Weather 2008

[Lesley Cox]

Lesley,

Prepare yourself for more cold and snow when this system moves over from Australia to you guys in NZ.  There's been snow in Orange (central NSW), high country in both NSW and Victoria and lots of cold and wind throughout.  Methinks that by the time if picks up the extra moisture on the way across to you guys you'll be getting a good dumping of snow in NZ, and you'll either get the snow or just very cold where you are.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. 

The forecast for east coast Otago today is cold wind and fine but rain tonight with probably snow/rain tomorrow. And that's the best for the whole country. Snow/rain expected throughout. We were rained out of the Market last Saturday, maybe tomorrow as well but I'm having a day off so will be safely tucked up by the fire.

[Paul T]

Joakim,

We had a bit of rain, which has been wonderful for the garden but just under an inch (I think about 22mm all up) is nowhere near what we need.  Has made no difference to our water supplies in the dams, which is more unfortunate.  We need a good few inches to put some proper water into the soil and into the dams.  So little groundwater left now.    Major old Eucalyptus trees are dying all over the city, as we just aren't having enough rain to penetrate into the soil more than a couple of inches. 

[Anthony Darby]

Our rain seems to be falling at night, but the temperature is still only about 15^oC, which is poor for mid July.

[David Nicholson]

I think this gives you a clue. Mugabe's dining room in Harare. David, I've sent you the rest of the pics.

Thanks for those Anthony. Nice to see how the other despot lives! Had there been substantial quantities of oil in Zimbabwe would Mugabe (e ba gum backwards way!) still be around, or indeed alive?

[mark smyth]

When I was in the Drakensbergs we drove past the ?King of the Zulus house. It too was palacial and surrounded by a high fence. Living outside of this 'palace' were his subjects living in bee hive huts

[Anthony Darby]

The King of the Zulus couldn't have his throne in one of those huts Mark. As the old saying goes, people in grass houses shouldn't stow thrones.

[David Nicholson]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

[Maggi Young]

Quote from: adarby on July 10, 2008, 08:45:40 PM
I think this gives you a clue. Mugabe's dining room in Harare. David, I've sent you the rest of the pics.

Thanks for those Anthony. Nice to see how the other despot lives!

Astonishing! I was just about to ask Anthony ( privately)  how he got that photo from our interior decorator when David let the cat right out of the bag..... now everyone knows how a despot lives 

[Anthony Darby]

 

[Paul T]

The King of the Zulus couldn't have his throne in one of those huts Mark. As the old saying goes, people in grass houses shouldn't stow thrones.

Well said, glasshopper!!

[David Nicholson]

Well, it's a while since I had a moan about my weather, so let's put the matter to rights.

Before Summer started (has it?) I was on record as saying that it couldn't be any worse than Summer 2007, well it is! According to Maureen's diary we had 19 days on which it rained in July (21 in 2007), that makes, so far, 118 days in the year on which has rained (123 for the same period in 2007. I have to say though that June had only 9 days on which it rained (19 in June 2007) which equals our record dry spells in June and July 2006. Our wettest month, since she began keeping a note in 2004 was 27 days in October 2004, followed by 24 days in January 2008.

Yesterday we should have gone to Trecanna Nursery- http://www.trecanna.co.uk/default.asp  in Cornwall, as they were doing a South African weekend for Charity (they have done this for the last few years and last year Dave Fenwick of African Garden fame was in attendance) but it chucked it down for most of the day. On our local weather forecast last night they said we were in for a surprise today-a dry day. What did it do? It chucked it down all day again, indeed this morning I had to put the light on to read the paper over breakfast. Oh! happy day (as the song goes!)

[Paddy Tobin]

David,

We had our end-of-month weather report on television today. The southern end of the country had 300 - 400% of normal rainfall for the month of July.

The town of Newcastlewest in County Limerick in the south west of Ireland had four times its normal July rainfall in as many hours last Thursday evening, leading to frightful flooding and consequent damage. We have had the dykes, normally dry in summer, flowing with plenty of water during this week.

It does mean that trees and shrubs will make excellent growth however.

Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

David, how can it be a worse summer this year if last years recordings were all of more rainy days? Do you WANT more rain?

[David Nicholson]

Lesley, maybe I meant 'worse' in an all-round respect. This year we seem to have had far more grim and misty days, and indeed strong windy days than last year. The hottest spell of the year (a couple of days!) seems to have occurred last week whilst I was away in Scarborough-Sod's Law again as my Primula marginatas in the greenhouse suffered a bit.

[Paddy Tobin]

David,

I should have added that a bonus of the extra rainfall is that pumpkins are growing at a tremendous rate. There should be a bumper crop in the autumn, so lots of pumpkin soup and pumpkin pies to look forward to.

Paddy