Weather

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:52 am

Well it is throwing it down here today AGAIN!

Here being between Abergavenny and Monmouth in Monmouthshire.

A few people tell me that it was this bad one summer in the 80s, I don't recall rain quite this incessant ever before, are they right?

What is the weather like in other areas? Can anyone remember it being THIS bad before?

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:08 am

1985 was dreadfully wet, certainly in Scotland, and hay was non existent. Silage was very very poor quality, straw at harvest such as it was was mostly lost, and many Scottish farms were getting imported hay from Canada in dense wire tied bales. Some straw etc did come up from England, some was wheat straw and caused impactions etc.

Although we have not had the really heavy rain you have had down south we have had no haymaking weather and the prospects for good hay looks very poor.

Having said that we have just had a dry weekend but not forecasted, and dry and very bright this morning but I think another low pressure system is due to hit us tomorrow and wreck most of this week.

Duncan

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:05 am

I can recall school holidays when it rained all the time (1955-65's), and I can remember 1994 (or thereabouts) when it rained every day except one in June, but only lightly, but I cannot recall anything like this.

We live on top of a hill in a plain, if you know the Wrekin which sticks out of the mid-north Shropshire plains, well we're the next hill. A week after the last rain sort of stopped a few weeks ago, even though we are nearly at the top of our hill, you could hear the water rushing through the ground and we had 2 land-slips. So the undergrounds caverns must be so full and presurised, that the water was being forced back up to the top of hill and back down again!

If we have another year like this, and / or the winter is as bad, it will be nothing short of devastating.

Kirk- Cascade Herd US · Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:14 pm

UK flooding has been in the world-wide news - It looks serious.

I can usually do a good job of forecasting my own immediate precipitation forecast by looking at a radar loop. I found this one for the UK. The loop allows you to see actual local weather cells moving toward or away from you. Click the play button to start the loop.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/radar/

Here's a satellite loop showing UK cloud cover/cloud density (click play to see the loop). The loop takes a bit to download, but will help you see weather flows and see what's coming your way.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/satpics/latest_uk_ir.html

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:04 pm

I've got the silage!! whew.
Was going to cut on Thursday morn and - unforcast rain , heavy and prolonged until about 1.30pm.
Went out. Returned 5pm and in the sun, decided to cut. The red sky meant nothing that night for Friday dawned cloudy but we scattered the grass and then rowed up by 5pm, the baler arrived at 6pm and the wrapper at 8.30 & worked till about 10pm. All hauled in on Saturday. The wind had dried it a bit and it was stalky so hope it is OK and fairly dry- last year 2 cuts gave 97 bales - this cut was 127bales! Just need some hay for the pony
All this while our son was fighting the floods in Gloucester! Bizarre.
I saw 'weatherjack' on the internet. An ex-pilot who studies the weather around the globe..it was the nearest to the weather we got, though the rain he forcast on Friday at 6pm skirted us - we saw the clouds!
Good luck to all
Jo:laugh:

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:30 am

Just looked at mid-range forecast on a few sites, and they say rain, rain, rain on and off, through as far as they can see which is 2nd week Aug in our area at least.

carole · Post by **carole** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 11:22 am

we are due to go on a barge holiday next week we've been advised to take a compass!! Have finally managed to cut some silage, like Jo though could do with some hay but very grateful for what we've got already, thoughts are with those in the midlands.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:52 pm

The flooding does look dreadful on the TV. Oxford is having a hard time of it especially. I hope your animals are all managing to cope with the weather. Not being able to make Winter feed is going to be very stressful for you all. I do hope the weather improves soon.

We've recently had another once in 100 year storm go through Northland. The winds were around 120 - 150 kms/hr in some places. Thankfully not as bad on our farm, but they are still repairing pensioner homes further North. That's the 2nd once in 100 year storm in 4 months. ???