Emz by the Thames

Meto seem to have revised temps downwards for early next week? I love for sunshine but we had quite a serious field fire 2 miles away on Monday as the ground is like a tinderbox, they think it might be possible that a tractor chipped a flint into life. I'm having to use a lot of water to keep the allotment alive, god know what it's like for farmers. Bah, I wish I lived in the same town as my allotment as 10pm waterings during heatwaves are quite a commitment. And anyway, I love rain and I'm dying to feel some as are my plants.

Driven off the allotment by midday...but we will be having new potatoes, lettuce, spring onions, radish, red onion, baby carrot, pea, nasturtium flower and basil salad!!!!! Oh did I mention raspberry cheesecake with strawberry vodka? Meto say 30% chance of a shower at 6pm?

Spare a thought for us baking in flats, no open doors, no BBQs, no paddling pool to put your feet in, no dining al fresco, permanently 27.c indoors, taking a drink outside requires shoes, keys, two fire doors, 3 flights of stairs, crossing a car park until you reach a few metres of grass by a 3 lane A-road Sigh. You would not believe how hot the A road and the car park make the local area and how abysmal the air quality and pollen is on a day like today. Still...we've just sold our dingy flat to an investor who is renting it back to us until we find a nice HOUSE to rent!!! - You should see our outdoor shopping list already...weather station, sun loungers, swingseat, BBQ, smoker, birdbath, rotary washing line...never in the history of the world has anyone been as excited as me about buying a rotary washing line. I love this weather but it's not pleasant when you have lots of physical things to do. I'm ready for a rip-roaring storm now...but I'm not in the warning area, sob.

Much more cloud here now, it's actually nice to see clouds! I love this kind of summer weather - but having to fully water the allotment every night is hard work, especially when everyone is fighting over the taps! I have hayfever for the first time in my life which is strange, I'm 44 and never had it until now. Looks like more of the same for the forseeable. Anyone like to take a bet as to when it will next rain?

Breezy and the lights keep flickering, full blown powercut a few streets away but I don't think it's weather related. A friend in Edinburgh had to abandon her usual bike ride to work. Went for a late walk last night at 9.30pm (sneaky peek at a rental property) and I jave to say it was lovely evening walking weather.

High Wycombe skies...right now...but the sun does keep popping out.

Oh my goodness, heat and unbearable humidity, downing tools.

Coat out of the airing cupboard and back on this morning . Allotment so waterlogged that the ground gives way under your feet, going to have some unhappy pumpkin plants. Never mind, at least we're having loads and load of weather!!!

None of the local strikes have shown up on lightningmaps or blitzortung all day, it's bizarre.

Hearing distant thunder in High Wycombe...

Weather warning extended into early Wednesday.

Constant distant thunder and strobe/ic crawlers.

This humidity is something else, it really is. Can't work outdoors today, you feel exhausted and overheated in under and hour, despite the occasional blobs of rain.

Someone on my community FB page wrote "The world is coming to an end!". Certainly felt like it in the Wycombe valleys last night!! I wonder how accurate a strike on lightningmaps is? If so, nearest strike was across the road and there were 5 or 6 strikes in the valley but I'm guessing the dots on the map are an estimate? Can't remember the last time a storm made glad I was indoors, just hope that hard rain hasn't flattened my seedings. What a night. What will today bring?

I've never heard rain like this (I can't see is I live in a flat with no outside light at the back) but I can tell you for certain the guttering has gone. These shotgun strikes are seriously scary.

The rumble and strobing is constant with occasional shotgun, longest, noisiest storm in years...and my partner is managing to sleep like a baby though this!!! How does he do it???? There is no let up here at all. Torrential rain now.

Holy mother!!! That was overhead - and I heard the crackle of the lightning!!

On a par with July 18th storm last year, maybe even better, although not every strike is being picked up on lightningmaps I notice.

Lightning and the almost constant rumble of thunder in the far distance...

Meto have weather warnings for Sat and Sun out now for most parts of our area.

Ok, now that's DEFFO thunder, 5 or 6 lots to the south of High Wycombe.

Thunder in High Wycombe - 3 or 4 lots and slightly to the south Loudwater/Wooburn.

Well that was weird...heard thunder just now but nothing on the radar....I'm questing my own sanity!! EDIT: My neighbour in the flat below is playing a computer game with loud bangs and rumbles...ignore the thunder thing

Light rain arrived at 6pm yesterday and dull and damp today, some rain overnight which is good for the allotment. Might be tricky planning outdoor stuff for the next few days what with the unpredictability but likeliness of storms? Just had to share a spring moment - the cygnets on the river opposite my flat hatch yesterday, cuteness overload!

Not seen the wedding or the footie, but it was perfect weather for sitting in a park watching Soul II Soul with an ice cream. I love goldilocks weather!! And I even planted out the pumpkins, sweetpeas etc before the gig! Really nice, useable weather!