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Weird Weather

Cyclone Cook: New Zealanders flee ahead of huge storm

Heavy rain has begun to hit New Zealand's North Island, ahead of what is being called the worst storm in generations.
New Zealanders have evacuated towns along the north coast, where severe weather warnings are in place.

The storm is due to make landfall from 19:00 local time (07:00GMT) over Bay of Plenty. Officials have warned of high waves, storm surges and landslides.
It is then expected to move to the South Island early on Friday.

It comes after severe floods caused by the remnants of Cyclone Debbie hit some parts of the country last week.

The storm - expected to bring torrential rain and winds gusting at up to 150km/h (93mph) - has been classified as an extra-tropical cyclone.
That means it has changed into a different kind of weather system on approach to New Zealand, but has not necessarily weakened or been downgraded, according to the New Zealand MetService.

Parts of New Zealand's North Island are now under a state of emergency, with residents in the low-lying parts of Coromandel, which has already seen landslips and closed roads, being told to leave immediately.

etc...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39585868
 
This is why frost predictions for next week could cause problems in Cornwall
By HannahCL | Posted: April 21, 2017

Experts are predicting a cold snap that will bring frost to Cornwall and the rest of the UK next week which could be "very dangerous" to fruit production – especially apples and pears.
One of the worries is that the unusual climate spike of March followed by frosts in April could damage the unprotected orchards that Cornwall uses to make its favourite tipple, cider.

Forecasters from the Met Office believed that the cold nights we have been seeing recently will get even colder next week, with frosts heading into the south of England by next Sunday.
Although frosts in April are not unusual, we have just seen the fifth warmest March since 1910, and the sudden drop in temperatures again after the mild start is uncommon and could cause problems for fruit plants which are "very vulnerable" at the moment.

In fact Hayley Campbell-Gibbons, National Farmers' Union (NFU) chief horticulture adviser, believed the cold front could "significantly impact British fruit production" and in turn the products that they are used for, including cider.
Ms Campbell-Gibbons said: "Soft fruit production is protected by polytunnels, which can handle frosts of up to minus two degrees, but a severe frost would still be dangerous, and the cooler than average temperatures will certainly slow down production. The biggest concern is outdoor fruit production – such as apple and pear orchards, and blackcurrants. Production is ahead of schedule in many parts of the country, which means trees are in full flower and very vulnerable to night frosts. A severe frost could significantly impact British fruit production."

If you are worried about the health of your berries with the looming frosts, Guy Barter, chief horticultural advisor at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), believed you should put a fleece on them at night, but said that "not much can be done" to protect apples.
He said: "Frosty weather at this time of year is always a worry for gardeners as fruit blossom in particular is vulnerable to damage. There is not much that can be done to protect apples, plums and other tree fruits but strawberries can be covered with cloches, curtains or a fleece at night, although care must be taken to allow bees to pollinate during the day."

Experts at the Met Office believed the warm March might have lulled gardeners into a false sense of security.
Tim Legg, from the Met Office's National Climate Information Centre, said: "Detailed frost recording in the UK began in 1961. With only 11 days of frost, March 2017 was the most frost-free since March 1998."

He added: "The low incidence of frosts across the UK last month may have lulled gardeners into a false sense of security as frosts will continue to feature prominently in the forecast for the next few days. Springtime frosts are a particular threat to gardeners who will be concerned about the impacts on tender plants."

http://www.cornwalllive.com/this-is...-in-cornwall/story-30284704-detail/story.html
 
Meet the newly identified lights in the sky phenomenon, Steve.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39686055

more at link above
--------------------
A group of aurora enthusiasts have found a new type of light in the night sky and named it Steve.

Eric Donovan from the University of Calgary in Canada spotted the feature in photos shared on a Facebook group.

He did not recognise it as a catalogued phenomenon and although the group were calling it a proton arc, he knew proton auroras were not visible.

Testing showed it appeared to be a hot stream of fast-flowing gas in the higher reaches of the atmosphere.
 
Well, it's bloody freezing in Sussex today. I had to scrape the ice of the windscreen this morning.
 
3.9 c on my cycle in this morning in Sussex (about 07:15ish), I was wearing my summer gear because I'm both too lazy to dig out my winter gear and I'm rock hard. I wore long fingered gloves though because, whilst I am as I mentioned rock hard, I'm not Chuck Norris.

It snowed down here at lunchtime....
 
Heckler20 said:
3.9 c on my cycle in this morning in Sussex (about 07:15ish), I was wearing my summer gear because I'm both too lazy to dig out my winter gear and I'm rock hard. I wore long fingered gloves though because, whilst I am as I mentioned rock hard, I'm not Chuck Norris.

It snowed down here at lunchtime....
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We had some really bizarre weather here, sunny one minute then hailstones the size of peas, never seen them close to that big before.

