ZONE 51

Can't remember the last time I fried an egg on the tarmac

Am I really seeing 38C on that image??

Hi everyone, well this really is turning out to be quite a significant heatwave, an event that is headed straight for my record books! although that is if it continues for longer which I expect it to. but so far it is significant for how dry and sunny it has been so far here, and also the high temperatures too. Below is a few mobile snaps of things related to the heatwave! Monday took some nice Cirrus: An amazing sunset during that evening the best yet of this heatwave: On Tuesday worker watering flower baskets looked like the only shower around that would becoming from up there! Did a quick edit for fun see the cloud there: My flat is baking still about 30C earlier this evening was a little higher than that: Looking through a bus stop window(not looking at the sunshine directly just looking at camera screen when taking pics):

Very much enjoying this long spell of fine weather although to hot, I really don't mind as it's a sunny high (mostly) if it was unstable airmass doesn't mean storms as we know from past experiences, I'd rather be sun baving then worry if the tstorms going to turn up far less stress I can tell u!

BFTV, could you make a screen vid or images showing what happens?? (If you do maybe PM or email Paul with it rather than put on here)

Example image of strong summer high pressure (not for early next week as says on image! for those hoping it is for next week!) Found summer high for June 2005 below:

Exactly, as you say big high pressure, if one of these covered a large area of hundreds of km wide each way and centered right over the UK then everyone would get the nice weather at once. Heat highs (Azores high..) don't get much far north these days, the south UK usually sits on the edge and becomes windy. When do we see a 1040mb summer high centered over us these days?

I did say example on the 80s, but as you say more anticyclonic spells were 1993 - 2006 with the last date here was very long went on from May until July was remarkable and drought then ended with a severe cold front storm. 1990? sure that was a scorcher with long hot clear spells.

http://help.yahoo.com/kb/index?locale=en_US&y=PROD_ACCT&page=content&id=SLN3699 - can use these steps for all images not loading if not already tried this. Could it be flash player probs? Must say that the last month or two (I think since the NW upgrade/new style) it's been one of the the fastest sites! everything loads so quick! by the way just for interest I use Google Chrome I keep this updated too.

It is complicated and makes good discussion. When it come to anticyclones then the jet stream and other things need to be talked about too. We need the Jet stream to bring our rains(moslty)especially winter rain I would think, but it is out of pattern bringing the wrong seasonal weather.

BFTV good post. I know the Jet stream is the major player, but we don't know why exactly it has changed pattern, these days we don't seem to get strong highs that change the Jet? the blocking is preventing it's normal northerly movement, but the angles and strange behavior of the Jet stream through the seasons is also caused by something else I think. Usually strong areas of high pressure move up from the Azores into S-UK at least and hold stay for a few weeks, it was spring/summer 2010 the last long clear hot spell I remember which was the Azores high. There is more interest in the general public now as it is affecting out door activities(climate change) Those that remember the 80s for example would remember long hot summers clear sky for weeks with deep blue sky so deep almost dark blue, this was anticyclonic high pressures, sat over the whole of or large areas of the BI.

Mostly it is summer anticyclones I am seeing the lack of (as most are), in winter there is quite usually ridges of high pressure giving clear frosty nights between weather systems, but there is definitely less long spells of clear weather especially in summer, they where more usual around and before 7-8 years ago. There is not spells of 2 - 3 weeks of clear blue skies and a few cumulus, also don't seem to be much very deep blue skies.

An anticyclone is a strong area of high pressure centered over a large area, under this the weather is dry with clear blue skies during the day and starry nights but sometimes with mist and fog, usually the wind is light or calm in general, although sea breezes can develop during the day. We are having high pressure there is dry and sometimes calm conditions but it seems that there is always cloud and quite often windy, this is because the high pressure is either in weaker form or being on the edge or the high pressure making things more windy, the cloud is probably stratus and flat cumulus, the cumulus is not allowed to build up high is squashed into a thin layer and as this happens the cloud becomes more flat and wide instead of going up and rising. There's my explanation of an anticyclone and the changes we have and are experiencing especially over the last several years. Below is some info from an article. http://www.coolgeography.co.uk/A-level/AQA/Year%2013/Weather%20and%20climate/British%20Isles/British-Anticyclones.htm So that's what an anticyclone is and it's affects on our weather, but why is there less of these, what could be the causes and are they going to return?

