[Northwest England regional thread 3 /3 onwards]

Feels distinctly autumnal today which is of course par for the course. True to form the hot weather finished promptly just as the schools broke up.  Probably Atlantic dross all month until the start of September when high pressure will re-assert itself just as the autumn term begins.

Been the same for most of my 68 years with the exception of 1976 when the autumnal weather did actually wait for  the arrival of September.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

1 hour ago, Ed Stone said:

Fair comments...The long, hot summer may well be drawing to a close - especially when considering that it is August, after all?

But does anyone know what it'll be like in, say, four weeks' time? In a word - no. Nobody knows! At that range, even the 'experts' are, to a large extent, reliant on (albeit educated) guesswork?

Summer 1976 finished with a bang - literally.  The hot weather broke just after Late August Holiday.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

15 hours ago, Ed Stone said:

What a wunch of bankers they have at the Daily Excess!

Would that article be by Nathan Rao?

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

3 minutes ago, DAVID SNOW said:

Genuine question; would a UV lamp or some sort of 'light box' help?

It's not UV but a specific wavelength of blue light (if I remember correctly its 450nm).  I've got a pukka SAD lamp but will have to bring it out as soon as the nights really begin to draw in.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

2 hours ago, stainesbloke said:

Haha, yes, can’t wait for months of darkness, wind, rain, mud and slush, if lucky. What’s not to look forward to, being cooped up indoors? 

......................and SAD

[Summer 2018 - Moans, Ramps, Chat etc]

15 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

I think we are entering a period of colder winters, and it wouldn’t surprise me if 18/19 is cold or colder than the 17/18 one. Possibly followed by another dry hot summer. 

There is a school of thought that we are entering a Grand Minimum, which I agree with. However it might take a few more years before the cooling trend can be confirmed.

[Summer 2018 - Moans, Ramps, Chat etc]

5 hours ago, Yarmy said:

I don't think I can ever recall seeing the grass and vegetation quite so scorched and tinder dry. Personally, I'm enjoying it and want to see how long it can go on. Even the nights have not been that oppressive. It does make me wonder what will happen when the rain finally does come because the ground is rock hard and impermeable.

I did during summer '76.  We were so short of water they were going to have tankers full of treated sewage to use for wild firefighting and irrigation.  As soon as a Minister for Drought was appointed, the weather broke.  Here the heat broke just after the late August bank holiday with some spectacular thunderstorms.  Before someone starts quoting stats this is from memory and  of course subjective.

[Northwest England regional thread 3 /3 onwards]

Anyone on two wheels, pedal or motorised, should take it very easy. After weeks of drought this rain will turn the roads into greasy skid pans.

 

[Northwest England regional thread 3 /3 onwards]

Had to bring in the (dried) washing as it's started RAINING!

[The changing daylight hours thread]

On 09/07/2018 at 18:31, cheese said:

I feel the same for some reason - this year more than last year I'm dreading the return to pre-4pm sunsets. Maybe it's because the weather's been so nice? 

I actually like the short days around Christmas because it can feel pretty cosy, but otherwise it's rather depressing. I hope we get some snow to brighten things up a bit.

I'm dreading the return of winter as do anyone who suffers from SAD, also the huge heating bills.

  

[Summer 2018 - Moans, Ramps, Chat etc]

I'm concerned over the possible outcome of ex-TS Chris stirring up the atmosphere.  The past few years' summers have started well but as soon as we had an ex-hurricane or ex-TS arrive on the scene in July or August the result was the ushering in of an early autumn.  Bear in mind my location - the south-east fared well but not here in the NW.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

13 minutes ago, Mokidugway said:

I feel there's a potential for a fairly severe winter 18 -19  who knows lol

Winter 62/63 was the most severe in living memory, however summer '62 was appalling: LP dominated, cloudy, wet and chilly.  The best word to describe summer '63 was mediocre with a wet end to August. However autumn '63 was quite spectacular: Warm and sunny, much better than the preceding summer.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

8 hours ago, stevofunnelcl said:

it's just as serious for the homeless, the very young / old, people with hayfever or asthma, as the cold weather was back in February

I'm 68, asthmatic and with heart failure - I'm lovin't it. 

