It's ... it's ...

[Thomzo]

For once, Bob, I know what you mean. I'm sure that, until recently, we had four definite seasons. The dates that they moved from one to another varied from year to year, but you could always tell whether it was winter, spring, summer or autumn.

Now we seem to have a climate that is more like those chocolates where you never know what filling you're going to get until you bite into them. We had lovely hot weather and a drought in April, then autumn hit overnight in August. According to some of these posts, it's spring in some parts of the country and, I bet, we'll have snow next week on Birdlip Hill.

Zoe

[Big Al]

Don't see why a question like that should descend into chaos!

As far as I'm concerned, we've always had 4 seasons. Wherever I lived (except perhaps Fiji ). It's just that some winters have been mild, some have been harsh, some summers hot and dry, others wet and cool. If they were all the same life would be very boring, so enjoy your seasons everyone because living somewhere without defined seasons is boring! You just can't beat seeing things springing into life in spring.

Yes, well, my last opening post / topic didn't seem to inflamitory to me. Anyway, yes we have always had 4 seasons but like back in the early years of last century say around 1926 and on it was ok and even mandatory to plant seed pots on good Friday as all frosts had past by then in the north east / Trimdon area but now we can still get frosts in may up here.
A year gone february the chaos creating life stopping snow was hailed as a 1/20 year phenonomon then 9 months later in November we had another 1/20 year debilitating snow causing chaos.

I'd be interested if anyone has collected data over a longish period of time to see if average temps etc have changed.

[Sky]

Spring here, looking forward to planting seeds and digging beds. It seems like dark nights have been forever and we're looking forward to light nights to be able to do stuff once home from work.

[gregorach]

I tend to think we have eight seasons... Although I don't have good names for them. ;)

[MKG]

Don't see why a question like that should descend into chaos!

As far as I'm concerned, we've always had 4 seasons. Wherever I lived (except perhaps Fiji ). It's just that some winters have been mild, some have been harsh, some summers hot and dry, others wet and cool. If they were all the same life would be very boring, so enjoy your seasons everyone because living somewhere without defined seasons is boring! You just can't beat seeing things springing into life in spring.

Yes, well, my last opening post / topic didn't seem to inflamitory to me. Anyway, yes we have always had 4 seasons but like back in the early years of last century say around 1926 and on it was ok and even mandatory to plant seed pots on good Friday as all frosts had past by then in the north east / Trimdon area but now we can still get frosts in may up here.
A year gone february the chaos creating life stopping snow was hailed as a 1/20 year phenonomon then 9 months later in November we had another 1/20 year debilitating snow causing chaos.

I'd be interested if anyone has collected data over a longish period of time to see if average temps etc have changed.

I seem to remember a barrage of little old ladies on Springwatch et al who have been keeping copious notes on single trees. Good for them. Their conclusions seem to be in agreement - there has been a definite change in flowering and fruiting times, with consequent changes in bird behaviour. OK - this is, in scientific terms, anecdotal. But I see no reason why the nation's little old ladies should tell porkies.

Average temperatures HAVE changed - markedly.

EDIT: Not to mention the inexorable northward movements of several insect and arachnid species, some of which make me shudder.

Mike

[Flo]

I'd be interested if anyone has collected data over a longish period of time to see if average temps etc have changed.

Erm - longish period? How old do you think we are here? With someone having a panic at being 30 I'm not certain that the ishers here are old enough to be able to answer that question

[snapdragon]

I'd be interested if anyone has collected data over a longish period of time to see if average temps etc have changed.

Erm - longish period? How old do you think we are here? With someone having a panic at being 30 I'm not certain that the ishers here are old enough to be able to answer that question

some of us are

however hoping for a warm few days as I'm camping this weekend