Valkyrie Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 This stormy cloud was over Lyme Regis this evening. There was a hint of a rainbow in the first photo, but I know where it is because I saw it on a larger scale! Pity I can't see the sea from here though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 We’ve got a large grape vine that has a lot of fruit on it, maybe I’ll look for a local collective because I can’t be bothered to make wine ourselves. Otherwise the blackbirds and pigeons with have a field day like last year. Happy to leave for the birds if it wasn’t for feeding the local fat pigeons ☹️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 We had a terrible weekend with 32mm of rainfall! Emptied the water out and hey ho, Friday was also a washout with rain this morning too. Horizontal rain, continuous with no let up. I went to bed and it was still raining - although the moon was trying to peek through. Rainfall for this enjoyable session (not) was between 19 and 20mm! Not impressed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 18, 2019 Share Posted August 18, 2019 I hate to tell you that yesterday was lovely - warm and breezy. Just right. This morning is sunny with clouds and showers.I have a course today, and although they are indoors, it would be nice if I wasn't lugging stuff around in the pouring rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 18, 2019 Share Posted August 18, 2019 Yesterday started wet but improved by mid morning. From then on it was hot! I'd had to put the blankets on the bed because it felt cold. Last night I was too hot! LOL! I need a happy medium! This morning was pleasant but the grey clouds loomed up on the horizon and we've had rain again! It looks like it's going to be a bit of everything day today - except snow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 18, 2019 Share Posted August 18, 2019 Yesterday was mixed; in the morning we drove from Oxford to Devizes via Marlborough to collect boys from Grandad and had spits and spots on the way but, by 1.00pm, were sitting out in the very warm sunshine at GDs in Devizes overlooking the canal - very restful. Not so sunny this morning; boys arrived home with suitcase full of washing which I put on last night to finish this morning ready to hang out in the promised sunshine. Except that the promised sunshine has now become heavy rain! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 18, 2019 Share Posted August 18, 2019 Yet another storm warning issued here. Basically wet and windy, which it's definitely windy and showery. I think there was the odd lightning flash around Dartmoor, when I was looking at the lightningmaps.org site. But at the moment it's multi-tasking with wind, rain and sunshine! To say I'm a bit fed up at the moment is an understatement! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 After a cool and blustery start, we've had a fairly nice day, marred by the odd very heavy shower. I was in the office today and popped out to the post office at lunchtime, as I drove back, I codul see the rain advancing along the road towards me! i ended up sitting in my car, waiting for a break to dash into the office, did this and got my brolly up, but still got wet from the knees down when it started again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Sounds a similar day to here. We had more rain in the morning in the way of showers, some heavier than others. The last time was around 1.30 on my way home from the dentist! Has been a much nicer afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Brrr, nippy here this morning at just 9deg, but clear skies, so hoping for a sunny day to get the washing out as I am working at home. The mornings and nights are suddenly darker now...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Been raining continuously since 2.00am and shows no sign of stopping until early evening. We are one of a handful of areas in the Southwest on yellow alert for flooding and it could be quite bad. Too late for the farmers unfortunately as all the crops here are out, except sunflowers which were drying ready to harvest. Just 16C outside but still 23C inside as we haven't been able to drop the temperature much since the hot spell two weeks ago, even with the doors and windows open all morning. At least we don't need to water the tomatoes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 A little nip in the air this morning and a heavy dew. There is a breeze but nowhere near as windy as yesterday so that's a bonus. The robins are doing their winter pipping sounds (which was earlier last year in July!) and this is pretty much the norm - as I remember hearing the robins on the school holidays and thinking meh, school starts again soon! Even the sun is now visible just through the trees when I sit and have breakfast - it was too far round to see before. Which means sunsets should be easier to see without going to the far end of the field. I gather we are due for a bit of rain on Thursday - be still my beating heart, I'm so excited about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I know exactly what you mean Beantree, even our stone house with very thick walls is difficult to cool once it gets hot. I have noticed that its the double glazed windows and doors which are the culprits - you can feel the heat coming off the doors. So, my solution in prolonged periods of severe heat (which we have not had this year) is to put up temporary but very thick door curtains to absorb the heat, which are inconvenient, but sort of work. However, the