It's the lousy British winter that's potentially lethal for me.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

23 hours ago, Mokidugway said:

Another fantastic day ,can only hope it stays till October

Hopefully this summer is a re-run of 1976 

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

13 hours ago, matty007 said:

Thinking about it, this has to be the best weather I can remember since I was born in 92. Sure, I just recall much hotter periods like August 2003, July 2006 and July 2013, and of course the 36c in July 2015 but they are only singular months and spells interspersed with mediocrity. 

I experienced the summer of 1976, that was a real summer.  Three months of sun and heat.   Prior to then, 1959 was another scorcher.

Today, another day unspoiled by bloody cloud thank heavens. 

[Summer 2018 - Moans, Ramps, Chat etc]

20 minutes ago, danm said:

It's so unusual to see the hottest weather over west Wales/NW England/N Ireland and W Scotland. 

Not really.  Hawarden (nr. Chester) often features in highest temps. in the UK as it did yesterday.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

I'm off to Swindon then Swansea with a mate on a lorry delivery then back home.  Looking at temp. figures it'll be similar to here, 26C max.  Glad I'm just the passenger and don't have to drive.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

16 hours ago, cheese said:

A summer where at least July and August are warmer, sunnier and drier than average. If June ends up being the best this summer has to offer then it will go down as a bad one.

We deserve a decent summer after a.) previous poor to middling summers and b.) that awful, five-month-long winter we've recently endured.  This summer does have the scent of 1976.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

2 minutes ago, Ed Stone said:

I thought you'd be running a cold one, Pete?

I now prefer being warm especially as I'm getting on a bit.   Couldn't do any winter swimming this year due to stay in hospital but I hope to do so next winter.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

47 minutes ago, markyo said:

I suppose its like the drama queens in winter that cry at how cold it is for a few days...getting warm is a lot easier than getting cool don't forget,sleepless nights also are not a problem in winter. Its not only the heat but the irritation that the conditions ie very high pollen levels causes. 

Keeping warm in winter is very expensive.  During the extreme cold during last February it was costing me  nearly £5 a day for gas and electricity (smart meters so have an energy monitor).  I live in a ground-floor flat so no roof to lose heat, have cavity insulation and double glazing.  In contrast today's bill is so far 97p although that'll go up by about 20p when I run a hot bath later.  That sum includes the standing charges, about 74p.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

On 21/06/2018 at 15:24, mushymanrob said:

the point is that people who DO live in extreme heat/cold, DO acclimatise to it. in previous heatwaves where ive worked in 30c+ temps in the sun (with dirt and insects) you do get used to it.  thats not the same as your conditions where after work youre back into normal conditions.

 

However acclimatisation to heat lasts just a few weeks after exposure when heat tolerance reverts to normal.  Acclimatisation to cold is very diifferent.  Acclimatisation to extreme cold involves physiolgical adaptation through long training and you keep it for life.  Check my avatar

[Northwest England regional thread 3 /3 onwards]

Could see my breath when bringing in the washing.  Cold and not good for the Summer Solstice.  We have more than enough cold for most of the year so I resent autumnal weather in late June.

[Model Moans, Ramps and Banter]

On 19/06/2018 at 07:11, stainesbloke said:

I don’t think anyone wants oppressively humid conditions. Warmth, yes. It’s cold and cloudy most of the year in this crappy climate, so it’s nice to feel the heat occasionally. 

There’s only so much moaning one should do before one does something about it. Getting air conditioning or similar at home is clearly one answer, if summers here are so awfully uncomfortable. 

Possible 30C next week.  Bring it on 

Immeasurably better than the cold, windy, wet crap that is the British norm.

[Changes to images in posts]

3 hours ago, Paul said:

Facebook doesn't allow linking images like that I don't think. You just need to copy and paste the url of the post with the image into your post and the system will embed it. 

Thanks Paul,

I added my image to my Flikr account and just added the URL to my post and, et voilà, it worked!

[UK Bike week - Get out there; sort the puncture and off to work, to college, up a hill or to the shops]

I have to use a bike anyway as I have a bad heart and can't walk very far before tiring.  This is my "bad boy": RichBit Top 860: alloy frame, magnesium alloy wheels, 21 speed gears, full suspension including hydraulic front forks ...................and electric motor (yes, I cheat).