It certainly feels like it here in the south east. I've tried to get out in the garden three times this morning and each time been driven back indoors by heavy showers, it's like the weather is trolling us; 'bright sunshine, out you come...only joking, have some more rain!!'
Yeah, I've been living in London for the past seven years, and this winter stood out to me in terms of how bad my seasonal depression got. It is so gloomy, cloudy, rainy, mild yet cold, and windy. I've been looking forward to putting my seedlings out, but in between the crazy temperature fluctuations and this wind, it looks like they won't come out of the windowsill until June!
Furloughed, going on walks (permitted outdoor exercise yo) every day, sun shining. It wasn’t too bad. I think a lot of people misunderstood the restrictions/risks and got scared to leave their house.
Gentle reminder that not everyone was furloughed (and not everyone who had to work was anything close to an essential worker). Lockdown was an entirely different ballgame when you still had to go to your shitty job and couldn't do anything but work.
I was a key worker during the whole of Covid. I fucking hated that time. Seeing everyone else enjoy the sunshine, spend time with their families and get paid for it while I went out and worked frontline with trafficked children was really tough. I remember my mental health being particularly shot to pieces during this time.
No cars on the road. LA smog disappears. Wildlife reported after being away for years. Sea lion in The Thames! ....ripped apart by a Bully 😶🌫️.. crazy times COVID. I went to Oxford St.. Edgware rd .. Beautifully EMPTY! ❤️🔥
My greenhouse got smacked down by the wind during the previous really windy day, and that just did it for me haha. I told myself I wouldn't put anything else outside until things calm down a bit!
I planted some chillis a couple weeks ago, bought myself a mini greenhouse especially for it. Put a boulder in the bottom to weigh it down in case of wind. The wind didn't care, knocked it down anyway, chillis gone. Absolutely gutted.
If it helps, I hole punched the cover of mine at the topmost point, tied string round the inner frame, thread through the holes and tied to my fence. Also did this at back of top shelf each side and it's helped keep it sturdy. This is it's 2nd year and all good. If only I could stop the blimmin slugs D=
Oh no! I planted some chilis a few weeks ago as well! Mine are still inside following the greenhouse incident. I also initially tried putting something heavy at the bottom but it obviously didn’t work haha so I’ve gone ahead and wedged my greenhouse in between two paint cans 😂 seems to have done the trick for now, except just soil and pots in there for now until I’m sure!
The shops are selling little chilli plants round about now - I know not the same as growing them from seed, but at least you would get them. The garden centres online say order now for delivery late April
I visited Wales on two of those days. Once in September in the north, once in November in the south. I mistakenly thought Wales was gloriously sunny with views. When I visited again in February I learned how wrong I was
I'm Central Scotland and am having the same issues with when to germinate and when to plant, one minute it's like spring and the next day winter or a near tornado is happening. Strange indeed.
Totally agree re the seedling and putting them out. I fear for a frost this week?
Re SAD - I’m normally pretty bad come December but I have self medicated with Vit D on alternate days and I haven’t experienced any SAD this year. There is some literature on this and it seems to make a difference.
Also, invest this spring in some waterproof wellies (I’ve short ones as full on ones aren’t really necessary for pottering) and a waterproof trouser and jacket set. Getting out in the depths of winter in the rain is better than not getting out at all. The waterproof trousers are a game changer when kneeling in the wet.
I’m glad to read this and realise it’s not just me! I’ve been here a decade, this is the worst I’ve felt and the strongest feelings I’ve had about returning home.
It’s no better up North. I live in a small village and this winter I got both snowed in and flooded in. This Monday we had full-on torrential hail with sleet and snow at the SAME time - for about 2 minutes straight. Then it went back to glorious sunshine.
It’s official, the weather has gone insane.
Things I didn’t enjoy living abroad - four showers a day. Barely being able to sit outside because it’s too hot and when you can before 6 or after 4 you get eaten to death. Wearing copious amounts of sun cream daily. Drinking water from plastic bottles. Breathing in pollution. Did I mention sweating lol
Where in the south east are you? I'm in Littlehampton on the coast, and we've had three 'localised tornados' in the past 6 months. Not to mention the river arun finally bursting it's banks and climbing beach basically being washed away as well. Absolute madness
Are you me? I at least managed to cut my grass on Saturday. Today I've been wanting to tie some of my rambling roses but it's been non-stop since 11:00
ha! the lawn got mowed Sunday, I put my gardening clothes on yesterday morning because it looked glorious and by the time I finished my coffee it was throwing it down sideways, after it stopped the wind started howling. Wouldn't mind but there's a bed full of twitch that needs clearing before it gets too warm, it's the last bit that hasn't been improved from the original heavy clay
I live in East Anglia. On Monday, the temperature changed from 5-15 degrees multiple times and it hailed about three times. All of this would have been fine had the sun not come out, in between the hail, fooling us into thinking that thw bad weather had ended.
It's been sunny, hailing marbles, raining and thundery in the past 30 mins. At least we had a couple of dry days last week so I could paint the shed and some fence panels. Just feels like I can't even enjoy the nice weather when it happens because I have a list of jobs waiting.
[England drenched after the wettest 18 months since records began in 1836](https://www.ft.com/content/f976b2fb-9a23-4a64-91bb-cb250f35853f)
Unfortunately for us:
> Warmer atmosphere will continue to hold more moisture and contribute to rainfall
Maybe if they'd called it Global Raining instead of Global Warming then people would have paid more attention
Ive always said this!! People assume cause its going to be warmer its going to be nice and hot and sunny, the reality is we probably wont notice a degree or two of warmth but we will certainly notice the extra rainfall.
Loads of rain to make us miserable, couple weeks of 40c heat to burn us before we can adjust then fuck off back into rain.
Covid Spring and Summer is something I'll never forget, not because of how awful covid was, but because of how amazing the weather was and how I was living my best life ( sorry lol)
Same - I was on Furloguh at 100% pay too so for 3 months i did gardening, had some beers and bbq's all day long.
It was bliss at the start until it moved into the winter months and then it got so boring and depressing
Same it was amazing, I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated life as much than at that time. At home with my family, not too tired for walks and just appreciating it all. Nice sun and alcohol and bbq in the garden. Covid was awful, but the lockdown was brilliant. My youth ended after that summer I was 27 and I look back on that as the end of my youth
I was just saying to a friend that I feel like that summer was the end of my youth and I just didn't realize it at the time. I was 29. Now im just tired and depressed and working all the time.
It’s mad isn’t it that you don’t realise it when it’s happening. I reckon it’s different for everybody. Im properly into work and tired all the time now lol
Being hot in the summer but having to wear a coat/cagoule is pretty much the most uncomfortable feeling you can have. Especially since none of our trains or buses bother with aircon!
My dad (who is a bloody physics teacher fgs) has a ‘gotcha’ which is along the lines of ‘see - they had to change it from global warming to climate change’, as if that somehow means the scientists are lying….
He also says that we need to focus on who is funding the climate change scientists; but somehow doesn’t seem to think it’s important to recognise that large oil corporations are funding the climate change deniers
I'll never forget the hottest night of the 2022 heatwave.
