mike Meehan
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Posts posted by mike Meehan
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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
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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!
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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.
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When a were't lad I really did sleep with a chamber pot under't bed and I always had my bedroom window open - house heating then was by means of a fire in the lounge which went out at night, the windows were single glazed and there was a layer of frost on the insides on the colder nights and one morning I got up to find there was a layer of ice in the chamber pot.
By - yer tell 'em now 'an they won't believe yer.
Sinced then I moved south and during the course of the years have developed into a southern softie with central heating and double glazing to the extent that I find 21C is an ideal slumber temperature.
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As far as I am aware most of the public are aware of the potential of global warming but to be fair I do get the impression that some of the information put foward has been tweaked a little and this does tend to discredit the argument which is not helped by goverments charging carbon tax, which many people, including myself view this as unjust, especially when multi nationals appear to be taking the lion's share of any profits in this respect.
I believe that the best way to go forward is to give incentives to the ordinary householder to encourage them to fit such things as solar heating and pv panels, heat pumps and other methods of sustainable energy. This could be done by more grants and the costs of such items and fuel bills where these items are fitted could be zero rated. Even at 5%, te VAT costs add up over the course of year.
Over the past few years the costs of energy for domestic use have far exceeded the rate of inflation.
Also if the demand were to be increased further, economies of scale would reduce the installation costs, so a snowball effect could be generated.
With the proper encouragement I would estimate that the domestic use of energy could be reduced by say, 30% which would lead us well on the way towards meeting our targets as a nation.
There is also the question that with the right R & D we could develop more systems as a country and who knows, break into the export market and help improve the parlous state of our economy.
For myself I am having an air to air heat pump fitted for supplementary heating and cooling and waiting for a 4 kilowatt pv system also to be fitted.
Looking into my crystal ball, energy prices are only going to go in one direction and that is up and this could happen to such an extent where ordinary people would find it difficult to make the initial outlay even though over time they would be better off in the long term.
As it is, climate change is a low priority to our people at the moment when such things as keeping a roof over their head and ensuring they have food on the table take priority.
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I suspect it has something to do with the proximity of the sea, but not just that but its temperature as well, together with the question of whether the wind originates from the land or sea which has the effect of evening out diurnal patterns of temperature, as in the case of Athens whereas Madrid which is pretty well inland has more marked differences.
I note also the differences become smaller with height.
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It appears, despite what they say there was an inbalance in between the amount of matter and anti matter, or that one was quicker than the other at breaking down - I can't imagine that the the two sides would have been absolutely even, since I had always thought that matter and anti matter would cancel each other out but we are here and this is a testament to some slight imbalance.
As to what happened to the rest - could this be the elusive dark matter and dark energy?
However it does enable the Starship Enterprise to achieve some amazing warp speeds
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I kept getting an empty post on my lap top but I pressed F5 a couple of times and this seems to have cured it
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I can't see how a meaningful debate can ensue if we split the climate debate into 'fors', 'againsts' and 'undecided's'.
In order to get the best benefit us lower orders need to hear both sides of the argument and by that way learn and possible come to s decision if and when the evidence is there to support it.
From my point of view I fall into two camps - the first being that of natural cycles with the second being that the activities of man, especially as far as deforestation, together with some pollution of the atmosphere must have some effect but the evidence is not totally compelling either way otherwise these arguments would not occur as they do at present.
What we really need is for people to take the emotion out of this argument and look at it objectively which is the proper way to investigate anything.
I believe that there are too many people who decide on which path to follow, then cherry pick evidence to support whichever theory they support - that is not science.
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Alto cumulus Lenticularis
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An interesting program on the box the other night explored the possibility of insects and suchlike for public consumption - apparently this is quite common in Thailand and neigbouring countries.
They contain more protien than normal meats and are more efficient in producing this at much less cost and do not take up anything like the land area needed to produce conventional meat. As such they could be the answer to possible world food shortages.
However our western taste is not acclimatised to eating such things as fried grasshoppers so such food would need to be processed to appeal to our delicate sensitivities - on the other hand we think nothing of eating crabs, lobsters, langoustine, prawns and shrimps which are the really marine versions of which we describe as the insect variety of food - in fact they are sought after as quite a delicacy.
Grasshopper cocktail anybody?
