Summer 2023 chat

[al78]

23 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

Yeah I know, a few weeks of hot sunny weather will be a catastrophe! 

2-3 weeks of cold is just as bad, if not even worse. The December cold spell was worse in my opinion compared to the week or so of 34c last year.

I don't agree. If you are too cold there is central heating and/or you can put another layer on. If you are too hot there is no escape.

[al78]

On 25/04/2023 at 06:12, CreweCold said:

I think domestic aircon is going to become a must have.

The energy consumption and carbon footprint which will contribute to anthropogenic climate change even more and help make future summers even worse. There are more passive ways of combatting high temperatures which hotter countries than the UK can demonstrate.

[Summer8906]

30 minutes ago, al78 said:

If you have a classic 9-5 job you can't make use of the evenings in September like you can in May. In May, I can finish work, have a meal and still have an hour or two to work on my allotment. In September, I finish work and I have about half an hour before twilight even when I am not commuting to London.

I think it is a little premature to question the whole of May given we are still five days from the end of April.

Yeah that's true, I just don't like the look of that southerly jetstream pattern and low-pressure dominated outlook on the GFS, together with the Met Office long term forecast.

Hoping something changes; let's face it April was looking dry and anticyclonic at one point, when in fact it's been one of the poorest of recent years.

[damianslaw]

On 26/04/2023 at 09:03, weatherguru14 said:

When it comes to warmth, most people know that September is often better month than May.. So i don't get the running out of day light analogy. Nights get darker quicker. But the days are warmer in September (in my opinion) 

Nights are cold most of the year apart from when we get heatwaves.. so its all about the daytime  for me. 

May here at least is typically far drier, sunnier and lighter - latter a fact, compared to August. It's also far less humid, air far clearer, and there is the anticipation of the summer ahead. It is far far far better than August in all respects. I'm not a fan of August at all, indeed when late July arrives I always say to myself 'that's another year gone', i.e. the window of fine weather.. and prepare myself for the long 'wet season' to commence.

Edited April 29, 2023 by damianslaw

[weatherguru14]

May is typically wet for a lot of the country. especially in the western part of the UK. its obviously facing the Atlantic 

As for being less humid. i prefer things to be warm. And May over all (apart from end of May) is not a warm month. 

obviously there are cases of  May being good. but overall May is pretty average.Just shows by the average of May. which isnt spectacular 

[Sunny76]

1 hour ago, damianslaw said:

May here at least is typically far drier, sunnier and lighter - latter a fact, compared to August. It's also far less humid, air far clearer, and there is the anticipation of the summer ahead. It is far far far better than August in all respects. I'm not a fan of August at all, indeed when late July arrives I always say to myself 'that's another year gone', i.e. the window of fine weather.. and prepare myself for the long 'wet season' to commence.

For me personally, we are now entering what is the ‘sweet spot’ of the year, where daylight hours are at their best, with sunny warm or even hot spells even nice with less humidity and still a fresher feel.

Early May really is still spring, but as we move through the month the summer feeling really does start to kick in. Full on high summer comes in around late May with June and July both having that peak summer feeling.

When I hear retro shows in mid August, with David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes, or the sound of Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up being play, the rapid decline in daylight, evenings drawing in and that late summer feeling start to creep in big time. The period from mid August(august 15th-20th) is where summer starts to lose its grip, and hints of autumn at just around the corner.

By September 1st, summer is still going, but the best of the year has once again past us by. By mid to late September, early mornings(before 6am) are now once again completely dark, and nights are starting to become gradually cooler( despite some late warm spells). Autumn and the run towards Christmas starts to kick in from here on in. 
 

Don’t want to be a killjoy, but September will be here before we know it lol.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Sunny76

[damianslaw]

10 minutes ago, weatherguru14 said:

May is typically wet for a lot of the country. especially in the western part of the UK. its obviously facing the Atlantic 

As for being less humid. i prefer things to be warm. And May over all (apart from end of May) is not a warm month. 

obviously there are cases of  May being good. but overall May is pretty average.Just shows by the average of May. which isnt spectacular 

Statistically UK as whole May is drier than 3 summer months. It is therefore one of the drier months of the year. Yes its colder than June to September. It is also statistically sunnier than August and quite often July even. The atlantic is traditionally at its quietest in May, westerlies at their weakest. Here in the Lake District we rejoice May!

[damianslaw]

8 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

For me personally, we are now entering what is the ‘sweet spot’ of the year, where daylight hours are at their best, with sunny warm or even hot spells even nice with less humidity and still a fresher feel.

Early May really is still spring, but as we move through the month the summer feeling really does start to kick in. Full on high summer comes in around late May with June and July both having that peak summer feeling.

When I hear retro shows in mid August, with David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes, or the sound of Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up being play, the rapid decline in daylight, evenings drawing in and that late summer feeling start to creep in big time. The period from mid August(august 15th-20th) is where summer starts to lose its grip, and hints of autumn at just around the corner.