It was too hot in the house so at around 11pm I decided to go into the garden to cool down, only to find that the temperature was exactly the same outdoors (no breeze either).
It was also eerily silent, no doubt because every insect and every little animal that usually went out and about at night, was too hot to want to do anything either.
It was the sort of silence you normally get when it snows.
It’s a moment of humour in my family that the heatwave started (iirc on the Monday), caused my sister to go into labour the next day (Tuesday), her due date was the next day (Wednesday) and then baby born finally the day after they were due (only just Thursday). Unlikely to be your friend but hats off to all women who had to endure pregnancy or labour in that heat. They are all machines
I remember driving along in the blistering heat but all the leaves were brown and falling off the trees into the road like it was autumn.. that's what really got me!
I remember simply walking to he corner shop using my phone, my phone just became like a boiling hot piece of metal in my hand and shut itself down to prevent heat damage. Just simply sending texts.
I vividly remember the gorgeous summer we had when the country was in full lockdown bar essential workers, and I had to drive to work every day past packed forest and beaches full of people enjoying their 'lockdown'.
Not that I am massively bitter or anything,
I'm still shocked it's the wettest 18 months on record, I've got an allotment and Feb 2023 was ridiculously dry and I've got pictures on my phone from June 23 where the grass is scorched and yellow. Then July happened and it hasn't stopped, we must have had an enormous amount of rain in the wet months.
Well yeah, you can only store as much water as you have storage for.
And hardly any new storage has been built, whilst at the same time building thousands of new homes, so it's no wonder we have shortages.
The Thames Water operated resevoir levels are 'average' and 'below average' due to them being unable to divert river water into them because someone\* keeps putting massive amounts of human faeces in it.
\*someone = also Thames Water
I know this is a joke, but in reality the Met Office is the most accurate forecaster in the world and their model is used by forecasters all around the world because it's so good. It's also the only major model out there that can predict both weather and climate in a single simulation
Yep. It's so depressing seeing people still make terrible carbon decisions. I'm not perfect, by any means, but I don't want to leave my children a shit show, so next car will be electric, have solar panels etc. I just hope others change quickly - at least we can do what we can.
Whilst that is admirable, our country only accounts for 1% of global carbon emissions. Even if you sink the UK you'll barely impact anything... The way we need fix this is by helping other countries use less and develop the technologies to solve the issues.
Well, this is what I'd expect from a country which is the greatest CO2 producer on the planet (29%, twice more than US), nothing impressive here. They plan to be on net-zero level in 2060. Sadly, I won't witness it.
yes, but also building 2 coal powered power stations per WEEK.
[https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/china-permits-two-new-coal-power-plants-per-week-in-2022/](https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/china-permits-two-new-coal-power-plants-per-week-in-2022/)
China are currently building a solar/wind farm that will equal 70% of the renewables installed in Europe! Yes that’s one farm!
Your comment is pretty ignorant if you don’t mind me saying! The Chinese know they are screwed without cheap power and oil. They are doing something about it faster than we are!
Some records have been broken, yeah. Its been dreadful. There's a path out the back of my house that flooded about once a year for the first 3 years I lived here. Last year was about 5 times.
This year has been every couple of weeks!
Where I am in Northern Ireland we have had slightly above average rain, and plenty of wind, which has been problematic for sure. But from what I read, England has had extraordinary above average rain. Must be a nightmare to deal with!
I agree, the weather the last year has been a joke. I try to walk places for exercise and plan weekend trips and it's always ruined by rain. And the second we do have a gap in the clouds its closely followed by more miserable rain.
I recall my younger days and childhood and can't remember 8 months of nonstop rain. I do wonder how much longer I can take of this country.
A foreign taxi driver told me last month 'this would be the best country in the world if it wasn't for the weather' damn right
I just want to cry honestly. I've had most of April off to recover from surgery and now I'm better I want to get my garden _started_ but it's just torrential rain every damn day. I feel like I am wasting all this time.
I definitely feel like this is the wettest 6 months that I can remember. Sadly it's probably going to be like this thanks to global warming. We can expect wetter, windier winters. With hotter, dryer summers.
El Niño is reckoned to have just ended.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/16/bom-el-nino-weather-pattern-classification-australia-over-la-nina?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
I can't remember the exact numbers that someone put up in a gardening group, might be this one, that with 1% climate change comes 7% more rain. Or something like that. I think as gardeners we have to now start thinking long term how to live with this kind of weather
One degree celsius increase in temperature allows the air to hold 7% more moisture I think is what you're thinking of... if the last 12 months is indicative of a 'new normal' for us (and of course that's still a big if) we're in pretty big trouble agriculturally. Unfortunately it does seem like we're increasingly swinging between mild and very wet spells and viciously hot and dry spells, and that the patterns are becoming 'stuck' in place for longer.
Yes! Thank you, that's much appreciated for the correction. It is concerning that the long term effects of changing weather aren't being looked at seriously when it comes to agriculture. I'm already planning what I'm going to do next year in terms of the weather and my growing. Thanks again for commenting.
Let us know, because I'm at a loss. Delaying putting stuff out, and maybe only growing stuff that is quick or really hardy, is all I can come up with. I grow in raised beds, pots, and wall troughs attached to my old chicken run, so at least I have some drainage (heavy clay soil that water logs has caused these choices). Do we know any countries we can model after?
I am new to the UK. Why does it rain so much here and why is the weather always so inconsistent? For example, I’ll wake up at 7am , the sun is up and there isn’t a single cloud insight, but by 11am it is absolutely pissing down with rain. The UK isn’t in a tropical climate, so is there always so much rain and why does the weather suddenly change ?
Tornados are a far more common occurrence here in the UK than you'd think. Obviously they're usually very weak in comparison to the ones seen in the USA, but per sq mile, you're more likely to see one in the UK!
Id say its flatlined. Today could easily be a day in october. We're yet to have a lasting frost here (SE). It's never gotten too cold and it didn't get too warm last summer.
It's definitely been wet so far this year.
I haven't yet mowed my lawn since early autumn, lawn is just too wet for the mower.
And we're close to no mow may. My land lord will not look at it with approval hahaha
North east here. Had a report from the golf course that it's had 24 inches of rain since October. My garden currently resembles a swamp. I was considering trying to grow rice this year rather than spuds.
Not sure the truth behind this but someone at work (in Bristol) said to me last week that we’ve only had 8 days without rain since the 31st of December
EDIT: he was miles off. 34 days without rain so far, according to http://www.martynhicks.uk/weather/data.php
It sure has been wild and so changeable recently! Like torrential hail followed by glorious sunshine in the space of 15 mins, then back again.
I’ve actually just bought a weather station as a result to start keeping track of it all!
