Evening thunder

I like all seasons for varying/different reasons, I can be disappointed one is nearly over I guess, but then another one is arriving with different things to look forward to, or at least that's the plan unless the weather goes into boring mode or something. Summer: warmth, daylight (more light to see weather), countryside looking alive and all the lush plant growth and green trees, convection/thunderstorms a possibility, wildlife like butterflies etc.. good to get outdoors and enjoy the areas around here. Autumn: leaves beginning to change and Autumnal colours, first cold mornings/frosts, still warmish days at times, and any Autumnal lows or storms are also interesting. Winter: frosts, cold crisp days, snow (when it happens). I do also find a active Atlantic with windy/stormy days or heavy squally showers interesting, that's 2nd best if we can't have cold crisp or snowy weather IMO (though maybe better in late Autumn). However recently sometimes I feel that too much of winter can be cool and grey to make it worth hoping for it through the summer season for me.. Last winter might not have helped. Spring: increasing day length, warmer weather (hopefully/eventually), spring growth, progressing from things like crocuses/snow drops to daffodils to tulips, bluebells etc, tree blossom and leaves. convection starting up over land again. Any unpleasant smell I notice in Autumn is usually manure spreading rather than just decay, been a bit around recently but thankfully not near the house.

Wasn't last year quite dry and warm during the first half with temps up to the high 20's in the SE? it was only on the 23rd-26th that an active system gave a lot of rain and floods in places especially the NE I think. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/summaries/2012/september

Well given the right conditions they should have spread out just like today.. you just got less of them so it may have been less noticeable or too thin/not enough to make much difference. Also if it's such an increasing problem how come our climate averages have got slightly sunnier over the last 3 averaging periods? It's usually not a problem here though it can happen, but it can be hard to tell how much would be genuine cirrus stuff.

Coolest night of the Autumn season so far last night, down to 4.2c here. Showers around since around lunch time and about 1pm an intensifying one clipped here and gave heavy rain and hail. Some other light/moderate showers since, often decaying ones, though torrential ones in the area at times mainly south of here. Currently already 5.4c with shallow fog (stars visible) Max temp: 17.2c at 12:17 Rain today: 4.5mm

I was watching that stuff on radar too, a couple showers formed over south Devon recently gradually moving this way which I can see to the SW now. My station is recording a dewpoint of 6-7c, and Exeter Airport 4c, odd to have the best convective potential for a while with the driest air for ages here..

Ah ok I understand what you mean when they do spread out and cover the sky, I guess that hasn't seemed to happen much here this summer, can only remember a day or two recently. Seem to have been lucky and they have just stayed as fair weather cumulus, or perhaps sea breezes have helped us by clearing the convective cloud near the coast. I agree it is nice when those days happen though as well as ones with a few fair weather cumulus.I guess in winter you don't get the convection/updrafts caused by stronger sun.

Lol what's that wrong with a few fair weather cumulus like in those images? To me a bit of convective cloud can add to the summer feel of things, as long as it doesn't hit a cap and spread out. I can actually get a little bored of endless blue skies for days on end (which it felt like we had in July here) June - slightly below average temps, very sunny first 10 days though I was in Surrey then where it wasn't quite so good, total sunshine about average or a tad above, very warm on the 19th but cool other days, not much other weather of note 4.5/10 July - 10 days in a row over 25C and 14 in total (could have been 16 in a row if not for 2 surprisingly cooler but still 100% sunny days on the 11th and 12th), Very sunny. Some thunder late in the month, to the east twice but visible lightning and a lone close strike another day. Though let down slightly by no proper/strong or overhead storms. 8.5/10 August - has felt decent with plenty of decent enough warm summer weather. More cloud at times than July. Not sure about sunshine amounts but hasn't felt a cloudy month here at all. Some very nice mostly sunny days approaching 25C late in the month too. thunderstorms in Devon on August the 2nd but let down for me by lack of thunder or other weather events after that. Mean max of 22.0C was 1C above average though. 7/10 Overall score - 7/10. A quite good score and this may be a bit higher for people just interested in dryness warmth and sun. All months had below average rain with just 85mm all summer (which is my main problem, no day over 8mm since May and seen some mainly young drought stresses/dead trees recently)

Grey overcast morning but the cloud cleared quite quick around noon and became a beautiful day so thankfully forecasts of sun this afternoon were correct, with a max temp of 24.7c. So much for the top temp of forecast of 21C from the BBC and Met Office though but they often seem a bit low.

Looking at the key oddly enough above average precipitation seems to show up red, unless they've got the key the wrong way round? It seems even the Exeter area can be a world away from Plymouth at times, I remember in December 2010 when I had almost a foot of snow and temps down to -14c here in the valley (and -16.5c at Exeter Airport Met Office station which seems to be particularly frost prone), whereas I remember Plymouth not having that much snow at that time and just being more icy.

I guess that could have been what they were doing, though who knows, we can only guess.

Well maybe it is, but I guess there's many possibilities of why it was flying like that, though I'm also not sure why it would be doing regular loops over southern England, even if it was to do with Syria though. Thats true, can they gather intelligence from above the UK?

A min of 8.7c last night, but so far today been completely cloudy and grey. Hopefully it clears as it's forecast to be quite sunny later.

