twiglet98

We've got away lightly locally, and I'm incredibly relieved. What a massive difference when a storm happens in daylight - even if tiles had come off, or my trees fallen, it's far worse to hear stuff falling in the night, and wondering what it will look like in the morning. I hope those affected by power outages, and worse, will have normality restored quickly and wish everyone a calm weekend. Thanks to all who have shared news of local conditions, who have explained some of the science, and for the hugely supportive feeling that we're in it together for good or bad.

Barely a breeze here and sun breaking through. I have a long-awaited hospital appointment in Cambridge at 11.00, about 7 miles drive. I was considering cancelling it if we went to a red warning but I think I'll set off early and hope I'm able to get back to the village without delays, the dogs will be indoors. I'm constantly worried about tiles coming off, I'm an older female and not for hopping up ladders, and it's a nightmare getting tradespeople to come even in good weather, but if the roof is going to get a hole it's going to happen whether I'm indoors or not. Prepared for power cuts, hope for the best.

It'll be a lot better than the automatic Corsa I have as a hire car this week... I'm NOT looking forward to the drive to work Monday evening

Nothing but snizzle all day, then a few minutes of snowflakes about 18.30 which settled to 3mm. Still sparkling on the garden under clear sky, but dripping from the roof. Currently 1°, high today was 1.7°.

Nothing more than a bit of breeze here, south-west of Cambridge, a couple of gusts enough to knock an empty bucket out on the patio onto its side, and barely enough rain to wet the windows! I took the dog out at 4pm and behind the clouds, blue sky and sunshine were pushing in from the west. Cloudy and breezy now, but nothing of note. I had been so worried the roof would be damaged, a lot of tiles came off in a southerly wind during Storm Eleanor in January 2018. Just a few miles south-east from here, the roof of a hangar at Duxford was damaged and the adjacent M11 was closed for fear of loose debris.

Tuesday's downpours weren't much of an event here, the rain was steady through the morning but pretty much just the odd shower by 11.00. My grandson was enjoying playing in puddles at the farm, but by the time we went back up about 17.30 you'd hardly have known it had rained. "Where puddles gone Nana?" "Out came the sunshine, and dried up all the rain..." I'm glad the water butts are full again. The lightning indicator on WeatherBug showed storms moving north from Bishop's Stortford and there was plenty going on around Ely. They missed us completely, not even a rumble. We're south-west of Cambridge and I've often watched storms track up the M11 corridor, but don't come far enough west to entertain us. A quick note to Tom - I do hope you'll continue your informative posts and links - tiramisu recipes always welcome - and I, as someone the same age as you, will try not to frown at 'weather girl' references! With regard to your dental pain, if you can take codeine I highly recommend Paramol, the black packet, which can be bought without prescription from any pharmacy. Swilling a solution of Solpadeine around the painful area helps, and Diclofenac works for me, it's prescription only though. Lying painful side down against a pack of frozen peas can help numb it too. I hope it's easing for you now.

Radar showing pink then dark pink since 22.30 but the first few flakes have literally just started to fall. There is about 1cm of snow left in shady areas around the fields from Tuesday night. Lowest temp of the winter so far was last night, min -7.8C, currently it's 0.7C. Visitors from northern China arrive tomorrow lunchtime. It's been down to -20C at night there but very little precipitation, it will be so exciting if snow is falling or even lying when they get here!

Hail shower around 16.00, an occasional few seconds of tiny snowflakes since then but mainly if anything has been falling it's just very faint drizzle, 0.3C now.

A year ago, on 3 January, Storm Eleanor had hit and I had a £1500 bill to fix the damage to the roof. I hate lying awake listening to bits of my house hitting the ground. This winter's weather may have been boring so far but relentless rain is just horrible, gales are damaging, and anyway it's lovely being able to walk the dogs in trainers instead of wellies! One more week at work then I have a few days' holiday to use up. It's looking as if the most interesting week of winter is still to come, perhaps it will be when I can get outside and enjoy it!

A damp morning and dull day ended with a little sunshine and pink skies boding well for tomorrow. My lawn desperately needs cutting too but I won't have time until the weekend. I'm under pressure at work to book the last few days of my holiday entitlement, has to be used by the end of January and can't be taken in December. Ideally I'll take it when the roads are too snowy to drive to work... now where's my crystal ball...?

I'm a few miles SW of Cambridge and it looks as if the red thunderstorm zone is north of the city. I was in town late afternoon and it rained for about a minute. Max at home was 35.5C, my weather sensor hangs from a branch on the north side of an apple tree and is always shaded by other trees. Having enjoyed a little break I'm starting a new job next week, having to wear trousers and a long sleeved blouse, really not looking forward to that after weeks in shorts and flipflops!.