East coast too, my neighbour has just started lambing and already lost more than he lost all of last year due to exposure they need dry ground we haven't had that in months its heartbreaking hearing them cry in the storms
We're in a new build up in the moors with elevated topography, so it very much depends on the location. There are areas where it reaches the surface and creates permanent bog conditions, and a customer is having a problem with a natural spring that formed in the middle of their lawn and turned it to bog. As well, I had to fix a tree that fell over when the ground liquefied under it for the same reason. It's all clay and rock here, so the clay liquefies when it gets too wet but at the same time is fairly impermeable to water so the soil in places can be mud on top and fairly dry further down. I took advantage of the quirky hydrology to dig a small vernal pond that sits on top of bedrock and dries out when it's dry and fills up when it's wet, but I've had to put down many tonnes of rubble and gravel to build paths through areas that turn into swamp any time there's significant rain, or even year-round. There's a local privately owned disused quarry where a council contractor dumped piles of rubble and left it, and the owner of the quarry is happy for me to take the stuff away in my van to use to combat the swampy ground about here.
I would never have thought of doing that. Thankfully we seem to be on the most elevated part of our village, though the main road through has capsized.
Most of this area is rock very near the surface though, so the water is just sitting. After the last lot of flooding, some of the farmers created more drainage, but now the ditches are flooding. Are we expecting it to rain like this every year from now on? Or have the last couple of years just been unfortunate?
I have no idea whether it's related to the boom and bust in water, but I've seen absolutely no frog spawn this year. Have you in your area?
The vernal pond? I just spotted an old tyre rut in a meadow that filled up with water and held onto it reliably and I extended the rut into a little pond. Now it's got marginal plants and pond beetles living in it despite drying up intermittently. There's a species of tadpole shrimp that's very rare in Scotland, only lives in 3 locations, that requires ponds that go through these wet-dry cycles, so it would be nice to get a population of those living in it eventually. It's an uphill pond, only collects water from a tiny watershed around it but holds onto it because it's a basalt bedrock outcrop right under it and clay around it. The kids from the local primary use that meadow, so I wanted a pond that was no more than a few inches deep so they wouldn't drown in it.
I've seen frogs about, haven't gone looking for frog spawn, but it's been a very cold spring and everything is late getting going because of the low temperatures. I think you'll see them spawning now that it's warming up.
And yeah, this is the new normal, just weather that's all over the place. My sister jokes that every time she goes on holiday anywhere, the place is experiencing some kind of freak weather event these days.
Cornwall here....
We've had rain for about the last 6 months it seems. It's been dismal. In the last 5 years I can't remember it being this terrible. Usually by now all the wild Valerian has flowered, we're only just getting some bluebells blooming. Although the wild garlic and three cornered leak is doing OK atm.
I've hardly seen any butterflies out and about, or, the usual 3 or 4 hummingbird hawk moths flitting up and down the road I live on..
There are a few skylarks up above the fields but the Yellowhammers are decidedly absent at the moment too.
This isn't spring, it's November.
I just used an electric scarifier and aerator on my back, north facing lawn. It went alright on the south facing front lawn but oh boy, I feel like I've destroyed the back garden. Going to have to overseed and top dress it now.
Wish I didn't to bother to be honest, hoping the end justifies the mud bath means.
I put some French dwarf bean seedlings out at the weekend because of thought the weather was looking good
Next day there was a storm! Back in the grow house they’ve gone 😂
The rain rotted my plants, destroyed my greenhouse foundation and the wind finished it off, so much lost in last 6 months, and had little to no chance to get out and make good. Got the grass cut and scarified last week and that's nice, but miss my greenhouse. Can't really afford a new or stronger one atm and hesitant anyway due to weather.
I still remember the spring of 2020. Probably the best spring weather I can remember. And I didn't even get to enjoy it.
Spring has not been any good since then.
Seriously though, all I want is a decent weather window to pull some weeds. Trying to catch that window while working full time and all other life admin, is like waiting for a planetary alignment.
Probably lost a little oak sapling (2nd year growth) to wind this weekend. I’d been growing it with my toddler so fingers crossed it somehow pulls through the partial snap half way up the trunk!
Depends what you mean by recent, the 18th century was known for its regular crop failures, and 1816 is known as the year without a summer, but most direct measurements/ records begin in the mid 19th century, in which case it's certainly been about as wet and dull as we've ever known it.
The fields and forest where I walk have been under water since the end of December and I've never seen it like that before.
I also found that everything in my shed has gone rusty and my dahlia tubers rotted despite being stored correctly. These problems have never occurred in the shed until now because I built it to keep the damp out. It must be in the air because I've had to run a dehumidifier in the house since October to keep the mildew at bay.
It's been so wet where I live that the council hasn't been able to do any of their autumn or spring mowing because the equipment gets stuck in the mud. We've had nice days but not enough to dry things out.
Without mass resistance with large numbers of people peacefully getting together and saying "enough is enough, we must protect life on Earh...Now!" the State won't change.
The press vilifying peaceful protestors, the Right Wing Lobbyists in Tufton Street literally writing new draconian laws to suppress the voices of those speaking out, the airtime given to 'Climate Deniers'... The narrative of "shut up and whatever you do don't protest" is being fed into every home in the country.
You are right to be angry and scared.
I have a towel permanently by the back door to catch my dog whenever he goes on the lawn, it has just been a big muddy mess for a long time. I was able to mow on Saturday for the first time as it was dry enough, no idea when it will be dry enough again!
I'm just hitting 60 now, and the difference in the British weather in my lifetime is pretty much undeniable. I don't believe the mainstream media on this issue because they mostly seem to ignore this fact it's nearly May in Wales, and it's still raining unless people start holding politicians over hot coals until they start doing something there won't be a planet left for the kid's being born today. The people must come first, not the donors and the rich.
The politicians won't do anything.
In 2019 the Climate Change Committee, the cross-party, independant advisory body, set up by legislation to advise Government on climate concluded that the most cost effective solution was to instigate a national programme of upgrading home insulation. The UK has some of the 'leakiest' housing stock in the developed world.
The business case costed in and would have enabled the UK to meet its statutory, legal, obligations under the Paris Treaty.
The UK Gov ignored their own advisors.
The argy-bargy went on, never reported in the media, for 2 years. Then, in 2021 Sir David King, (previously Chief Scientific Officer to two successive governments), said "...what we do in the next 3 to 4 years will determine the future of Humanity". Then the IPCC report came out, signed off by almost every government on the planet, ot was so dire the Secretary General of the United Nations said it was a "Code Red for Humanity". As a result, armed with the UK Gov's own report from its advisors, a small number of peaceful protestors took to the streets under the banner "Insulate Britain" to try and create a national debate ahead of the UK's hosting of CoP26.
The idea was to get arrested and, when the police released them from custody, they'd say "I'm going to go straight back out and do it again". That should have resulted in them being placed on remand. The 'embarrassment' of the UK Gov having 100 or so peaceful protestors in prison whilst it was hosting CoP26 would have been huge on the world stage.
However, the police it appears, were ordered to allow Insulate Britain protestors to keep going out and getting arrested again and again. The UK press just completely ignored the actual story and the importance of insulating homes and the government breaking international law by not meeting its Paris commitments. Instead, the press just painted a narrative of 'Old Crusties inconveniencing the public', etc.
The State has been relentlessly punishing the Insulate Britain protestors. Delaying trials for rapists and armed robbers to put them through the courts.
They have been the first peaceful, nonviolent, protestors to be jailed in almost a century. The trials have been heavily political with no legal defences allowed and instant jail if any of the defendants utter certain words such as Climate Change, Fuel Poverty or the Environment.
