Spring 2023 - Moans, Ramps & Chat

[Andy Bown]

I think a lot of the issues stem from the continuing need for heating to even get the indoor temperature to 18c (well for us anyway). The few sunny afternoons have only briefly warmed it because it hasn’t been generally warm.

Added to that so many evenings needing lights on at 19.00 when feasibly they ‘shouldn’t’ be needed until 20.30! 
 

All this in the same Spring as the utility companies are taking the mickey! 

[SummerShower]

8 hours ago, Metwatch said:

Yeah it does seem to be somewhat the case. This spring though compared to last few springs I think it's been better than usual for convection and showers. Lots of showers and a variety of cloudscapes, and even a surprise thunderstorm on the 22nd March, which is rare as they usually miss my area.

2020 was decent for storms then snow following winter but 2014-2017 wasn't as interesting especially winter snowfall. Thunder days have declined compared to 90s and before by what I hear from older enthusiasts. 

I would agree that this April, while not the best, has given us more convection than many recent April's.  I have noted hail on 2 days and thunder on 1 so far and there's still scope for some this week.

While this spring is otherwise a bit boring, 2019 was by far the most bland in recent years.  I remember absolutely nothing of note.  Even in the south this year we had a snowfall in early March.

[richie3846]

1 hour ago, al78 said:

March was near average across the majority of the UK. Hard to tell how April is doing but if it is above average, it is because of the lack of cold nights. No-one cares about temperatures when they are fast asleep, but they notice suppressed daytime temperatures, and it is the latter that matters when it comes to how the weather feels.

Tha majority of the UK didn't experience suppressed daytime temperatures in March.

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Metwatch said:

Always thought the perfect climate in the world was somewhere like the Canary Islands especially the eastern ones. 

Almost no rain through the whole year (desert), but not too low humidity with the sea, lots of sunshine, maybe at times a bit boring.

It's described as an eternal spring with daytime winter temperatures in the low 20s and summer up to high 20s but a refreshing wind. Southern and south east Spain is also fairly similar but a bit less warm in winter.

 

Yes it’s a very good climate, think someone mentions tropical storms (which they don’t get) and sandstorms which are very infrequent. Another good climate is down near San Diego on the California coast, temperatures above 30C are rare while less than 15C is non existent. Dec average max is 19, while July & August average 25C. 

[al78]

30 minutes ago, richie3846 said:

Tha majority of the UK didn't experience suppressed daytime temperatures in March.

My region is one area that did, and I was mainly referring to this month when I was talking about suppressed daytime temperatures i.e. the lack of days getting up to mid teens and higher being balanced by the lack of cold nights.

[al78]

1 hour ago, Andy Bown said:

I think a lot of the issues stem from the continuing need for heating to even get the indoor temperature to 18c (well for us anyway). The few sunny afternoons have only briefly warmed it because it hasn’t been generally warm.

Added to that so many evenings needing lights on at 19.00 when feasibly they ‘shouldn’t’ be needed until 20.30! 
 

All this in the same Spring as the utility companies are taking the mickey! 

I have my thermostat set to 15C and the heating is still coming on in the mornings. I have laundry to do today and will need the heating on just to get it dry, as I have to do in autumn/winter.

[richie3846]

3 minutes ago, al78 said:

My region is one area that did, and I was mainly referring to this month when I was talking about suppressed daytime temperatures i.e. the lack of days getting up to mid teens and higher being balanced by the lack of cold nights.

I guess we'll have to wait and see for the stats to see if the daytime temps for April come in below par. Also, we have to remind ourselves, the month isn't over yet.

[Andrew Hurcomb]

2 minutes ago, richie3846 said:

I guess we'll have to wait and see for the stats to see if the daytime temps for April come in below par. Also, we have to remind ourselves, the month isn't over yet.

This is true, but have you seen the forecast for the rest of the month?

[richie3846]

2 minutes ago, Andrew Hurcomb said:

This is true, but have you seen the forecast for the rest of the month?

Last time I checked there was a balancing off of a cool 3 days with a mild few days to end the month off

[RJBingham]

Whatever the stats say, it's been a miserable spring! 

[Summer8906]

12 hours ago, NEVES SCREAMER said:

I think Melbourne had a very bad spring if I remember ( September Oct Nov). May be wrong.

I have a friend in Melbourne and he has frequently been reporting bad weather recently, even into their summer.

Maybe they're having the equivalent of our 1985, in which by far the best weather relative to normal was in the autumn...

Edited April 23, 2023 by Summer8906

[stainesbloke]

10 hours ago, richie3846 said:

Oh yes I understand the purpose of this thread. I just wanted to highlight the benefits of becoming a weather observer, as many of us are affected negatively by weather we don't like, especially during spells like March. It affects so many people who aren't even interested in the weather like we are, and it can affect us even more so. The easiest way to reduce the emotional burden is to switch our mentality, especially when the chips are down, to becoming the observer. I just wanted to mention this point as it has helped me a lot (not just with weather), when there has been an emotional attachment to a situation. The situation is less tense when observed more for what it is, and accepted as perfect in its own right. 

