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The changing daylight hours thread


Boydie

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Posted
  • Location: East London
  • Location: East London
On 25/01/2023 at 22:12, *Stormforce~beka* said:

Interesting! I don't usually feel better until March.

Clear skies and the opportunity to head out for a walk around lunch really help here! 

Some years the heavy feeling can linger well into March, where Feb and March are dull. A sunny mid Feb can really lift the spirits though. It doesn't have to be an early Summer a la 2019, clear and chilly works just as well. 

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Posted
  • Location: Summerseat, SE Lancashire (145m ASL)
  • Location: Summerseat, SE Lancashire (145m ASL)

Morning light is noticeably getting earlier at last.  An hour of daylight extension at  both ends of the day to come in February for my location.  I can’t wait!

Anyone getting some almost springlike sun today.  It’s our usual sheet of grey with drizzly bits here, but occasional brighter hints.  Forecasts suggested many areas further S and E doing better today?

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Posted
  • Location: Stevenage - Herts (110m ASL)
  • Location: Stevenage - Herts (110m ASL)
4 hours ago, Maz said:

Morning light is noticeably getting earlier at last.  An hour of daylight extension at  both ends of the day to come in February for my location.  I can’t wait!

Anyone getting some almost springlike sun today.  It’s our usual sheet of grey with drizzly bits here, but occasional brighter hints.  Forecasts suggested many areas further S and E doing better today?

Beautiful start to the day here, with spring sunshine. It started to cloud over about lunchtime though and was quite dull come sunset.

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Posted
  • Location: Summerseat, SE Lancashire (145m ASL)
  • Location: Summerseat, SE Lancashire (145m ASL)
On 30/01/2023 at 13:24, mb018538 said:

I'm probably having a different experience to you down here...we've had a very sunny January here, which makes a huge difference.

Interesting met office quote:

“January 2022 was the sunniest start to a year on record for England, and the third sunniest for the UK in provisional figures released by the Met Office.”  

The map of sun amounts shows my part of Lancashire, west of Pennines, had 110% of average January sun (110% of a low average, is still low!).  30 miles away to the east of the Pennines, 170% of what is probably a higher average.  Quite a variation in the "lived experience" as a result.  

I think February is starting the same way, 3 grey, drizzly days here, but further East and South, maybe a completely different feel?

....still I'm sure the grey is getting ligher as the sun gets higher day by day!!

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Posted
  • Location: Skirlaugh, East Yorkshire
  • Location: Skirlaugh, East Yorkshire
2 hours ago, Maz said:

Interesting met office quote:

“January 2022 was the sunniest start to a year on record for England, and the third sunniest for the UK in provisional figures released by the Met Office.”  

The map of sun amounts shows my part of Lancashire, west of Pennines, had 110% of average January sun (110% of a low average, is still low!).  30 miles away to the east of the Pennines, 170% of what is probably a higher average.  Quite a variation in the "lived experience" as a result.  

I think February is starting the same way, 3 grey, drizzly days here, but further East and South, maybe a completely different feel?

....still I'm sure the grey is getting ligher as the sun gets higher day by day!!

Yes, we had 103 hours of sunshine here, 169% of average. It was just short of the record of 104 hours in January 2022. Both years are the only time January has had above 100 hours.

It certainly helps lift the mood when the darker months are sunnier than average.

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Posted
  • Location: Liphook
  • Location: Liphook

Certainly starting to feel the effects of the lengthening days, the angle of the sun at 10.30am today already higher than it was at solar noon just 2 weeks ago. Just starting to see the first effects of the mornings starting to get lighter, though still subtle. 

Definitely more obvious impacts on the evening length now, with sunset past 5pm locally today and with clear weather should have usable light to about 5.30-5.45pm this evening. Good stuff!

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Posted
  • Location: Longlevens, 16m ASL (H)/Bradley Stoke, 75m ASL (W)
  • Weather Preferences: Hot sunny summers, cold snowy winters
  • Location: Longlevens, 16m ASL (H)/Bradley Stoke, 75m ASL (W)

5.20pm and its still light outside, loving the ever extending daylight evenings especially on a clear day like today.

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Late afternoon light drawing out markedly on clear days now, well past 5pm before it goes fully dark, but on overcast grey days light levels are cut short around 5pm still. By the end of February we lose the feeling of winter completely in darkness terms, with light lingering until 6pm, always remember as a child late Feb being a time of notable change in the feel of things, having your tea when it wasn't fully dark yet. Mornings are still very dark though.

