is very dry it is not rock hard.
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After an initial burst of rain in late winter with about 75 mm in July and 20mm in the first half of August, we've only just started to get some rain again! But only about 15 mm so far this week.
"They" are predicting that the drought isn't going to be broken for yet another year. We could be importing apples from NZ sooner than we thought!
cheers
fermi
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tipping down here today. The garden really needs it - wonder who left the tap running!?
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I hope it's heading this way, we are desperate for it again :(
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I havent seen the weather forecast. Half and inch fell today
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It's arrived in my part of Devon in the last half hour but at the moment it's a thin and sparse drizzle.
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wasnt it so cold yesterday. When I got up it was only 6C. The max yesterday was 11C.
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I think the fact that Ian has switched on the central heating in September says it all! Flipping perishing!
Though it wasn't so bad here today once the rain went off and the sun came out... one could walk quite comfortably with a lightly padded coat on :P
Bit of a shower this afternoon when we were visiting a friend's garden but dry and not too cold for Lily's evening walk... still needed gloves on.
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I think the fact that Ian has switched on the central heating in September says it all! Flipping perishing!
Though it wasn't so bad here today once the rain went off and the sun came out... one could walk quite comfortably with a lightly padded coat on :P
Bit of a shower this afternoon when we were visiting a friend's garden but dry and not too cold for Lily's evening walk... still needed gloves on.
Can we swap a few degrees? Nighttime temperatures are now heading towards the 10s rather than being up near the 20s, but daytime temps are still in the high 20s or more and my flat hasn't managed to cool down at all. But no rain until the grapes are in, please :D
Chloe
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But no rain until the grapes are in, please
That seems a reasonable request, Chloe. We'll keep the rain (but during the hours of darkness, please) because the ground is very dry and most if the fields around here seem to be safely harvested, and we'll send you some "coolth" in return for enough warmth so Ian can switch the heating off again. 8)
Pity life isn't so easily organised, ain't it?
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c-c-c-cold this morning and a f-f-f-frost. Only 3C at the moment
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September was the hottest one in 17 years. Last couple of months have been a third or less of average rainfall for the month. Add to that the last week or heat and extreme wind and everything is dry as anything!! <sigh> Would love a few good downpours about now, and they might head off total outside mains watering bans which will come in over this summer unless something changes dramatically. ::)
I thin they said that yesterday Sydney had it's hottest day for this time of year in something like 140 years? Bushfires already breaking out around Sydney, and it is only early October. What the heck is January and the height of summer after that going to bring us.
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Your water shortages are a serious matter, Paul. Of course, as flower gardeners we are anxious, but what about the food growers.... are you all expected to go hungry?
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Beautiful day here today (22C at 1430 hours) so took advantage of it by clearing out the greenhouse, including staging, for its annual clean down before the Auriculas go back in there from their Summer quarters at the beginning of November. As usual I use lots of Jeyes Fluid (a strong garden disinfectant), and , as usual I get as much of it on me as I do on the greenhouse. As usual too is the end result, as tonight, I am told, it's the spare bedroom for me (inspite of a shower and full change of clothing) because 'You stink of that horrible stuff'. Well you can't win 'em all can you?)
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Maggi,
No, we're not expected to go hungry, just go bankrupt. Major crop failings already this spring mean that a lot of things won't be harvested this year. Some areas of Aus still have good rain so that helps, and a lot of the tropical areas have had good rains so that keeps those more tropical staples coming through the supermarkets. I'd try to grow my own veggies, but then I'd have to water them!! LOL I have a couple of small tanks which mean that the really delicate things will be kept alive providing we get occasional showers to put at least SOME rain into the tanks, but I expect that there will definitely be losses this summer. They're talking about the beginning of March for the change in restrictions, but I think it will be happening around New Year I'd hazard. We've jsut had too little inflows into the dams. And also unfortunately it appears that these cycles are becoming more predominant and there will be more heat over summers, less water inflows into dams, more bushfires etc in Aus. Any global climate change sceptics really need to have a look at Australia, because there IS climate change, regardless of the cause of it being natural or otherwise. :(
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Why worry David they say we have a lot of Bed Bugs about now at least they will not be in your bed.
