mike Meehan

No doubt there were many forests in the area which is now the North Sea before its inundation and this would only have been circa 7000 years ago. Personally I would love to refill that area - it could be done by starting off with the Dogger Bank gradually depositing what reasonably clean waste materials we have there so that it a reasonably quick time we would develop Dogger Island, then over time expand it from there. By the time it is completed it would then put us in the position of having a more continental climate, which I would love, though I would foresee that there would be some dissenters, e.g. the Thames Streamer Lovers, who like the additional snow in winter but on the more positive side this would be compensated by colder easterlies.

This proposed fishing ban is a step in the right direction - it's amazing what is turning up in the oceans and it supports the view that we know more about space than what we do in our own oceans. Personally I would like to see significant portions of the sea blocked off for decades at a time to give chance for fish stocks to improve, though this is a bit more complicated than it appears at face value because many species migrate with the seasons. I would also like to see the current system of deep sea trawling changed altogether - the trawl nets cause a lot of damage to the sea bed and are indiscriminate about what ends up in the net. In the period between the wars, my step-father was a fisherman out of Grimsby and then they would sail as far as Newfoundland and catch the cod by line fishing - this involved members of the crew being set off in small boats from the parent ship and dropping a multitude of baited hooks over the side to catch the fish but at least it was sustainable. It was labour intensive but in those days the cod were big, so I am sure that if some R & D were to be put into this it could be a system brought up to date - meanwhile the cod and other fish in the protected areas could grow to become large again. We owe it to future generations to develop sustainable fishing rather than the wholesale rape of the sea we get today and there is little doubt that if we treat the sea right it will treat us right.

I think that there are many people with pre-conceived ideas and when they investigate they will pick up on the evidence which agrees with their theory to the detriment of other evidence which may be around. Not the right way to do it but an understandable human trait.

11 billion light years - getting fairly close to the big bang, though just enough time for the formation for the birth and death of a massive star which would have a much shorter life span than our sun - I wonder?

Don't recall seeing any so far at Watford this year, not too many bees about either - put it down to a cold spring putting things generally a month behind - have noticed that the hawthorn is still in blossom and don't they call that mayflower?

I can see part of the reason for having such big aircraft since they are more economic to operate with a plentiful supply of passengers, however I do worry about what happens when landing at the other end of the journey with a few hundred people disembarking, causing log jams at immigration, carousels and customs etc and could well imagine the frustration of passengers trying to get through these formalities, especially if a few of these large sized aircraft land at the same time. I think it would be up to the airports to try and arrange the landing slots for these aircraft with this in mind but the best will in the world is not going to prevent these things from happening sometimes, since there can be so many unpredictable circumstances, the weather not being the least, which can upset the plans of mice and men.

If my memory serves correct, it is fairly cold sea current there which originates from way up north by Alaska - I would suggest the best way of deciding whether it is going to be a gloomy day by the beach is to determine the direction of the wind - if the wind is travelling from the sea to the land, the likelihood is that it could be gloomy, very much like we get in the UK and early summer when the North Sea is still relatively cold and we get an easterly wind blowing in off the sea and this brings with it what I know as North Sea Stratus but there are a number of names depending on the region. On the other hand if the wind is blowing from the land to the sea the likelihood is that it will be fine especially when you consider that the interior of California has very dry desert conditions.

Naw, it will do mankind a favour, with the extra fuel thrown into the system it may delay the sun becoming a red giant, in about 5 billion years time, by a few micro seconds.

What we need is a giant orbital vacuum cleaner and when the bag gets full jettison it off towards the sun where it will vaporise along with its contents. It is a hazard though which will continue to get worse as the years progress and one day they will cause an accident.

It wasn't in 1976 - the weather was super then

It does happen - I recall reading about a tornado in the area of Toulouse about a year ago.

I agree with that - it looks like we have three basic levels, with the bottom being bits of cumulus with a layer of stratocumulus above with the highest being patchy altostratus. It makes we wonder what gave the CC the energy to continue its upward thrust, The cloud cover does not look very favourable for thermals.

