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Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
With easterly winds at least conditions can change from low cloud to storms from the continent, say, in no time at all

In Hastings perhaps, but in the northeast of the country the chances of getting storms from the continent from an easterly are almost zero, and the chances of getting rid of the low cloud are pretty small as well. The first third of June 2007 at Cleadon- a period dominated by easterly winds- had a mean maximum of just 15.3C, hardly a drop of rain, and hardly a glimmer of sunshine.

A convectional south-westerly airstream might cause the Sussex coast to miss out, but that's part and parcel of living on the coast, regardless of which coast it is. Lancaster will often miss the showers in a straight westerly as they form mainly over the west Pennines and head east, with just occasional imports from homegrown showers over Ireland. Sunderland will often miss showers from a straight northerly because the coastal strip stays in the clear while inland areas get heavy showers with hail and thunder. Ironically these are the same coastal effects that can bring dramatic showers to the same areas during autumn and winter when the air is cold and the sea warm.

There was a climatology of "sunshine and showers" frequency published in the Weather journal back in 2005 and it showed that, in fact, convective sunshine-and-showers stuff is more likely from a south-westerly than from an easterly, with the west and north-west being the most showery directions.

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Posted
  • Location: Caterham-on-the-hill, Surrey, 190m asl (home), Heathrow (work)
  • Location: Caterham-on-the-hill, Surrey, 190m asl (home), Heathrow (work)
In Hastings perhaps, but in the northeast of the country the chances of getting storms from the continent from an easterly are almost zero, and the chances of getting rid of the low cloud are pretty small as well. The first third of June 2007 at Cleadon- a period dominated by easterly winds- had a mean maximum of just 15.3C, hardly a drop of rain, and hardly a glimmer of sunshine.

Imported thunderstorms from an easterly flow are pretty rare even in the SE, can't think of any examples. Though there are examples of home-grown storms in easterly flows - such as May 2006, when an isolated storm developed west of London and drifted west along the M4 towards south Wales, no other storms developed as moisture was limited and it took all of it. Sfc winds may be backed and blow from the east or SE on the arrival of imported thunderstorms from the continent, but the storms are normally steered by S or SSW mid-level winds, warm moist air needed to fuel thunderstorms usually always comes from the S or SW in summer, the cold upper air arriving from the Atlantic also a necessary trigger for both home-grown and imported storms. An easterly by itself is inherently dry - and needs moist air from somewhere to create storms.

I've known plenty of examples of imported storms in Kent from a SW flow, mainly mid-level storms by the time they've crossed the cool English Channel, as the moisture that fuels them is advecting aloft aswell.

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Guest North Sea Snow Convection
In Hastings perhaps, but in the northeast of the country the chances of getting storms from the continent from an easterly are almost zero, and the chances of getting rid of the low cloud are pretty small as well. The first third of June 2007 at Cleadon- a period dominated by easterly winds- had a mean maximum of just 15.3C, hardly a drop of rain, and hardly a glimmer of sunshine.

A convectional south-westerly airstream might cause the Sussex coast to miss out, but that's part and parcel of living on the coast, regardless of which coast it is. Lancaster will often miss the showers in a straight westerly as they form mainly over the west Pennines and head east, with just occasional imports from homegrown showers over Ireland. Sunderland will often miss showers from a straight northerly because the coastal strip stays in the clear while inland areas get heavy showers with hail and thunder. Ironically these are the same coastal effects that can bring dramatic showers to the same areas during autumn and winter when the air is cold and the sea warm.

There was a climatology of "sunshine and showers" frequency published in the Weather journal back in 2005 and it showed that, in fact, convective sunshine-and-showers stuff is more likely from a south-westerly than from an easterly, with the west and north-west being the most showery directions.

As I often repeat on here - and have done just now, I live now 12 miles from the coast.

Ordinary showery weather is no big deal anyway, but this sort of East Sussex/Kent area is well placed both for imported storms in summer and whilst extreme eastern most parts might do best of all, it also does pretty well for winter convection as well. In recent years Dec 2005 is probabaly the best example amongst others that have also occured with a steady stream of heavy snow showers with decent accumulations between late Boxing Day and late on the 28th Dec. In Feb this year snow showers got going very quickly on the afternoon of the 1st with a few cms cover rapidly accumulating by tea time. Unfortunately the wind changed directly just slightly during the evening and the streamer then set up over the Thames area instead as most people know. It was dry by bedtime and there was no more snow until the main snow band arrived the follwing morning.

Also regarding general convection it depends on the time of year though. A cyclonic southerly/south westerly in autumn and early winter will give some very heavy showers off the relatively 'warm' channel, often with hail and thunder, whilst inland areas will stay clear - so the coastal rule doesn't always actually follow as you suggest.

That sort of set-up is of no interest to me though at that time of year as it is the potential of easterly and northerly winds to bring wintry ppn that is the focus. The single benefit of a steering southerly wind as far as I am concerned is just the northward drift of storms in summer.