I was on my bike and they were pinging off my helmet.
 
Wettest place in England is 'bone dry' amid fears of a summer drought
Lydia Willgress
7 May 2017 • 5:14pm

The wettest inhabited place in England is "bone dry" as the prospect of a summer drought loomed closer.
Seathwaite, in Borrowdale, Cumbria, typically receives between two and three metres of rainfall per year. But the River Derwent has gone for so long without sufficient rain, its rocky bed is exposed.

Meanwhile, gorse fires in Oban, on the west coast of Scotland, forced a beach to be evacuated over the weekend as temperatures soared to an unseasonal 18C.

It comes amid fears that the country may be subjected to a summer drought, with rivers and reservoirs experiencing dwindling water levels following one of the driest winter in more than 20 years.
The Daily Telegraph reported last week that some homeowners had been told to cut down on water consumption by waiting until their washing machines and dishwashers are fully loaded before running them.

They were also advised to swap showers for baths, use sponges instead of hoses to clean cars and to plant plants such as geraniums, marigolds, alyssum and petunias, which resist droughts.
Providers including Southern, Affinity and Thames Water said they were monitoring the situation.

In Seathwaite, villagers have not been given any specific advice but say they are concerned about the unusual situation.
Peter Edmondson, who runs Seathwaite Farm Camping, told The Telegraph the river had been “bone dry” for more than a month.
“It is very unusual for this to happen in springtime,” he said. “Everything is usually under water. It has been wall-to-wall sunshine here. Over the years, I have seen times when it has rained for three weeks solid but in the last year or two it has just got drier.”

Duncan Ellwood, the owner of the Grange Bridge Cottage Tea Shop, described the situation as "worrying" as he said the water levels were stopping boats from dropping tourists around the area, with even the shallow vessels struggling to get to their landing stages.

A Met Office spokesman said the area had seen 36 per cent rainfall in April, which is almost two-thirds less rainfall than average.
Temperatures on the west coast of England and Scotland, meanwhile, have been up to 3C higher than normal.
He added that this was due to high pressure over Iceland and low pressure in the Atlantic. “This means that the air is moving from the north east towards the south west, which is an unusual way round. Normally, it is the other way round which brings a lot of rain and wind to the west coast,” he said.
“In the west, it has been warmer than average, whereas London and Lincolnshire have had cool, cloudy and breezier weather.”

An Environment Agency spokesman said: “Following a dry winter, some rivers, groundwaters and reservoirs are lower than normal for the time of year.
“We always advise that everyone uses water wisely – especially during a period of dry weather - and to follow the advice of their water company should water saving measures be required.
“The Environment Agency, water companies, businesses and farmers are working together to minimise any potential impacts to people and the environment should the dry weather continue.”

Forecasters said it was expected to stay dry and bright until Thursday, when it will become more unsettled.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/07/wettest-place-england-bone-dry-amid-fears-summer-drought/
 
How to summon the rain god,
even small villages are getting in on the act it's no wounder
the weather is like it is, I doubt anyone as any idea what the
weather would really be like if they did not mess about with it,
Impressive or what.
 
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It was snowing in Southern Norway today. +1 degree celsius instead of +10 which is normal for May.
 
Been gorgeous today but frost on the car this morning.
 
Sunshine, snow and hail here today from a schizophrenic sky. Some friends of mine live on the southern outskirts of Stockholm and they just posted a few pics on Facebook. Their kids came home from school and built a snowman! It was 22 Celsius last Friday and today it was about 5.
 
Mammatus clouds overhead the other evening -
Mclouds.jpg

The light was such an odd shade of yellow it looked a bit apocalyptic outside!
 
This reminds me of an incident when I was at school in the early 70s. We were outside at lunchtime when a huge black cloud drifted overhead. Everyone's hair began to stand on end and one of the teachers got us indoors. Once inside the classroom, we had a good view of Dundee and within minutes a massive bolt of lightning hit a church in town.

“It was really, really strange” – Bizarre phenomenon on Perthshire mountain could have ended in tragedy
by Blair Dingwall
May 15 2017, 10.00pmUpdated: May 16 2017, 1.43pm
SCHAE-620x372.jpg

Loraine and Jamie Duncan on the mountain.

Walkers have been warned that a bizarre phenomenon on a Perthshire mountain could have been a sign of an imminent and potentially deadly lightning strike.

These remarkable photographs show the bizarre moment hairs on the heads of a mother and her son stood on end as they tackled a Perthshire mountain.

The Duncan family were descending Schiehallion, in Perthshire, at the weekend when youngster Rian Duncan, 12, felt an electric shock pass through his walking pole and into his hand.

The volt was so intense he had to throw the stick away, and was left with blackened skin on the palm of his hand.

loraine1.jpg

Loraine Duncan’s hair sticks up during the walk.
loraine444-758x1024.jpg

Jamie Duncan was also affected by the phenomena.
He was climbing the hill with his mum Loraine, dad Andrew, and older brother Jamie.