They have been on the decline for some years now, though some more enlightened people are making efforts to improve their foraging areas. Let's face the rest of our food depends pretty much on them. Today I saw carpenter bee in our garden - I have a wood store for the fire there so this is a likely habitat. http://www.planetepassion.eu/WILDLIFE-IN-FRANCE/Carpenter-bee-France.html

Ah, a 'canicule' as they call it in France - I dare say that 40C has been achieved in the past and it will do so again but as to whether I see it will be a different matter - at the same time we now have an air to air heat pump which doubles as air con

I would prefer heights over the Alpine area to get a nice south/south easterly flow

The arctic gets the sun for 24 hours a day at this time of year allowing it o get warm - it doesn't mean that our weather is going to follow suit - it depends on those pesky jet streams and if they keep us in an Atlantic flow we will not get 30C.

That is so true and very hard to understand when we are supposed to have an innate instinct for survival, or is that negated by being inside a metal box?

Now there's a thing I was born in Lichfield at the end of 1942 but left before 1950 because my parents divorced - went back a couple a three times for the Lichfield Bower when my mum still had friends living there. As far as things unseen are concerned I have never experienced such things as ghosts or other things of the occult but I prefer to keep an open mind on the subject. I think that the sad thing is that there may be such things as genuine clairvoyants about, life after death and a possible spirit world but the number of charlatans about appear to have all but discredited them so nobody takes the subject seriously but as ordinary folk, how can we tell the difference between the genuine and the charlatans? Such things as fortune telling and making contact with the spirit world is an ideal medium, if you excuse the expression, to get the gullible to part with their cash and a practiced person to elicit such details from an interview, conversation and body language etc to make convincing deductions. At the same time, I not hold either with the idea that just because we can't see it, it does not mean to say that it does not exist. It's not that long ago when people did not have any knowledge of electricity and just look at the world now. As previously unknown things have been discovered in the past, so they will in the future and who knows where future discoveries will lead us.

