Spring 2023 - Moans, Ramps & Chat

[B87]

It would be depressing if the only months of the year that end up reaching or passing average sunshine are January (110%) and February (111%).

[In Absence of True Seasons]

51 minutes ago, B87 said:

Quiz for everyone...

In which month do you think London will record at least average sunshine in?

September perhaps (usually not too bad in the SE). Or October (wouldn't be surprised if October has more sunny days in the upper teens than this April and May).

[Sunny76]

1 minute ago, In Absence of True Seasons said:

September perhaps (usually not too bad in the SE). Or October (wouldn't be surprised if October has more sunny days in the upper teens than this April and May).

This is what I hate about our weather. We get a cooler unsettled summer in the main, but the late summer and early autumn ends up being warm. It’s too late in the year to enjoy the sunshine, as daylight hours are rapidly declining by then. 
 

Still, we have at least a few weeks to determine whether summer 23 is a write off. It could still turn hot at some point.

[danm]

This is the problem with an easterly flow at this time of year, it drags in a load of low cloud overnight that can take eons to burn off. 

[Sunny76]

2 hours ago, stainesbloke said:

Feels so cold at Heathrow this morning, more like winter than spring, vile

I feel like I’m stuck in an episode of Play for Today or that bbc tv film Threads. Those 80s shows used to be full of grim looking settings, and it always looked cold and dull. 

[RJBingham]

Anyone still calling this an "average" spring?

[Sunny76]

58 minutes ago, B87 said:

Last year it happened in March and August, and almost in July although one day in the middle of the spell that recorded 3 hours ruined the run.

Yeah, but summer 22 did have some decent longer spells of sunshine. I remember some duller unsettled days, but they were few and far between.

At some point, we will get a sunny dry spell lasting for 5 to 10 days, but it’s just a question of how long will we have to wait?

Could end up with a dull June, before we get any real heat. I hope not, but maybe this summer might end up similar to 1991.

Edited May 13, 2023 by Sunny76

[Sunny76]

1 hour ago, plymsunshine said:

I am in London for the day and if every day has been like this then I don't blame you all for moaning Plymouth at the moment is already 15 and sunny (looking to be the warmest day of the year) while here there's a thick blanket of cloud and it's 10c... I do feel sorry for the SE this spring, looks like a reverse summer 2020 situation

Yeah it has been pretty crap. 

1 hour ago, richie3846 said:

10 cloudless days? Really? I'm not saying it's never happened but I can't recall that being very common at all.

It does happen most years. 

[danm]

1 hour ago, plymsunshine said:

I am in London for the day and if every day has been like this then I don't blame you all for moaning Plymouth at the moment is already 15 and sunny (looking to be the warmest day of the year) while here there's a thick blanket of cloud and it's 10c... I do feel sorry for the SE this spring, looks like a reverse summer 2020 situation

It hasn’t been like this every day. But yesterday and this morning have been very dull and cold. The price you pay for being nearer to the North Sea when you have an onshore easterly breeze in Spring. The sea is still cold at this time of year. 

[danm]

On the 10 cloudless day’s discussion….

It really isn’t common at all to see 10 straight days completely cloudless anywhere in the UK. It does happen occasionally, but our Island nation is always more susceptible to some cloud.
 

10 dry days in a row? Yes that is becoming increasingly common. 

[In Absence of True Seasons]

16 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

This is what I hate about our weather. We get a cooler unsettled summer in the main, but the late summer and early autumn ends up being warm. It’s too late in the year to enjoy the sunshine, as daylight hours are rapidly declining by then. 
 

Still, we have at least a few weeks to determine whether summer 23 is a write off. It could still turn hot at some point.

Precisely. 

In regards to the heat, I'm not overly fussed. A mostly cloudy and/or wet summer interspersed with 2/3 blasts of 30-35c for a few days, doesn't make a good summer for me.

I'd rather have 3/4 weeks of 20c or so and mostly sunny or some wispy clouds, than 25c cloudfest, burst of sunny 35c for 3 days, then back to 25c cloudfest

[In Absence of True Seasons]

14 minutes ago, danm said:

It hasn’t been like this every day. But yesterday and this morning have been very dull and cold. The price you pay for being nearer to the North Sea when you have an onshore easterly breeze in Spring. The sea is still cold at this time of year. 