Derek
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Derek, I've just been into the spare bedroom to get a book and I have to admit that it still smells of Jeyes inspite of the windows being fully open all day so any bed bugs will really have suffered ;D What really hurts is that my favourite gardening jeans and tee shirt seem to have found their way into the dust bin and I didn't put them there!!
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lovely day here today
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Howdy All,
We've had some rain!! Yeah!! In my rain gauge in the last 24 hours we've had 27mm, which is the biggest 24 hours since May. So far in the last 3 days we've had 36mm here, which is the equivalent of the previous 2 months added together. Canberra's official records for this 24 hours will read 39mm because the area it is read got a large thunderstorm go through (11mm in 11 minutes) that we missed out on. Looks like some of our dam catchments got a decent amount as well, but it remains to be seen what actually runs off into the water supply given how dry it has been. Hopefully we get some more in the next few days, but at least this has been a good rain event for a change. <whew!>
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Today was a good day here and too warm for the time of year. I was out all day, at a day of bird lectures, so no photos taken and it was the best day all week. That's what happens. Tomorrow is hopefully as good as today but I'm going out at some stage to collect Sloes, fruit of Prunus spinosa, to make Sloe Gin
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Enjoy any good weather you can get at this time of the year, wherever you are...
I have been outside working in the white flakes all morning...it's hovering around +3C right now (still better than the -35 to -40C of a typical winter here) and bearable outside, even in my few layers, as long as I don't stop working and sweating---and with everything still needing to be done outside, there is plenty of sweat.
The ground may be solid and frozen by the time I get around to plunging all the thousands of pots and flats still sitting in the open.
Kristl
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Am I the only one wanting it to rain ??? the ground is so dry, even on my heavy soil that I'm holding off doing some major planting (ie take two trees out and plant two more)
Sue
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Rain has been infrequent here too
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Today we have storm (139km/h), heavy rain and snow. We expect more than 2m snow at the weekend!
I hope this weather forecast will be wrong.
Hans
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Can't remember the last time I saw a cloud!! But they are due to arrive tomorrow. Yes, we definitely need some rain!
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Kristl, please don't send it East.
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Here is still very hot. Since October, it has had almost more florestal fires than in summer.
I realy hope the fresh weather cames soon.
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Very windy today, but fortunatly no damage to the glass, yet.
We have just had the pleasure of hosting Mark for a talk to the Highland Rock Garden Club and very good it was, too. I have to feel sorry for him - the last time he was at Inverness airport (first Pitlochry Discussion W/E) his plane had to abort its first attempt at landing because of the very strong cross wind. Today the wind was probably even stronger and I honestly expected him to be seriously delayed or even giving us the benefit of his company again tonight! In the event he got away on time even if it was a bit bumpy.
I would not blame Mark if he thinks that the Moray micro-climate and 'banana belt' stories are a work of fiction.
Haste ye back, Mark, and maybe we can do better next time.
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Earlier today I was complaing in the Pancratium maritimum thread about the terrible weather here today. Luc said "I've heard it's the remains of "Noel" that have come your way Maggi..."
We've just been out with Lily... it's blowing a gale and flippin' perishing, blowing snowy hale and rain combined.... if this is the remains of "Noel" I can believe it... it wasn't this cold last Noel! ::) :o
I'm surprised Mark hasn't ended up in quite another country, with the winds so bad!
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The last 10 or fifteen minutes was terrible and no blind to pull over the windows. We made the journey from Inverness to Belfast in 30 minutes. I'm flying too much
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Just as well you didn't have wee Helen with you, Mark... she's aa nervous flyer at the best of times, believes herself to have a travel jinx... she sings hymns on takeoff and landing!
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That must be encouraging! ???
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That must be encouraging!
