Northernlights

Some interesting cloudscapes this afternoon. A snow shower heading inland to the Cairngorms. A photo trying to show the cliffs at Dunbeath in the clear arctic air.The mountain that looks like a volcano can be seen looking SW from Orkney and looks the same distance as it does from here. Another small wintry shower over the Firth to the NE

JUst had a heavy shower and temperature went from 10c to 4c in five minutes.

Another cool start here at 5c .Snow on the tops of the hills all round the Firth.A few wintry looking showers across the Firth too and a fresh NW wind with an arctic sky More heavy showers overnight have left the ground too wet to cultivate for neeps so a June sowing looks on the cards.

After a very wet night , a cool start to the day at 6.00am of 5c. Currently 10c with an arctic airstream with wintry looking showers across the Firth to the north which must be falling as snow on the tops as the temperature on the summit of Cairngorm is -1.3c

Had a period from about 2nd April to 18th May without any rain and soil suface was just talcum powder. Since 18th May its rained nearly every day with today no exception a very wet morning ,almost dry afternoon and another wet evening. Wrote an article for a farmers magazine in 2013 where I stated that the UK had lost its benign climate and this feast and famine with regards to rainfall along with huge regional variations seems to back this up .

Very wet morning followed by a brighter afternoon and more rain this evening. Very humid this afternoon but cooler this evening at 10c.A few dry weather jobs beginning to stack up now and this coming week looks a bit unsettled so more patience required.

Went out at 5.30 am this morning to scrape up spilt dung in front of steading after mucking out a fold yesterday. Nice and cool and dry Went to local farm sale this morning after finishing scraping at 9.30 am. Stayed dry till midday. Actually we are not in dire need of more rain just now but it culd be dry later in the summer and so we might be grateful for this weekends. Was not going to do scraping this afternoon in the rain we currently have Currently 9c.

A bit of a weather related story .We have a very large black tom cat called Senior Mick who about 6 weeks ago went on one of his regular walkabouts disappearing without trace. These happen mostly in long spells of dry weather and end when the weather becomes wet so this morning about 5.00am I was woken by this yowling cat. The wanderer has returned absolutely saturated and really starving although he is still in good condition .Right now he is loudly purring at the feed bowl. I think this does not augur well for the weather in the near future Very wet again this morning and currently 9c

Seems we are about 70% down on numbers of swallows sand martins and swifts round the farm buildings this year so it will be a pretty quiet summer. Normally can"t put car in old garage at this time of year as it gets into a big mess very quickly but of around 12 nests on the rafters only 2 are occupied this year.Had a very good breeding season last year. Reading reports that a lot of these birds are being shot and netted on their way through Africa for the Chinese market or is it climate change that is impacting them. Other native birds are still emptying the feeder every day.Too cold for much insect life today.

Well in this neck of the woods we can certainly say that we have lost our benign climate in the UK having gone from raging moorland fires and extreme dry to saturated ground in under four days .Its currently 6c too with heavy rain and a north wind .

Well in this neck of the woods we can certainly say that we have lost our benign climate in the UK having gone from raging moorland fires and extreme dry to saturated ground in under four days .Its currently 6c too with heavy rain and a north wind .

Steady rain here tonight which in a way is great but has stopped any thoughts of sowing turnips for a day or two.Currently 9c.

Damp misty start to the day at 9c.We had a lovely day yesterday with mostly light to moderate rain all day.Crops and grass already looking better In spite of the rain the helicopters were still fighting the fire most of Saturday morning and it is still smoking this morning

Its RAINING Hooray!!!!!

Fire at Dunphail carried on all day in a fresh NE wind. Small helicopter water bombed it all afternoon then this evening the thud-thud of a chinook could be heard and sure enough you could see one occasionaly next to the clouds of smoke. I think the flames were getting near to some houses and mature forests and more resources were probably brought in. Cloud approaching from the east ,almost no wind now and currently 9c

In this neck of the woods the biggest threat to ground nesting birds are vast numbers of badgers who have already destroyed a pheasants nest/eggs on the farm road and our last remaining oyster catchers in the adjacent field. They are so numerous and hungry that we see them foraging in broad daylight.50 years we had one sett on the farm now we have 10 within a mile.My theory is that the thousands of tame pheasants released every summer who all roost on the ground provide a winter diet that keep more predators like badgers alive than any naturally occuring wild prey would so even more birds eggs get eaten. Farmers being blamed for the loss of farmland birds is unfair in my opinion.

Have to correct myself on location of the fire as can still see smoke to east out of bathroom window agaist the rising dawn sky.Its nearer than I thought at Dunphail which is just 5 to 6 miles away and seems to be a completely new fire.

A few photos of the fire just now which is about 15 to 20 miles SE of us

A few photos of the fire just now which is about 15 to 20 miles SE of us.

Well there are going to be a lot of tired firefighters praying for rain in the north of Scotland as I have just posted this in the Scottish thread.Farm is desperate for water too. "Fabulous day again but with a fresh to strong SE wind at 18c and 25% RH .This has just reignited the fire to the SE of us at Knockando so the smoke looks very ominous against the backround of a very blue cloudless sky. This is going to be a long summer if it stays dry."

Fabulous day again but with a fresh to strong SE wind at 18c and 25% RH .This has just reignited the fire to the SE of us at Knockando so the smoke looks very ominous against the backround of a very blue cloudless sky. This is going to be a long summer if it stays dry. Have to say in nearly 60 years here I have never seen such large wildfires or them starting up again after being subdued.

Just updated forecast for my postcode has lost all the rain that was predicted for the weekend just 6 hours ago. Its the story of the last year when ever rain is forecast say 4 days away by the time we are two days nearer it disappears on the forecast.

Just thought I"d post this in here from the Scottish thread as the drought here is really beginning to bite. High summer again today currently 19c with a bit of a sea breeze. R.H .of 25% too Mrs Northernlights retired at at the of March after 38 years teaching and has been working in the garden a lot ,weed control very easy with the very dry surface. Told her its not always so easy to keep clean. However the extremely dry conditions are starting to slow grass growth domestic grasses will not need cutting again until we get some rain. and the farm is just like a dust bowl every movement of a tractor raises clouds of dust. And the wild fire risk is rising fast again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-48280002

High summer again today currently 19c with a bit of a sea breeze. R.H. of 25% too. Mrs Northernlights retired at at the of March after 38 years teaching and has been working in the garden a lot ,weed control very easy with the very dry surface. Told her its not always so easy to keep clean. However the extremely dry conditions are starting to slow grass growth domestic grasses will not need cutting again until we get some rain. and the farm is just like a dust bowl every movement of a tractor raises clouds of dust. And the wild fire risk is rising fast again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-48280002

Fabulous day again growth really taking off. A reasonable number of swallows and sand martins here now busy nest refurbishing. Also the first pair of swifts arrived at the farmhouse so high summer is here as they scream round the house in the late evening.