Mac_SE

Unsurprising amounts of thick cloud here so far given the position of the high and really not expecting too much from this 'better' week re sunshine or warmth. As poor spells go for the SE, August has definitely taken the biscuit.

Lucky you. Standard August concrete grey skies and drizzle here.

Was hoping for September to save us and for it to be a scorcher, but if the high retrogresses every chance we'll be digging out the sweaters rather than the sunblock – a northerly plunge more likely than a plume...

For me it's about having something seasonal for the majority of the summer months some of us wait patiently for each year, so bags of sunshine, 24 degrees upwards, a few days of a decent heatwave. Anything other than just a mirror image of the boring, grey, mild tosh we have to endure for what now seems to be 80-90% of the year. Everything just looks and feels so much better when the sun's out and it feels pleasantly warm. And FWIW, everyone I've spoken to hates the pale imitation of summer we've had this year

Another depressingly overcast, cool day. Not a patch of blue to be had. Just grim.

So, yet another day of low cloud and its subsequent gloom. It's August for goodness sake. I'd be hacked off if it was this gloomy day after day in November...

The UK's weather almost invariably balances itself out, so am expecting nothing less than a stellar six month period of high pressure, cloudless skies and unseasonably above average temps come September. But never again in the depths of winter or a soaking spring shall I ever hang onto the thought of a blazing summer to pull me through, especially August, the reality is just too depressing.

Currently digging out my SAD lamp...

Yet another abysmally dark and cool day in one of our supposed months of summer. August, you had one job.

Frustrating seeing the flakes just dancing around atm. Last proper direct hit for us here in SE London was the Feb 2009 easterly which, although gone on in a day or so, at least gave us 25-30cm

Been snowing all day here in Lewisham, and much like Beast 1.0, has given us a decent dusting and some mini pavement/road drifts. Bit heavier now, darker sky, bigger flakes. But not yet what I would class as a beefy shower. Here's hoping tonight's streamer comes off as we normally do well out of these.

So what's caused the stall of, ahem, Storm Darcy from the extensive covering the models were leading us to believe was a done deal? Thus far it's quite the bust for most under the yellow warning.

Am just a bit east from you around the south circular and starting to see a heavier spell. Things taking their time today, hence why that chart is probably a good 3 hours out.

Agreed... and not desperately ideal conditions either in which to own a Westie... She's never had so many shower-downs

It's 'wintery rain', according to the BBC

TBF I see Polaris' point, getting hyped up over a marginal flake-chase isn't for me either, but for those who it is and who want to post about the chances, go and enjoy. If I don't agree, I do a Dionne and just scroll on by.

Re the knashing of teeth over the lack of snow for our region this winter and the model exhaustion people now experiencing down here, it got me wondering whether we weren't all just a bit happier in the days before we got the ability to access and monitor the weather from every angle possible? I know I was.

They get an hour, that'll do!

Totally agree. Have given up going in the model thread now, it's literally like a classroom of squabbling five year old boys. They all need to get out more.

This rain! Feels like it's been doing nothing else here since about September.

From Gavsweathervids latest video – here – it's day 7/8 after the second low pushes west to east around the 19th/20th that people are getting excited about, namely a Greenland high, -10 isotherm across the country, Channel lows, north-east winds: the whole kaboodle. Some definite model agreement in the trends, but hey, we've been here many, many times before only for it to never verify. However, this time around, it does look like a much stronger signal for something akin to proper winter in the UK. We shall see.

I thought my desire for snow was high, but the Model thread: good grief, a different level entirely. Pretty sure that thread's desperation for the white stuff is a cast-iron snow shield all by itself

The count is in: 127.5 flakes

From the past decade of model watching, have to agree with their output. Would love to be wrong, but time and again it's proved right.

Cold comfort from the latest Beeb forecast, but at least it's still only the beginning of Jan. Have certainly clung on to worse much later in previous winters, so still all to play for.