I really hope that this cold spring is not followed by yet another imdifferent summer, we must be due for a good summer sometime. or is it the harbinger of a colder climate for a while? 1962 Cold. Dry Spring, Poor Summer. In the year that Algeria became an independent country, the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred when the USA demanded the dismantling of Soviet missiles in Cuba, and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan sacked 7 of his Cabinet in what was to become known as 'The Night of the Long Knives'. In the world of music, the British Charts were dominated by Elvis Presley who had a total of 15 weeks at number one with 4 hits, including the Christmas chart-topper 'Return to Sender.' Weather Notes:- 1st January - Minimum temperature of minus 16.1°C occurred at Northolt Airport (Greater London). 16th February - Severe westerly gales, with winds exceeding 65kn and perhaps locally 80kn, the result of lee troughing over the Pennines, brought heavy damage and some loss of life to Sheffield (South Yorkshire). 26th December - The start of a severe winter with snow blanketing large areas of the country. Much of the UK was to keep the ground snow covered until early March. In London... Temperature 9.6°C Rainfall 564.6 mm Warmest 25.0°C Sunshine 1489 hrs Coldest -7.0°C January - Sunny; rather mild and wet. Mean Temperature 5.3°C Monthly Highest 12.3°C Total Rain 71 mm Monthly Lowest -7.0°C Total Sun 66 hrs The start of the year was very cold and frosty, and after a severe frost over deep snow cover, the temperature on the 1st failed to rise above minus 0.7°C. It became much milder, changeable, and often windy from the end of the first week, and then the remainder of the month alternated between fairly sunny days, with temperatures close to normal, and damp but mild days. Much of the rain through January was light, but on the 21st, nearly 19mm of rain fell. February - Dry and mild with above average sunshine. Mean Temperature 5.2°C Monthly Highest 12.3°C Total Rain 16 mm Monthly Lowest -2.9°C Total Sun 68 hrs It was mostly mild during the first 3 weeks of February with plenty of dry weather. It was often breezy and that resulted in fewer than average night frosts.. Atlantic frontal systems occasionally passed through London, most of them weak, but on the 12th, nearly 8mm of rain fell with southwesterly winds gusting to 57kn. During the last week of the month, it became much colder, and on the 26th snow fell with the temperature not rising above minus 0.3°C all day. March - Very cold with below average rainfall and near normal sunshine. Mean Temperature 3.6°C Monthly Highest 13.2°C Total Rain 34 mm Monthly Lowest -4.9°C Total Sun 113 hrs The first 'Spring' month was colder than any month during the preceding winter. Frosty nights were much more frequent than normal, and sleet or snow fell on 10 days, although amounts were often trivial . On the 5th, the maximum temperature was only 2.2°C. Towards the end of the month, north to northeast winds were replaced by somewhat, cloudier milder, and moister southwesterlies. Atlantic fronts brought rain bands, and on the 29th nearly 10mm was measured. April - Rather dull and cold with below average rainfall. Mean Temperature 8.6°C Monthly Highest 20.5°C Total Rain 42 mm Monthly Lowest 1.6°C Total Sun 141 hrs The month had an unsettled start, and on the 4th there were over 10mm of rain recorded. However, in this frost-free month there was plenty of dry, if rather cloudy, weather. Temperatures were mainly below average, with the coldest weather occurring around mid month. On the 15th the maximum temperature was only 6.7°C. During the last week of the month there were several warm and fairly sunny days, and on the 26th the highest temperature was above 20°C. May - Cold, dull and rather dry. Mean Temperature 11.1°C Monthly Highest 17.6°C Total Rain 40 mm Monthly Lowest 3.1°C Total Sun 159 hrs The temperature rose above 17°C. on the 4th, and there were further occasional mild days until the middle of the second week, but generally it was a cool, cloudy and unsettled month. Rainfall, was generally light, but on the 4th more than 10mm of rain was recorded. A particularly cool day occurred on the 26th, when the maximum temperature only reached 9.3°C, and this was followed by an unseasonably chilly end to May but with plenty of sunshine. June - Very dry, rather sunny and cold. Mean Temperature 14.6°C Monthly Highest 25.0°C Total Rain 7 mm Monthly Lowest 3.5°C Total Sun 262 hrs Measurable rain only fell on 6 days during this month and there was plenty of sunshine. However, with winds predominantly from a north or northwesterly direction, temperatures in June were mostly low both by day and by night. On the 1st, the maximum was only 12.5°C, but during the first week, although nights were cool, there were sunny days. During the second week it was briefly warm, and on the 9th the temperature reached 25°C for the only time in the year. July - Very dull and cool with rainfall slightly below normal. Mean Temperature 16.3°C Monthly Highest 23.7°C Total Rain 59 mm Monthly Lowest 9.4°C Total Sun 133 hrs In this very disappointing summer month, the temperature on the 2nd reached 23.7°C, but 2 days later the maximum was only 14.1°C. There were many dry and rather cloudy days, and rain, which was generally light, was only recorded on 9 days. However, after 4 consecutive days when the afternoon temperature reached, or even exceeded, 21°C, the 26th was a cold and very wet day. The midday temperature was only 13°C and over 38mm of rain fell. August - Cool with above average rainfall and below average sunshine. Mean Temperature 15.8°C Monthly Highest 22.9°C Total Rain 62 mm Monthly Lowest 7.6°C Total Sun 173 hrs Although temperatures rose close to 21°C on the 1st and 2nd, the first fortnight was mostly cool and changeable. On the 6th, more than 21mm of rain fell and the temperature only reached 15.5°C. The weather briefly improved during the third week, with maxima exceeding 21°C. from the 18th through to the 20th including a high near 23°C on the 19th, but apart from the 31st, when 21°C occurred once again, the rest of the month was cool and changeable. September - Cool and wet with above average sunshine. Mean Temperature 13.6°C Monthly Highest 23.2°C Total Rain 72 mm Monthly Lowest 5.4°C Total Sun 152 hrs The first 3 days of the month were fairly warm with maximum temperatures reaching 21°C, including a high above 23°C on the 2nd, From the middle of the first week through to mid month temperatures were fairly close to normal and there were several sunny days. From the 16th until the end of the month it was mostly very cool, cloudy and changeable with showers or longer spells of rain. On the 21st the high was only 13.2°C, and on the 31st nearly 18mm of rain fell. October - Rather mild and sunny with below average rainfall. Mean Temperature 11.5°C Monthly Highest 18.7°C Total Rain 55 mm Monthly Lowest 1.3°C Total Sun 117 hrs On the 1st day of the month more than 19mm of rain fell, but the changeable and windy start to October was replaced by dry weather on the the 2nd, and no measurable rain fell again until the 25th. There were some misty mornings, and on both the 16th and 17th it was quite cold as fog lingered into the afternoon, but there were several pleasantly warm and sunny days. The last week was cool and changeable with maxima of only 9.7°C. on both the 27th and 29th. November - Dull, rather cold and fairly dry. Mean Temperature 6.6°C Monthly Highest 13.6°C Total Rain 51 mm Monthly Lowest -1.2°C Total Sun 37 hrs The opening day of November was wet with nearly 9mm of rain falling. Showers followed on the 2nd but it was the mildest day of the month. Rather mild and cloudy weather prevailed until the 10th and it then turned rather cold. After mid month, it became cold with a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow. On the 19th the maximum temperature was only 3.5°C. Highs of 12°C were recorded on the 24th and 25th, but it then became colder with a dull and damp end to the month. December - Very sunny and cold with above average rainfall. Mean Temperature 2.7°C Monthly Highest 13.2°C Total Rain 56 mm Monthly Lowest -4.7°C Total Sun 68 hrs After a rather cold and misty start to December, it became very cold with dense fog, much of it freezing. On the 5th, the temperature only reached minus 0.6°C. The fog lifted on the 7th followed by some mild sunshine. It then became unsettled, and on the 15th the high was above 13°C. It was sunny and rather cold from the 21st, but on the 26th it snowed and by the following morning 9cm was lying. Further snow accumulated during the remainder of the month.