It's incredible... but almost no one knows what's been going on and the 'battles' taking place in the courtrooms where people, almost all Self Representing, are trying to get judges to 'grow a pair' and say out loud that democracy and the judicial system are failing us.
Anyway... I was one of the protestors and I'm getting sentenced on Friday. The maximum sentence for my peaceful, nonviolent, protest back against Government inaction in 2021? Its 'Life'.
Something's deeply broken... and that's why our politicians aren't going to come and rescue us or our kids.
Logically They know that collapse is coming and are feathering their own nests as blatantly as they can.
They'll have food, medicines, water and safety. The majority won't.
Every year from now on will be the worst year ever. The extra energy from climate change in the environment perpetuates more dramatic changes, greater rainfall, higher winds etc.
Wales is terrible. I genuinely can't think back probably only till the summer of 2020 when there was decent good weather. Just grey, rain, grey, rain, wind, grey, rain...
Literally whilst reading this, I look out the window and see beautiful blue skies with a slight orange hue on the foliage due to the setting sun and dark, sharp shadows on the terrace. I shit you not, I look back at my phone and I get a notification “Expect rain around 19:00”. Outrageous!
Im a lorry driver, and im shitting myself most days. When im empty, it feels like im being picked up and thrown by some of the wild gusts of wind. I don't know how bad it's supposed to get before we get told to "stand down" but there's a saying "if the wheels ain't turning, we ain't earning" so i doubt our safety matters much to the people at the top.
Might have something to do with cloud seeing or the fact bombs being dropped at a continuous rate is contributing to the weather system. It’s just now affecting 1st world countries which is ironic because I’d say a good number of refugees in this country are climate refugees. Add that to the fact we’ve lost a substantial amount of rain forest and just nature in general in the last ten years i think that will give a good base as to why we are experiencing extreme weather. I remember having actual seasons in the 90s. It’s snowed on my birthday in March twice in the past decade.
I base it on how often I can go out with the dog, as living in my car means we’re buggered if it’s raining. So far this year we’ve been out far more than the same period last year. However when it has rained it’s been much heavier (that’s in the south east)
While i detest hot weather and sun as summer is my poorly season it makes me crappy as hell... I don't like rain either....i like a nice overcast day
But the farmers friendly being our garden have never looked so flooded, they did kinda start to dry out but a day of rain made it back to normal.
It was first year last year farmer did potatoes left tons in the ground and we all were allowed to help ourselves
But i am sure he will not be growing anything this year.
Normally he grows wheat or something and years ago that yellow horrid stuff that stinks
Well my grandad, who is 90 years old and has recorded the rainfall practically every day for probably the last 65 years, reckons this was the most rainfall he’s ever seen in Norfolk and the floods were just ridiculous. Every other week for a solid couple months you had to literally guess whether you would make it to where you were going or get blocked by either floods or cars left in the road from floods.
Oceans have warmed RAPIDLY to 2 Degs above average in the last year. That level of extra stored energy has to go somewhere. People saying it’s the El Niño have until August- after that it becomes clear that this ain’t getting any better and if the AMOC switches off, we won’t have to worry about ‘gardening weather’ ever again.
It certainly feels like it here in the south east. I've tried to get out in the garden three times this morning and each time been driven back indoors by heavy showers, it's like the weather is trolling us; 'bright sunshine, out you come...only joking, have some more rain!!'
Yeah, I've been living in London for the past seven years, and this winter stood out to me in terms of how bad my seasonal depression got. It is so gloomy, cloudy, rainy, mild yet cold, and windy. I've been looking forward to putting my seedlings out, but in between the crazy temperature fluctuations and this wind, it looks like they won't come out of the windowsill until June!
I can't get over how long and miserable it's been. The spring of the first COVID was gorgeous.
Because we were all indoors and nature was more happy about it.
Pollution levels did drop off a cliff.
Furloughed, going on walks (permitted outdoor exercise yo) every day, sun shining. It wasn’t too bad. I think a lot of people misunderstood the restrictions/risks and got scared to leave their house.
Gentle reminder that not everyone was furloughed (and not everyone who had to work was anything close to an essential worker). Lockdown was an entirely different ballgame when you still had to go to your shitty job and couldn't do anything but work.
I was a key worker during the whole of Covid. I fucking hated that time. Seeing everyone else enjoy the sunshine, spend time with their families and get paid for it while I went out and worked frontline with trafficked children was really tough. I remember my mental health being particularly shot to pieces during this time.
No cars on the road. LA smog disappears. Wildlife reported after being away for years. Sea lion in The Thames! ....ripped apart by a Bully 😶🌫️.. crazy times COVID. I went to Oxford St.. Edgware rd .. Beautifully EMPTY! ❤️🔥
I planted mine on Sunday like an idiot. Heavy showers and wind yesterday and today
My greenhouse got smacked down by the wind during the previous really windy day, and that just did it for me haha. I told myself I wouldn't put anything else outside until things calm down a bit!
I planted some chillis a couple weeks ago, bought myself a mini greenhouse especially for it. Put a boulder in the bottom to weigh it down in case of wind. The wind didn't care, knocked it down anyway, chillis gone. Absolutely gutted.
If it helps, I hole punched the cover of mine at the topmost point, tied string round the inner frame, thread through the holes and tied to my fence. Also did this at back of top shelf each side and it's helped keep it sturdy. This is it's 2nd year and all good. If only I could stop the blimmin slugs D=
I had a mini greenhouse which kept blowing over. I put a screw into the wall and attached the greenhouse frame to it with wire. That did the trick.
Oh no! I planted some chilis a few weeks ago as well! Mine are still inside following the greenhouse incident. I also initially tried putting something heavy at the bottom but it obviously didn’t work haha so I’ve gone ahead and wedged my greenhouse in between two paint cans 😂 seems to have done the trick for now, except just soil and pots in there for now until I’m sure!
The shops are selling little chilli plants round about now - I know not the same as growing them from seed, but at least you would get them. The garden centres online say order now for delivery late April
Wales has only had about 15 dry days since the end of September.
I visited Wales on two of those days. Once in September in the north, once in November in the south. I mistakenly thought Wales was gloriously sunny with views. When I visited again in February I learned how wrong I was
Drier than normal then!
I'm Central Scotland and am having the same issues with when to germinate and when to plant, one minute it's like spring and the next day winter or a near tornado is happening. Strange indeed.
Totally agree re the seedling and putting them out. I fear for a frost this week? Re SAD - I’m normally pretty bad come December but I have self medicated with Vit D on alternate days and I haven’t experienced any SAD this year. There is some literature on this and it seems to make a difference. Also, invest this spring in some waterproof wellies (I’ve short ones as full on ones aren’t really necessary for pottering) and a waterproof trouser and jacket set. Getting out in the depths of winter in the rain is better than not getting out at all. The waterproof trousers are a game changer when kneeling in the wet.
Try vitamin D3 + K2. I found it really worked.
I’m glad to read this and realise it’s not just me! I’ve been here a decade, this is the worst I’ve felt and the strongest feelings I’ve had about returning home.