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Posted
  • Location: Mynydd - Isa , Nr Mold - North Wales
  • Weather Preferences: Foggy autumn days are the best! Although I does enjoy a good thunderstorm.
  • Location: Mynydd - Isa , Nr Mold - North Wales

Morning everyone. 😊

Well this morning I saw the first glimpse of the sun’s disc at 07:43, that’s just over 40 minutes earlier than it was at the beginning of January! 
 

Likewise, there is still a glimmer of dark blue light on the western horizon at 19:00! Plus the rate at which we’re gaining daylight is still increasing! 
 

The period of pre 15:30 sunsets and post 08:25 sunrises are now but a fading memory… Until we get to the end of the year again. Lol 😂

Could contain: Tree, Sky, Nature, Outdoors, Sunset, Sunlight, Fir, Flare, Silhouette, Vegetation

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Posted
  • Location: Mynydd - Isa , Nr Mold - North Wales
  • Weather Preferences: Foggy autumn days are the best! Although I does enjoy a good thunderstorm.
  • Location: Mynydd - Isa , Nr Mold - North Wales
On 25/01/2023 at 22:10, Maz said:

SAD is really hitting at the moment.  Had done really well until the Christmas period, but a slog since.

I like to split the year into 3month segments, corresponding to the sine curve in day lengths:

Dark - 6 weeks either side of winter solstice. 

Lightening -3months early Feb to eary April

Light- 6 weeks either side of summer solstice

Darkening - early Aug to early Nov (thanks to the clocks until late October really)

Which means, in my mind, from next week it is 9 months without SAD.  Doesn’t quite work like that as I find a lag effect in my moods and it takes time to recover in Feb/Mar.  It is a positive prospect though.

 

 

 

On 25/01/2023 at 23:20, *Stormforce~beka* said:

Me too! Too soon lol

Morning @Mazand @*Stormforce~beka*🙂

Its an interesting post that you made @Maz, because as a reverse SAD sufferer, I'm exactly the same, but in reverse. (9 months of the year without SAD, and three months with it).  The part of the year that it starts to strike me is about mid April onwards, but by the time we get to mid May, I find it really heavy going... June is just a long hard slog for me, and all I want to do is to crawl in a cave or somewhere dark and hibernate until around very late July, to August... Just to try and escape from the none stop sunlight of the summer ... As December and January are for yourselves. 

Anywhoo... I hope that you're both feeling better (SAD wise) now that the daylight is increasing. 🙂

 

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Posted
  • Location: Summerseat, SE Lancashire (145m ASL)
  • Location: Summerseat, SE Lancashire (145m ASL)
1 hour ago, Dangerous55019 said:

 

Morning @Mazand @*Stormforce~beka*🙂

Its an interesting post that you made @Maz, because as a reverse SAD sufferer, I'm exactly the same, but in reverse. (9 months of the year without SAD, and three months with it).  The part of the year that it starts to strike me is about mid April onwards, but by the time we get to mid May, I find it really heavy going... June is just a long hard slog for me, and all I want to do is to crawl in a cave or somewhere dark and hibernate until around very late July, to August... Just to try and escape from the none stop sunlight of the summer ... As December and January are for yourselves. 

Anywhoo... I hope that you're both feeling better (SAD wise) now that the daylight is increasing. 🙂

 

I've had a similar discussion with another user on here with reverse SAD and how the impact is so similar, but at the opposite time of year.  For me a key thing is to not let the "dread" of the dark months pull my mood down in autumn when there is still perfectly enough light.  Maybe the same for you?  Enjoy spring whilst light levels are not too intense and try not to let the impact of the brightness impact you until summer.  I'm sure you must hope for cloudy summer days the same as I do sunny winter days, for a bit of respite.

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Posted
  • Location: sheffield
  • Weather Preferences: Basically intresting weather,cold,windy you name it
  • Location: sheffield
1 hour ago, Dangerous55019 said:

 

Morning @Mazand @*Stormforce~beka*🙂

Its an interesting post that you made @Maz, because as a reverse SAD sufferer, I'm exactly the same, but in reverse. (9 months of the year without SAD, and three months with it).  The part of the year that it starts to strike me is about mid April onwards, but by the time we get to mid May, I find it really heavy going... June is just a long hard slog for me, and all I want to do is to crawl in a cave or somewhere dark and hibernate until around very late July, to August... Just to try and escape from the none stop sunlight of the summer ... As December and January are for yourselves. 

Anywhoo... I hope that you're both feeling better (SAD wise) now that the daylight is increasing. 🙂

 

I know exactly what you mean, i've had reverse SAD for over 30 years now, worst by far for me is May, its like being at the entrance to a dark tunnel looking at those 3 months to come, hate it.