Lovely pyrotechnic display in the sky - its great though in the last few years at Watford we have had a bit of a storm famine, Strangely enough it is good lightning storms and blizzards which grab my attention most; we rarely get anything like a full blown hurricane or a tornado in this country but I am quite happy to live without these, they cause too much damage.

Bloody Norah at my age I have to get up during the night to pay visits to the en suite and normally a quick puff gets me back to sleep again - the last thing I want to do is go down to the outside shelter for a quick puff in my 'y' fronts and in probability the patio heater will be switched off anyway. However if the worst came to the worst I would have to stick my head and pipe out of the bleeding window. What a state we have come to when a poor old sod like me can't enjoy the solace of his pipe without all these shanakins. I think I will stick with my coffee and croissant. 'Vous avez une chambre fumeur pour deux personnes s'il vous plait'

I rarely stay in hotels in the UK but when travelling through France I generally plump for the Ibis Hotels - they usually set aside some rooms as smoking rooms As far as I am aware there are no UK Hotel chains who allow this facility and being a slave to the weed it rather puts me off staying in them

I'll go for 14.1C - likely to be on the cool side for the first 3 weeks, then hopefully we will be in for a nice surprise when a hot spell boosts it up

Thanks Shuggee, however just before I saw your message I went to 'page' on my internet explorer and selected 'zoom' and zoomed it and eureka it worked. Much better for my tired old eyes!

Can I adjust the size of the text on this site? - it is ok on the PC but very small on the lap top - I have tried adjusting the size through the control panel but it makes no difference and the text on my E-Mail account with live appears normal.