Just seconds after Rian was shocked, the strange phenomena continued when his mum and 17-year-old Jamie’s hair stood on end.

Such experiences are said to be precursors to lightning storms, and have had tragic endings abroad in the past.

However Mrs Duncan, 44, said there had been no thunder and lightning on the day of their walk up the 3553ft Munro.

She said on the ascent of Schiehallion a storm cloud had passed above them, but on the way back down the sky had cleared and the darkened clouds had passed by.

The classroom assistant from Hartwood, North Lanarkshire, added: “On the walk down, coming down the hill our hair just started sticking up on end.

“My youngest son Rian had got a shock through his walking pole. There was a black mark on his hand. He threw the pole away. Then everyone started looking at me. There must have been about 12 other people around about

“My husband turned around and they all started laughing at me, my hair was sticking up on end.

“Everyone kept saying ‘you are going to get struck by lightning’ but there was no storm cloud. There was nothing at all.

More from The Courier
“There was other people standing beside us and it wasn’t affecting them. It was really, really strange. I didn’t feel anything.”

After posting the photos to social media on returning home, Mrs Duncan said people had joked she could have been “fried”.

She added: “I looked it up afterwards and apparently static can travel 20 miles in the air.”

The mountain was their 16th in a family quest to tackle all of Scotland’s mighty Munros.

Last night Ken Thomson, secretary of the Cairngorm Club, one of Scotland’s oldest and biggest hillwalking groups, said: “This is an occasional happening on the Scottish hills. I have experienced this myself, particularly when carrying ice axes or poles, you get some humming in the iron.

“The best thing to do is to get away from your bits of ironmongery and take shelter in a hollow in the ground. There have certainly been fatalities in the Alps but I’ve not heard of one in Scotland.

“I would advise people to take it seriously and take the steps i just outlined. It is much less common than slips and falls, but it is not something to be ignored.”

For decades a photograph of two American brothers grinning to the camera with their hair standing on end has served to remind the world of the danger of lightning strikes.

US brothers experienced same phenomenon before being struck by lightning
Michael and Sean McQuilken were struck by bolts shortly after the image was taken whilst climbing Moro Rock in California’s Sequoia National Park on August 20, 1975.

Michael was 18 at the time and his brother was 12.

Though they survived the lightning strikes in the Sierra Nevada mountains, another hiker was killed during the storm.

Michael said all he remembered of the incident was a flash of white, a huge explosion and being lifted off the ground by the force of the lightning strike.

Between 30 and 60 people are believed to be struck by lightning in the UK every year, with an average of three dying.

According to a UK study by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, about 90% of victims survive being struck.
Click to expand...

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/new...phenomenon-perthshire-mountain-ended-tragedy/
 
Bigphoot2 said:
This reminds me of an incident when I was at school in the early 70s. We were outside at lunchtime when a huge black cloud drifted overhead. Everyone's hair began to stand on end and one of the teachers got us indoors. Once inside the classroom, we had a good view of Dundee and within minutes a massive bolt of lightning hit a church in town.



https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/new...phenomenon-perthshire-mountain-ended-tragedy/
Click to expand...

Yup. Lucky thing your teacher was astute!

One stormy day years ago, my aunt sent her daughter (my cousin) to run an errand while aunt waited in the car. As she walked back, my aunt saw my cousin's hair stand straight up and a split-second later, a bolt of lighting struck the pavement a few feet away. Blew a chunk right out of it. Interestingly, cousin was not aware that her hair had been standing on end.

Last summer we were at the playground with the kids when we noticed the kids hair standing up the same way. Remembering that story, we got everyone off the playground just in case. Don't know if any lightning struck, but a storm did move into the area immediately after. Better safe than sorry!
 
Ulalume said:
Yup. Lucky thing your teacher was astute!

One stormy day years ago, my aunt sent her daughter (my cousin) to run an errand while aunt waited in the car. As she walked back, my aunt saw my cousin's hair stand straight up and a split-second later, a bolt of lighting struck the pavement a few feet away. Blew a chunk right out of it. Interestingly, cousin was not aware that her hair had been standing on end.

Last summer we were at the playground with the kids when we noticed the kids hair standing up the same way. Remembering that story, we got everyone off the playground just in case. Don't know if any lightning struck, but a storm did move into the area immediately after. Better safe than sorry!
Click to expand...

I was telling that story to someone years later and he told me his father was standing at a bus stop beside the church when it was hit. His father said there was a brilliant flash of light and saw his shadow cast across the street and then an ear splitting boom - his first thought was "Hiroshima!"
Once he realised what had happened he went to the nearest pub and got blind drunk.
 