SW of Cambridge not a drop has fallen yet. Mostly cloudy, some brief hot sunshine, cooler and more comfortable out riding this evening. From the radar it could well be creeping this way, overnight showers would be welcome - I haven't watered the veg this evening. WeatherBug app (which I like as a lightning tracker) gives a 20% chance of rain at 02.00 dropping to a 10% chance by 04.00.

I'm not far away, on the Cambs/Herts border. No rain since I think the 4th week of May* and the green on my lawn is all bindweed or dandelions, the grass is brown and parched, with lots of bare patches. It's heavy limestone boulder clay, my lawn and the footpaths around farmland here are crazed with cracks up to 10 cm wide and easily 25 cm deep. This morning it clouded over and there was a very gusty moment, enough to break twigs off the willow tree and blow the sunflowers sideways. BBC Cambridgeshire reported last week that the City Council are asking residents to water the young street trees, with hosepipes, watering cans or whatever they have to hand. No comment from the water company! The Hand Car Wash bays seem to be as busy as ever... *ETS I took photos of the puppy learning to walk through puddles on 26 May and I'm sure there's been no rain since then.

A39 closed at Porlock Weir due to snow!

BBC Radio 2 traffic report mentioned snow on the A39, seems to have surprised them too!

I'm meant to be heading down the M25/M3 Surrey/Hampshire border this evening. Fairly sure of geting there ok but less certain about the journey home!

I'm supposed to be in Stevenage for breakfast tomorrow and going to the top end of Hampshire for the night. Amber warning firmly includes the M25 and M3 - I don't think I'm going far from home! Anyway, the birds will be frantic Sunday morning if I'm not here to feed them. Bullfinches in the garden yesterday.

During Beast #1 our most prolonged snow was on Friday 2 March and late that afternoon I had a fairly horrid drive home, from only about 10 miles away. I hardly ever need to leave the immediate local area but here we go again with snow looking very likely, just as I'm meant to be driving to Hampshire on Saturday, back Sunday. Not exactly globetrotting, but I so rarely go anywhere I'm getting a real complex about winter travel plans! I'm not the bravest driver and pretty sure I'll be staying at home. It's the annual Thriplow Daffodil Weekend, such a shame when bad weather keeps visitors away.

Snizzle started about 15.00 today, drier tiny pellets by 16.00 when out with the dog, I set off home at 17.00 and then it was sticking fast and freezing over. DD's house is a few miles north and 40m ASL, in an undulating residential close, with a hill out of the village and up to the main road, then onto a straight A road in open countryside, with a couple of shallow hills. Powder snow had packed and frozen, but lots blowing off the fields, traffic was at a steady 15 mph and I'm glad i didn't have to brake. Whether I'm in the little manual hatchback, as today, or the old Discovery (auto), I'm not at all happy driving on snow. The little car wouldn't slide as far, I could probably push it a bit if I had to, and at least the radio works. The Disco is full of diesel and it's so heavy anyway, it takes longer to stop. It's stopped snowing in the last half-hour or so and has accumulated more today than it has all week. Temp -1.3 and I wonder if this is the last snowy night.

After short, sharp snow showers all day the afternoon ended with glorious sunshine to walk my daughter's dog. Temp fell to -7 just after dark but has risen to -5.7 and it's snowing again now. Only 5cms lying, I'm surprised it isn't deeper after so much seemed to have fallen. I was watching it from the window this afternoon with a little lad of about 7 who is hoping for a snow day tomorrow. He observed that these snowflakes were coming down, thickly, then suddenly going sideways, and flying back up a "really long way" before spinning round and round and eventually landing. He said his sledge is red, but it's not one of the really good red ones! I was 7 in 1963, we didn't have snow days. What a joy it was to see that child's awe at the first real snow of his lifetime.

Clear and starry here, just south-west of Cambridge. Currently -5.6C, low of -6 last night. A few brief flurries of snow yesterday and today, despite fearsome dark clouds swiftly giving way to sunshine, but only a dusting still on the drive, most of the grass is clear and it didn't settle on the roads.

Thanks guys, we usually go for walks at Holkham but it's a long way from a takeaway!

My visiting family want fish and chips at the beach on Saturday (recommendations for takeaways in North Norfolk, anyone??) before they depart from Heathrow Monday lunchtime. They're used to cold weather but driving in snow is nobody's idea of a good time - well, not mine! Snow later Monday please...

My son is flying from Heathrow at 13.00 on Monday. I'm more than a little worried about driving there (and back)! I'm tempted to book him an early taxi instead. A friend's daughter has been in New York this week, 26C... that's crazy.

Currently -4.3C here under clear sky but it looks cloudy across to the west.