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Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Also regarding general convection it depends on the time of year though. A cyclonic southerly/south westerly in autumn and early winter will give some very heavy showers off the relatively 'warm' channel, often with hail and thunder, whilst inland areas will stay clear - so the coastal rule doesn't always actually follow as you suggest.
Ironically these are the same coastal effects that can bring dramatic showers to the same areas during autumn and winter when the air is cold and the sea warm.

I thought I already covered that one?

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Posted
  • Location: Morecambe
  • Location: Morecambe

If i have too chose between a mild cloudy SW or a cool cloudy Easterly then i will certainly choose the former, imo there is nothing exciting in an Easterly in the summertime unless you love cool cloudy weather - which some do.

However if you ask someone who lives on the Western side of the UK(on the coast ideally), then they will probably prefer an Easterly set up as whenever there is a mild SW'ly in Western areas it normally brings cloudy weather with drizzle, also the cloud never really breaks up either so sunshine is pretty hard too come by.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl

im going to be a 'victim' of it this weekend i think, could take time to clear sat and sun, typical setup for it now, frontal cloud well away now

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Posted
  • Location: North Kenton (Tyne-and-Wear)6miles east from newcastle airport
  • Location: North Kenton (Tyne-and-Wear)6miles east from newcastle airport

5 days on the trot now of Low cloud {its getting boring} when will it let up {i wonder}

North Easterly to Easterly breeze all this week , bringing thick fog on a few occasions, and low max temps , lowest max temp of 8.0c this week

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Posted
  • Location: Berlin, Germany
  • Weather Preferences: Ample sunshine; Hot weather; Mixed winters with cold and mild spells
  • Location: Berlin, Germany

Yes it's worrying me too. BBC forecast was full of glee about the wonderful weekend sunny forecast yet I could very well see plenty of low cloud for NE England and a front over the SW. I assume the joy was because of good weather in London!

Fingers crossed this strong breeze doesn't drag in too much cloud by morning as it'll be hard to shift even with the strong sun if so.

Sunday looks better though - less easterly driven.

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Posted
  • Location: High Wycombe, Bucks
  • Location: High Wycombe, Bucks
Yes it's worrying me too. BBC forecast was full of glee about the wonderful weekend sunny forecast yet I could very well see plenty of low cloud for NE England and a front over the SW. I assume the joy was because of good weather in London!

Fingers crossed this strong breeze doesn't drag in too much cloud by morning as it'll be hard to shift even with the strong sun if so.

Sunday looks better though - less easterly driven.

Is it really that bad up there at the moment? I'm coming back up on Sunday, in the middle of 3 nice days predicted for down here...please tell me that it's not gonna be cold and grey when I get back? :help:

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Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl

what a miserable morning, got my usual north sea misty low cloud, 0nly 5.6oC and feels chilly, damn the bbc saying sunny weekend, not here

sea mist looks more intense tomorrow will be tough to lift

Edited by mark forster 630
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Posted
  • Location: Berlin, Germany
  • Weather Preferences: Ample sunshine; Hot weather; Mixed winters with cold and mild spells
  • Location: Berlin, Germany
Is it really that bad up there at the moment? I'm coming back up on Sunday, in the middle of 3 nice days predicted for down here...please tell me that it's not gonna be cold and grey when I get back? :mellow:

Sunday has less of a strong east wind so looks much sunnier. Saying that - sun is already breaking through the low cloud here despite the strong wind. I assume this is to do with the air mass being at a more similar temperature to the sea temp? Dew point only 4.1c so much less moisture than we often get in these flows.

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Posted
  • Location: Catchgate, Durham,705ft asl
  • Location: Catchgate, Durham,705ft asl
It shows how cold the North Sea is at this time of year and how those on the North Sea coast must really despise it when a slack east wind moves in.

Looks like we will be rid of this wind tomorrow,temps in some parts of north-east england/scotland tomorrow could be double what they are today,or at least double figures at any rate!

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Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Is it really that bad up there at the moment? I'm coming back up on Sunday, in the middle of 3 nice days predicted for down here...please tell me that it's not gonna be cold and grey when I get back? :mellow:

Well, Cleadon near the Tyne & Wear coast has had no sun at all for four days- and FIVE (!) consecutive foggy mornings- I don't think that's been achieved since my records started in 1993 (though 4 consecutive foggy mornings has been known). North Sea low cloud does indeed get tiresome fast in the heartlands of the North East!

To illustrate the differences that arise from these "easterly" setups, here in Exeter it's been quite warm and a mixed bag.

