Moans, ramps and banter

[In Absence of True Seasons]

So depressing that this has been the predominant conditions since July last year. 

[Sun Chaser]

 B87 Even worse here, 36.8mm of rainfall and a shocking 6.7 hours of sunshine. So glad I've been away this week as I don't think I've ever seen a statistically worse start to April here in my life, even if temperature wise it has (as ever) been average.

But April still has a chance to save itself. Starting on Thursday (my birthday!) it looks predominantly dry for the foreseeable which can only be an improvement. I can see Apr 2024 ending up in the same leagues as 2023 or 2014 - a bit wetter and duller than normal but saved by some better spells too.

[In Absence of True Seasons]

 Sun Chaser Wetter and duller than normal after nearly a year of duller months and the wettest 18 months spell on record, is still very poor though.

Even average rainfall and sunshine hours would feel rather lacklustre.

For me, nothing other than an April or May with well above average sunshine and well below average rainfall is going to make me go "Yeah, I'm happy now".A Spring 2020 style month could save things and settle the balance of the situation, but not much else. I know it's not going to happen but realistically that's the level of dryness and sunshine we need to compensate for the dullness and wetness that dominated so much of 2023 and now 2024 (with the start of 2024 arguably being even worse than the start of 2023). 

Edited April 9 by In Absence of True Seasons

[SunnyG]

And to make it worse, it's windy. I loathe wind.

[sarahng]

 SunnyG So do I - it's my very worst kind of weather and it's been absolutely relentless down here on the south coast.  It's just so unpleasant to be outdoors in the wind.

[SunnyG]

 sarahng And if it rains, you can't even use a brolly. Yuk, let's hope the second half of the week is better than the first....

[Sun Chaser]

 In Absence of True Seasons Actually. At this point if we truly want to get balance after this past 18 months, we need a hot May that challenges or breaks the maximum temperature record (which is relatively not that extreme compared to other months around it), followed by a dry sunny summer (though it doesn't need to be record breakingly hot), a very sunny and anticyclonic autumn, and a winter more in the vein of 2022/23 (or 2009/10 since we are due some snow). Then a very sunny and warm March like 2012 or 2022, since we've had two of the worst in history on the trot, then a return to the dry sunny Aprils of the early 2020s  

[rain_shadow]

Not a huge fan for excessive weather warnings, especially for rain but this one would merit a yellow, surely? Ridiculous. Flooded roads everywhere.

Edited April 9 by rain_shadow

[In Absence of True Seasons]

 Sun Chaser one can dream!

In the meantime, I'll be booking a trip to Greece or something lol

[Summer8906]

Strangely and unusually, the wind has veered to north of west and it's turned coldish, but the complete overcast of low cloud is still there!

I'd have expected a bright day with a few scattered showers today, rather like the weekend of 23rd/24th March.

Then we get cloudy SW-lies back tomorrow. First half of April perhaps the dullest on record (with only the 1st offering anything like prolonged sunshine).

At least it's turning drier and I suspect it'll be merely cloudy rather than dull.

Even still, by GFS 00z the first day likely to offer prolonged sunshine is Sat 20th, with most days before then being fairly cloudy, though probably not dull.

Still likely we could end up with one of the cloudiest Aprils on record (it could, for example, still be cloudier than 2000 or 2018 both of which had short sunny spells), though the threat of a near-record wet month has receded.

Edited April 9 by Summer8906

[Alderc 2.0]

Gusting over 40mph outside, makes it feel as chilly as any other day in the last 6months despite being 11C. I was absolutely frigid when I got home from walking the dog early this morning. 

[reef]

 Sun Chaser I can never understand this talk of "balance". The weather does no such thing.

On temperatures for example, we've had just one month more than 1C below the 1991-2020 average since May 2021 on the CET, but 19 have been more than 1C above. If this were to balance out then we'd be looking at an extended average or below average period being due. Likewise for sunshine and rain: 2022 was widely the sunniest year on record and this extended into 2023, so you could argue the current weather is "balance" to that. Likewise for rainfall - 2021 into most of 2022 was one of the driest periods on record, so you could argue the wetness of 2023-24 is balancing that out.

In reality the weather just does what it does, though in a more volatile manner these days it seems.