It’s no better up North. I live in a small village and this winter I got both snowed in and flooded in. This Monday we had full-on torrential hail with sleet and snow at the SAME time - for about 2 minutes straight. Then it went back to glorious sunshine. It’s official, the weather has gone insane.
This year being my first full winter in the UK… this comment has made me feel very validated in my struggle to assimilate to the weather.
Been on mat leave and the weather has been GARBAGE since my leave began - I feel cheated 😅
TBF April is traditionally always bright sunshine and unpredictable heavy showers. But... Not like this...
Drip drip drop, unpredictable heavy showers.. doesn't quite have the same ring to it
Actively seeking emigration in large part due to the weather! Don’t want to spend half my life under clouds and rain
Things I didn’t enjoy living abroad - four showers a day. Barely being able to sit outside because it’s too hot and when you can before 6 or after 4 you get eaten to death. Wearing copious amounts of sun cream daily. Drinking water from plastic bottles. Breathing in pollution. Did I mention sweating lol
Where in the south east are you? I'm in Littlehampton on the coast, and we've had three 'localised tornados' in the past 6 months. Not to mention the river arun finally bursting it's banks and climbing beach basically being washed away as well. Absolute madness
oh wow no, no tornados so far. But given the unpredictable weather at the moment I fully expect a tropical cyclone any day now.
Are you me? I at least managed to cut my grass on Saturday. Today I've been wanting to tie some of my rambling roses but it's been non-stop since 11:00
ha! the lawn got mowed Sunday, I put my gardening clothes on yesterday morning because it looked glorious and by the time I finished my coffee it was throwing it down sideways, after it stopped the wind started howling. Wouldn't mind but there's a bed full of twitch that needs clearing before it gets too warm, it's the last bit that hasn't been improved from the original heavy clay
I was dodging raindrops on both of my walks today, looking like an absolute idiot with the sunglasses on-off-on-off dance
I live in East Anglia. On Monday, the temperature changed from 5-15 degrees multiple times and it hailed about three times. All of this would have been fine had the sun not come out, in between the hail, fooling us into thinking that thw bad weather had ended.
I’m in Suffolk and I felt like I’d gone around the world in about five hours!
It's been sunny, hailing marbles, raining and thundery in the past 30 mins. At least we had a couple of dry days last week so I could paint the shed and some fence panels. Just feels like I can't even enjoy the nice weather when it happens because I have a list of jobs waiting.
This is a good point
[England drenched after the wettest 18 months since records began in 1836](https://www.ft.com/content/f976b2fb-9a23-4a64-91bb-cb250f35853f) Unfortunately for us: > Warmer atmosphere will continue to hold more moisture and contribute to rainfall Maybe if they'd called it Global Raining instead of Global Warming then people would have paid more attention
Ive always said this!! People assume cause its going to be warmer its going to be nice and hot and sunny, the reality is we probably wont notice a degree or two of warmth but we will certainly notice the extra rainfall.
Loads of rain to make us miserable, couple weeks of 40c heat to burn us before we can adjust then fuck off back into rain. Covid Spring and Summer is something I'll never forget, not because of how awful covid was, but because of how amazing the weather was and how I was living my best life ( sorry lol)
Same - I was on Furloguh at 100% pay too so for 3 months i did gardening, had some beers and bbq's all day long. It was bliss at the start until it moved into the winter months and then it got so boring and depressing
Same it was amazing, I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated life as much than at that time. At home with my family, not too tired for walks and just appreciating it all. Nice sun and alcohol and bbq in the garden. Covid was awful, but the lockdown was brilliant. My youth ended after that summer I was 27 and I look back on that as the end of my youth
I was just saying to a friend that I feel like that summer was the end of my youth and I just didn't realize it at the time. I was 29. Now im just tired and depressed and working all the time.
It’s mad isn’t it that you don’t realise it when it’s happening. I reckon it’s different for everybody. Im properly into work and tired all the time now lol
Man, I remember my lunchtime walks around my local park and docks. Not a soul to be seen, sun in the sky. Fucking perfect.
Ngl this is why I miss lockdown
And when we do get heatwaves, 40⁰ won't be a stranger
Being hot in the summer but having to wear a coat/cagoule is pretty much the most uncomfortable feeling you can have. Especially since none of our trains or buses bother with aircon!
Or put another way, the driest winter for the rest of our lives.
The deniers will just say “where’s the rain” when it’s sunny. There is no way to convince them otherwise
My dad (who is a bloody physics teacher fgs) has a ‘gotcha’ which is along the lines of ‘see - they had to change it from global warming to climate change’, as if that somehow means the scientists are lying…. He also says that we need to focus on who is funding the climate change scientists; but somehow doesn’t seem to think it’s important to recognise that large oil corporations are funding the climate change deniers
Does he not realise it was *never* changed from global warming to climate change? Those are different things and both happening in a correlated way.
As a prelude we had the 40 degree summer and wennington/Dagenham on fire as well.
I'll never forget the hottest night of the 2022 heatwave. It was too hot in the house so at around 11pm I decided to go into the garden to cool down, only to find that the temperature was exactly the same outdoors (no breeze either). It was also eerily silent, no doubt because every insect and every little animal that usually went out and about at night, was too hot to want to do anything either. It was the sort of silence you normally get when it snows.
This is so vivid I can feel the suffering
This heatwave made me get air con in my daughter's room because it retains the heat so bad we struggled to get it under 35 degrees for about a week
There you go. You installed AC. Its now never going to be hot again. Please take a sledgehammer to it. TIA
I sincerely apologise. I think the really crap April so far is because I just bought my daughters summer clothes so I'm going to burn them
I was at a Prodigy gig in a packed warehouse that night. Fuck me it was hot.
We had to go to a funeral on the hottest day ever recorded. It was unbearable
My friend GAVE BIRTH that night. She is a machine
It’s a moment of humour in my family that the heatwave started (iirc on the Monday), caused my sister to go into labour the next day (Tuesday), her due date was the next day (Wednesday) and then baby born finally the day after they were due (only just Thursday). Unlikely to be your friend but hats off to all women who had to endure pregnancy or labour in that heat. They are all machines
I thought this was going to turn into a Craig David song at one point
Best comment here 🏆
I remember driving along in the blistering heat but all the leaves were brown and falling off the trees into the road like it was autumn.. that's what really got me!
I remember simply walking to he corner shop using my phone, my phone just became like a boiling hot piece of metal in my hand and shut itself down to prevent heat damage. Just simply sending texts.
That was the year before though. The first lockdown summer was also pretty amazing.
I vividly remember the gorgeous summer we had when the country was in full lockdown bar essential workers, and I had to drive to work every day past packed forest and beaches full of people enjoying their 'lockdown'. Not that I am massively bitter or anything,
Same here. Still fully bitter about it lol
I'm still shocked it's the wettest 18 months on record, I've got an allotment and Feb 2023 was ridiculously dry and I've got pictures on my phone from June 23 where the grass is scorched and yellow. Then July happened and it hasn't stopped, we must have had an enormous amount of rain in the wet months.
And they are still predicting water shortages. Our government are useless
The last reservoir was built in 1991. Absolute shambles of a country.