Worth bearing in mind high altitude contrails can be further away than many people would think, though I guess that applies more when seeing them in the distance, a bit like the top of CB's can be seen 50-100 miles away visibility permitting. So I guess it could be seen from quite far and maybe from places like Aldershot and Newbury in a different part of the sky? Though not sure why such a contrail would mean they are planning for military action in Syria? I thought such planes generally flew about anyway.

and a 4.4c min here in the Otter Valley too! Currently 10.1c with some weak sun through high cloud, but thinner with some blue sky to the NW. I notice Exeter Airport had 4.0c at 5am, wonder what the actual min will be. Though not quite as low as the 30th August 2010 which managed 3.0c here with a tough of ground frost! The Met Office station at Exeter AP had 1.9c then apparently

quite a cold night for the time of year, min of 4.4c. Now 9.4c with some weak sun through high cloud, though this is thinner to the NW with some blue sky

Haha, not trying to just thought I aught to report all types I saw for any interest I have a couple painted lady (butterfly..) photos I can add but thought I'd posted enough already lol. Indeed definitely a butterfly magnet, not sure we'd have many at all without the buddleias as they are pretty much all on them usually. Nothing new in recent days, though tortoiseshell numbers seem a bit lower especially yesterday, though was a bit breezier and cooler. Hopefully they didn't mind last night 4.4c min too much..

Similar assessment here to J10's I think if you like warm dry weather. July was very good for that, very sunny and mean maxima of 23.8°C, 2.5 - 3°C above the local average. 14 days with a maximum over 25°C (could have been 16 if not for surprisingly cool SE breeze on the 11th and 12th) August has had a mean max of 22.1°C (assume 22.0°C after tomorrow) so about 1°C above average. I'm not completely sure of sunshine figures but hasn't seemed bad with a reasonable amount of sun recently, much of today was better than forecast on that front again with a max of 23.7°C. June was slightly cooler than average, but had a pretty sunny first 10 days or so although I wasn't at home then. Overall sun around average or a tad above. All 3 months have been drier than normal, June 23.8mm, July 28.4mm and August 33mm. Personally I'd also have liked a bit more variety/different weather such as showery convective days and thunderstorms or a decent fall of rain to water things (none over 8mm since May), but if you like warm dry and sunny weather you can't really complain in this location at least. just thought of this, if we had below average maxima by the same magnitude, I imagine there'd be rather a lot of moaning to say the least.

Edit: doh just realised this was in the USA not the UK one lol

Yes I agree!

Last March was pretty rubbish at both my uni and home compared to what the CET said or other places got, no more than light flurries, and too much cloudy easterlies and dullness, and no unusually cold minima (although colder than Jan and Feb's min temp fail at home which was beaten by all other winter months I've recorded! including 06-07 and 07-08 winters). The only real good/snowy week of last winter was the one I was on a field trip in Spain, doh! As for the thread topic can definitely tell the nights are drawing in now of course, but just shy of 25C and tonnes of butterflies the last few days, it's still summer here for now.

Just had a first sighting: A brimstone on the otherwise mainly tortoiseshell covered bush. can't actually remember seeing one before. Also 2 painted ladies on that bush (and a peacock and just seen a meadow brown and a wall)

You may be right I'm not sure if they migrate either though haven't read that they do. Though I have noticed that certain websites such as this link: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=urticae says 'Unfortunately, this butterfly has suffered a worrying decline, especially in the south, over the last few years.' and this site http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk/posts/Small-tortoiseshell-butterflies says they've declined by 77% over the last 10 years. Well I can gladly say that not here they haven't, last year there was lots in August too, far more than any other type, although less than this year as you'd expect. Great to see them as you say, Haven't seen any clouded yellows though was hoping to see one this year. They're already out today: and a popular flower yesterday: This bush was accidentally grown too when my dad stuck a cutting from a different bush in the ground to fix something in place at the back of the vegetable patch! It may have to stay now considering its popularity. Edit: there seem to be slightly more now than in the pictures like there was at times yesterday, though as it's warmer they keep their wings shut more so don't look so good in photos

Well a very nice summer day all in all, sun a bit hazy much of the time due to high level cloud, but decent strength to get the temp up to 24.6c today. Some quite large cumulus for a time, which drifted south and developed further, particularly the ones to the west which developed into some visible cells to the SW then south. I partly think If only I'd been a little further SW could have seen some rather interesting action. Did however see a *possible* small funnel cloud though to the west. But all in all another good summers day with some convective cloud around to add a bit of interest.

Hazy sunshine here so far today, with the temp reaching 24.5c recently though now the sun has gone behind some quite large cumulus clouds and it's 23.8c. One reason I did think the frontal cloud would be high stuff today, was we were still forecast to reach 23C so much have some solar input for that to happen here in this airmass. A warm, calm and slightly humid feel to things with some decent cumulus bubbling above us with darkening bases, next thing is to see if they develop into anything more than this..

I have heard they have become quite scarce in many inland areas with it primarily confined to coastal regions sadly Just went outside and was over 50 small Tortoiseshells on our relatively small buddleia Not sure how much the pictures do it justice with some not showing up so well and having their wings closed, but there were definitely over 50. At the same time there were about 30 on our buddleia in the front garden In fact when resizing these images I went outside and there seemed to be more, tried counting and got about 70! So if anyone is short of small tortoiseshells they're all down here.. lol The odd peacock, painted lady and red admiral amongst them this morning too.