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Posted
  • Location: Cambridge, UK
  • Weather Preferences: Summer > Spring > Winter > Autumn :-)
  • Location: Cambridge, UK

Summer SAD is a much less common than winter SAD, especially at our latitude, where unbearable heat can happen from time to time, but isn't usually long lasting. It's much more common in places like India/Middle East etc where the onset of late spring and summer bring months on end of 40c+ with no relief at night. Even that would wear down a summer lover like me!

Always found summer SAD a somewhat strange concept, as humans have evolved over thousands of years to flourish in the light for various reasons (hunting/we have poor night vision/vitamin D boost from sunlight etc) rather than in darkness, but hey....everyone is different! 😄

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Posted
  • Location: Mynydd - Isa , Nr Mold - North Wales
  • Weather Preferences: Foggy autumn days are the best! Although I does enjoy a good thunderstorm.
  • Location: Mynydd - Isa , Nr Mold - North Wales
2 hours ago, Maz said:

I've had a similar discussion with another user on here with reverse SAD and how the impact is so similar, but at the opposite time of year.  For me a key thing is to not let the "dread" of the dark months pull my mood down in autumn when there is still perfectly enough light.  Maybe the same for you?  Enjoy spring whilst light levels are not too intense and try not to let the impact of the brightness impact you until summer.  I'm sure you must hope for cloudy summer days the same as I do sunny winter days, for a bit of respite.

@Maz Grey, and cloudy, rainy summer days, or those with thunderstorms are the best for me, as its the almost overhead summer sun that cripples me... Its like the Eye of Sauron gazing down on me 😫Mix in with that the fact that it never gets truly dark thanks to the lingering twilight, and I'm just desperate for any respite. Hence why by the time we get to May, I'm on a countdown to the summer solstice... As even knowing that we've just started to turn the corner, is a welcome relief. But fortunately, at the moment I'm ok with everything, as I've still got a good quota of darkness. Lol 😂👍

 

1 hour ago, markyo said:

I know exactly what you mean, i've had reverse SAD for over 30 years now, worst by far for me is May, its like being at the entrance to a dark tunnel looking at those 3 months to come, hate it.

@markyo Its actually a comfort to know that its not just me who feels like that as we get to May, as whilst everyone else is out enjoying the extra daylight, I just feel like some kind of outcast! ... And yes you have totally nailed with the the fact that its like staring into the entrance of a long dark tunnel... As early August at that point seems as far away as ever. 

 

1 hour ago, mb018538 said:

Summer SAD is a much less common than winter SAD, especially at our latitude, where unbearable heat can happen from time to time, but isn't usually long lasting. It's much more common in places like India/Middle East etc where the onset of late spring and summer bring months on end of 40c+ with no relief at night. Even that would wear down a summer lover like me!

Always found summer SAD a somewhat strange concept, as humans have evolved over thousands of years to flourish in the light for various reasons (hunting/we have poor night vision/vitamin D boost from sunlight etc) rather than in darkness, but hey....everyone is different! 😄

@mb018538I've been called far worse things that strange and different... Trust me! Lol 🤪🙃😂
Its more the excess light rather than the heat... Although having said that, I'm certainly not a fan of the heat and hot weather... Unless there is a juicy thunderstorm at the end of it... But I'm starting to go way off topic with that one. 


Anyway... I've probably dragged this threat way off course, so my apologies to the Mods for that. 

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Posted
  • Location: Summerseat, SE Lancashire (145m ASL)
  • Location: Summerseat, SE Lancashire (145m ASL)

@Dangerous55019 I don’t think you are off topic at all.  This thread has long discussed all elements of day length etc and the impact it has on us.  
 

@markyo you discussed the impact of reverse SAD a few years back in reply to a post I made when really struggling mentally with SAD over Christmas.  Helped provide perspective to me.  
 


 

 

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Posted
  • Location: Winchester, Hampshire ~ Southern Central!
  • Location: Winchester, Hampshire ~ Southern Central!
6 hours ago, Dangerous55019 said:

 

Morning @Mazand @*Stormforce~beka*🙂

Its an interesting post that you made @Maz, because as a reverse SAD sufferer, I'm exactly the same, but in reverse. (9 months of the year without SAD, and three months with it).  The part of the year that it starts to strike me is about mid April onwards, but by the time we get to mid May, I find it really heavy going... June is just a long hard slog for me, and all I want to do is to crawl in a cave or somewhere dark and hibernate until around very late July, to August... Just to try and escape from the none stop sunlight of the summer ... As December and January are for yourselves. 

