jethro

Morning all, a dusting of snow here, now frozen solid with black ice on the roads. Looks pretty lethal under foot!

What a beautiful frosty day it's been, anywhere in the shade around here has remained frosty all day. The veg garden looked particularly sparkly this morning.

Went past the gritting depot in Clutton yesterday, the store is full to the brim, they have a lot to spare. They never grit around here, not even if snowmaggedon is forecast, but usually the main roads are done, but you're right, not even those last night - definitely ice rink territory around here this morning.

No idea how cold it got here last night but it's properly frosty Stepped out onto the patio, nearly went flying, it's sheet ice. Hubby just came home hobbling and bleeding, he's a cyclist, goes out with a group every Saturday morning, he got maybe 500 yards down the road before the bike went out from underneath him - cycling abandoned today. The lanes round here have been very wet, lots of run off from the fields which is all now frozen solid, nothing is gritted around these parts until you get to the main roads which are miles away. Took this a few minutes ago, frost on the car bonnet. Very pretty

This came up on Facebook, all I can say is 'Wow!' State of Emergency Declared as near 3ft of snow pounds Newfoundland - VERYWEATHER.CO.UK A major blizzard has hit Newfoundland, Canada. Around 2-3ft has accumulated in some areas, leading to some dangerous conditions. As a result of the severe...

And I'm confused, or should I say at a complete and utter loss to understand why, oh why you have to take this approach when responding to a question about Australian bush fires? At no point, never ever, either now or in my past existence as a regular on here, have I ever argued with the science, nor denied climate change. And yet, despite knowing that, despite me specifically asking that my question about the Aussie disaster NOT be turned into the usual pro AGW/denier dross that goes on here, you are determined to take that road. It's the reason I left, the reason I stopped being a Mod, and the single reason why, if I ever think I might stand a chance of getting a reasoned response and answers to questions, I'll look elsewhere. Seriously Pete, it's time to move on and maybe have open discussions.

Lol, maybe you should then Pete, then you wouldn't be able to say (as earlier) that no one is claiming climate change is responsible. My conviction is that here, it's impossible to have a discussion without the believer/denier slant, despite my pleas for it not to happen. You have to do it, you have to get in the 'I believe AGW is real' comments, coupled with the superior 'I look at the science' baloney. What was the point? What has it achieved? I suppose if it's an effort to keep this closed shop going, keep the chats with just the familiar faces, then it was absolutely worthwhile and effective. I look at the real world and shake my head in puzzlement. Because for me, all the science in the world is worthless if it isn't applied to the real world. If the science predicts that bush fires will become more prevalent, larger, fiercer, then why in Gods name stop doing one of the few things that could have helped stop the current situation evolving into an ecological disaster? I personally love the general Aussie outlook on life, straight forward, direct, no nonsense, which is why I couldn't quite believe all the reports I was seeing about stopping the hazard burning. I wanted to see whether or not the climate had changed so much, that there's nothing that can be done, that this is the new reality for that part of the world. I think I'll look elsewhere for info. Thanks everyone.

I also hope it recovers. I also don't doubt that millions of animals have been lost and that it may tip already vulnerable species, over the edge into extinction. I don't doubt how serious these fires are, how could anyone? My questions are merely trying to decipher how accurate (or otherwise) the claims that this is climate change in action, actually are.

Eh? Sorry Pete but what you've said is far too close to the usual guff of deniers/believers stuff that goes on in here, that I'm not getting into it. Nothing personal, just that stuff leaves me cold. I've very little spare time, not wasting it by entering into that cycle of ever decreasing circles.

I share your concern. Trouble is, when it comes to the topic covered within this section of the forum, the widespread mis-reporting has been wrongly used to promote the science of climate change. All too often, every single weather event that causes headline news has been linked to climate change and used as 'proof'. Often, completely inaccurately. Hence why I ventured into here. I haven't been following the science on this for a very long time, it's a lot quicker to ask here than spend ages trawling around looking for and reading research - time is something I have very little of to spare.

Yes they are. The media, twitterland, even the Golden Globes award ceremony. Everywhere you look, the general opinion is that it's climate change that is responsible. I came here to see if there's any science to support those claims. Seems as usual, it's as I presumed, a mixture of both. There is science which says massive bush fires are more likely, that drought is likely to intensify/be more prolonged. But there's nothing scientific to pin the current situation on. El Nino causes terrible drought in Australia, climate change may make it worse. Land management (or lack of it) can, and does make a bad situation ten times worse. Ergo, stating it's a climate prediction that has been proven correct simply isn't true.

But all he's really saying is people complained when the hazard reduction fires were done and that it caused serious pollution. I've no doubt both are true. He also says that the areas that had had hazard reduction in the last 12 months, did stop the fire spreading. More than 12 months and the bush had grown again, so it didn't work. What I take from it is that the farmers were right, if they had continued with the annual winter clearance, the problem wouldn't be as bad as it is. Climate change may make it more likely, but you've also got to deduct the influence of El Nino from this too. I remain of the opinion that those using the situation as proof positive of AGW/climate change are at best, misguided.