There could be our friendly Azores making an appearance within a week or two (things change) this would bring very warm sunny and dry weather, the beach type or sitting in the park not worrying if it's going to rain.. Can't wait for this really meant to happen this time of year be great if it could shift more north for our northern friends, the north hasn't had much summer over the years in the way of sunny highs, the Jet sits at mid position that is why as the high cannot move north, the Jet stream should move to our far north UK.

And if get through that maybe camp out in a meteor strike?

@top5, Wanted to make it more difficult, it is possible to select 3 favs though, which could cover most liked weathers.. hot day, frost or snow, for example. I had to go for thunderstorms over snow, I love snow and is especially romantic even more so when it's snowing, but I would not enjoy leaving a restaurant and going out freezing getting a runny nose! or getting freezing out in it ,for example.

Imagination?

Being a weather enthusiast and weather watcher it's quite a pick! I would spend a date in most types of weather, of course there would be a type of weather anyway but there really must be something i'd like to turn up or experience at a certain time.. . Cloudy drizzle/damp windy and cold.. romantic? make things more enjoyable? I expect most people would say no to that! Do you think the person you'd be with at the date needs to like the weather events as much as you? Would you plan going out around the expected time of a particular weather event you know about that's forecast? My top 3 - 1 - Nice and very warm evening having a picnic with her on a high hill at dusk as an imported thunderstorm heads in, lightning increasing only slowly but frequent and spectacular, can't hear the thunder it's calm light winds and very warm with clear skies above us. 2 - In a restaurant at a hotel, having our meal, cat 1 hurricane on the way winds gradually building howling outside, most people leave the room we are there almost alone the winds roaring through the building, rain battering the windows over the other side of the restaurant we are on a side next to a main wall. 3 - Hot clear blue skies at the beach but storm clouds building up over sea, the tide gone out far, we get some fish n chips and sit on the sand and stones, it's a beautiful day many people around, the seashore waves and seagulls, a storm breaks out we watch it head in, it develops fast, the car is a mile or so a way we won't make it, finding a shelter to sit in and ride out the storm it has an open front towards the beach! loud and scary thunder torrential rain, completely soaked, going back to the car drenched!

Dating in the weather Something I have been thinking about is what weather would I like to be in while on a date! Imagine If you were taking someone out for the first time or maybe going out on a date with your partner what weather conditions would you like to be experiencing during a date? It can be quite romantic in some situations! This could be in a restaurant during a hurricane with the lights flickering, maybe a walk in the park on a hot summers day, playing in the snow or just sitting on a boat during a flood, being up on a mountain having a picnic looking out above the fog below, sitting on the beach on a warm evening watching lightning while having a take-away meal or looking out a hotel window during a thunderstorm. Your top 3 can be in a simple list or can be in a more longer post describing it.

I do like the cirrus, can make a lot of patterns, I especially like mares tails ahead of weather systems. it looks like at the back of the photos the sky has wavy mares tails/cirrus. depending on what way there pointing and if they are pointing up/down or towards a side and how long they are then this can be a sign of different types of weather. can indicate heavy rain and strong winds for example.

This must be mid level cloud with virga.

Yes that would be great really enjoy his posts as many do, can't expect a long post and charts every time though but we really appreciate them thanks JP.

I think it's heavy rain front and gusty winds tonight followed by heavy showers

edited wrong thread are take off in a bit.. Anyone wants to "save as" or copy this image then you have the chance before I take the post off unless i find somewhere to put this!

Found this while searching for telescopes.. thought it my be appropriate for the current situation..