best solution is to get blackout blinds (still in the process of doing this as we have a lot of windows, I have even stuck blackout material onto small windows as a temporary measure) and combine them with interlined or blackout curtains (not just lined, they aren't thick enough) to try to prevent most of the heat of the sun getting into the house in the first place. I guess you may have shutters so don't need this performance. Obviously we keep the curtains drawn and the windows shut most of the time except overnight and the morning until about 10am. We are forecast a day in the low 30s, which is perfect, with cool nights which are a real blessing, and not normal for here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 We have shutters on all the windows Daphne, but they really only keep out the sun and don't do much against the air temperature. The shutters on the North side have never been closed and would only be closed if we went away for a few days, as that is a condition of the house insurance. All our windows are double glazed except two on the South side. Reason for that is in Winter they let in a lot of warm sunshine with the sun being low and the trees having no leaves. Our friends have now surrendered to the need for air conditioning and have put it in one room, only to be used in emergencies; they have no pool. Our front door is very thick solid hardwood so no heat gets through that. It feels like a Winter day here and it's still raining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 24, 2019 Share Posted August 24, 2019 Heavy dew this morning - and boy what a scorcher! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 Very hot and oven-like here yesterday, will be working outdoors again today - under the parasol where possible! Beautiful here now, so going to get the dogs out while it's cool. Was up at the crack yesterday - rescuing a friend whose dog had had a heart attack in a field in the middle of nowhere. Poor dog didn't survive, but she went on a beautiful morning, doing what she loved. Got bitten to pieces by horse flies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 Sorry to hear about your early morning yesterday, DM. Hope the horsefly bites are improving? Baking, roasting and sizzling here....not enjoying it. YS Has three days of summer school next week at his new secondary so hoping it cools a fair amount. Feel like I am wasting the last days of the summer hols with inactivity but it's too darned hot to actually do anything. Even an early morning toddle round for the newspaper was an effort! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 Hmm, ankle is now swollen and aching, it will go down. Different day here now - clouds gathering and more humid. I don't think it is as hot as yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 Sad, but her spirit probably carried on romping while her earthbound shell was still. Feel sorry for your friend - must have been such a shock. Yes, dratted horseflies. I've plastered myself with sunblock with added insect repellent and then at other times it's been Jungle Formula - which makes me sneeze! Setting up more electric fencing early, but finished about lunch time. It's so hot out there but I'm not taking my clothes off!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 Yes, I like to think that too - her owner was understandably shocked. I usually smother with citronella spray when I walk along that river; it's really odd; I can be walking with a friend and it's just me who gets mobbed by them... must taste different. It is still unbelievably hot here - I am taking my time with the job in hand, and working in the shade where I can. Water butts now all empty again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 My old neighbour said it was 33 degrees where we used to live. But then it is all built over around there now, so I expect the temperature to be higher in towns. But even so, it has been so hot it's been hard to know where to sit! I gave the girls dried mealworms in a bowl of water, so they went fishing in the shade! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 It was 34deg on my patio this afternoon! The chooks have a frozen water bottle in their drinker, and the dogs are happy enough camped out on the cool stone floor in the kitchen. Luckily, this house is quite cool in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 (edited) Thunder and lightning (not very very frightening) and heavy rain overnight. This morning it looks and feels like March with lingering cloud. This afternoon we are forecast lighter rain. This is so unusual, our climate certainly is becoming less predictable! And its less than 30 degrees. Edited August 26, 2019 by Daphne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 Baking hot again just south of Oxford. Feels like we are melting - the patio thermometer (in the shade) says 33 degrees at mid day. Unlike yesterday there doesn't seem to be any wind at all so even opening all the windows to get a through breeze doesn't work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 Misty overnight, clearing slightly in the morning and then foggy again. It's burnt off to another hot day, but perhaps not as bad as yesterday as there is a little cloud around. This morning the forecast said fine for the next few days, the thunderstorm notice had been removed. But now it's back, but for 5am in the morning through to 7am. The chickens may be let out a little later tomorrow if it's still flashing and rumbling out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