Thank you. I'm so glad you agree it doesn't have to be a binary discussion. Having seen first hand the extent of flooding in Somerset a few years ago and seeing/hearing how lack of land management had caused a large proportion of the problem, I'm inclined to accept the word of those aussie farmers. Climate change may make flooding in Somerset more likely, but failure to dredge the rivers and ditches over the years, meant the excessive rainfall had no where to go. Now they are being properly maintained, flooding (despite the ceaseless rain recently) has been at historical levels and in the expected flood plains. If climate change is likely to cause more bush fires, then it's completely logical that failing to clear undergrowth will only make matters worse. It therefore stands to reason, that taking the current dire situation over there as proof positive of climate change being responsible, is both fool hardy and less than an honest picture. It would appear to be another occasion of latching onto something in order to drum home a message. Can't see how that helps anyone.

Lol. Wild horses and all that....after reading the above, I have zero faith that there's even the remotest of hope of having any questions answered, or discussion had, without being bombarded with similar. That said, it's only fair to give folk a chance, I'll be over the moon to be proved wrong...... I've seen quite a lot of reports from Aussie farmers on Twitter about the bush fires. Time and again, they report that in their opinion/experience, this situation has largely been driven by a change in conservation policy. Before the change, undergrowth and bush was cleared during the winter months, thus greatly reducing the amount of fuel available to fan the flames of bush fires. Bush fires being a normal problem in Australia, out of control ones, like the current situation, are not. They seem pretty certain, it is not that bush fires have happened that's the problem, nor that climate change has caused this problem, but that in conserving the landscape for wildlife a 'perfect storm' scenario has been created. In the press, a lot of people have taken the current Australian situation and used it as proof of climate change. I wonder, is there actually any science to support those claims or are they merely promoting their own voice from the podium of a current disaster? p.s REALLY NOT, absolutely NOT getting into any discussion about AGW being real or not. Not interested/interesting.

Haven't been in here for years....with all that's going on in Aussie land I thought/hoped there might be something of interest in here. This is the only thread I've looked at, figured Australia being front page, there might be some relevant questions/answers in here. Alas.....all the last couple of pages have done is remind me why I, and so many others give this section a wide berth. None of you cover your selves in glory, it's the same old vitriol that ever was SOOOOOOOOO disappointing.

Just three years to reach maxima? Blimey. Has that ever happened before or would it be unprecedented? Wonder what they're basing those expectations on.

Merry Christmas to you all. No snow angels this morning, but at least it's crispy, not wet.

Hooray, it's a frosty morning

What's surprised me the most around here is the number of mature trees we've lost. A combination of all the high winds and saturated ground, they've just been blown over, roots and all. Not helped by the mild temperatures meaning the leaves have been incredibly late dropping this year, the oak tree next door still has lots of leaves - bonkers in mid December.

Evening all, it's nearly Christmas, the tree is up, the lights and trees outside are up, the pressie shopping is done, I'm done making and selling Christmas fairies and all I want for Christmas is snow. It's currently piddling down AGAIN. I'm so sick of rain, what wouldn't I give for some cold, frosty mornings to make it feel a bit more seasonal. They doesn't seem even a glimmer of hope for that, let alone a single, solitary snowflake. Hurrumph!

It's got to be In The Bleak Midwinter for me. Winter/Christmas Eve of 1981, I was in Young Farmers, we were booked to do the rounds of local big houses, carol singing for charity, the only way we could get around was on skis. I'll never forget the surreal sight of coming out of Great Tew church (in the Cotswolds) after midnight mass and seeing rows of skis stood up against the church. Snow had fallen, snow on snow, it lasted for weeks, cut villages off, it was like middle England had turned into the Austrian Tyrol. For me, still the best winter ever.

Morning all, so the snow has woken us all up from our slumber Just popping by to report it is snowing here on the Mendips, nothing settled so far but it is proper snow, not sleet. Looks most peculiar seeing summer flowering penstemons and roses with snow.

Evening all, just stopping by to report we've had the most incredible thunder storm I think I've ever seen. Constant sheet and forked lightning, the thunder wasn't the usual loud clap followed by a break but constant bangs and crashes with no let up in between. It looked and sounded just like a film set for a WW11 blitz scene. Unbelievable.

Leaving temperature to one side, it's been remarkably dry too. Been digging today and the ground is the driest I've ever known it to be in February. Personally speaking, I'm loving this warm, dry weather, really don't want a return to winter until at least December. I'm hoping the models predicting cold in the first week of March are as wide of the mark as they have been for much of the winter.

Another hideous day here, got absolutely soaked again, even the waterproofs couldn't hold out against some of the down pours. Glad it's the weekend.