The changing daylight hours thread

[Sunny76]

11 minutes ago, mb018538 said:

Only 7 weeks 'til the shortest day though. It's gone by in a blur, can't believe that 40c day was well over 3 months ago! Before you know it, we will be in the last throes of winter and looking ahead to spring and summer once more. The fact that we're going to get through 10/12 weeks of autumn without any cold weather is an absolute blessing for me, it's just flown by without me really noticing. That's without the added financial benefits of not having to turn the heating on at all yet as it's been so warm. 

I have used the heating, because it was on the cool side in the last half of September. It’s been very mild the last 2 weeks.

Mind you, I live in a cold building.

[Summer8906]

6 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

Yeah, but it doesn’t feel like summer anymore. Regardless of whether it’s 18c or 10c. Just everything about this period of the year has autumn and early winter vibes, despite the temperature.

Exactly, you don't have it pitch black at 17.10 (as it was last night) in June, July or August. Unless you're a long way south in the southern hemisphere. There's not even a scrap of summer left now.

Last week did have a bit of a late-September feel with the temps (though was much damper than the usual for late-Sep) but the feel is very different this week. With much worse weather and, more importantly, darker evenings, we are undeniably in the closing weeks of autumn, with winter around the corner. It's now darker in the evenings than it is in late Jan; the transition from summer to winter is very rapid indeed compared to the transition from winter to summer.

Edited November 1, 2022 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

2 hours ago, mb018538 said:

Only 7 weeks 'til the shortest day though. It's gone by in a blur, can't believe that 40c day was well over 3 months ago! Before you know it, we will be in the last throes of winter and looking ahead to spring and summer once more.

We need to hold that thought in these dark days. It's now only four months to spring (perhaps less if Feb is both mild and dry); in fact the distance from now to spring is little more than the distance backwards to the 40C day.

Edited November 1, 2022 by Summer8906

[Scuba steve]

By the second week of February if feel I’ve got winter done  also helps as I’ll be in the Caribbean for the first 2 weeks of February 

[Summer8906]

23 hours ago, Wynn D Woo said:

So frustrating that the clocks had to go back  - especially with the the energy crisis meaning lights having to be put on earlier than needed to at the moment.

Given they are threatening power cuts between 4-7pm if it's a cold winter, I do think we should be trying to maximise daylight in the 4-7pm period. But I suppose this government has other priorities, such as fighting amongst itself for control of the Party.

Granted unlikely to happen until Jan or Feb, but if this becomes a likely possibility, I think we need to switch back to BST early. It will reduce energy usage (less lighting needed at the time of highest demand), and if there are power cuts, the impact will be reduced if it's light until 6pm at the start of Feb, because you can do things in the house in the daylight without needing any artificial light.

Edited November 1, 2022 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

On 28/10/2022 at 12:46, damianslaw said:

Yes I'm in a similiar circumstance, but it's still a shock regardless. Agree it's the Monday you notice it most rather than Sunday. Need to make most of lunchtime breaks, essential to get out and about..

Indeed, on the Sunday you can just live as if it's BST. On the Monday it's a bit difficult if you need to be in work...

[damianslaw]

4 minutes ago, Summer8906 said:

Indeed, on the Sunday you can just live as if it's BST. On the Monday it's a bit difficult if you need to be in work...

Psychologically this is a hard week to adjust to, but not quite as bad as that first full week of work in early January!

[ANYWEATHER]

I wish they would leave us on GMT. All the playing around with clocks going backward and forward doesn't make a tiddly squat to how much light or dark we get. We are now entering the darkest point of the year and it's a case of grin and bare it, . Wish I could hibernate from November 1st to March1st wake up in Spring❤

[damianslaw]

53 minutes ago, ANYWEATHER said:

I wish they would leave us on GMT. All the playing around with clocks going backward and forward doesn't make a tiddly squat to how much light or dark we get. We are now entering the darkest point of the year and it's a case of grin and bare it, . Wish I could hibernate from November 1st to March1st wake up in Spring❤

January the month we should all hibernate, there is a general shutting down feeling that prevails through the month after the December excess, we see a mini shut down early-mid Nov, but christmas creeps into the month earlier and earlier to wake us up..

[Don]

7 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

I have used the heating, because it was on the cool side in the last half of September. It’s been very mild the last 2 weeks.

Mind you, I live in a cold building.

Heating has been coming on in the utility room and sometimes kitchen as it's the coldest part of the house.  No chance of having it on upstairs anytime soon, I doubt!

3 hours ago, damianslaw said:

January the month we should all hibernate, there is a general shutting down feeling that prevails through the month after the December excess, we see a mini shut down early-mid Nov, but christmas creeps into the month earlier and earlier to wake us up..