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I don't know why all the fuss about farmers and wildlife, and people that work outside, as the planet and people have managed for thousands of years in much worse conditions.
If you work outside then the weather is an occupational hazzard that comes with the job, and if you don't like the weather, then get an office job.
Nobody has mentioned poor people that can't afford heating though, but who cares as long as animals and plants are ok.
Rant over!
That's not really very well thought through - yes the world and some of the wild life and crops still survive a cold spring and winter but often at quite some cost to their populations. It also means extra heating costs and eventually extra food costs in the delay to the growing cycle and if by any chance the bees got killed off altogether we would be up Sierra Hotel India Tango creek because a lot of crops would not get pollinated leading to a food shortage.
Like a lot of people on this forum, I love cold and snow but at the right time of year just as in the summer I love the warmth and blue skies. I have spent many a time out in the cold and in all weathers working.
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Ye you're right guys no need commenting on the GFS 18Z!
Zonal rubbish!The CFS still hinting at a prolonged period of high pressure and warmer temperatures where 20C could easily be reached in the south after a couple of days of some rain cloud and warmer temperatures . It has been showing this since the 28th and I find when the 12z (I only look at the 12z) is consistent there is some truth behind it.
Period of low pressure (9th-14th):
http://modeles.meteo...fs-0-174.png?12
http://modeles.meteo...fs-0-216.png?12
http://modeles.meteo...fs-0-240.png?12
Period of high pressure:
http://modeles.meteo...fs-0-288.png?12
http://modeles.meteo...fs-0-336.png?12
http://modeles.meteo...fs-0-378.png?12
http://modeles.meteo...fs-0-456.png?12
http://modeles.meteo...fs-0-534.png?12
If only
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Right now I am gagging for a significant rise in temperature and really hoping that this year we can have a decent summer.
It hasn't esaped me that this, so far, very cold spring is likely to have a significant impact on agriculture - I wonder whether there will be sufficient bees around for pollination and will late frosts adversely affect the fruit trees,
On the other hand with a relatively slow thaw in the worst affected parts will mean that the chances of flooding could be diminished.
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Am I right in thinking that this area was originally tropical rain forest which was cleared to create pasture for cattle? - if so it is little wonder that the area has become drier - as far as I am aware forested areas are quite a big player in climate -not only do they take in a lot of CO2 but during respiration the leaves of these forest trees put a good deal of water vapour back into the atmosphere which increases overall rainfall over a wider area.
Turn it into pasture and there is nothing like the same feedback and not only that cattle fart putting more greenhouse gas into the atmospere in the form of methane which is more effective at keeping the heat in than the CO2.
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Talking of comets hitting planets, new research has suggested the impact that wiped out the Dinosaurs and most other life on Earth 65 million years ago was caused by a comet, not an asteroid as has been generally thought.
http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-21709229
The space rock that hit Earth 65m years ago and is widely implicated in the end of the dinosaurs was probably a speeding comet, US scientists say.
Researchers in New Hampshire suggest the 180km-wide Chicxulub crater in Mexico was carved out by a smaller object than previously thought.
For this smaller space rock to have produced a 180km-wide crater, it must have been travelling relatively quickly. The team found that a long-period comet fitted the bill much better than other possible candidates.
"You'd need an asteroid of about 5km diameter to contribute that much iridium and osmium. But an asteroid that size would not make a 200km-diameter crater," said Dr Moore.
"So we said: how do we get something that has enough energy to generate that size of crater, but has much less rocky material? That brings us to comets."
Not forgetting that it appears that the Earth along with the other planets of the Solar system were pretty well bombarded during their early life and current theories maintain that a good part of the water on Earth today was delivered by comets with icy cores, though they are finding now that some of the asteroids are of ice rather than rock.
Either way, whether it be a collision or a near miss, it should present great opportunities for study.
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Eventually it will warm up and relentlessly posting ensembles and FI charts to show this will eventually come right in much the same way as continually posting cold FI charts will also verify - eventually.
Realistically though it will be a long haul out of the cold blocked pattern as John Holmes rightly points out by referring to the 500hPa anomaly charts for guidance.
We are in a fantastic synoptic period and there is a unique beauty in the relentless cold dry weather which is so rare and different from the usually bland mediocre stuff we normally have to endure. I raise a glass to the mighty Northern Block - just hope if it does decline it will come back again fully invigorated for a 6 months stint November thru' April next winter would do nicely.