I think most would rather just have variety like there used to be, rather than constantly one type of weather for months on end. I suppose a dreadful thought is that this is what our climate is now - extended periods of dry and wet, dull and sunny, but mild/warm throughout.

It would be nice to just have some dry, settled and sunny weather at this point. I don't think many would disagree with that!

Edited April 9 by reef

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 In Absence of True Seasons THE LAST YEAR!!! SINCE LAST MARCH!!

[Andy Bown]

 Summer8906 it’s taken a while to clear through in West Wiltshire but now plenty of sunshine. 

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 SunnyG me too. So bloody cold

[sorepaw1]

Are we heading for a 1 season uk

Cool dull and wet with occasional bright spells.  It makes you wonder.

[CryoraptorA303]

Dull again here today but the cloud seems to mostly be high and it's quite bright, so perhaps not quite as bad as earlier in March.

12 hours ago, WYorksWeather said:

I would recommend Yorkshire, but we somehow achieved 39C in 2022, so probably not a guarantee.

Closer to 40°C even in some parts, and Gringley-on-the-Hill just south of S. Yorks managed 40.1°C.

Either way, that was a one-off and Yorkshire rarely gets extremely warm. From what I remember when I went to York for a week in 2009 it also gets a lot cooler at night than down south, so even if it's been hot by day the nights are a lot more comfortable.

Unfortunately I doubt a short holiday would be worth much without a car up there as public transport in the north is... less than ideal outside the south Lancs-Manchester-West Yorkshire conurbation. I have the car but I don't have the license and I highly doubt I'll have it by summer.

13 hours ago, WYorksWeather said:

From your location, surely for a shorter trip you'd be better off going somewhere like Devon or Cornwall, taking advantage of the coastal breeze if you don't want extreme heatwaves?

Of course I'm always finding an excuse to go SW, and short holidays there can be really cheap, the only concern being going during a humidwave will mean at least one of my days there is likely to have extremely stormy breakdowns.

The SW is a much better place to go when there's a prolonged easterly-induced settled spell.

Not to mention, I'm not sure my mates want to go there this year

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 sorepaw1 Yes we are

[In Absence of True Seasons]

 *Stormforce~beka* But what about June 

[stainesbloke]

 Alderc 2.0 Sounds horrible. Yet more gale force winds, cloud and rain, enough already! 
Am home in Czechia for several days off work and it’s beautiful Getting lots done in the garden, though more seasonal temperatures arrive tomorrow.

[CryoraptorA303]

 reef  sorepaw1 It's been ongoing for a long time now, and we're desperate at this point, however this dull and wet spell will eventually end. The laws of thermodynamics mean it is simply impossible for a single regime to continue for the rest of time.

I know unprecedented things are happening worldwide and this is now the wettest 18 month period on record, but chances are it will end this year. Think about it this way: We have received nowhere near the same level of rainfall since the first half of March. Things are starting to improve a lot, we will see the end of this at some point.

Since the start of April, west Kent has seen around 20mm. By March 9th we'd already blown the monthly average with at least twice that amount. The south coast has already approached monthly averages from the looks of it, assuming ~50mm is the average for most of the area, so April will overall probably be wetter than average, but with the current mid-term forecast in mind, nowhere near to the extent of March, let alone February or December, and East Anglia looks like it may actually pull off drier than average or near average at least. That's still not great, but put into perspective, this would be a huge improvement.

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 In Absence of True Seasons It was mostly cloudy here. Had maybe a week or so of decent weather. Nothing to write home about and definitely didn't make up for the previous 3 months of carp

[CryoraptorA303]

 *Stormforce~beka* Really? Here it was sunny and above 25°C for almost the entirety of the month.

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 

 CryoraptorA303 First I was plagued by the cloud from the NE then when the East got lucky and in the sun I was plagued with cloud from the West. It was harsh. Just as I got rid of one I got the other. We did have some sun but it wasn't the whole month here. A week or 10 days max. Didn't even get our paddling pool out last year.

Edited April 9 by *Stormforce~beka*

[Addicks Fan 1981]

 Summer8906 and on a CET scale april of this year is likely to be similar to 2007.  We are exiting el niño for la niña and 2007 did the same.