I always feel the need for some exciting wintry weather in the New Year to keep me going, otherwise I do feel like hibernating!

[Weather Enthusiast91]

I seem to be quite a rarity as I actually enjoy the early sunsets.

Cosy evenings and less people around. Lovely. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Weather Enthusiast91

[ManiaMuse]

10 hours ago, Don said:

Heating has been coming on in the utility room and sometimes kitchen as it's the coldest part of the house.  No chance of having it on upstairs anytime soon, I doubt!

I always feel the need for some exciting wintry weather in the New Year to keep me going, otherwise I do feel like hibernating!

Totally agree that January and early February are the worst. By late February at least there is a glimmer of improving daylight.

[Summer8906]

19 hours ago, damianslaw said:

Psychologically this is a hard week to adjust to, but not quite as bad as that first full week of work in early January!

In some ways I don't mind the early January case, as I personally consider the days immediately following Christmas as a bit grim (as I said above, the week or so beginning Dec 27 is for me the worst week of the year) and the return to work is a return to "normalness". Yes, you might not need to be at work, but the closing days of the year are to me a time of year with a very "dead" feel with a lot of things closed, and with limited daylight to do anything and invariably bad weather (if it's not raining, it's foggy and gloomy).

It's interesting that "Blue Monday" is so late in January, something like the 4th Monday of the month - so well past the return-to-work date. By the 4th Monday in Jan you start to notice the nights drawing out (as long as we are not stuck in a Tm gloom-and-drizzlefest) so it feels like the very worst days of winter are starting to ease.

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Summer8906

[damianslaw]

4.22 sunset today, but it was dark by 4pm. The switch is very abrupt, not adjusting to it yet. 

[Scuba steve]

November is an awful month December brings the Christmas build up so not so bad and January I  usually go on holiday for 2 weeks February I can cope with 

[damianslaw]

20 minutes ago, Scuba steve said:

November is an awful month December brings the Christmas build up so not so bad and January I  usually go on holiday for 2 weeks February I can cope with 

Early-mid Nov fast becoming least favourite time weatherwise, usually dull, wet, dark and mild and the christmas feeling doesn't quite take hold despite the adverts etc.

[damianslaw]

Has the 'dark days before christmas' arrived a month early this year. Already going dark at 3.55, despite sunset another 20 mins off. Mind another gloom fest day with no sun.

Sunless days at this time of year make for very dark feel. 

Really noticed the sudden loss of light so far this month. We don't 'bottom' out so to speak for another month!

Edited November 10, 2022 by damianslaw

[mb018538]

Only another 23 minutes of light to lose here....with the days being so mild and flying past, we're already only 5 weeks until the shortest day. Certainly seems to have come round quickly this year. 

[Downburst]

8 minutes ago, mb018538 said:

Only another 23 minutes of light to lose here....with the days being so mild and flying past, we're already only 5 weeks until the shortest day. Certainly seems to have come round quickly this year. 

It certainly does seem to be moving at pace. I just checked and the days start getting longer in the evening here on December 15 jumping from 16:02 to 16:03, although mornings continue to get dark, but at least it starts on the 15. So that is 30 days from today. Will be no time before end of January at post 5.00 pm sunsets. 

[damianslaw]

Yes 4 weeks to go and we hit the bottom. We only lose about 15-20 mins more light in evenings now, a very slow descent. However on overcast days from now on, its preety much dark by 4pm sadly. 

[Sunny76]

2 hours ago, mb018538 said:

Only another 23 minutes of light to lose here....with the days being so mild and flying past, we're already only 5 weeks until the shortest day. Certainly seems to have come round quickly this year. 

Yeah,  but it’s a long slog until March. 

[Puddy Galore]

Really noticing the loss of daylight hours now.  Have lost quite a bit of afternoon patchwork and quilting time .  Trying to cut material with a rotary cutter in fading light isn't sensible so I am having to give it up around half three as at best I waste material and at worst could lose a finger.  Difficult to cut with the light on as it reflects off the rule.

[damianslaw]

Entering the period of year when evenings feel very very long!

[hillbilly]

1 hour ago, damianslaw said:

Entering the period of year when evenings feel very very long!

Yes but the sort of dull and foggy weather we have had the last couple of days are as dark as those mid December.If we are to get this in mis December it really will be short days.Foggy days can lose an hour of light in a day!

[damianslaw]

1 hour ago, hillbilly said:

Yes but the sort of dull and foggy weather we have had the last couple of days are as dark as those mid December.If we are to get this in mis December it really will be short days.Foggy days can lose an hour of light in a day!

'The dark days before christmas', overcast wet days and foggy days in mid Dec never really bring any light, perpetual gloom.