Definitely been similar to this most days since March. 

[B87]

21 minutes ago, danm said:

On the 10 cloudless day’s discussion….

It really isn’t common at all to see 10 straight days completely cloudless anywhere in the UK. It does happen occasionally, but our Island nation is always more susceptible to some cloud.
 

10 dry days in a row? Yes that is becoming increasingly common. 

By 'cloudless' I more meant a properly sunny day, not necessarily a day with 14 hours of sun recorded. 

10 day spells of 10-12 hrs a day happen most years.

10 day dry spells are fairly common between March and September. Infact September is the driest month of the year here if you look at rain days rather than rainfall, so it's no surprise that it's usually a settled month.

[Thomas Green]

BBC saying that apparently its sunny and 15c outside but its totally wrong its 9c and its drizzling like it has been for the past 36 hours non stop, burn back to the coast please!

[Rammie]

I'd half expected a reasonable day. It's 8c, a very cool north east breeze, and total cloud cover. 

[In Absence of True Seasons]

6 minutes ago, Thomas Green said:

BBC saying that apparently its sunny and 15c outside but its totally wrong its 9c and its drizzling like it has been for the past 36 hours non stop, burn back to the coast please!

Honestly don't understand how the forecast can be wrong for *right now*. 

Even on my phone the forecast has "partly cloudy".

Thought I'd take a shot of the sky to determine whether or not my idea of partly cloudy is different to the BBC's / Met's.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, B87 said:

It would be depressing if the only months of the year that end up reaching or passing average sunshine are January (110%) and February (111%).

And of course because the average is so low in those months the extra 10% isn’t really noticeable! 

[SunnyG]

This is as bad as 2021 but at least then we had a sunny if cold April. It's the greyness that gets me most: it's not only bad for the mood, but it's terrible for the health, since it affects our circadian rhythms (sleep patterns). The weather forecasts are useless. They should really stop spending money on them and revert to whatever they were doing 20 years ago, since it was about as reliable as whatever wizzery they are using these days.

[B87]

4 minutes ago, Alderc said:

And of course because the average is so low in those months the extra 10% isn’t really noticeable! 

Exactly, January saw 70 hours and February 88 hours. March 67 hours, April 165 and May currently about 50ish. It is shocking.

[Snowy L]

Overcast and single figures. 

[northriding]

11 minutes ago, In Absence of True Seasons said:

Honestly don't understand how the forecast can be wrong for *right now*. 

Even on my phone the forecast has "partly cloudy".

Thought I'd take a shot of the sky to determine whether or not my idea of partly cloudy is different to the BBC's / Met's.

Looks like a colour swatch for choosing a paint hue.

[marky810]

I see the met office has pushed back the clearing of the clag here until after lunchtime. It's still tupperware grey although it is getting a tad brighter. One can only hope but it just goes to show how desperate things are when we wait with baited breath for less than half a days sun.

[In Absence of True Seasons]

2 minutes ago, northriding said:

Looks like a colour swatch for choosing a paint hue.

Exactly my thoughts. A solid, unchanging hue of depression.

By the end of May I'll have a great selection of shades for someone who wants to paint their walls grey.

[Weather-history]

Beautiful sunny morning.

[In Absence of True Seasons]

2 minutes ago, marky810 said:

I see the met office has pushed back the clearing of the clag here until after lunchtime. It's still tupperware grey although it is getting a tad brighter. One can only hope but it just goes to show how desperate things are when we wait with baited breath for less than half a days sun.

I called it first thing that this won't clear up until and had a bunch that the met/BBC would push back the clearing of the clag as the day went on, hourly, at least in the East, until late afternoon at the earliest. 

Which is exactly what's manifested. Probably won't clear by any notable degree until 5/6pm, then will roll back in tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow downgraded to mostly cloudy as well.

Grim.

Reaching for table scraps at this point. Sorry state of things this Spring.