I haven't experienced it myself, Anne.... but Ian says it's awful :P
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What, the effect on morale or the singing?
Yes ! Maggi
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Here's how windy an Inverness beach was yesterday. It was like the sand was alive like an evil beast from a science fiction programme. The first two shots were looking up wind. The third shot showed the sand blowing away from us and disappearing into the sea
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Cool 8)
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and look at how the dry sand collected around stones and pebbles. This is how dune systems start
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Marks pics were taken on the Back Shore at Findhorn on a windy Wednesday morning.
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Yes, I couldnt remember where we were
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It's Wednesday so it must be Scotland...
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First frost of the season here this morning, followed by a nice sunny day.
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Nice and sunny here too. No frost but cold.
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only -1 here this morning but very chilly for some reason. This morning on the way to work I saw a guy on a scooter with only a football shirt and knee length workout kind of shorts
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-3oC in Dunblane this morning. Fortunately I managed to cram all my tender plants into the greenhouse yesterday. :) [Big oops - forgot my wife's peglaroniums :-[ ]
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Also our first proper frost this morning at about -3C on this side of the Little Pond near Trondheim in Norway (the first frost gets later and later), so we're obviously in the same weather system...
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I saw in the paper this morning that Austria and Switzerland have had early and heavy snowfalls.
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Slovak Republic according to the staff here has 40cm of snow and much more in Austria
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Thomas said this morning that Austria had lots of snow, we were wondering how things were for our Austrian forumists.... and a lady ( married to a Czech, who was enquiring about gift membership for another Czech,) told me that there was nearly two feet (60cms) of snow where this chap lives.
Here we are getting several kinds of weather every hour!
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October stats for N Ireland
The provisional mean value for the month is 11.0 °C, which is 1.5 °C above the 1961-1990 average.
The provisional total for the month is 65.0 mm, which is 57% of the 1961-1990 average.
The provisional total for the month is 103.8 hours, which is 126% of the 1961-1990 average. Sunniest October since 1987, when 110.5 hours was recorded.
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for England
The provisional mean value for the month is 10.3 °C, which is 0.8 °C above the 1961-1990 average.
The provisional total for the month is 63.0 mm, which is 56% of the 1961-1990 average. Driest October since 1985, when 58.2 mm was recorded.
The provisional total for the month is 106.0 hours, which is 120% of the 1961-1990 average.
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for Scotland
The provisional mean value for the month is 9.4 °C, which is 1.3 °C above the 1961-1990 average.
The provisional total for the month is 92.0 mm, which is 58% of the 1961-1990 average.
The provisional total for the month is 95.2 hours, which is 129% of the 1961-1990 average.
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we know it was good because of how good the Colchicums were - in my garden anyway. It's very interesting how we were all above average for roughly the same amount
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October stats for N Ireland
for England
for Scotland
And what is wrong with Wales :D :D.
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Andrew,
Do you REALLY want an answer to that!!?? :P
Great stats Mark. Interesting to see them together like that. Must check in each month with you and see how the comparisons go over the year. I'm guessing this is from a site somewhere?
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It's been very cold here the last few days. A couple of degrees below freezing at night (i.e. around dawn) in my little town and down to as low as -10ºC in the big hills up the valley. It only gets that cold here when skies are very clear at night. But it is now clouding over and due to start raining this afternoon and the rain is due to stay for at least a week!! YESSS!! But I wonder whether it will snow - the official local forecast for the second half of today is "Periods of rain, max 16ºC - min -1ºC for the coast, min -6ºC inland", which is a bit odd. The last time it snowed (and didn't melt on touching the ground) down in the valleys was about 20 years ago.
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Andrew,
Do you REALLY want an answer to that!!?? :P
As long as you do not offend any of our Welsh forumists ;D ;D.
(Do we have any Welsh forumists ?)
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If I thought there were Welsh members I would have shown the details
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The Welsh stats are
The provisional mean value for the month is 10.4 °C, which is 0.6 °C above the 1961-1990 average.
