Whether the weather will cooperate

[diggernotdreamer]

Last two evenings we have put the heating on, the night time temperatures are still very cold for this time of year. I am still taking the precaution of covering over all the tender crops in the tunnel, there is some kind of fog rolling in which looks like it could bring a frost with it

[Green Aura]

I watched a video clip of the Cape Wrath runners (from Saturday morning's run). They ran through wind, rain and even hail in one part! Fortunately today is much warmer.

We were drinking coffee in the polytunnel at 7am in glorious sunshine. It didn't last long (nor did the coffee)

[Odsox]

It's still a very odd year. When I first started looking at various places to move to, I did contemplate the Isle of Man. Then I saw live TV of the (June) TT races and saw that their may blossom was in full bloom where ours was finished some time before. When we eventually moved here I remembered that and was pleased when our may started blooming at the end of March and was all over by mid-May.
This year we're like the IoM in that there are some may trees still not in bloom, and also inland a bit, some ash trees are still not fully in leaf.
That's after 10 days of almost unbroken sunshine and above average temperatures (for here)

Looking at the 10 day weather forecast there's no sign of any rain and not even any sign of cloud, so I guess our spring water supply will dry up soon and I will have to switch to the disgusting borehole well.

[ina]

Looking at the 10 day weather forecast there's no sign of any rain and not even any sign of cloud, so I guess our spring water supply will dry up soon and I will have to switch to the disgusting borehole well.

Same here - no rain. I've taken to having baths more often so I can use the water for the garden...

[ina]

Does anybody know an effective rain dance? Just checked the weather forecast (again) - we should have had heavy showers tomorrow, and now it looks like we'll get next to nothing again...

The garden is so dry - seeds don't germinate, seedlings need constant watering - I want a bit of rain, please!

[Flo]

Nope, no idea on the rain dance as we are the same here in Northumberland. Am going to have to use the hosepipe tomorrow on the allotments.

Methinks that the European floods have something to do with our drought here.

[ina]

Could be. Not a single drop today, and brilliant sunshine forecast for the next 3 days. I don't even have a hosepipe, and my water butt has long been empty...

And I've just seen that the bl**dy gooseberry sawfly has now attacked my red currant - argh!

(Sorry - off topic...)

[Cassiepod]

I know it's odd to be hoping for a shower or 2. I have spare hosepipe if you need some to tide you over... I've got soaker hose stretched over my newly planted (flower) garden...

[ina]

Thanks for the offer! I don't even have an outside tap... Have thought of rigging up something through the bathroom window, but it would be a drag. The taps aren't suitable, either. And it's council, so there's not much I can do about it.

Forecast now - cold (bloody cold!) and overcast. No rain in sight. I think my peas and beans are getting frost bite.

[Odsox]

Well we are now on our third day of total fog, visibility of less than 100 yards since Friday.
I think that well and truly surpasses the Smith Period for blight, 24 hours of 90% humidity and over 10 degrees, so blight is now a certainty.
Not that it's all bad as it just so happens I'm trialling blight resistant tomatoes this year, so they will certainly be tested under ideal conditions. We will see if their claims are justified.
I'm not that worried about my potatoes either. I'm growing Mayan Gold which will (has) succumb, but I've been digging them already and they are a decent size, so chop off the haulm and they should be OK. The others are Sarpo and I know they are reasonably resistant.
So looking at it in "glass half full" mode it's not all bad, but it would be real nice to see the sun again, and the other side of the bay.

[ina]

Not looking good, then. Wet and cold here, too - not complaining about lack of rain any more! Even my courgettes look blighted...

[Green Aura]

Fairly rotten here too - the weather that is. We had to light the boiler on Friday - no sun all day left it quite cold in here by evening.

Fortunately the stuff in the polytunnel is fine and we don't have much outside this year due to other indoor activities taking up most of our time and attention. Unfortunately the couch grass is loving all this rain!

[Odsox]

not complaining about lack of rain any more!

Me neither.
Interestingly, I irrigated both of my tunnels on Thursday as I knew overcast weather was forecast, and it would mean that the water would soak in nicely and not be instantly evaporated away.
I emptied one of my 1000 litre IBC tanks in the and by Saturday it was full again, just by collecting misty drizzle off the barn roof.

It's not particularly cold, 18 degrees at the moment and no lower than 16 overnight, just depressing thick fog.

[Odsox]

.... and it's gone.
3 days continuous fog and it didn't even apologise when it left.

[Odsox]

.... aaand it's back. A couple of hours sunshine and now another night of clag.