August Hot Spell Discussion

[Methuselah]

it needs to brighten up sooner or later!

Welcome to N-W, jamie. Any chance you could stick tour location into your profile?

[SP1986]

So far August has been consistently warm without being too warm... Which is still pleasant the mean max here is just above 22C which is a degree above average without really warm days. The downpours suggest am exceptionally wet month however.

[AWD]

So far August has been consistently warm without being too warm... Which is still pleasant the mean max here is just above 22C which is a degree above average without really warm days. The downpours suggest am exceptionally wet month however.

I got to admit, despite the warmth, it would be nice to have a few dry days now. Tuesday looks like being the only dry day this week here.

Sunday & Monday there were a couple of showers on each of the days.

Wednesday, like everywhere else, we had lots of rain

Today is forecast for showers followed by more persistent rain tonight

Persistent rain forecast for the first half of tomorrow

Saturday is currently forecast for light rain ( althought this still has a degree of uncertainty to it IMO )

Sunday could be dry, but being close to a weather front to the west, we could still end up rather cloudy

I am hoping we can get rid of the front to the west ASAP, so that the first few days of next week can be sunny and warm, before things go rapidly downhill if the models are to be beleived.

Over the weekend, temps are forecast to reach the mid twenties here, which, if it were to be sunny would be a lovely weekend. I would have a BBQ for sure, as I am off work too. Just that damn front to the west ruining it for us at the moment.

[Backtrack]

It's only rained here a few times this month, what's all the fuss about?

It's not been cracking the flags, but its been above 22C every day this month with at least some sunshine on each day, even yesterday managed an hour or so of sunshine before the sun went down!

There's no pleasing some people. You want consistent dry, hot, sunny weather then go live in Spain.

[SP1986]

What are you on about? Who said they were unhappy with it?

[Aaron]

The general tone of many posts suggests a lot of people are annoyed July 2006 is not around the corner.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Philip Eden's stats for 1st-15th August, although the regional breakdown is not available yet:

http://www.climate-uk.com/page2.html

Slightly warmer, cloudier and wetter than average, with the rainfall totals boosted by the wet day yesterday, though I'm sure there will be regional variation on top of that. It certainly feels like it's been warmer and drier than usual here in North Yorkshire with sunshine no lower than average, although I think north-east Scotland has had rather cooler and duller weather relative to the rest of the country because of frequent onshore winds.

The upcoming hot spell, meanwhile, is looking like it might be largely confined to East Anglia and south-east England although most other places should at least see temperatures rise above average, and the frontal system is likely to weaken by Sunday.

[AWD]

This would be absolutely stunning

if it wasn't for this

The weather is lovely here when the sun is out, has been warm for a good while now ( week + ). With the rain we have had and are forecast to have down here ( as William of Walworth as alluded to in the MOD thread ), it just limits the activities you can do outdoors.

For example, my local forecaster is forecasting rain for Saturday here, and I was planning a family picnic/BBQ in the garden. In two minds at the moment.

Just want a dry/sunny Saturday & Sunday whilst these temps are about! Anyway, must dash, work becons!

[Interitus]

The general tone of many posts suggests a lot of people are annoyed July 2006 is not around the corner.

Any disappointment I've seen is far less than the ridiculous clamouring we get for the next 1962/3 winter or new ice age!

[Aaron]

That's probably down to more interest for a 1963 winter than a July 2006 summer.

[Alex]

That's probably down to more interest for a 1963 winter than a July 2006 summer.

I would have to disagree, the general public would be more encouraged by another July 06 or July 76 month than any Dec 10 or 62/63 winter. Maybe more members on here are the opposite but generally you will find from people I speak to that they pretty much hate cold snowy conditions where hot sunny conditions - the majority support hence why thousands descend on beaches aboard every year. I must admit I used to pray for some cold snowy conditions but my wish has come true in recent years and now I would much rather have a warm sunny summer!

[Bottesford]

Yes July 2006 would be preferred by more non-weather bods than winter '63 would be that's for sure.

July 2006 didn't stop the country working nor cost a fortune to deal with like a winter '63 would!

[laserguy]

I would have to disagree, the general public would be more encouraged by another July 06 or July 76 month than any Dec 10 or 62/63 winter.

Hmm - there's far,far more activity on NW when snow is in the offing than a heatwave - but then everyone here is a weather nut and thus not entirely representative of the general public. Quite why anyone would get excited about walking around like a slobbering wreck in 30C+ escapes me completely, and I'm hoping and praying that the divisive front stays south of me ( on a knife-edge right now! ). But that's just me and I don't want to spark another heat-better-than-cold (and vice versa) row....