The provisional total for the month is 60.7 mm, which is 42% of the 1961-1990 average. Driest October since 1978, when 34.9 mm was recorded.
The provisional total for the month is 107.4 hours, which is 121% of the 1961-1990 average.
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The information is from here http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2007/october.html (http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2007/october.html) For other months or years change the wording on the address link
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There must be at least one member from Wales surely? If not they are missing something 'cause we talk about sheep sometimes and there is at least one picture of a sheep lately ;D
edit; Of course we have Welsh members, they're just very shy! Maggi
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David,
Nah, those pics were put up for the New Zealanders amongst us. I'm not sure they'd want to share their sheep with the Welsh! :o
;D :-*
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David,
Nah, those pics were put up for the New Zealanders amongst us. I'm not sure they'd want to share their sheep with the Welsh! :o
;D :-*
Ewe said it :P
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There, there.... no need to Ram it down our throats. ;D Or are you really Welsh and you're trying to pull the Wool over our eyes. :-*
I know, I know.... baaaaa-d jokes again!! ::)
I have this feeling of deja vu. I'd swear we've had this conversation before!! ;D 8)
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There, there.... no need to Ram it down our throats. ;D Or are you really Welsh and you're trying to pull the Wool over our eyes. :-*
I know, I know.... baaaaa-d jokes again!! ::)
I have this feeling of deja vu. I'd swear we've had this conversation before!! ;D 8)
That wipes out all the puns I know (well at least all those I could write in the public domain!) about sheep. Bet the Bookeroo could add to that though! Yes, Paul we have had sheep(ish) conversations before.
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I thought the reference to sheep would have brought some glee from the Aberdonians?
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I thought the reference to sheep would have brought some glee from the Aberdonians?
Oh!!
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It would be interesting to see the country stats for all forum members - posters and lurkers
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October stats for North Portugal (I don't have specific stats for everything)
The mean value for the month was between 16.0 and 18°C, which is 1.5-2.5 °C above the 1961-1990 average.
The total rainfall (specifically in my own town) for Sept+Oct was 35.0 mm, which is 13% of the 1961-1990 average (last year it was over 200%)
The total sunshine for the month was between 240-250 hours (last year it was less than 140 hours).
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October stats for Canberra (bear in mind it is spring in the Southern Hemisphere).....
Mean maximum 23.2'C (long term average 19.3)
Mean minimum 8.2'C (long term average 6.0)
Sunshine average per day 9.8hrs (long term average 8.6hr/d)
Rainfall 22.6mm (long term average 62.7mm)
Long term averages are from 1939 to 2007
That what you're after Mark? I think relevent figures match.... I had to chop and change throughout a website to find different bits, but I think they're each relevent to each other.
And David.... run out of puns?.... but they're Shear brilliance!! ;D
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Quotes "Nah, those pics were put up for the New Zealanders amongst us".
and
"Paul we have had sheep(ish) conversations before".
I thought i'd be able to stay out of the conversation however it's got the better of me.
I leave you all to consider whether there is a connection to sheep or maybe a hairy sheep dog in the following .......
An award that's presented each week by one of our local radio stations to a listener who has done something foolish and been dobbed in by friends is called the 'woolly woofter award'.
Cheers Dave.
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I think that is an award that you woolly wouldn't wanna win!! 8)
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AAAAARGH!!!
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....reality struck this morning.
the view from the kitchen window was actually quite beautiful---and it's always a blessing to have an 8 month illusion of order...
Kristl
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Kristl,
Wow, a winter wonderland!! 8)
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A view out of my house to the mountains and my house. We have winter for 2 weeks.
Hans
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Ah, Hans, now I feel in good company....except you live in a MUCH more beautiful area of the world than me.....my heart yearns for mountains...
I am still new on this forum, so don't know too many members yet....I assume that is Cypripedium parviflorum (or var. pubescens) in your picture? Such a wonderful species that I affectionately, and with great love, call the "weed of Cyps" as it rewards with ease of growth and absolute toughness in the garden- growing happily almost anywhere it is planted.
