Our weather is being heavily influenced by the mean trough which has been slap bang on top of the UK for the last 18 days or so. This is allowing low pressure systems to whistle in and dump bucketloads of rain, very unstable air mass too - so plenty of convection/thunderstorms involved. The weekend looks decidedly wet, with Sunday in particular being something of a complete washout; frontal rain passing SW-NE over, giving another fair deluge. But there are signs of some change afoot, and a move to a drier period as heights build from the continent in the early part of next week. This will introduce less rain, clearer skies - but not exactly warm, as the flow will be polar. The sun is fairly strong at this time of the year though, so it'll be pleasant enough if you're out in it.
Further ahead is more reliant on how Nina phases. At present, it's looking like this changeable/wet weather pattern will remain until into perhaps the first half of May. Base state then suggests a transition to a more settled mid-month onwards, with a more pleasant June to look forward to. July & August are wholly dependent the tracking of the southern jet, current synoptic suggests wetter than average for the near continent - which isn't really good news for us as it proposes a lack of heights. A LOT of uncertainty about mid-late summer months though - so many influencing factors at play, more so than winter in fact. At this stage, I'd settle for an improving picture through May, then we'll take a view from that point onwards.
Just gotta curse the wet stuff for a little while longer though I'm afraid...
Will our game go ahead?
My eldest boys last game of the season has already been called off. If it's not played by wednesday, it has to be forfeited, even though they could/should still finish second.
Sickening. Never met a kid's team coach who wan't in it for himself. They're either failed "I could have been a contender" types who drop names a lot or blokes who've stepped up to coach the team in order to make their kid captain.Thats nothing, when i was at school, i think i was 6 or 7, my school got into a cup final, and we were fudging excited for GHod knows how long.
I remember all 14 of us with our parents, standing outside the school and it was POURING with rain, literally chucking it down...We waited there for a good 45 minutes, then i'll never forget the school receptionist coming out and telling us that Peter (our coach) wasn't coming because his car wouldn't start, and he wasnt walking.
We had to forfeit the cup final.
How the fudge are we officially in drought?!
It's because we've had below average rainfall levels for 2 years; 24 months of below-par rainfall is going to have an impact on reserviours and aquifers. The rainfall we've had recently is about 2mths worth in about a week or so - which, obviously, is significant - but whichever way you look at it, we're still running over 20mths below average, in order to maintain levels.
Personally, I think it's hilarious that - as an island nation - we even talk about 'drought'. But then, we're also a nation of NIMBY's and therefore no-one wants a desalination plant ruining their beautiful greenbelt vista. I also believe that, in times of drought, there should also be legislation which forces water companies to revinvest all of their profits into infrastructure upgrade; why should a water company be making profits, when leakage rates are unjustifiably high and then a drought order is issued? No, there should be absolutely NO profits made - it's wholly immoral.
We could, of course, just connect a big long hose pipe to Wales - attach a mile-wide hoselock sprinkler, and pitch it atop one of their many mountains! Plenty of water and sheep and fudge all else in the Valleys 8)
It's because we've had below average rainfall levels for 2 years; 24 months of below-par rainfall is going to have an impact on reserviours and aquifers. The rainfall we've had recently is about 2mths worth in about a week or so - which, obviously, is significant - but whichever way you look at it, we're still running over 20mths below average, in order to maintain levels.
Personally, I think it's hilarious that - as an island nation - we even talk about 'drought'. But then, we're also a nation of NIMBY's and therefore no-one wants a desalination plant ruining their beautiful greenbelt vista. I also believe that, in times of drought, there should also be legislation which forces water companies to revinvest all of their profits into infrastructure upgrade; why should a water company be making profits, when leakage rates are unjustifiably high and then a drought order is issued? No, there should be absolutely NO profits made - it's wholly immoral.
We could, of course, just connect a big long hose pipe to Wales - attach a mile-wide hoselock sprinkler, and pitch it atop one of their many mountains! Plenty of water and sheep and fudge all else in the Valleys 8)