Spring 2016

[Stanley]

I've responded on the other topic but that was good stockmanship Wendy. Well done!
We've been lucky Moh, we've escaped the thunder showers. You reminded me of this pic.....



Early afternoon at Glenfinnan in 1998. Occasionally you are in the right place at the right time. Possibly the most threatening thunder weather I have ever seen but it never developed into a storm where we were.
Last night at 21:00 it was overcast, calm, dry and very mild. This morning it is the same. The glass has fallen, down to 1008.5mb as the low pressure system rolls in. The forecast reflects this. Dry for the next hour but then a high chance of rain any time today, possibly some bright spells after dinner. High of 17C and the light wind can't make up its mind, it is all over the place, mainly from the NE all day until late this evening when it settles in the East.
06:30. A brisk walk down to the butchers because it started spotting with rain as I left the house. Very warm and muggy.... Everything is growing like mad and on the way back the rain increased a bit but both of us got back home dry. It's still raining gently now but no weight to it.

[Wendyf]

What a wonderful photo!
Bad stock management Stanley, I should have kept him off the grass knowing he was was vulnerable. I took a risk and Sparky suffered.

[Stanley]

Thanks Wendy, right place at the right time.... In Warwickshire we occasionally had a problem with Bloat during the flush. I got to be competent with a trocar and cannula!
High overcast, calm, dry and mild last night. Same this morning up to press. Glass is down again at 1005mb. Forecast is better than I expected in view of welding outside... Mild overcast until this afternoon, high of 16C. Very little chance of rain until evening and a steady, very light east wind all day. We could be lucky....
06:15. A pleasant walk, no rain. Warm and very high humidity, the gardens will love this..... Jack met one of his mates in Town Square, a Jack Russell bitch who is of course a tart. We let them run loose round the square until Jack lost interest. It sets them up for the day!

[Stanley]

Calm, mild and light rain last night at 21:00. Same this morning but it might be brightening up a bit at the moment. The glass is down again at a shade over 1001mb. The forecast is for a bright overcast start to the day with sunny intervals and a high of 17C. From noon there is a good chance of rain, the showers will be very slow moving and could possibly be very heavy and thundery. The wind is very light and constantly shifting and this means that if we get a shower it will be prolonged. The outlook for the next few days is generally cooler and wetter. The ground is still capable of absorbing the rain and the growy weather continues.
06:20. Back after a dry walk in shirtsleeves, I trusted the forecast! Almost calm, light wind is spells but I can't tell you which direction. The beck in Butts has a slightly in creased flow but the ground is still absorbing any rain that falls. A good growy morning and somewhere up there the June sun is trying to burn through to us....

[Stanley]

Calm, damp and mild at 21:00 last night. This morning is brighter, high broken cloud, dry flags and roofs and what slight wind there is seems to be from the west. The glass is down again at just over 996mb. The forecast is for a bright overcast day with a slightly cooler 15C. The chance of a thunder shower increases in the afternoon and evening but is slight in our forecast. If we do have one it could be heavy and very slow moving. According to the Met Office the wind is in the east at the moment, and will swing all round the compass before ending up in the south late tonight but it is never more than very light.
Back home at 05:55. A pleasant walk, dry and calm. I don't care what the Met Office says about surface winds, the high overcast is definitely moving west to east! Again, it is very growy.... This is a good start to the year. There must be plenty of insects about for the swifts and martins....

[Stanley]

Heavy showers yesterday afternoon and still light rain at 21:00 last night and first thing this morning. It's abated now but still spotting gently. The glass is down again at 991mb. The forecast is for a wet start to the day, then overcast and mainly dry but with the chance of a thundery shower at any time. High of 16C and a constant light wind from ENE. No sign of any change over the next few days.
06:05. A damp walk, gentle rain, nothing serious. Notable that the ground is not wet, it is still soaking up the rain as fast as it falls. This is confirmed by the beck in Butts. The flow is increased but only slightly, it must be soaking in on the moor particularly. Not a summer morning but good for the gardens and crops.....

[Stanley]

We seem to be being very lucky in that we are avoiding the heavy thunder showers that seem to be plaguing other areas. Yesterday turned out quite nice and at 21:00 last night we had high well broken could and very little wind. This morning is similar up to now and the flags are dry. The glass is still falling slowly and is on 997mb . The forecast is similar to yesterday. Dry overcast until about 10:00 with very little chance of a shower. A high of 16C with a constant light ENE wind. From 10:00 onwards the Met Office is warning of heavy thundery showers again until late evening but from recent experience all it means for us is an increased chance of a shower during the evening. Of course our luck might change! Similar unsettle weather for the foreseeable future. This is not Flaming June! They are already talking about rainfall records nationally being broken.....
06:45. Back after a leisurely walk on a very acceptable morning. Overcast but with occasional shafts of sunlight coming in through broken cloud in the East. Jack saw his three-legged mate in Valley Gardens this morning and they had a conversation.... I love seeing happy dogs together, it sets them up for the day. According to the radio forecast Mr and Mrs Tiz could be getting some heavy rain down in the SW. I hope it's not too serious....

