Spring 2023 - Moans, Ramps & Chat

[Summer8906]

16 minutes ago, cheese said:

August 2022 was definitely better than August 1997. 
 

In fact, I think the extreme heat of July 2022 really hides just how good last August was. It was easily the best month of the summer. 

I was out of the country during August so I missed it; but how good was the 2nd half?

I seem to remember (from second hand reports) there was a fine spell from about the 5th which then broke on the weekend of the 14th/15th and the second half, while still warm, was rather cloudy and there were one or two short wet spells. But this is just from second-hand reports so can't be sure.

Would be interesting to see the sunshine and rainfall figures compared to August 1995 and 2003, as I clearly remember both those months and they would be a useful point of comparison. 1995 was more or less continuously hot and sunny right up to the 22nd, so three straight weeks, while the second half of 2003 was cloudier and cooler than the first, if still dry. I'm wondering if August 2022 was very like that of 2003, minus the extreme heat spike?

Edited March 17, 2023 by Summer8906

[alexisj9]

43 minutes ago, Summer8906 said:

I just want the Atlantic to go quiet and the SW-lies to end. Until then, it will feel like a retrogression from winter into autumn....

Today in many parts, although not the SE yet, has been more like April rather than autumn, quite mild compared to recently with heavy convective showers.

[al78]

With the talk about possible drought problems later in the year if we don't get plenty of rain this spring, Horsham District Council have converted a local subway into a new reservoir to top up the water supplies for Broadbridge Heath.

As the subway is no longer usable for pedestrians and cyclists to avoid having to cross the road during the Horsham rush day, investigations into a possible subterranean ferry service are underway.

[Summer8906]

43 minutes ago, alexisj9 said:

Today in many parts, although not the SE yet, has been more like April rather than autumn, quite mild compared to recently with heavy convective showers.

To be truly spring-like convective weather though, I think the air would have to be drier (low DP) with more of a NW-ly or N-ly feed, a clear sunny start, showers developing midmorning, and dying off around 5pm or so.

Also with colder temps, average or slightly below by day, and cold at night.

Buyt we haven't see anything convective here in any case.

Edited March 17, 2023 by Summer8906

[Sunny76]

1 hour ago, Summer8906 said:

Partly depends where you were; June 1997 was a grotfest, true; but here July 1997 was somewhat sunnier and significantly warmer than normal, and August was warm to hot, though admittedly as you say cloudy at times. Still sunny from around the 8th-19th though.

Certainly not the worst summer of my lifetime, by a long stretch - and better than every summer since 2007, except for 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2022.

And more generally, 1997 was a good year. A cold dry January; a good spring; a fine warm September, and frequent fine sunny weather in October.

Hmm I think 2017 was a nicer summer, because I didn’t enjoy the humidity associated with the summer of 1997.

[Sunny76]

1 hour ago, Summer8906 said:

I was out of the country during August so I missed it; but how good was the 2nd half?

I seem to remember (from second hand reports) there was a fine spell from about the 5th which then broke on the weekend of the 14th/15th and the second half, while still warm, was rather cloudy and there were one or two short wet spells. But this is just from second-hand reports so can't be sure.

Would be interesting to see the sunshine and rainfall figures compared to August 1995 and 2003, as I clearly remember both those months and they would be a useful point of comparison. 1995 was more or less continuously hot and sunny right up to the 22nd, so three straight weeks, while the second half of 2003 was cloudier and cooler than the first, if still dry. I'm wondering if August 2022 was very like that of 2003, minus the extreme heat spike?

August 22 was hot and sunny where I was until August 24th, when overnight storms rolled in and the weather changed to less hot, although still humid. A thundery spell set in until the early part of September.

Although the storms were short lived, I remember hearing rumbles of thunder and seeing lighting on at least 3 or 4 evenings between the 24th of August and first week of September. 
 

Is my memory playing tricks on me?

[SummerShower]

3 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

August 22 was hot and sunny where I was until August 24th, when overnight storms rolled in and the weather changed to less hot, although still humid. A thundery spell set in until the early part of September.

Although the storms were short lived, I remember hearing rumbles of thunder and seeing lighting on at least 3 or 4 evenings between the 24th of August and first week of September. 
 

Is my memory playing tricks on me?

August 22 I remember as being warm cloudy and humid to start, then a glorious spell from 6th to the 14th (better than 2003 generally - the heat was more prolonged but slightly less intense).  Then a thundery breakdown 15th to 17th then it was warm but alternating sunnier and cloudier days for the rest of the month (with 1 very wet day on the 25th).

This then broke down with a great thundery 2nd week to September with consecutive night time thunderstorms here on 4/5th and 5/6th, with other dribs and drabs of thunder scattered throughout

[cheeky_monkey]

looks like spring has sprung here ..its been above freezing during the day the last 2 days with unbroken sunshine..looks like daytime highs stay  2-3 c above freezing for the next 10 days ..no snow in the forecast either so the spring melt albeit slow is now on 

[Summer8906]

2 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

Hmm I think 2017 was a nicer summer, because I didn’t enjoy the humidity associated with the summer of 1997.

2017 was way too front-loaded, and generally rather cloudy (except for that hot spell of about 10 days in June, and from time to time in early July) with nothing good after the storms of July 18th. In particular, late July, early Aug was every bit as bad as the worst parts of 2007 and 2012.

Edited March 17, 2023 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

6 minutes ago, cheeky_monkey said:

looks like spring has sprung here ..its been above freezing during the day the last 2 days with unbroken sunshine..looks like daytime highs stay  2-3 c above freezing for the next 10 days ..no snow in the forecast either so the spring melt albeit slow is now on 

Now that's my kind of thaw. No grotty Atlantic mush, just a nice gradual thaw caused by strong sunshine and steadily rising temperatures. That said, 2-3 is a bit cold for March... would probably prefer it crept gradually up to about 10.

