Wivenswold

Certainly warm here in Essex, oppressive almost. Temp - 23oC Dew Point -10.1oC Humidity 55% I think we'll miss out as we're not far inland for clouds to develop. Only hope here is for an import from Belgium and that's highly unlikely.

Ditto North East Essex. Haven't even seen any lightning over the North Sea. I think it's been 8 months since I heard thunder.

I can clearly see the tops of the storms over Belgium now. If it was dark there would be lightning on the horizon.

They are about 215 miles away at the moment and grinding slowly this way. I'm not hopeful of anything but a light show across the sea this evening.

There's a lot of frustration on this site from those wanting storms in their area. I'd love to see a good multi-cell but it really has to be stressed that it's mid-April and therefore we have months of potential storm activity. The hurt may continue as one poster put it, but it can still be bitterly cold at this stage of Spring, so let's be realistic. I'm off out for a walk in the countryside to make the most of the warm morning sunshine.

Been sat staring South for a while, watching the tide coming in. Look behind me and there's a massive CB to the North, over Ipswich. Summer's back!

Last year was very disappointing. Hoping for loads of warm slack pressure in the SE this year. A bit like 2005 which was the last corking storm year here. I need to check the terms and conditions for the no storm club though. I'm lucky enough to live in an elevated postion facing France/Belgium coast with little light pollution. We see lightning anywhere between here and there, but do I need to hear thunder in order to rip-up my membership? Nothing seen so far by the way.

Latest model output seems to be putting the warm-up back further. Some coastal regions might only see 4oC next week before the Scandi high takes over.

Just noticed that. I worked on the railway and that was a very unfortunate quote. The BR Director should have said an "unusual type of snow". Unfortunately BR was fair game for the press back then. What did for the railways then (and what was massively overlooked in the press) was that BR had spent billions building new trains in the late 80's. This was at a time of mild winters, warm summers and much talk of global warning. While most types of weather were considered in the design of the new trains, powdery snow events were rare enough to be ignored in testing. BR took a bullet for the global industry at a time when new technology was being introduced. Sadly, it probably sealed the fate of British Rail as it was broken up ready for Privatisation 3 years later. Anyway, back to the topic. Co-worker "Is it going to snow?" Me "What? Today? No." Co-worker "No, I mean before Christmas" Me "Probably" Co-worker "I thought you knew all about the weather?"

This is really picky by the generic use of "They" as in "They have forecast snow for my area today". The "They" usually refers to their newspaper who have got the forecast from 'Global Climate Solutions' or another company that gets free advertising by making rash forecasts that papers pick up on (like the one in the Evening Standard under the erroneous headline 'Met Forecast sunny day for royal wedding'). When 'British Forecast Services' (or similar) turn out to be rubbish at forecasting the "they" then becomes the real Met Office in conversation, as in "They always get it wrong".

I think the too cold for snow is annoying simply because it rarely is that cold in the UK and is always said with such blind confidence. On the warming-up before snow thing, it's usually prefaced with "It always", which of course is nonsense as anyone experiencing a south-moving winter cold front will know. Work colleague this morning..."Snow at the weekend. Looking good for Christmas then". Another thing that annoys me is when my forecasts are poo-pooed by those with absolutely no interest in the weather. It happened at a family party at the weekend. I mentioned in passing that people might not want to plan anything involving a lot of travel this weekend, "just in case there's snow and ice" which was met with "Forecasters don't know what's happening tomorrow, let alone next weekend" and "It won't snow, it's too early in the winter". It's one of those subjects upon which everyone is an expert, it seems.

"Big Freeze" said BBC Look East a few years ago. The temperature hadn't even hit freezing. As for 'big', it was one of those brief cold slots you occasionally get in an Atlantic winter. "But it's not been bad news for everyone" cue pictures of kids mucking about in the park. The news is often the worst offender.

Yes, my mum says that. But my mum also says "Hanging's too good for them" a lot.

First of all, couldn't find a perfect area to place this thread in, so apologies if it needs moving. We're almost there now. Tomorrow even more papers will be full of domesday forecasts ramping the chances of gridlock and death. At that point the fairweather weather fans will come out of the woodwork. You know, those people who spout the lamest cliches about meteorology. So I thought I'd start a more humourous thread for those snippets of overheard conversations we'll all hear over the coming days. My favourites are; "It's been snowing in America. It always comes here afterwards". "It's too cold to snow today" And, in reference to showery conditions "The weather can't make its mind up today".

Woken up by gusting wind and the rain lashing against the windows. River outside is very choppy. If the wind is only getting started then I suspect we're in for funny and games on the morning journey into London.

Even at this early stage I've got a feeling this will be a rain event and nothing else. No sign of lightning at all as yet.

Yes, welcome to the party Wolfgang.

Rain has reached the east coast. Now throwing it down which is a surprise as I didn't think we'd have anything until the early hours. Mike

Piper at the Gates of Dawn or Dark Side of the Moon?

Is it me or is the heavier precipitation towards the South of the system? http://www.meteox.com/h.aspx?r=&jaar=-3&soort=satradar It's on a course for the South East at the moment.

<br /><br /><br />No need to find your feet sir. Anyway, I'm hanging out of my window hoping to catch a rumble or two this evening. Is anyone in Mid-Essex getting anything at the moment? Mike Wivenhoe Essex

Upgraded to 60% now on NHC. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_atl.shtml