It is very widespread in my area, and in the spring one can drive the country roads and see the ditches first filled with the yellow of Caltha palustris, and a month later the yellow of the Lady's Slipper.
Kristl
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Great Christmas card Hans ! 8)
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Soon be avalanche time again, Hans. :-\
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Kristl,
here is a better photo of that Cypripedium calceolus. It grows behind my house. In Austria you can only find calceolus or calceolus alba (yellow). And the other plants are typical Austrian calceolus, we have no pubescens or parviflorum here.
Hans
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Magical pictures Krisl
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Hans,
Wonderful pictures. So VERY different from here!! ;D Love those Cyp pics... the contrast between the yellow and the almost black is just great!! 8)
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I hope everyone in the UK and Ireland have tender plants somewhere warm. -5 overnight they say. So far no frost here but it has been raining
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Few icy bits in our rain this morning, but so far none of the white stuff in Northumberland.
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only slight frost here. I could have left my Pelargoniums outside in the green house
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First frost of the Autumn (unless I haven't been up early enough to see any others!) on the cars when I pulled the curtains back this morning, but by 0915 it had all gone. Roll on Spring.
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Strangely been cold enough for frost, but none happened here. And its a bit warmer today than yesterday. Bit of precipitation but only rain yesterday, no sign of snow.
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The sort of November day I really hate here today. Grey and misty, drizzle, but 13C outside at 1500 hours. Don't mind November if it's sunny but cold.
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I'm f f f f freezing. It's only t t t t three degrees outside and I have so much to do.
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We decided to go for a walk by the river Ayr this afternoon. As soon as we put our feet out the door the rain started. I got my walk by pushing a trolley around Asda's ! By contrast, we went to Dunblane on Thursday and the weather was beautiful - sunny with little or no wind. The purpose was to visit Graham Stewart's shop and hopefully to get Cindy's Christmas present. For those who do not know, Graham is probably the best gold and silversmith in Scotland. It was thanks to the early bulb shows that we discovered his shop. While Cindy snuffles round the display cases, Graham and I talk about guitars and musicians. He used to think I was a retired Church of Scotland minister. I had to disabuse him of this as I was expelled from the C.of S. Sunday school at age 7 !! Cindy chose a silver brooch and the plastic was duly handed over. Next stop was the Scottish Antiques and Arts centre just outside of Doune. A pair of earings were next on the list. It was a pleasant drive from there to Callandar, the Trossachs, Aberfoyle and then the long haul to Balloch, on Loch Lomond stopping at Loch Lomond Shores - another shopping centre. As everything happens in threes, she came away with a Sheila Fleet ring that matched a pendant and earings already owned. Comsidering what I had paid for my new guitar, I got off lightly. The Botanical part of our day out was the purchase of two Phalaenopsis orchids from Lidl at £4.99 each. Just now, we seem to get about 5 days rain and then on sunny still day. Only 3 weeks until mid-winter and then the long drag until Spring
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A light frost here this morning and David persuaded me to go for a walk, which I enjoyed, but after lunch will have to get back to the joys of writing the secretaries pages - or you will all be blaming me for getting your journals late ;)
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No moans from me today. Beautiful day here in eastern Norway. Been out cross country skiing and had a perfect day. Didn't bring my camera, but have copied a pic from the webcam along the trail.
John Santegoets - if you are lurking; this is the area your Rubus chamaemorus plants come from. If they ever get home sick, you could show them this picture ;)
[
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Only torrential rains and stormwind out here today ... >:(
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It's wet, very wet. It's windy, pretty cold. I hate this weather! And no, John in Kent, I will not modify "hate" in this instance! :-X
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Raining when I got up this morning, and still raining now with a howling Westerly gale. It's been raining on and off (more on than off!) all December so far, AND I'M FED UP WITH IT >:( >:( >:(
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Just be glad you're not waking up to the smell of smoke from a bush-fire! It's a bit scary, but we've been told that it's actually from the fires in South Australia many miles away.