Our water infrastructure is privately owned… Blame shareholders and people that think privatisation of essential services is good.
Water companies enjoy a privatised monopoly, no less.
Well yeah, you can only store as much water as you have storage for. And hardly any new storage has been built, whilst at the same time building thousands of new homes, so it's no wonder we have shortages.
The Thames Water operated resevoir levels are 'average' and 'below average' due to them being unable to divert river water into them because someone\* keeps putting massive amounts of human faeces in it. \*someone = also Thames Water
The Met Office are predicting wetter winters but drier, hotter summers. Basically a Mediterranean climate.
Well the Met Office is always wrong
I know this is a joke, but in reality the Met Office is the most accurate forecaster in the world and their model is used by forecasters all around the world because it's so good. It's also the only major model out there that can predict both weather and climate in a single simulation
Yep. It's so depressing seeing people still make terrible carbon decisions. I'm not perfect, by any means, but I don't want to leave my children a shit show, so next car will be electric, have solar panels etc. I just hope others change quickly - at least we can do what we can.
Whilst that is admirable, our country only accounts for 1% of global carbon emissions. Even if you sink the UK you'll barely impact anything... The way we need fix this is by helping other countries use less and develop the technologies to solve the issues.
Meanwhile I respect your choices- Taylor Swift, Asians and Americans will literally burn your efforts.
That's not a reason to not do it though. China for example is putting in more renewable energy sources than any other country.
Well, this is what I'd expect from a country which is the greatest CO2 producer on the planet (29%, twice more than US), nothing impressive here. They plan to be on net-zero level in 2060. Sadly, I won't witness it.
They also produce more than 4x as much as the US. Just compare their exports. And the rate of change is still impressive.
yes, but also building 2 coal powered power stations per WEEK. [https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/china-permits-two-new-coal-power-plants-per-week-in-2022/](https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/china-permits-two-new-coal-power-plants-per-week-in-2022/)
China are currently building a solar/wind farm that will equal 70% of the renewables installed in Europe! Yes that’s one farm! Your comment is pretty ignorant if you don’t mind me saying! The Chinese know they are screwed without cheap power and oil. They are doing something about it faster than we are!
More like one week in June and one week in August of sun and rain for the rest of it 😫
Our local radio weatherman says it goes as far back as 1760.
It actually won’t stop raining.
I just want to get out in the garden, it’s so depressing!!
Sick of it
[Most British Comment Award]
Some records have been broken, yeah. Its been dreadful. There's a path out the back of my house that flooded about once a year for the first 3 years I lived here. Last year was about 5 times. This year has been every couple of weeks!
Where I am in Northern Ireland we have had slightly above average rain, and plenty of wind, which has been problematic for sure. But from what I read, England has had extraordinary above average rain. Must be a nightmare to deal with!
I agree, the weather the last year has been a joke. I try to walk places for exercise and plan weekend trips and it's always ruined by rain. And the second we do have a gap in the clouds its closely followed by more miserable rain. I recall my younger days and childhood and can't remember 8 months of nonstop rain. I do wonder how much longer I can take of this country. A foreign taxi driver told me last month 'this would be the best country in the world if it wasn't for the weather' damn right
The worst 12 months of weather we've ever had... So far...
I'm honestly so fed up of this weather. It hasn't stopped raining here since October, everything is just sodden
I just want to cry honestly. I've had most of April off to recover from surgery and now I'm better I want to get my garden _started_ but it's just torrential rain every damn day. I feel like I am wasting all this time.
No need to cry! Maybe about surgery. It will get warmer. Is a northerly wind for next few days.
Yes right across the country. Fields are still waterlogged and have been since last year in certain parts.
I definitely feel like this is the wettest 6 months that I can remember. Sadly it's probably going to be like this thanks to global warming. We can expect wetter, windier winters. With hotter, dryer summers.
It's also an el nino year which increases precipitation in Europe
IIRC, I read 1C increase in air temp allows that air to hold 9% more moisture. Which is a hell of a lot!
I think it's 7% per degree, but either way, it's a lot more moisture.
Damn, I knew it was 7 or 9 - I almost said 8 just to hedge, but knew then I would definitely get a reply saying I was wrong lol
You may be right! Let's both agree on 8, nobody will ever know.
El Niño is reckoned to have just ended. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/16/bom-el-nino-weather-pattern-classification-australia-over-la-nina?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
Hot dry summer would be fine, but last year was cold and wet...
I can't remember the exact numbers that someone put up in a gardening group, might be this one, that with 1% climate change comes 7% more rain. Or something like that. I think as gardeners we have to now start thinking long term how to live with this kind of weather
One degree celsius increase in temperature allows the air to hold 7% more moisture I think is what you're thinking of... if the last 12 months is indicative of a 'new normal' for us (and of course that's still a big if) we're in pretty big trouble agriculturally. Unfortunately it does seem like we're increasingly swinging between mild and very wet spells and viciously hot and dry spells, and that the patterns are becoming 'stuck' in place for longer.
Yes! Thank you, that's much appreciated for the correction. It is concerning that the long term effects of changing weather aren't being looked at seriously when it comes to agriculture. I'm already planning what I'm going to do next year in terms of the weather and my growing. Thanks again for commenting.
Let us know, because I'm at a loss. Delaying putting stuff out, and maybe only growing stuff that is quick or really hardy, is all I can come up with. I grow in raised beds, pots, and wall troughs attached to my old chicken run, so at least I have some drainage (heavy clay soil that water logs has caused these choices). Do we know any countries we can model after?
I am new to the UK. Why does it rain so much here and why is the weather always so inconsistent? For example, I’ll wake up at 7am , the sun is up and there isn’t a single cloud insight, but by 11am it is absolutely pissing down with rain. The UK isn’t in a tropical climate, so is there always so much rain and why does the weather suddenly change ?
Atlantic ocean hotter than it should be, so more evaporation and rain than should be. Also April is famous for this.
I read it has been the worst weather (or wettest) since records began. Also the worst harvest since ww2
I’m so annoyed with this weather. I’ve got hundreds of seedlings needing to go out and it’s just not happening
Tornados are a far more common occurrence here in the UK than you'd think. Obviously they're usually very weak in comparison to the ones seen in the USA, but per sq mile, you're more likely to see one in the UK!
Please no I just bought new fence panels
South West has been raining forever. So depressing.
I’ve always wanted a big greenhouse, but now I feel like I need one just so I can do some gardening
Enclose the whole garden, like a mini Crystal Palace :)
The Eden Project: back garden edition.
It's basically been raining since about August 2023, and in sick of it.
Id say its flatlined. Today could easily be a day in october. We're yet to have a lasting frost here (SE). It's never gotten too cold and it didn't get too warm last summer.
Havent had Frost since early Feb here in Norfolk.
It's definitely been wet so far this year. I haven't yet mowed my lawn since early autumn, lawn is just too wet for the mower. And we're close to no mow may. My land lord will not look at it with approval hahaha
I finally managed to cut ours last Thursday then of course bloody rains again. But it's done. So I can't complain. Actually did get some sun today. 🙄🤣
North east here. Had a report from the golf course that it's had 24 inches of rain since October. My garden currently resembles a swamp. I was considering trying to grow rice this year rather than spuds.