[SP1986]

But LG the same way you say you dont understand how anyone can walk around at 30C and enjoy it.. I equally cant understand how anyone can enjoy -10C but each to their own.. Everyone has their preference

[Aaron]

I would have to disagree, the general public would be more encouraged by another July 06 or July 76 month than any Dec 10 or 62/63 winter. Maybe more members on here are the opposite but generally you will find from people I speak to that they pretty much hate cold snowy conditions where hot sunny conditions - the majority support hence why thousands descend on beaches aboard every year. I must admit I used to pray for some cold snowy conditions but my wish has come true in recent years and now I would much rather have a warm sunny summer!

Your post makes sense, until I realise that this is a weather forum and I'm not really bothered what the general public think or want.

But I too can misinterpret the opinions of the people around me based on the preferences I have. The people I know really dislike warmth and high humidity or heat combined with anything, the people I know like snow, the people around me like rain. This is all from personal experience.

Besides, people flock to Spain or Italy on an annual basis so they can lay down on a deck chair besides the pool (usually in coastal resorts where temperatures are generally lower than inland, surprise surprise). To actually work in these conditions would prove difficult, ask any London underground commuter who has to endure temperatures in excess of 40 degrees inside carriages..

Edited August 16, 2012 by Aaron

[Aaron]

Yes July 2006 would be preferred by more non-weather bods than winter '63 would be that's for sure.

July 2006 didn't stop the country working nor cost a fortune to deal with like a winter '63 would!

A winter like 63 wouldn't be as 'devastating' now as it was back then I'd have thought. July 2006, and August 2003 for that matter, certainly took their toll on the nation, such as claiming the lives of thousands, melting roads, causing trains to break down, tracks to buckle under the heat.. I could go on. Extended heat would certainly cause problems on a daily or weekly basis, but a large snowfall will cause temporary disruption before normal service resumes again.

Edited August 16, 2012 by Aaron

[Interitus]

So 'weather nuts' can only like snow and bitter cold but not 30 degree heat or the potentially big storms that a Spanish plume might bring?

[laserguy]

So 'weather nuts' can only like snow and bitter cold but not 30 degree heat or the potentially big storms that a Spanish plume might bring?

The active users list during such events would seem to confirm where most interest lies,yes.

[Interitus]

It might confirm that a lot of people have an almost childish fascination with snow, not that they are weather nuts!

[laserguy]

It might confirm that a lot of people have an almost childish fascination with snow, not that they are weather nuts!

Ha yes, I think you might be right!

[Thundery wintry showers]

The problem with Laserguy's argument is that it assumes that Netweather.tv's membership consists primarily of weather enthusiasts. I think with many members "snow enthusiasts" would be a better description- there are many people who have a relatively limited interest in, and understanding of, meteorlogy as a whole, but are attracted to certain specific types of weather, and snow is the most popular of these.

In general weather nuts, and this includes those whose livelihoods and hobbies depend on weather as well as enthusiasts, have pretty diverse needs and desires regarding the weather, but with enthusiasts tending to have a strongly above-average fascination with dramatic and/or unusual weather, which often includes snow, but also Spanish plumes, thunderstorms and the like.

The majority of the population have a relatively limited interest in, and understanding of, the weather and are much easier to generalise in terms of preferences, i.e. the less inconvenience the better, although when considering this large group of people there is often a danger of generalising at the lowest common denominator, i.e. taking the minority who have absolutely zero appreciation of the weather and lumping the rest together with them. Similar equations exist for many other topic areas- you generally get a minority of hardcore enthusiasts, a minority who couldn't care less and a majority of casual viewers/users.

Regarding the upcoming heat and precipitation, Sunday's precipitation charts are indicating the possibility of thunderstorms breaking out following a hot sunny afternoon over much of central and eastern England. It is easy to see precipitation charts and assume frontal type rain, but if the GFS verifies as shown then any rain will be hit and miss.

[laserguy]

......and snow is the most popular of these.

There you go,then!

[Milhouse]

Im suprised to hear you say that, here Ive only recorded 24C three times this entire summer! Only yesterday managed it this month, however it has regularly been 20-23C. In fact, only one day has failed to reach 20C this month and the mean max is 21.9C so far which is very respectable (and 1.5C above the average mean max).

Yes, slight exxaduration i accept. Its more reflective of the country as a whole rather than our location. Still as you say its been very warm. Humberside Airport is yet to record a max under 21c.

[SP1986]

Its quite funny we all have a varied interest in weather, and quite a few of us have a fairly long experience of weather interest.. Yet we are still debating about who likes what and how valid it is. Its a little like a physicist writing a paper on string theory and then everyone who is interested in physics debating whether it is valid to write that paper based on whether they like the subject he is writing about...

[Milhouse]

So far August has been consistently warm without being too warm... Which is still pleasant the mean max here is just above 22C which is a degree above average without really warm days. The downpours suggest am exceptionally wet month however.

Rainfall is 106% of average to the 15th. Slightly above average.