[Stanley]

Much nicer day than the forecast suggested yesterday. At 21:00 it was calm, mild and dry with high broken cloud. High, very even overcast this morning, dry and calm. The glass started to rise yesterday after dinner and this morning is almost up to 994mb. The forecast is is for an overcast day until mid afternoon, slightly warmer at 17C with a constant light ENE wind all day. At 15:00 we can expect some showers until the evening and there are the usual warnings that these could be heavy and thundery but on the evidence of the last week we may escape these. It's another growy day and the ground is still not waterlogged, it's accepting the rain as it falls. Things could be worse!
06:25. Back from a shirtsleeve walk, definitely a touch warmer than yesterday and there is a hint of moisture on the light wind. Everything growing, no major flow over the weir in Butts. Two of Jack's mates in Valley Gardens to have a play with.. Lovely, this and better will do!

[Stanley]

Another good dry day yesterday with plenty of sun. The threatened thunder showers didn't materialise yet again! Overcast, calm, dry and cool at 21:00 last night with a gentle East wind. Same this morning up to press. The glass rising and is on 999mb. The forecast is for a cooler day (14C) with a light breeze that varies from NE to NW during the day. Mainly overcast all day, remote chance of a spot of rain and some mist early on and a slightly increased chance of a shower around noon and in the early evening. No warnings of thunder showers. The outlook is for a gradual warm up over the next few days. Going on recent experience there could be a bit more sun than there is in the forecast.
06:50 Back home after a dry walk in shirt sleeves and a padded waistcoat. A bit cooler perhaps but the day looks more promising than the forecast. This and better will do! Reports of very heavy rain in other p[arts of the country, I think we have been very lucky. The ground is not wet, it looks ideal for growth and the flow over the cill of the dam in Butts is nothing more than normal for this time of the year.The glass is rising, up 1mb since I first posted this morning.... A good sign.

[Stanley]

Apart from a light shower in the evening we had a dry day yesterday. At 21:00 it was overcast, a bit cooler and dry. The glass is significantly higher at 1011mb, a good sign... The forecast is for a slightly warmer day, 15C. Overcast for most of the day with a very low chance of a shower during the middle of the day. The very light NW wind will persist all day, gradually strengthening but never more than a light breeze. Late tonight it will start to swing to WSW. Quiet weather, not Flaming June!
06:35. Pleasant if slightly cooler walk in shirt sleeves and padded waistcoat. Not a lot to report apart from something I meant to mention a few days ago. Bad news for the Jackdaws, the open louvre on the ventilator in the gable end of the Pigeon Club has dropped down so they are locked out or in. I hope the young ones fledged in time.

[Stanley]

At 21:00 last night there was broken cloud and a chilly east wind but it was dry. This morning the wind is in the west and while there is some heavy broken cloud, up to now it is dry. The glass is up again at just over 1016mb. The forecast is for a slightly warmer day (16C), dry overcast for most of the day but from 16:00 we can expect significant rain for the rest of the day. The very light wind from the SW will be constant all day and increasing to a moderate breeze by this evening. Once again, not Flaming June and the outlook is not much better.
06:40. Back home after a pleasant walk on a calm and slightly warmer morning. The heavy cloud has cleared to the East and watery sunshine is coming in through the light, high scattered cloud. The flow in Butts is once more down to a trickle, bad wether for water-millers! The clock in the Town Square is almost showing the right time, perhaps five minutes fast.

[David Whipp]

I'm pleased about the clock - looks like it's done what it was supposed to do after a power cut!

[Stanley]

The rain came in as forecast yesterday afternoon and we had a good wet lasting well into the night. Overcast and mild this morning but not raining at the moment.
The glass started falling as the rain came in and this morning is on 1003mb. The forecast is for an overcast morning but a brighter afternoon. High of 16C. The wind will be a constant moderate westerly all day. The outlook is for it to warm up a bit.
06:40. Back home after a dry shirtsleeve walk. Still overcast and could rain but an occasional shaft of sunlight comes in from the East. The wind is stronger but milder. There's been a good soak overnight, Butts has a healthy flow over the cill but the good thing is that the ground isn't wet, it is taking the rain in as fast as it falls.
Salutary to note that today is the longest day of the year. From now on the days will start drawing in reminding us that Winter is on its way! All right, I'm an old pessimist but it always makes me slightly sad when it starts before we've had any proper summer.....

[PanBiker]

It's the end of Spring so this topic is now closed.

Summer 2016