'Mini tornado' wrecks Cornhill Highland Games
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Image copyrightSHONA HAY
Image captionFive minutes after the sudden storm the weather was 'flat calm' again
A Highland Games in a north-east village had to be abandoned after a "mini tornado" swept through the site.

Villagers in Cornhill, near Banff, had been enjoying the annual event at the playing fields on Saturday afternoon.

After a spell of "beautiful" sunshine, the storm blew in, wreaking havoc on the park and lifting the first aid tent over a marquee and into the arena.

No-one was seriously hurt, but the games secretary Shona Hay said the noise was terrifying.

"Ten minutes before this we had a beautiful sunny day," she said.

"It was just torrential. Everybody ran for cover and a wind seemed to appear from nowhere and lifted our first aid tent and some of the stall holders' tents.

"And then the noise was just terrifying - the noise of the wind and the folks screaming."

She added: "The wind just swept through the park tearing up the tents, just clearing the arena and everything in its path. It swept through the village and five minutes later it was flat calm again."

_96344511_cornhillgames.jpg
Click to expand...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-40149607
 
Flamin' June! Yesterday was dark and windy here, with rain all day...
Power cuts leave 667 homes without power after severe gale force winds rip through Cornwall
By Oli_Vergnault | Posted: June 06, 2017

Some 700 properties have been left in the dark after gale force winds ripped through Cornwall over night.

Western Power Distribution confirmed that it had been attending 13 separate incidents in the Duchy affecting a total of 667 homes and businesses - but power should be back on in the afternoon.

According to the Exeter-based Met Office, the region was blasted by high winds over night leaving a trail of destruction in their path, including trees down, branches and fences pulled off and several homes and companies without electricity as power lines came down.

The Met Office said wind speeds were recorded at 48mph overnight which is classed as severe gale force winds.
...

http://www.cornwalllive.com/power-c...ugh-cornwall/story-30373476-detail/story.html

Today it's windy again, with some heavy showers, but at least with some glimpses of the sun...
 
Just found this in the Packet:

upload_2017-6-6_10-11-58.jpeg

Swanpool Hill closed due to fallen tree
17 mins ago

Traffic from Swanpool to Falmouth had to be diverted this morning, as a fallen tree blocked Swanpool Hill.
Falmouth was battered by strong winds and heavy rain last night, as the recent spell of warm weather gave way to stormy conditions.
At some point in the night a huge tree on Swanpool Hill came down, completely blocking the road.
The road was still closed as of 9.30am.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/15330416.Swanpool_Hill_closed_due_to_fallen_tree/

A couple of bus routes that I sometimes use go via Swanpool Hill. (This used to be a 15 minute walk from here, when I could walk... :() Swanpool can be seen in the background, and the town's main cemetery is to the left of the picture.
 
I emptied my rain guage last night and was impressed to see that 15mm had fallen overnight. It is now up to 60mm. 60 in 24 hours! That is near!y 2.5" in real money. I have never seen it so full.
 
min_bannister said:
I emptied my rain guage last night and was impressed to see that 15mm had fallen overnight. It is now up to 60mm. 60 in 24 hours! That is near!y 2.5" in real money. I have never seen it so full.
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Are you sure a dog didn't 'cock his leg' over it! :p
 
It's bounced down here on the Fylde coast for the best part of 24 hours as
well as blowing a gale, the main road out of the village is a good 6 inches deep
in leaves striped from trees never seen the like in 20 odd years.
 
strawberry.png

The Northern Daily Times. Saturday, June 13, 1925. Possibly the worlds only recorded Strawberry and Waistcoat weather related death.

And more from the same paper, same date

silver.png


Two pairs of everything and a hoard of silver? Bloody tight fisted git.
 
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Matthew1034 said:
Possibly the worlds only recorded Strawberry and Waistcoat weather related death
Click to expand...

Arms up (and witnessed thereof?) so as to facilitate the enwaistcoatment?

Thus, inopertunely becoming a high(er) point upon a plane, and thus a lightning attractor...?

If he was called Rod, it becomes almost an inevitability....

Thinks: olden days. Leather-soled shoes, damp & sweaty (so, electrolytes/fluids, via dried animal flesh, osmotically-conducive for connectivity). Instead of rubber or plastics-based insulation from the damp ground (afforded to people of any name in this modern era, via non-leather (soled) shoes) was this a chain of actions that conjoined to produce a death?

Under-foot strawberry-patch. Semi-surface highly-conductive biological damp-patch, perhaps upon a raised area of higher relative ground resistivity. Lightning adores, in fact is positively-attracted to, locations that exhibit an absence of equipotential bonding.

And not only did he raise his arms, whereon to be struck by lightning...perhaps the waistcoat, up in the air like a sail, or a key-bearing box-kite...was also a conduit for this cruel killing.

Living is easy, with eyes closed
It's understanding what you see....
Strawberry fields forever
 
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