Well done for attaining this level of calm and acceptance I just couldn’t in the UK when summer weather was poor, especially after so many months of grim conditions in the colder months. Mentally I’m much calmer here in Central Europe, as we still have seasons (despite the climate changing here too)

[ANYWEATHER]

13 minutes ago, RJBingham said:

Whatever the stats say, it's been a miserable spring! 

The Stats don't account for everything , it's always going to be wetter, colder, drier, sunnier etc etc , in fact I've known it rain the front of my house, and dry in the back garden !

 

[Derecho]

2 hours ago, al78 said:

March was near average across the majority of the UK. Hard to tell how April is doing but if it is above average, it is because of the lack of cold nights. No-one cares about temperatures when they are fast asleep, but they notice suppressed daytime temperatures, and it is the latter that matters when it comes to how the weather feels.

For the vast majority of the UK it was above average.

Edited April 23, 2023 by Quicksilver1989

[ANYWEATHER]

25 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

Well done for attaining this level of calm and acceptance I just couldn’t in the UK when summer weather was poor, especially after so many months of grim conditions in the colder months. Mentally I’m much calmer here in Central Europe, as we still have seasons (despite the climate changing here 

Well we have seasons here too, there is variability in all seasons some times greater than others ,that's what makes the weather interesting! 

[kold weather]

9 minutes ago, Quicksilver1989 said:

For the vast majority of the UK it was above average.

Yeah, it really shows how drastically the mean for March has shifted up.

There is also an element that we have indeed been very spoiled by recent Aprils, especially given how sharply the decadal precipitation has gone down recently. That means that even though this April has got a modestly above average rainfall, it does feel considerably worse, especially when paired with a really dreadful March (dullest ever in the south, 3rd wettest on EWP)

[stainesbloke]

7 minutes ago, ANYWEATHER said:

Well we have seasons here too, there is variability in all seasons some times greater than others ,that's what makes the weather interesting! 

Felt like permanent autumn in the UK, here in the Czech Republic it’s more defined. Snow is guaranteed multiple times in winter and summer is warm and sunny with frequent thunderstorms. I guess I just prefer a continental climate If the UK was sunnier, it’d be less anxiety inducing for me.

Spring here hasn’t been great though, this year. Very wet and dull

Edited April 23, 2023 by stainesbloke

[ANYWEATHER]

6 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

Felt like permanent autumn in the UK, here in the Czech Republic it’s more defined. Snow is guaranteed multiple times in winter and summer is warm and sunny with frequent thunderstorms. I guess I just prefer a continental climate If the UK was sunnier, it’d be less anxiety inducing for me

Well that's climate rather than weather !

[stainesbloke]

1 minute ago, ANYWEATHER said:

Well that's climate rather than weather !

And weather forms climate. Not sure where you’re going with this?

[Guest]

Unbelievable my partner is back in her home country of Lithuania, she’s been sat out for the last 3 days. 22C today where she is. No chance of that here until well Into May now…

Edited April 23, 2023 by Alderc

[richie3846]

37 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

Well done for attaining this level of calm and acceptance I just couldn’t in the UK when summer weather was poor, especially after so many months of grim conditions in the colder months. Mentally I’m much calmer here in Central Europe, as we still have seasons (despite the climate changing here too)

It's no accident, I've spent the last 6 months in brainspotting therapy. I've been able to down regulate all the activations in my nervous system, including rank weather. I'm not totally zen yet, but the idea of the therapy is to bring my entire life into a calm state, as I had undiagnosed PTSD for 35 years. When I find the weather annoying (activating my nervous system), or anything else for that matter, I'm now able to brainspot the feelings until they are regulated. The UK weather was most definitely in my top 5 activations. By brainspotting the present feelings, one also reprocesses the historic PTSD. 

[stainesbloke]

26 minutes ago, Quicksilver1989 said:

For the vast majority of the UK it was above average.

Was that due to all the cloud preventing frosts? Wasn’t March extremely dull?

[richie3846]

Just now, stainesbloke said:

Was that due to all the cloud preventing frosts? Wasn’t March extremely dull?

That was the max temps, so nothing to do with frost.

1 minute ago, richie3846 said:

That was the max temps, so nothing to do with frost.

But yes, it was very dull. The second half was very much milder than the first, with temps even in the day above average under the cloud, in the second half.

[stainesbloke]

3 minutes ago, richie3846 said:

It's no accident, I've spent the last 6 months in brainspotting therapy. I've been able to down regulate all the activations in my nervous system, including rank weather. I'm not totally zen yet, but the idea of the therapy is to bring my entire life into a calm state, as I had undiagnosed PTSD for 35 years. When I find the weather annoying (activating my nervous system), or anything else for that matter, I'm now able to brainspot the feelings until they are regulated. The UK weather was most definitely in my top 5 activations. By brainspotting the present feelings, one also reprocesses the historic PTSD. 

Very interesting and inspiring. Thanks for posting

3 minutes ago, richie3846 said:

That was the max temps, so nothing to do with frost.

Ah, I thought it said mean temperature anomaly, not maximum 

[stainesbloke]

Raining again here after one dry day yesterday. Still quite warm though at 17°C