Anywhoo... I hope that you're both feeling better (SAD wise) now that the daylight is increasing. 🙂

 

Morning! Well it was ... I feel for you it sucks bad. I can imagine for you that sun is like a massive bright light you just can't turn off! SAD wise tbh i've had my best winter ever due to the amount of sun there has been! I can count on one hand the days i've felt depressed and even then it's been mild. So i've got off lightly! Can deffo feel the light increasing now which is nice. Less of that dark closed in claustrophobic feeling! x

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Posted
  • Location: Liphook
  • Location: Liphook

Today was the first day where the sky felt like it had a less wintry blue hue to it, probably due to the ever increasing angle of the sun. It made it feel more spring like even if the weather was still fairly cool overall apart from peak time.

The later evenings really are being helped by the sunshine levels down here being good, it will would probably feel less noticeable if it was really cloudy all the time.

Had some useable light as early as 7am, though the moon being pretty close to full in the sky also probably added to light levels on top of things. Still a ways to go until I will be waking up in the light, however those days are coming sooner than you know!

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

By the end of Feb, the sun is more than double the elevation in the sky as it is at Christmas. Really start to notice the warmth in the sun as Feb progresses.

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Posted
  • Location: Summerseat, SE Lancashire (145m ASL)
  • Location: Summerseat, SE Lancashire (145m ASL)
13 hours ago, Nick L said:

By the end of Feb, the sun is more than double the elevation in the sky as it is at Christmas. Really start to notice the warmth in the sun as Feb progresses.

After a very dull period from mid December it has been very sunny at last since Sunday (Tuesday was 100% cloud, but the other days full sun).  
 

I’m sitting in the mid-day sun, out of the nagging breeze, now and can really feel the difference from mid winter.  Really the sun is comparable to end October, so it’s not that surprising.  But, after so long not feeling that warmth, it feels amazing.  The miracle of the cycle of life starting again as the first signs of spring creep in…

 

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Posted
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine and 15-25c
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)

Arrived at my office at 7am this morning as you do..and there was feint glow on the horizon..sure sign that spring and summer is heading North 😎

 

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Posted
  • Location: Hampshire
  • Weather Preferences: Bright weather. Warm sunny thundery summers, short cold winters.
  • Location: Hampshire
On 08/02/2023 at 07:58, Dangerous55019 said:

Likewise, there is still a glimmer of dark blue light on the western horizon at 19:00! Plus the rate at which we’re gaining daylight is still increasing! 

 

You're doing very well to get that - not a chance here for another couple of weeks or so. A benefit of westerly longitude, I suspect.

Nonetheless, evening daylight moving fast now - full daylight between 4 and 5pm, though I've yet to see sunlight after 5pm though it should now be theoretically possible with a low enough western horizon and no cloud.

Also notable how rapidly the light level is increasing at 6pm, from just the slightest hint of daylight two weeks ago to quite strong twilight now.

We're also getting quite late peaks in daytime temperature now, if readings on computer desktops are to be believed. On Tuesday, for example, the max of 9C was achieved after 3pm, while in December the max temp on a sunny day is likely before 2pm.

Mornings slower, though properly light by around 7.30. But one feature of late Feb, early March is rapidly increasing morning daylight, so much so that by the end of March (as measured by local time) it comes to within an hour of the earliest sunrise in June.

 

Edited by Summer8906
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Posted
  • Location: Hampshire
  • Weather Preferences: Bright weather. Warm sunny thundery summers, short cold winters.
  • Location: Hampshire
On 30/01/2023 at 13:24, mb018538 said:

I'm probably having a different experience to you down here...we've had a very sunny January here, which makes a huge difference.

Here January seemed to be a month of two halves for the sunshine, with the mild half also being very dull, and the cold half sunny.

Certainly for the first 14 days we only had significant sun on the 2nd, 9th and 13th.

It got a lot sunnier from the 15th, particularly from the 16th-23rd, then it was cloudier but not too bad.

A strange feature was that all five Mondays were sunny.

I'd guess sunshine will have been close to average overall here, but the Met Office suggests a sunnier than average month even in the south and southwest: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/regional-values. Given how dull the first two weeks were, and that we also had a number of cloudy days in the final week, I am very surprised - and the second sunniest on record behind 2022 also amazes me. I am sure we have had much sunnier Januaries in central southern England, at least, in the past - 2003 being a recent example.

 

Edited by Summer8906
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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

Love driving to work in daylight! So glad we're not on BST all year round.

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