We've had temps into the 30's (Celsius) and it's just the start of summer. A bit of a respite today with overcast skies and the chance of rain - not always welcome when accompanied by thunderstorms which can trigger fires by lightning strikes!
jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, Hey!
cheers
fermi
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I'd settle for just a few degrees warmer and no rain hammering at the windows.
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I agree. Today ranged between 2 and 4C
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The weather was so boring today so I had to make a chocolate-cake and drink a large amount of coffee
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And here in my parto f Australia we're having around the mid 20s ('c) each day, which is way cooler than it was a couple of weeks ago. The last 3 weeks we've had some significant rain too, which is good, although it hasn't raised our dam levels as the rain has been within the city rather than up on the surrounding hills. At least we haven't had to water much though, and actually having water soaking into the subsoil a little is a nice change from the last few months (and years for that matter). Still getting some warm nights, with 19'C the minimum the other night as far as I know, or at least not much below that anway. Somewhat different to the frosts etc eh? ;D
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The temperature here is hovering just above zero as I write and it looks as if it is going to snow.
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The weather was so boring today so I had to make a chocolate-cake and drink a large amount of coffee
It will be the same here this weekend so will no doubt follow your magnificent and sensible advice and grow even larger. ;D
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Here the weather is wet. It rains often and the river Doubs is out of his bed ! But if the low parts of my garden is under water, the bulbs collections are always above the water level !!! But it is nice, the river become a lake, perhaps my lochness !!!
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we had way too much rain over the last few days
The stats for November in N Ireland are
temperature 2.5c above average
rain 83% of the average
sun - 33 hours - 59% of the average
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To day the river give one meter higher than yesterday. I would be born as a duck !!!
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Too late for you to be born as a duck... Now you need to get a boat!
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If I was a duck, I would be able to fly easily until Aberdeen as all other european wild ducks but I would have to wait spring. But only love give wings....!!!!
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Sunset here tonight - Tuesday
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Is that Lough Neagh in bottom left??
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wow well spotted
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Great shot Mark !!
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thanks. This was taken from a first floor window of the building we work in. We work on the ground floor. I'll take a photo later to show the view today
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Skiving again Mark? I've just introduced the topic 'Reproduction' to a class of first years (11-12 year olds) and was asking them to tell me what the oldest living thing was. First answer was 'the Queen'! ::)
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Skiving again Mark? I've just introduced the topic 'Reproduction' to a class of first years (11-12 year olds) and was asking them to tell me what the oldest living thing was. First answer was 'the Queen'! ::)
Interesting topic (and answer!) do you get to deal with the really interesting bits of reproductive theory as well? ;D
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Just the facts David. We leave the theory for the playground, and my goodness there are some wild theories out there! :o
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I suppose it's OK if they stick to the theory, it's the practice that causes the problems ;D
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Back on topic and its been rather chilly here today. The frost did not even melt off the lawn in shaded areas.
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A balmy (barmy!) 8C here in South Western England and no frost for the past two days.
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12 here today and 13 yesterday
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Its been cold here since Tuesday, frost not leaving the grass for three days, and forecast cold overnight again. The dahlias have finally bitten the dust lol. Guess I could have sown the seed I got and just put it outside instead of in the fridge.... but its supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow with the winds finally coming from the south. On the plus side, we did see the northern lights on Monday night coming back from an AGS meeting.
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It's years since I've seen the lights.
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I climbed the Drakensberg recently in perfect weather - this is the view from the top looking east into KwaZulu-Natal:
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I climbed the Drakensberg recently in perfect weather
That's exactly how it looks, Rogan.... perfect! :)
As I sit here wrapped up like a parcel in so many clothes I scarely firt through the doorway, snufllimg and wheezing like an old horse, you beautiful view has cheered me immensely... thank you.
