Emz by the Thames

So thankful for a sunny weekend - managed to build most of the polytunnel. Strange observation I know...but there's an oak tree on our allotments and the acorns this year are ridiculously big, they are not even fitting in their little cups and there's so many of them. I don't know if it's a mast year but it's caught the attention of other people too! As it's my first growing season, all eyes on first frost as that's when parsnips etc can be eaten. wonder when the first frost will be (January knowing my luck!!) Sadly, all my pumpkins never stood a chance, back in May I planted them out just before a two day deluge and virtually all the stems split. The two that survived were weak plants that got finished off by powdery mildrew. So no Halloween pumpkins for me! I have always watched the weather closely - but now your hard work depends on it! Recently, I was reminded of when it snowed in October here in High Wycombe in 2008, massive snowflakes that took everyone by surprise and trapped people in shops. I can't remember if that was a localised thing or did it snow throughout the region? Meteorological autumn in a few days - yesss!!!!

Just had to put the lights on!!! It's so humid, dank and dark. This is an awful spell of weather. Chillis aren't ripening either. Where's the sun?

Yes - on 28th October, I got stuck in High Wycombe for hour and there was only about 4cms of snow!

To my SW now.

Very heavy rain passing though, very dark but no thunder. The noticable things is watching the temperature fall away after the rain, it feels chilly now, falling a degree in a couple of minutes and still falling.

Nights are noticably drawing in now. I too think the run of pleasant Septembers might me over. I'm a bit of a weather lore fan and I was quite surprised to see the squirrels (who have lived in the communal gardens of our flat for decades) starting to build their winter dreys 11 days early this year which is a bit baffling as it's nothing to do with weather but light levels.

6am this morning saw a lovely mist over the fields in the distance - such a lovely late summer/early autumn thing. Home for the forseeable as we are selling up soon and I have to start that pre-selling clearout/tidy up type thing. As we will be more than likely moving from a 2nd floor flat into a somewhere with a garden, we are (somewhat prematurely) looking at weather stations and barbeques which is very exciting!! My partner is a Rasberry Pi fanatic and is wondering what weathery type fun he can have with that in a garden. I have this (completely ridiculous) weather forcasting system called the EWCI - that's the Early Winter Coat Index. I base this on observing how early in the season certain types of coats appear in ladies clothes shops. This arose from not being able to find a warm parka in the shops in September one year, only lightweight coats. That autumn and winter turned out to be eventless and mild (can't remember which year but..well take your pick). Obviously these huge retail consortium use long range forcasting to decide how much of what product to order and when to maximise profit, so I decided this was a good yardstick to see what the general themes of the upcoming season would be. Unfortunatly, I never actually reord my forcast - though I will this year! So - here's my 'first half of autumn EWCI Forecast. Some warm spells - but a more showery and blustery early autumn than in previous years. An M&S waterproof bodywarmer told me Remember the OFI - October Fog Index? How did that work out?

Wow! Saw my breath this morning, don't know how cold it was at 6am but it was only just 10.c at 8am. Sounds silly but in just a few month we forget how cold feels.

Warnings updated...but I'm no clearer as to what the weather is doing!! http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings#?region=se&regionType=area&date=2017-08-08

Drizzle here. Nieces are bored, they are just doing endless craft and colouring in. And we're near the end of the warning area which means we won't get anything exciting in thw next few days. And I stupidly gave my allotment a proper water without looking at the forecast first. Harumph.

Honestly can't remember the last time I got the hosepipe out...or even the watering can. Downside of all this rain is that the powdery mildrew had attacked everything at the allotment and everyone is having the same issue. Might even lose my pumpkins. On the plus side I have a growing melon which is unaffected and a tromboncino that has already grown itself down to the ground. While the weather this summer has been good for some plants, the hot then wet is no ideal for others so I have learned. Some of my pumpkins were a write off in may when a couple of days of heavy rain in the days after I planted them out caused stems to split. And the hop plant was damaged by the heavy sunflower head bashing against it because of the strong winds recently. Bit of a mixed blessing this summer's weather. Had such a strange dream last night....about Netweather. Basically there was a new symbol on the weather maps - a plane with the Netweather logo on the side. When I asked the forum what it meant, the replies were simply ' very bad weather incoming - free evacuation to Cyprus for forum members' or wtte.. This measure had been bought in due to the winter forecast of very deep snow for the UK . Cyprus, snow, freebies...hmmm someone has been wishful thinking dreaming!

It feels noticeably chilly to the point where I looked at the thermometer last night, 17.c late evening 14.c this morning, the rain/drizzle making it feel a bit damp also. Admittedly, my flat keep it's temperate and it's been 28.c inside for months, so any drop in temps is noticeable. Brrrr.

We're out of the warning area now for today - and what about those high temps? It's very dark and drizzly here but only 21.c I'm glad of the cool temps to be honest.

Well, we had yesterday evenings storm which was phenomenal, went to bed, was woken at about 2.30am by my partner shaking me and saying 'are you ok?'. Basically I was dreaming that I was being struck by lighting and was letting out a muffled scream in my sleep! Just as we settled back to try and sleep, we heard thunder getting nearer. I think I must have heard thunder while unconscious and it directly influenced my dream, scary! Couldn't get back to sleep so will have to function on 3 hours kip - not fun. Quite a bit of flooding in town last night, some of it still around this morning.

massively intensifying here...car park has flash flooded....best storm in years.

Fabulous - torrential rain, constant thunder, what a great birthday present!

Thunder in the distance now - haven't heard it for so long!

It was lovely going to sleep last night listening to heavy rain, made me realise I miss weather!. Dare I say it, it was nice feeling cool for a change! My allotment and the countryside beyond needed this rain so much, the ground was starting to resemble light grey sand.

I can see tonnes of convection here at the lotty! I'd bet on a shower today. Warning for those east of London tomorrow for those imports http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings#?date=2017-07-10

Can now see towers going up to my south-west over Berkshire/Reading.

Fabulous towers to my east and SW....but we've been taken out of the warning area

Crumbs, weather warning for rain today and tomorrow. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings#?date=2017-06-27&lat=51.6158&lon=-0.7337 Not likely I'll be watering the lotty this week!

33.1.c on the shady side of the flat. I'm sure it's been hotter while I've lived here, but it's never felt hotter. Nothing more unpleasanr on a very hot day than not having any outside space and living on a busy A road. Think today has been the clincher for us to move. Currently sat with my feet in a bucket of cold water!!

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings#?date=2017-06-22 Warnings updated for tomorrow including parts of the SE. Storm dance Dami?

Reading 27.5.c for both indoor and outdoor now. I love hot summer days...but I hate it when there's no dip in temps in the evenings or an evening storm. When you've had heat all day but there's no end to it, then it's just horrible and sleeping isn't restful. I grew up in Saudi Arabia as my Dad is an engineer and 27.c was a middle of the night sort of temperature but I just can't cope with warm nights as an adult!! Oh to have air con!!