By September 1st, summer is still going, but the best of the year has once again past us by. By mid to late September, early mornings(before 6am) are now once again completely dark, and nights are starting to become gradually cooler( despite some late warm spells). Autumn and the run towards Christmas starts to kick in from here on in. 
 

Don’t want to be a killjoy, but September will be here before we know it lol.

Fully agree with all this, May takes us quickly into that summer feeling, its a month full of anticipation and hope, no other month has the same affect.  May is ' the best state of mind'! 

Edited April 29, 2023 by damianslaw

[Sunny76]

3 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

Fully agree with all this, May takes us quickly into that summer feeling, its a month full of anticipation and hope, no other month has the same affect. 

My birthday is on the 24th, and I often make the joke to a mate of mine saying ‘it will be September again before we know it’ which is why I always try and make the best of May and June. 
 

All the cold and dank stuff of late winter and early spring 2023 will be a distant memory by the time we hit June and hopefully experiencing some mid to high 20s temps. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Sunny76

[weatherguru14]

4 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

Statistically UK as whole May is drier than 3 summer months. It is therefore one of the drier months of the year. Yes its colder than June to September. It is also statistically sunnier than August and quite often July even. The atlantic is traditionally at its quietest in May, westerlies at their weakest. Here in the Lake District we rejoice May!

thats because its very windy from NW air flow. You get the sunny mornings and late evenings.so the hours of sunshine mount up. As for stats. Means nothing considering which year your in and stats meaningless in the UK.

10 wet Mays in 15 years will alter the stats.. I just give an opinion and i prefer September to May 

[damianslaw]

1 minute ago, Sunny76 said:

My birthday is on the 24th, and I often make the joke to a mate of mine saying ‘it will be September again before we know it’ which is why I always try and make the best of May and June. 

Yes me too, always make the most of May and June, far quieter than July and August in the Lake District. By July that feeling it is all slipping away too quickly sets in.. and I start to think oh no where did May and June go!

[Sunny76]

Just now, damianslaw said:

Yes me too, always make the most of May and June, far quieter than July and August in the Lake District. By July that feeling it is all slipping away too quickly sets in.. and I start to think oh no where did May and June go!

Yeah, it really does move quickly, and the fact that late June is the signal for the turning point in losing light, although very slowly. 

[weatherguru14]

Its freezing in May in the Lake District. You must have thick bones. 

[damianslaw]

1 minute ago, weatherguru14 said:

thats because its very windy from NW air flow. You get the sunny mornings and late evenings.so the hours of sunshine mount up. As for stats. Means nothing considering which year your in and stats meaningless in the UK.

10 wet Mays in 15 years will alter the stats.. I just give an opinion and i prefer September to May 

Fair enough, September is often a pleasant month, I factor in other aspects such as the summer to come and general positivity in the air that arrives in May, mother nature flourishes etc. 

[Sunny76]

Will be interesting to see if we can actually get a decent thunderstorm event this summer. Something tells me it’s all going to come together this time. 

[damianslaw]

4 minutes ago, weatherguru14 said:

Its freezing in May in the Lake District. You must have thick bones. 

Not at all... it can feel cool in a northerly flow but rarely would I describe May as freezing, and in many year it brings some of our best weather, fine long sunny days. July and more so August here, are far more likely to be washouts than May. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by damianslaw

[weatherguru14]

I find the North westerlies are not that warm either. Means the jet stream is further south. which is very common for the UK. But you like May, when its often miserable then fine

If i ever want to go to Lake district, And want to feel comfortable on say a boat in the lake. I'll go in May and not mid July. good advice. any bed time for me. 

[Dark Horse]

On 26/04/2023 at 09:03, weatherguru14 said:

When it comes to warmth, most people know that September is often better month than May.. So i don't get the running out of day light analogy. Nights get darker quicker. But the days are warmer in September (in my opinion) 

Nights are cold most of the year apart from when we get heatwaves.. so its all about the daytime  for me. 

Nights are cold most of the year? Are you living on the tundra in an igloo? 

[weatherguru14]

8 hours ago, Dark Horse said:

Nights are cold most of the year? Are you living on the tundra in an igloo? 

You think we need air conditioning? all year around?? or are you living in the tropics? 

[MP-R]

May’s a funny one. Can be glorious, often isn’t. Being in the south, it tends to sway 2/3 chances of unsettled vs 1/3 settled. Either we get plagued by southerly tracking lows that don’t affect the north in the same way, or we get the traditional Atlantic guff, or we may get an early build of high pressure through the country. Ideally one would get a mix of all three and that’s what I tend to expect. Down here May is on average as thundery as August, ties its rainfall, and slightly leads with sunshine hours… partly helped by longer days.

It’s not really until later in the month and into June that I expect lengthy spells of high pressure.

[damianslaw]

11 hours ago, weatherguru14 said:

I find the North westerlies are not that warm either. Means the jet stream is further south. which is very common for the UK. But you like May, when its often miserable then fine

If i ever want to go to Lake district, And want to feel comfortable on say a boat in the lake. I'll go in May and not mid July. good advice. any bed time for me. 

