SnowBear

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On the last sat pic, one that Kane posted, could you get a more perfect example of a fully formed and symmetric hurricane? Thats text book stuff. This will equal, or be bigger than Andrew I fear. I aint far out at the moment on landfall prediction, about 40 or 50 miles west of current NOAA predictions. All I can say is, blessings and thoughts to wherever this makes landfall.

well, as I understand it, many factors determine the path, sea temp, surrounding highs and lows, land masses, earths spin, moisture feeds, jet streams, and much more, a very complicated array of factors. Way I look at it, take a child's spinning top toy, and try to determine the path it will take once it is set spinning on slightly uneven ground, pretty much impossible. I dont think we will ever get completely accurate with these things, too many variables, just when we think we have got the hang of forecasting them fairly accurately, one or two will come along and cause mayhem and just wont conform to what we know or expect. Accuracy is improving though, and more time being given to evacuate etc, which is the main thing. Sometimes, that accuracy in my view, is down to plain old intuition and "gut feeling" especially when the computer modelling cant handle the path it is taking.

Yes, its moving too quickly west I think for a turn back to FL, or even maybe AL, lets hope I am wrong about New Orleans/Baton Rouge, cos anywhere this one makes landfall, and with the increased time its going to have in the Gulf to draw strength, its going to make a real mess. Cat 4-5. Who knows, these things can turn around in an hour and back track and surprise us all. This one is slightly lower in latitude crossing FL than the previous Hurricanes that hit the FL panhandle, and more momentum westwards I feel. Revising my estimate, east TX - AL, Cat 4 - 5, landfall position, same as before.

Well, this one I think is going to surprise us all and any forecast on track is going to be, for now at least, a wild guess!! Landfall could be anywhere, from TX to FL. Here is mine, Cat 4-5 on landfall.

1987, I spent that night, drenched to the skin, dodging debris, saving cats, dogs and rabbits from their living areas, I was lodging at a family's who reared dogs, cats and rabbits, and also looked after police and RAF dogs, show dogs, show rabbits etc. The living areas for the animals was severely flooding in the small hours of the night. We didnt lose any animals and all were fine. The place the next morning tho, was a mess, a conservatory gone, the animal areas needed much repair and drying out, a garage roof severely damaged, the kennel section had no roof, the lane (the place had a half mile drive way) was flooded for most of its length and wasnt passable for at least a week, trees down everywhere on the grounds and on the meadow round the back of the house. I spent most of the following week, chainsaw in hand, clearing trees and bushes. Across the railway embankment, a holiday caravan park, many of the caravans turned over, some smashed, it took them some time to get straight for the next season. Once I could get to work, the journey to work, through North Essex and into Suffolk to Woodbridge was amazing, bits of trees laying all over, waterlogged fields, damaged buildings. Definitely a storm I wont forget, and havent seen the like of since.

Could be a number of reasons. It could be a drainage problem as well as hydrangeas hate their roots being puddled, clay is not the best for drainage unfortunately and the plant may have roots waterlogged which is definitely not good for a hydrangea as the plant will rot from the inside, the effects of overwatering can be similar to underwatering with regard to brown leaves etc, difference being the plant doesnt "pick up" after watering on a hot day. Is the plant accessable to the public?...it might be that a dog has wee'd up against it. I have had quite a few plants now ruined that way. If its just the leaf edges on the outer layers of the plant turning brown/scorched then it could be the sun on wet leaves after overhead watering, in effect "boiling" the leaves. Always water at the base of plants when the sun is out except in mid to late evening. I would get a bag of compost, one of those ones from a DIY store, 3 for £10 or 2 for £10 ones, (60 or 80L bags) really dig as much of that in around the plant as you can for an area up to 2' away from the plant, use the whole bag if need be. After sprinkle Growmore onto the soil (slow release fertiliser) at the recommendation of the box, rake that lightly in all around the plant, and use Gro-more say once every 2 weeks for the rest of the summer. Wish you luck and hope it revives quickly

2 storms for Colchester this afternoon, I am on the east side of Colchester. 1st storm, came from south and moved through north, increasing in intensity Lightning and thunder approx. 2 to 3 per minute High winds when passing over, torrential rain, looked very much "hurricane" fashion 1 burst pea sized hail of approx 2-3 minutes 1 burst large grape size hail, 2cm or a little larger of approx 2 minutes Once storm passed updraught and small rotation observed on the back edge of the storm, though nothing formed specifically, very "ragged", this would have been over the Middlewick/Hythe area of Colchester for any other reports that come in of any significance. 2nd storm, same direction, this one seemed to build and intensify over my area Slightly more intense lightning and thunder, 3 to 4 per minute at times Little wind No hail Heavy rain Dave