And Mark, when you have these good temperatures, please let me close my ears before you tell us, it is like rubbing salt in a wound! :( >:(
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Absolutely fantastic Rogan. What a beautiful pic from a beautiful country. When I retire I want to visit South Africa and take the blue train. I would also like to take the train through Zimbabwe to the Victoria Falls, if and when they get rid of that evil half wit Mugabe. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The despot even has a Hitler moustache to emphasise the point! >:(
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Hi Rogan, what a wonderful, magical place it is. Thanks for sharing with us.
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Marvellous Rogan its just another world to me. Have you got any more piccies ?
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Beautiful Rogan.
Is that a dierama low down on the left hand slope?
Paddy
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very nice
warm again today
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Frost not shifting off the grass again, no wind, feels very cold. Got down to -5 at least last night, but probably colder. Its not been above freezing since Monday morning last. Very different weather to the rest of the country I think. Unusual. My cyclamen are all drooping
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Paddy,
How in the world could you tell whether a Dierama was flowering in that picture. You've either got fantastic eyes,a better resolution monitor than me, or a darn good imagination!!!!!! ;D
The Dieramas are flowering here in my garden at the moment, coincidentally I photographed a couple of them this morning. Still in my camera though.
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Just popped out to the greenhouse to take a couple of pictures and then beat the retreat back in doors. Bright but a strong, and raw, East wind and showing 3C. Don't know how I'd manage if we had Kristl's -27 and over a couple of feet of snow, I'd probably hibernate until May! I used to be able to cope with the cold but I can't these days, I must have completed the transition from a hardy Northerner to a soft Southerner! :-[
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My friend in Horseshoe Valley, near Lake Simcoe, Ontario, sent me these pictures from around her house yesterday during the snowstorm. Two feet of snow and it was still snowing. This is why I no longer live in Canada.....
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My friend in Horseshoe Valley, near Lake Simcoe, Ontario, sent me these pictures from around her house yesterday during the snowstorm. Two feet of snow and it was still snowing. This is why I no longer live in Canada.....
Lovely to look at Chris, but they can keep it. Give me the sunshine and some heat.
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You bet. And no chance of gardening until the end of March at the earliest. Not for me.....
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Looking out across a frost covered Antonine Wall (Falkirk) at the sun just about to dip below the tree line. -4oC this morning and I don't think it's much higher now?
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1535 and the sun is still up with maybe 15 minutes left for sun set
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Mark you are 1 min better off this afternoon than yesterday, although you are still getting darker in the mornings. If you are interested in these things check out Maes Howe in Orkney http://www.maeshowe.co.uk/ (http://www.maeshowe.co.uk/)where on sunset on the winter solstice the light shines in through an entrance passage to the back wall of a neolithic tomb
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thanks for the link.
Paul I have looked for the Dierama but cant see it either. I've just fiddled with the image on my computer and see nothing
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Mark,
Thanks for confirming it isn't just me!! Unless there's the other sort of Dierama in there, the kind that is a small static display in an open boxy thing (if you know what I mean), but given this is a gardening list I opted for the plant alternative!! ;D
I think I'll just go outside and have a look at my own real-life flowering ones instead of busting my eyes trying to find the one in the picture again!! LOL
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Perhaps it's not Dierama sp. at all, but one from a related genus Panorama sp.? :D
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Ho, Ho, Ho, Anthony!
I think you're right, though, that Paddy the Pixie is having us on! ;)
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very hot here today, not. Good lie in today and when I looked out at 10.30 it looked like snow outside. The temperature rose to 8.5 but it's falling fast again now
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We've had over an inch of rain at my place since 9am yesterday morning, and over 3 inches in the catchment areas for some of our water supply dams. Most excellent!!
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you've wanted rain for some time now.
Good-bye autumn hello winter
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Isn't our weather amazing! Last Wednesday we went off to Marakech for a week. At home it was cold enough for me to decide against watering the bulb pots before we went (thank God), but not that bad. We got home at midnight on Thursday to freezing temperatures and thick hoar frost; the max/min thermometer indicated that it may have gone as low as -10C and neighbours advised that this cold spell started last weekend.