I suppose the good news is that if the northern block decides to become a lasting feature, eventually as the northern latitudes heat up, as they will with the progression of the seasons, it will eventually bring most of us us into quite a pleasant easterly air stream, except for some parts of the east coast which are likely to experience the North Sea Stratus from time to time.
I recall some of this when I was living in Lincolnshire when we had some dull misty cool days in June during 1959, though that summer turned out to be quite exceptional overall.
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to highlight the difference altitude makes, here just down the road in derby its wet slush, as was expected yesterday.
im finding it hard to believe the snowtotals the bbc suggest IF other low lying areas are getting the slushfest i am, let alone some of the more ambitious totals that have been suggested .
a bitter cold few days ahead in a strong easterly as the precipitation zone sinks southward. cloudy and dull at first for many, esp southerly areas. sun breaking through in northern areas first , but bitterly cold with severe overnight frosts.
interesting mid week, as the wind eases and theres more sun, it could lead to fog, freezing fog, as snow melts by day but freezes at night ? .... any expert think this is likely? its just unusual to get fog at this time of the year, or at least its gone by daytime!
the good old gfs still suggests a warm up next weekend, one day it will be right!
but atm im far from expecting a sudden and decisive switch from winter to spring, even when the milder weather does get here it wouldnt surprise me to get more cold spells. this happened in the cold spring of 79, cold upto easter weekend which was sunny and very warm, then more cold weather came back in early may with some wintriness.It does remind me of 04.04.1964, the day I got married, when we had snow showers at Berkhamsted, then we flew to Jersey where we had a marvellous week of blue skies and we able to sit out on the beach.
Spring is very often a battle ground with winter still fighting a rear guard action whilst warmer weather tries to encroach - I just hope the warmer weather comes sooner rather than later.
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Disappointing - although it snowed on a number of days it was mostly the wet variety at Watford.
Roll on spring now with some warm sunny weather - can't wait.
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Haha, I was meaning more bright, clear but frosty really, suggesting that it doesn't always have to snow for cold weather to be enjoyed....by some....!! But now I'm off topic, so I'll quit before the 'police' take me away......
But it's not so pretty
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Is that a Thames streamer we are getting or the remnants of that old front?
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Just down the road from you Mike and its suprising how little has settled given its been snowing for almost 9 hours in this area now.
It's very marginal and height and location are going to make a difference - we left our daughter's place in Bedmond about 1830 hours yesterday and more had settled there than Watford where it was only just beginning to get white - often her place is about 1C cooler than us - it is surprising in some ways because the NW forecast shows a thickness of some 532 dam, an 850 temp of -2c for my address and it is still snowing.
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Probably about 2 to 3cms at Watford, slightly above freezing, still snowing but not so heavy as it has been - the problem is that with it being so sticky it has gunged up the tv satellite dish which is facing into wind and can't get any programs on it.
A bit more to come according to the satellite.
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I'd never heard of this before but a chap gave a talk on it to us today.
http://www.newscient...ate-change.html
Sounds like a really great idea and apparently it has been round or the past 2000 years, so I can't really understand why it has been in the back ground for so long.
Not only only is relatively clean water conserved for household use and irrigation, it evens out its availability between wet and dry seasons - the planting of trees around these raises the water table and can go on to develop a micro climate.
As far as I see it is win win situation in hotter more arid areas with seasonal rainfall with an added advantage of less open water to give the mozzies encouragement to breed.
Edit: This was further followed by David Attenborough's program on the box this evening when he described a massive undertaking of tree planting across the Salhal from coast to coast in an attempt to stop the encroachment of the Sahara desert.
Some of the people who were nothing more really than local tribes people were making remarkable efforts to preserve their environment - I take my hat off to them and it is heartening to see that such people still exist.
Zonal rubbish!
but atm im far from expecting a sudden and decisive switch from winter to spring, even when the milder weather does get here it wouldnt surprise me to get more cold spells. this happened in the cold spring of 79, cold upto easter weekend which was sunny and very warm, then more cold weather came back in early may with some wintriness.
Favourite well known hotel chain!
in Weather Around The World
Posted · Edited by mike Meehan
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