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Posted
  • Location: North Kenton (Tyne-and-Wear)6miles east from newcastle airport
  • Location: North Kenton (Tyne-and-Wear)6miles east from newcastle airport

Morning Cloud 10

Yep i noticed that myself, however Monday is looking decent at last, a South Westerly breeze, with the temp at the moment looking top reach around 15 or 16c , at last double figures

nigel

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Posted
  • Location: High Wycombe, Bucks
  • Location: High Wycombe, Bucks
Sunday has less of a strong east wind so looks much sunnier. Saying that - sun is already breaking through the low cloud here despite the strong wind. I assume this is to do with the air mass being at a more similar temperature to the sea temp? Dew point only 4.1c so much less moisture than we often get in these flows.

It's good to hear - the heating bills were bad enough in the winter without having to worry about being cold in the summer!

Well, Cleadon near the Tyne & Wear coast has had no sun at all for four days- and FIVE (!) consecutive foggy mornings- I don't think that's been achieved since my records started in 1993 (though 4 consecutive foggy mornings has been known). North Sea low cloud does indeed get tiresome fast in the heartlands of the North East!

To illustrate the differences that arise from these "easterly" setups, here in Exeter it's been quite warm and a mixed bag.

I'm not really used to seeing the stuff off the North Sea per se, as I live quite a way away. It's been really quite sunny here - even the days we were supposed to have thunderstorms turned out sunny - it's very strange. Might even be similar to what your having in Exeter, further illustrating the difference.

By the way, are these pictures in any way related? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7994658.stm

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Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl

partly cloudy now started to break up, sun in and out, only 11.3oC still chilly, decent spring day really now

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Posted
  • Location: Morecambe
  • Location: Morecambe

Certainly seeing the 'ugly' side of low cloud from the North Sea at the moment, no sunshine since Tuesday!.

Havant even got any Sea fog around too make the weather at least that touch more descriptive.

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Posted
  • Location: Skirlaugh, East Yorkshire
  • Location: Skirlaugh, East Yorkshire

It has been much the same here too. Since last Thursday only yesterday had any sunshine whatsoever.

The max temperatures also tell their own story:

11th: 11.9C

12th: 12.3C

13th: 11.9C

14th: 11.7C

15th: 12.6C

16th: 9.9C

17th: 11.4C

18th: 10.5C

We still havent breached 15C this month. In the last 20 years, the lowest April high max was 16.7C in 2000. So far we're way below that.

Edited by reef
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Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl

stafford worst area again for the dreaded NSMLC, never miss it, only 6.4oC now, started rolling in at 10pm last night

bbc website have it worst over N midlands

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Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire

The low cloud finally appears to be breaking up over South Shields:

http://www.southshields-weather.co.uk/Today%27s_weather.htm

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Posted
  • Location: Truro, Cornwall
  • Weather Preferences: Winter - Heavy Snow Summer - Hot with Night time Thunderstorms
  • Location: Truro, Cornwall
stafford worst area again for the dreaded NSMLC, never miss it, only 6.4oC now, started rolling in at 10pm last night

bbc website have it worst over N midlands

Blimey, down here, all we have had is sun all weekend and only some cloud at the start of the Morning.

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Posted
  • Location: Berlin, Germany
  • Weather Preferences: Ample sunshine; Hot weather; Mixed winters with cold and mild spells
  • Location: Berlin, Germany

Good illustration of a good burn off today:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/satpics/latest_uk_vis.html

Look at 1000 and 1100 - must have been only a thin covering which has rapidly evaporated. A dull morning has turned to clear blue skies - lovely stuff for a sunday.

8.2c min kept higher by the low cloud that rolled in at about 11pm last night. Now heading up, up, up so far to 10.7c.

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Posted
  • Location: High Wycombe, Bucks
  • Location: High Wycombe, Bucks
Good illustration of a good burn off today:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/satpics/latest_uk_vis.html

Look at 1000 and 1100 - must have been only a thin covering which has rapidly evaporated. A dull morning has turned to clear blue skies - lovely stuff for a sunday.

8.2c min kept higher by the low cloud that rolled in at about 11pm last night. Now heading up, up, up so far to 10.7c.

I'd better get my thermals out then...it's looking like another "scorcher" here, I'll be sad to leave it behind!

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Posted
  • Location: Berlin, Germany
  • Weather Preferences: Ample sunshine; Hot weather; Mixed winters with cold and mild spells
  • Location: Berlin, Germany

No need - it's just lovely here this afternoon! Cloud is long gone - clear blue skies all the way.

By looks of it - the whole country is enjoying the sunshine. A very clear cloud image - very rare!

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/images...00904191200.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Home near Sellindge, 80m/250feet, 5miles from Coast
  • Weather Preferences: Severe Storms and Snow
  • Location: Home near Sellindge, 80m/250feet, 5miles from Coast

Cloudy here the sun is trying to come out , but north sea cloud and wind is the worst weather for us in the south east corner during spring summer or autumn... Horrid :)

No need - it's just lovely here this afternoon! Cloud is long gone - clear blue skies all the way.

By looks of it - the whole country is enjoying the sunshine. A very clear cloud image - very rare!

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/images...00904191200.jpg

Wrong Its still grey here :o

Edited by neilsouth
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