In daylight the bulb house looked very sad with lots of limp, floppy leaves and the few narcissus flowers lying on the pots. This lunch time the temperature has risen to a balmy +2C and the leaves are rising with it :D. The flowers on the narcissus are starting to stand up again and I can hope that most will survive. Probaly the only casualty will be a generous pot of Ferraria crispa which we got at Discussion w/e and was looking so promising before we went away - shame.
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Mark,
We've actually had various bits and pieces of rain over the last 6 weeks, so things haven't been quite as bad as they were. We ended up getting another 20mm in the 2 hours after I posted as well. Too heavy, but better than nothing. Our catchment dams to the west have had around 4 inches of rain in the last 48 hours, so hopefully that will add a bit to the dams. Fingers crossed!!
David,
Good luck with the plants. Most things you mention seem to usually recover from frosts here. I know the daffs always look shocking after a heavy frost, but they pop back up fine once they're warm again.
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Great to hear you got such a nice Christmas present Paul !
Did the rain come wrapped as a gift ? ;D
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today because of the turn of the seasons we have gained 5 seconds! By the 30th we will have gained a minute
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today because of the turn of the seasons we have gained 5 seconds! By the 30th we will have gained a minute
Don't waste 'em! ;D
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No, don't waste any of those seconds.... Eat, Drink and Be Merry......... for tomorrow may bury you....as an old song goes ::) ( a song by Leon Rosselson, is the one I'm thinking of, it's called "Away from it all"))
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It seems that there is lots of "Christmassy " weather around europe..... we have had lovely photos from Vroni and Luit in the Netherlands, showing them snugly wrapped up against the cold,( I think in front of the beautifully frost covered Ulmus that Luit showed us in the Forum) and today some frost rimed shots from the garden of Uli Lessnow in Germany.... Winter is not so pretty with us here in Aberdeen as yet! Not sure iif that is a good thing or not ???
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Well, Maggi, I'd sure like a bit of the white stuff to protect my plants. They've been subjected to some pretty severe frosts these past two weeks with no protection at all. Things seem to be coping so far, but if it lasts I'm not so sure. Normally I can grow a lot of semi tender things outdoors, but they may well perish this year if this keeps up. Supposed to be milder tomorrow and Tuesday though
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Forecast for the rest of this week here is for rising temps..... to 30'C for the weekend. Feels warm, but compared to some years where we get 39 or 40'C around New Years it is pretty mild. A couple of years ago we had 39.9'c on Dec 31st, and 40.3'c on the 1st Jan. Thankfully not even CLOSE to that this year.
Luc,
Thankfully the rain wasn't wrapped. If it HAD been that would have been one heck of a parcel!! ;D Between Friday and Monday we ended up with an extra 2.5% in our storage dams for the city. I'll be interested to see how much more has trickled in by the time we get the next update for dam levels tomorrow. All VERY good to have leading into summer. 8)
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It seems that there is lots of "Christmassy " weather around europe..... we have had lovely photos from Vroni and Luit in the Netherlands, showing them snugly wrapped up against the cold,( I think in front of the beautifully frost covered Ulmus that Luit showed us in the Forum) and today some frost rimed shots from the garden of Uli Lessnow in Germany.... Winter is not so pretty with us here in Aberdeen as yet! Not sure iif that is a good thing or not ???
Well seen Maggi, this was the only picture out of six on which we did not shiver this way, that the picture failed
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I spoke too soon unfortunately <sigh>..... tomorrow and the next few days are now forecast as 33'C. Given that tomorrow HAD been forecast as 30'c doesn't bode well for what the next days will be if they're as wrong as tomorrow was forecast. Has been such a nice December too!! ::)
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Strong South West gale and driving rain here,never been properly light all day. Miserable!
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It's gonna hit us tomorrow
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We got 35'C today. I really shouldn't have mentioned that it was cool last week!! <sigh>