charlton north-downs

Hi Folks Driving to work today along country lanes which are mostly flooded in heavy rain is quite a challenge.The countryside looks swamped and depressing but at least the water levels are improving. How any one can enjoy dark damp conditions is beyond me. give me a cold frosty sunny morning -4c anyday or a rageing snow storm making everything white-fantastic. Lets hope this is setting up a cold winter like 78/79 or 81 as November/early December was so like we are experiencing now. God forbid that this goes on all winter. B)

Mild until 15th then very cold until late Dec 2.8 cet for me and the same to be repeated until March. Good god a pig has just flown past must be the storm just about to begin.

Hi Mr Data Remember that winter very well and in the South up until 24th January the winter had been mostly mild but February was freezing almost for the whole month. Could you confirm that the 1st March Central London had its coldest March day ever recorded with light/ heavy snow and Max -1.2c min -4c just going on memory here. Snow only affected the South East that day with lower temps in rural areas .Just imagine if we had a day like that now even in Mid January. :blink:

Hi West Thanks for your reply. Must say Iam surprised at rainfall totals for November and really should of checked , as I normally view the BBC monthly reports August/ October above average September average. Lets hope November reaches the above average mark as we still need more rain although I would love a cold spell with a bit of snow and frosty nights . In all my years of weather watching November has usually been a mild month so people expecting cold should not be to disappointed at the moment. regards charlton north-downs.

After the South East and East has had its driest spell of weather since records began it certainly seems as though were playing catch up. Since August rainfall has been above average and at the moment torrential rain has been falling all morning. Some water usage bans have been lifted and I was wondering how long it will be before the water tables are back to normal as I think November rainfall totals will be way above average and the charts are suggesting the wettest spell of weather for at least two years. :blink:

Day off work today and as Iam typing this torrential rain is falling . The rain has been heavy all morning. Does anyone think that nature seems to correct itself ,the South-East has had one of its driest spells for eighteen months but since August we certainly been having catch up with rain now filling all ponds and reservoirs. Some of the water usage bans have been lifted and if this carries on we will soon be back to normal water levels-hopefully. The charts suggest in the short term a very wet few days. :blink:

Hi Mr Data Thanks again for the report. January 1987 was the year I got married and my stag do had to be cancelled as no one could get any where near where I lived. Biggin Hill over 200m was in the firing line and although only 19 miles from central London was cut of from traffic for four days. Westerham Hill the highest point in Kent at 870ft was impassible and several buses were marroned and buried for several days. The only snow plough in the area was also buried which prompted the council to invest in a new one at £30000.00 and its hardly been used since. The airport is on 600ft plateu and the drifts where incredible as the very cold and strong winds collected the snow at the end of the runway and onto the roads. The last time Biggin Hill was cut-off was in Dec 1927 when rain turned to snow and gave two feet of snow in 24 hours food had to be airlifted and dropped maybe thats something to write about Mr Data as I think East Kent escaped the snow totally with heavy rain but along with 1987 was the heaviest snowfall in the South. In 1987although Central London escaped the heavy snow there were some impressive low temps for the heat island of the country .The lowest temps since records began -9c min and max -6.8c was on the 12th January. Biggin Hill has its own micro climate which I love because if there is hint of marginal temps we will get snow where as where I work 6 miles away will get sleet/rain. :blink: regards Charlton north-downs

Hi Mr Data Brilliant report as usual. Agree with Canadian Rocky North Downs had over 40cm and extremly cold. Had to work in London one evening and the snow was at least 20cm with no sign sign of melt which is very unusual. Dont know if I put my son off snow but when I took him out in our back garden he disappeared for a couple of seconds when he fell over and a mouth full of snow to add to his misery. Do you think when a true Easterly blows the South East is often the worse hit and can have the coldest weather- seems to of only happened twice in my life time 1987 60cm on the Downs(Central London had a max of -7c min -9c on the coldest day) and 1991 45cm . I follow the charts but in a very amaturish way but I seem to remember I think it was in 1981 the South was forecast to have 10cm of snow from a fast moving front from the West -when this passed I thought oh well the snows finished but about 3 hours later it started again and and another 12cm of snow fell with a strong Easterly wind , I remember on the telly the forcaster saying the original front had stalled as it hit very cold air in the East and the front then moved back across the South East. Total snow was about 22cm . This must be very unusual.

Hi Folks I was seven in living in Uxbridge Middx. The snow was incredible and every day I would have to wipe the ice off the inside of my bedroom window My dad would light a fire with newspaper and we would stay in bed until the fire was lit. Two feet of snow in the garden for almost six weeks. The milk being delivered always had the top off and the milk was frozen inside. Woke up on my birthday in early April and looked out the window to six inches of snow and my parents saying "oh no not again-the snow soon melted that day.

Hi Folks Third air frost in row minimum -2.8c maximum day temp yesterday 8.5c so just below average. driving to work the temps rose quickly. Wed Morning -1.9 Thur Morning -2.0 Frid Morning -2.8 Would be pleased with those temps in January. Lovely and sunny almost perfect weather.

Hi Folks 7am reading at Biggin Hill -1.8c Minimum overnight -2.0c coldest night since April Heavy frost and had to scrape ice off the car for the second time this Autumn. Car reading at 8am was 0c but thats always out by 1c either way lovely -cold and sunny B) Hi folks Just reading other peoples posts and thought my reading of -2c seemed very low compared with other sites near me but just checked the BBC reading and Biggin Hill now stands at 1c which is still low so Im taking my reading as correct Regards charlton-north downs. .

Crisp and clear for a change on the hills. Temp 5.8c minimum reading overnight 2.8c time to check my weather station because that seems to low. Regards Charlton north downs

Hi Folks A massive amount of rain overnight and this morning . Reports of flooding in Central London and parts of the South East. Currently 11.4c in Bromley-Greater London.

Hi Folks Just wondering if my memory is playing tricks but could anyone confirm that in the Southeast/London apart from the hilly parts there was no snow or very little from Mid-Jan 1970 to December 31st 1978 .The very sudden change happened on the 31st December 1978 and I remember playing football in the afternoon of that day and the temp was a barmy 8c which by the end of the match had fallen to zero or it felt like it and a raging north-eastly had set it. This was the start of a period of cold winters which finished after the Oct Storm of 1987. What I would like to know what were the CET for Oct/Nov/Dec 1978. Its strange that we had a long period of mild winters and a very abrupt change to cold winters and back again to mild in the last 35 years. Could this happen again as is long overdue. Regards charlton-north-downs

Hi Folks Looking out of my office window at torrential rain and very windy conditions at Bromley Kent.-Been raining heavy for at least an hour

Hi Folks Last night was incredible with a four hour snow storm and the biggest flakes ever-woke up to about 7cm of frozen snow .Roads very icy .Out of Biggin Hill towards the M25 not much at all. No snow in Essex. Still some snow in the sheltered spots in my back garden. This is not unusual Regards charlton north-downs

Hi Folks Very misty here now and snow has more or less disappeared from this morning Temp 1c Expecting more snow overnight

Hi Folks First time post so bear with me-Snowing quite heavy here high up on the North Downs 650ft high Christmas Card scene Just reminds me why I love snow so much and a pleasant surprise even to someone who can remember 63 Only 19 miles from Central London-We often get at least 5 or 6 marginal snow-days where surrounding areas get rain/sleet my teenage kids love it. Regards charlton north-downs