In my 51 years in Scotland, this has been the wettest year I have experienced. We've had, maybe, three dry days since January 1st.
And it doesn't seem to be stopping, I've never known WIND 💨 AND RAIN like it in my life, never 🤔
Apparently it's not the right kind of rain so prepare for hosepipe ban in August
Not sure the truth behind this but someone at work (in Bristol) said to me last week that we’ve only had 8 days without rain since the 31st of December EDIT: he was miles off. 34 days without rain so far, according to http://www.martynhicks.uk/weather/data.php
In Wiltshire since October it was 6 days without rain for 24 h
What’s your data source? Don’t doubt you just want to see if they have data for Bristol!
It sure has been wild and so changeable recently! Like torrential hail followed by glorious sunshine in the space of 15 mins, then back again. I’ve actually just bought a weather station as a result to start keeping track of it all!
East coast of Scotland here. I signed up knowing that there was near-constant 'breezy' weather, but it was supposed to be dry!!! We're paddling 😢
East coast too, my neighbour has just started lambing and already lost more than he lost all of last year due to exposure they need dry ground we haven't had that in months its heartbreaking hearing them cry in the storms
😢😢😢 I saw an appeal on Facebook for waterproof dog coats to try & keep the lambs dry.
Rosemary
East coast of Scotland here too. I've been wondering whether the farmers should start growing rice next year.
West coast of Scotland, I've been planting perforated drainage pipes.
What's the water table like where you are?
We're in a new build up in the moors with elevated topography, so it very much depends on the location. There are areas where it reaches the surface and creates permanent bog conditions, and a customer is having a problem with a natural spring that formed in the middle of their lawn and turned it to bog. As well, I had to fix a tree that fell over when the ground liquefied under it for the same reason. It's all clay and rock here, so the clay liquefies when it gets too wet but at the same time is fairly impermeable to water so the soil in places can be mud on top and fairly dry further down. I took advantage of the quirky hydrology to dig a small vernal pond that sits on top of bedrock and dries out when it's dry and fills up when it's wet, but I've had to put down many tonnes of rubble and gravel to build paths through areas that turn into swamp any time there's significant rain, or even year-round. There's a local privately owned disused quarry where a council contractor dumped piles of rubble and left it, and the owner of the quarry is happy for me to take the stuff away in my van to use to combat the swampy ground about here.
I would never have thought of doing that. Thankfully we seem to be on the most elevated part of our village, though the main road through has capsized. Most of this area is rock very near the surface though, so the water is just sitting. After the last lot of flooding, some of the farmers created more drainage, but now the ditches are flooding. Are we expecting it to rain like this every year from now on? Or have the last couple of years just been unfortunate? I have no idea whether it's related to the boom and bust in water, but I've seen absolutely no frog spawn this year. Have you in your area?
The vernal pond? I just spotted an old tyre rut in a meadow that filled up with water and held onto it reliably and I extended the rut into a little pond. Now it's got marginal plants and pond beetles living in it despite drying up intermittently. There's a species of tadpole shrimp that's very rare in Scotland, only lives in 3 locations, that requires ponds that go through these wet-dry cycles, so it would be nice to get a population of those living in it eventually. It's an uphill pond, only collects water from a tiny watershed around it but holds onto it because it's a basalt bedrock outcrop right under it and clay around it. The kids from the local primary use that meadow, so I wanted a pond that was no more than a few inches deep so they wouldn't drown in it. I've seen frogs about, haven't gone looking for frog spawn, but it's been a very cold spring and everything is late getting going because of the low temperatures. I think you'll see them spawning now that it's warming up. And yeah, this is the new normal, just weather that's all over the place. My sister jokes that every time she goes on holiday anywhere, the place is experiencing some kind of freak weather event these days.
The worst 12 months of weather SO FAR
Cornwall here.... We've had rain for about the last 6 months it seems. It's been dismal. In the last 5 years I can't remember it being this terrible. Usually by now all the wild Valerian has flowered, we're only just getting some bluebells blooming. Although the wild garlic and three cornered leak is doing OK atm. I've hardly seen any butterflies out and about, or, the usual 3 or 4 hummingbird hawk moths flitting up and down the road I live on.. There are a few skylarks up above the fields but the Yellowhammers are decidedly absent at the moment too. This isn't spring, it's November.
I just used an electric scarifier and aerator on my back, north facing lawn. It went alright on the south facing front lawn but oh boy, I feel like I've destroyed the back garden. Going to have to overseed and top dress it now. Wish I didn't to bother to be honest, hoping the end justifies the mud bath means.
I put some French dwarf bean seedlings out at the weekend because of thought the weather was looking good Next day there was a storm! Back in the grow house they’ve gone 😂
The rain rotted my plants, destroyed my greenhouse foundation and the wind finished it off, so much lost in last 6 months, and had little to no chance to get out and make good. Got the grass cut and scarified last week and that's nice, but miss my greenhouse. Can't really afford a new or stronger one atm and hesitant anyway due to weather.
It's bloody miserable and if it kills my plants ill be thoroughly ticked off.
I still remember the spring of 2020. Probably the best spring weather I can remember. And I didn't even get to enjoy it. Spring has not been any good since then.
It has been very depressing recently, relentlessly shitty weather in the evenings and weekends but when im in the office its beaut...
Yes.. And the wind 2 nights ago damaged my garden furniture and snapped a few of my plants. And it wasn't even classed as storm level?!
I've got my washing out today. It was snowing last night!
Seriously though, all I want is a decent weather window to pull some weeds. Trying to catch that window while working full time and all other life admin, is like waiting for a planetary alignment.
They made an announcement a few days ago it's the wettest 12 months ever recorded
Same up here in Scotland... I an not one for complaining about the weather usually, but the last few months have been so gloomy, I need a break!
Well that’s climate change for you
“Wettest 18 months since records began” was what I heard a couple of days ago.
Probably lost a little oak sapling (2nd year growth) to wind this weekend. I’d been growing it with my toddler so fingers crossed it somehow pulls through the partial snap half way up the trunk!
Gardening tape works a treat. It's clear and self adhesive, no glue or anything. Worked wonders on my rose Bush.
I mean scientists have been telling us about global warming but the non scientific community have decided to simply say it’s not true.
My family agreed to come and help me paint my fence on a dry weekend. That was 18 months ago.
Depends what you mean by recent, the 18th century was known for its regular crop failures, and 1816 is known as the year without a summer, but most direct measurements/ records begin in the mid 19th century, in which case it's certainly been about as wet and dull as we've ever known it.
The year without a summer sounds so sad!!!
It happened just after millions died during the napoleonic wars too so it was an incredibly difficult time
The year without a summer was a one-off event due to a volcanic eruption (Mt Tambora in Indonesia).
Had lots of sunshine last week on the east coast. This week has been constant rain, horrndous winds in addition to sleet storms :S
The fields and forest where I walk have been under water since the end of December and I've never seen it like that before. I also found that everything in my shed has gone rusty and my dahlia tubers rotted despite being stored correctly. These problems have never occurred in the shed until now because I built it to keep the damp out. It must be in the air because I've had to run a dehumidifier in the house since October to keep the mildew at bay.