[Summer8906]

Thanks @Sunny76 @SummerShower for your replies re. Aug 22.

As Basingstoke isn't far from me, that sounds fairly representative of where I live; so overall, closer to 2003 than 1995, but without the record-breaking heat of the former.

I arrived back on September 8th (the day the Queen passed away) and, while cloudy and showery, it had already turned cooler and there were no storms about, so I must have missed those. Daytime temp was 18C IIRC, so while that would feel tropical right now, it was somewhat chilly for early Sep. I'd been in Greece (which actually had an unusually cloudy and thundery August, with quite a few days "only" reaching 25C or so - and given July there was almost too hot, with day after day of 32-33C, I quite welcomed a little bit of variety in August). Even still, I hadn't experienced temps below 20C for a couple of months so it was quite a shock to the system.

Ironically, the fact that I went away means I am yet to experience temps at, or close to 40C. Hottest days I've ever experienced have been around 36C, including 10/8/03, 19/7/06 and some abroad.

Edited March 17, 2023 by Summer8906

[SummerSunshine]

March last year we reached 24c was loving the sunny weather 

[Sun Chaser]

10 hours ago, SummerSunshine said:

March last year we reached 24c was loving the sunny weather 

I think that was 2021 with a 3 day snap of warmth at the end which I very much enjoyed.

2022 saw a much longer warm spell but the temperatures reached were less extreme, with temperatures just about topping 20C. But it was a beautiful spell of wall to wall sunshine that lasted two weeks and I was loving it as much as you were  

My boss (I work at a restaurant on top of my studies) remarked last night how much better business was for him last March was than this March due to the weather. I seem to remember a lot of busy evenings in March 2022 but every single evening so far this month has been absolutely dead, there's no one out on the streets due to all the rain. Hopefully things improve soon!

[SunSean]

Just worked out our average sunshine hours per day since February 21st.....

1.86 hours per day 

Hope we never have a month as dull as this again in my lifetime!

[kold weather]

Probably the cloudier period here since mid summer 21 here, it definately has been dreadfully cloudy.

The rainfall totals also really adding up now, looks like March is going to end well above average which already starts to make the Met Office idea of a drier than normal spring look on more shaky ground (albeit the highest risk was still normal rainfall to be fair!).

 

[Summer8906]

23 minutes ago, kold weather said:

Probably the cloudier period here since mid summer 21 here, it definately has been dreadfully cloudy.

The rainfall totals also really adding up now, looks like March is going to end well above average which already starts to make the Met Office idea of a drier than normal spring look on more shaky ground (albeit the highest risk was still normal rainfall to be fair!).

 

Maybe the "wettest since 1981" possibility is still on in that case. Models seem to be flip-flopping between a slightly damp and a distinctly wet outlook for the next week, though the dull SW-lies are a feature of both.

Very, very atypical weather for early spring or late winter (delete as applicable) this morning.

Humid, oppressive, stagnant air; mosquito weather, if you like. While recognising the absolute temps are not as high as they would be in September, the general "feel" is more typical of the polar-opposite time of year - late summer or early-mid autumn.

When you think of Atlantic air in March, you think of breezy WNW-lies with bright conditions and occasional fast moving but fairly light showers, often of hail. Not this!

Edited March 18, 2023 by Summer8906

[MP-R]

Many Marches have had this type of weather to be fair. It doesn’t normally last more than a few days at a time but it’s not exactly unusual. 

[Froze were the Days]

1 hour ago, SunSean said:

Just worked out our average sunshine hours per day since February 21st.....

1.86 hours per day 

Hope we never have a month as dull as this again in my lifetime!

Yep! had weeks and weeks of bland nothingness weather from last week or so in January to early March though there were some sunny days and dry and now thanks to the SSW we've got continuous rain and cloud cover...

[alexisj9]

2 hours ago, Summer8906 said:

Maybe the "wettest since 1981" possibility is still on in that case. Models seem to be flip-flopping between a slightly damp and a distinctly wet outlook for the next week, though the dull SW-lies are a feature of both.

Very, very atypical weather for early spring or late winter (delete as applicable) this morning.

Humid, oppressive, stagnant air; mosquito weather, if you like. While recognising the absolute temps are not as high as they would be in September, the general "feel" is more typical of the polar-opposite time of year - late summer or early-mid autumn.

When you think of Atlantic air in March, you think of breezy WNW-lies with bright conditions and occasional fast moving but fairly light showers, often of hail. Not this!

I can't believe last night I was watching to see if storms would form on a mixed level Cape or not. Did get some showers 

[SummerSunshine]

Such depressing weather would rather a cold spell or a warm spell than dull rainy weather 

[*Stormforce~beka*]

23 minutes ago, SummerSunshine said:

Such depressing weather would rather a cold spell or a warm spell than dull rainy weather 

Agree. My SAD is bad right now. I jsut need sunlight.

[Azazel]

It’s that weird time of year where I’m dressed for winter and as soon as the sun comes out, it’s roasting hot - in my car anyway. The sun has a nice little kick to it. Shame we look destined to not see very much of it for the next 400 years.

[CongletonHeat]

Was out for a walk earlier and for the 1st time this year could really feel the strength of the sun, roll on summer.

[Methuselah]

The sun's oot!

 

[SummerShower]

55 minutes ago, CongletonHeat said:

Was out for a walk earlier and for the 1st time this year could really feel the strength of the sun, roll on summer.

Yes, jeans and t shirt weather here, almost unbroken sun for the last hour