It's all perspective, based on past experience, yes whilst temps on average far below July values, in clear skies and sunshine and light winds, conditions in May are very pleasant and not too uncomfortable for outdoor activities. We've had many a long settled spell in May, whilst not guaranteed, I'd say chances of long settled weather in the Lake District is higher in April to June, than July or August. A fine warm spell in July I agree can't be bettered.

[Schnee]

There's alot of debate on A/C use..... one thing I notice with our old houses that are built built using clay bricks is they like to retain heat in summer which radiates out at night like a storage heater and there's no natural ventilation. That's what makes them so uncomfortable in summer. They have the opposite in Winter with the bricks absorbing the cold, a constant fight with the heating inside.

Adapting them for a/c is possible but not practical for a US style central ducted system. Mini split systems are possible. You can get wall/floor mounted ones that will fit in a fireplace as well as the traditional cassette type wall units. Pipework is the issue inside and outside, the unit will be quite large with two pipes per indoor unit, for a 4-6 way multi-split system. It'll cost about £1200/room. The outside unit can suck more power than an electric shower. I prefer to have one cool room that I can escape to.

It'll irritate neighbours as we're not accustomed to the hum of compressors.

Houses in countries that get hot and stay hot are designed and built to use natural cooling.

[*Stormforce~beka*]

1 hour ago, Stelmer said:

There's alot of debate on A/C use..... one thing I notice with our old houses that are built built using clay bricks is they like to retain heat in summer which radiates out at night like a storage heater and there's no natural ventilation. That's what makes them so uncomfortable in summer. They have the opposite in Winter with the bricks absorbing the cold, a constant fight with the heating inside.

Adapting them for a/c is possible but not practical for a US style central ducted system. Mini split systems are possible. You can get wall/floor mounted ones that will fit in a fireplace as well as the traditional cassette type wall units. Pipework is the issue inside and outside, the unit will be quite large with two pipes per indoor unit, for a 4-6 way multi-split system. It'll cost about £1200/room. The outside unit can suck more power than an electric shower. I prefer to have one cool room that I can escape to.

It'll irritate neighbours as we're not accustomed to the hum of compressors.

Houses in countries that get hot and stay hot are designed and built to use natural cooling.

We loojed again last night and hubby is wanting a wall mounted thing outside the window. God knows who fits it?! And a box on the walll then the pipe work going up into the loft and along and down into each of the 3 bedrooms

[Schnee]

19 minutes ago, *Stormforce~beka* said:

We loojed again last night and hubby is wanting a wall mounted thing outside the window. God knows who fits it?! And a box on the walll then the pipe work going up into the loft and along and down into each of the 3 bedrooms

Fitting needs to be done by qualified A/C installers. I think you can buy precharged split systems for decent prices which are charged for a preset line length and the outdoor units can accomodate more than one indoor unit. There's 2 refridgerant hoses, one condensate drain hose and a power feed per indoor unit. I keep eyeing them up here but the neighbours would notice the condensor hum at night, it gets too quiet to hide it.

Portables are ok, they will keep the room to the low 20's, colder just taxes them and costs more in electric. Mine is a twin hose (imported from Germany). Single hose units will generate negative air pressure. They pull in air from the open window or if that's sealed well, an open door. I would prefer to leave a gap in the window as the unit will be below it so technically it's better than having it pull in air from the rest of your house! The unit's cold part will keep the hot air it draws through the window around the unit if that makes sense. It wastes power but it's the better of two evils on portables. Can cool the room down before sleep, turn it off for sleep, turn it on in the morning and fall asleep again when the room temp is cosy for a douvet....

 

[*Stormforce~beka*]

6 minutes ago, Stelmer said:

Fitting needs to be done by qualified A/C installers. I think you can buy precharged split systems for decent prices which are charged for a preset line length and the outdoor units can accomodate more than one indoor unit. There's 2 refridgerant hoses, one condensate drain hose and a power feed per indoor unit. I keep eyeing them up here but the neighbours would notice the condensor hum at night, it gets too quiet to hide it.

Portables are ok, they will keep the room to the low 20's, colder just taxes them and costs more in electric. Mine is a twin hose (imported from Germany). Single hose units will generate negative air pressure. They pull in air from the open window or if that's sealed well, an open door. I would prefer to leave a gap in the window as the unit will be below it so technically it's better than having it pull in air from the rest of your house! The unit's cold part will keep the hot air it draws through the window around the unit if that makes sense. It wastes power but it's the better of two evils on portables. Can cool the room down before sleep, turn it off for sleep, turn it on in the morning and fall asleep again when the room temp is cosy for a douvet....

 

Hubby wants the ones that are combi so can be used as heating in the winter too. I'll pass on to him your post! I need a A/C shop LOL! Or someone to come around and advise us ideally!