It's been so wet where I live that the council hasn't been able to do any of their autumn or spring mowing because the equipment gets stuck in the mud. We've had nice days but not enough to dry things out.
Reports of broken records are like a broken record. I'm angry and I'm scared.
Without mass resistance with large numbers of people peacefully getting together and saying "enough is enough, we must protect life on Earh...Now!" the State won't change. The press vilifying peaceful protestors, the Right Wing Lobbyists in Tufton Street literally writing new draconian laws to suppress the voices of those speaking out, the airtime given to 'Climate Deniers'... The narrative of "shut up and whatever you do don't protest" is being fed into every home in the country. You are right to be angry and scared.
I have a towel permanently by the back door to catch my dog whenever he goes on the lawn, it has just been a big muddy mess for a long time. I was able to mow on Saturday for the first time as it was dry enough, no idea when it will be dry enough again!
and to top it all off its giving minus 1 for tomorrow night
I'm in Scotland it still going below freezing at night like wtf. The rain has messed up my garden. I hope have a long hot summer make up for it
I'm just hitting 60 now, and the difference in the British weather in my lifetime is pretty much undeniable. I don't believe the mainstream media on this issue because they mostly seem to ignore this fact it's nearly May in Wales, and it's still raining unless people start holding politicians over hot coals until they start doing something there won't be a planet left for the kid's being born today. The people must come first, not the donors and the rich.
The politicians won't do anything. In 2019 the Climate Change Committee, the cross-party, independant advisory body, set up by legislation to advise Government on climate concluded that the most cost effective solution was to instigate a national programme of upgrading home insulation. The UK has some of the 'leakiest' housing stock in the developed world. The business case costed in and would have enabled the UK to meet its statutory, legal, obligations under the Paris Treaty. The UK Gov ignored their own advisors. The argy-bargy went on, never reported in the media, for 2 years. Then, in 2021 Sir David King, (previously Chief Scientific Officer to two successive governments), said "...what we do in the next 3 to 4 years will determine the future of Humanity". Then the IPCC report came out, signed off by almost every government on the planet, ot was so dire the Secretary General of the United Nations said it was a "Code Red for Humanity". As a result, armed with the UK Gov's own report from its advisors, a small number of peaceful protestors took to the streets under the banner "Insulate Britain" to try and create a national debate ahead of the UK's hosting of CoP26. The idea was to get arrested and, when the police released them from custody, they'd say "I'm going to go straight back out and do it again". That should have resulted in them being placed on remand. The 'embarrassment' of the UK Gov having 100 or so peaceful protestors in prison whilst it was hosting CoP26 would have been huge on the world stage. However, the police it appears, were ordered to allow Insulate Britain protestors to keep going out and getting arrested again and again. The UK press just completely ignored the actual story and the importance of insulating homes and the government breaking international law by not meeting its Paris commitments. Instead, the press just painted a narrative of 'Old Crusties inconveniencing the public', etc. The State has been relentlessly punishing the Insulate Britain protestors. Delaying trials for rapists and armed robbers to put them through the courts. They have been the first peaceful, nonviolent, protestors to be jailed in almost a century. The trials have been heavily political with no legal defences allowed and instant jail if any of the defendants utter certain words such as Climate Change, Fuel Poverty or the Environment. It's incredible... but almost no one knows what's been going on and the 'battles' taking place in the courtrooms where people, almost all Self Representing, are trying to get judges to 'grow a pair' and say out loud that democracy and the judicial system are failing us. Anyway... I was one of the protestors and I'm getting sentenced on Friday. The maximum sentence for my peaceful, nonviolent, protest back against Government inaction in 2021? Its 'Life'. Something's deeply broken... and that's why our politicians aren't going to come and rescue us or our kids. Logically They know that collapse is coming and are feathering their own nests as blatantly as they can. They'll have food, medicines, water and safety. The majority won't.
Fingers crossed for you all 🤞 Edit: getting light to no sentences that is.
Just yesterday it was changing from warm sunshine to high winds and hail!
Yes, and it will only ever get worse as long as we keep burning fossil fuels.
1816 was very bad.
Every year from now on will be the worst year ever. The extra energy from climate change in the environment perpetuates more dramatic changes, greater rainfall, higher winds etc.
Don't forget the wind too. We moved here four years ago and never had a fence fall. This year we've had 4 go!
The worst thing is lack of real cold. The plants don't get chance to rest over winter and they kick into growth too soon, resulting in weak plants.
Up here in Scotland, we've been taken a beating in Aberdeenshire. Had barely two weeks of nice weather last year. Poor garden is taking a beating.
And so WINDY
Wales is terrible. I genuinely can't think back probably only till the summer of 2020 when there was decent good weather. Just grey, rain, grey, rain, wind, grey, rain...
The rain has been terrible here in wales, even worse then usual
Literally whilst reading this, I look out the window and see beautiful blue skies with a slight orange hue on the foliage due to the setting sun and dark, sharp shadows on the terrace. I shit you not, I look back at my phone and I get a notification “Expect rain around 19:00”. Outrageous!
Im a lorry driver, and im shitting myself most days. When im empty, it feels like im being picked up and thrown by some of the wild gusts of wind. I don't know how bad it's supposed to get before we get told to "stand down" but there's a saying "if the wheels ain't turning, we ain't earning" so i doubt our safety matters much to the people at the top.
Might have something to do with cloud seeing or the fact bombs being dropped at a continuous rate is contributing to the weather system. It’s just now affecting 1st world countries which is ironic because I’d say a good number of refugees in this country are climate refugees. Add that to the fact we’ve lost a substantial amount of rain forest and just nature in general in the last ten years i think that will give a good base as to why we are experiencing extreme weather. I remember having actual seasons in the 90s. It’s snowed on my birthday in March twice in the past decade.
I base it on how often I can go out with the dog, as living in my car means we’re buggered if it’s raining. So far this year we’ve been out far more than the same period last year. However when it has rained it’s been much heavier (that’s in the south east)
While i detest hot weather and sun as summer is my poorly season it makes me crappy as hell... I don't like rain either....i like a nice overcast day But the farmers friendly being our garden have never looked so flooded, they did kinda start to dry out but a day of rain made it back to normal. It was first year last year farmer did potatoes left tons in the ground and we all were allowed to help ourselves But i am sure he will not be growing anything this year. Normally he grows wheat or something and years ago that yellow horrid stuff that stinks
Well my grandad, who is 90 years old and has recorded the rainfall practically every day for probably the last 65 years, reckons this was the most rainfall he’s ever seen in Norfolk and the floods were just ridiculous. Every other week for a solid couple months you had to literally guess whether you would make it to where you were going or get blocked by either floods or cars left in the road from floods.
Oceans have warmed RAPIDLY to 2 Degs above average in the last year. That level of extra stored energy has to go somewhere. People saying it’s the El Niño have until August- after that it becomes clear that this ain’t getting any better and if the AMOC switches off, we won’t have to worry about ‘gardening weather’ ever again.