Last week we were all recovering for the blistering cold of the snow and preparing for the rain and potential floods and the ice melted. It was even suggested we slow down the thaw process by building snowmen! Well after some brighter weather this week and the remainders of any snowmen well and truly gone, this weekend looks to be the same.
It is predicted that there will be more showers and a lot of wind with even the chance of hail. This is likely to affect most of the west whilst in Scotland there may still be some snow in some of the higher areas.
As of 8am this morning there were 36 flood warnings that had been issued by The Environmental Agency, most of which were in the Midlands and North West regions.
Tonight there should be clear but there will be some persistent rain. On top of this the clouds are becoming thicker in the south will also bring heavy rainfall. In the Northern Isles there were winds of between 75 and 85mph.
Much of the country will be experiencing bright and breezy weather for the next few days which should bring warmer temperatures. Although, like last week, probably still not air conditioning weather. With January blues out of the way it should be the time for planning holidays to warmer climates, if the purse strings will allow it!
In a previous blog post we talked about the Big Freeze of 2012. Well this weekend there is expected to be the biggest snow fall since then! It is estimated that there is not going to be much f the country that is left untouched by these snow storms in the next few days. Time to get the hat and scarf out and keep the air conditioningoff!
Wales has already seen snowfall and next is going to be the South West before these icy conditions hit the rest of Britain. Forecasters say that the worst of the snowfall will hit on Friday with up to 10 inches falling on higher ground. On lower ground there is expected to be between three and five inches. Airports and schools are expected to be closed and train services could be cancelled.
For most parts of the UK temperatures will be below zero which means it will be unbelievably cold especially with blizzard conditions. The Met Office has issued weather warnings in the East Midlands, North West and South West England, Wales, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.
Temperatures in East Anglia last night dropped to -11C. Jo Wheeler is a Sky News weather presenter and she has said, “As evening approaches, temperatures will drop, fog thickening in the east and there’ll be a widespread frost.
“As the rain spreads across Wales and the South West, it will give significant snowfall, potentially up to 25cm over exposed uplands.
“There’ll also be strong winds, with gusts of between 50mph and 60mph which will give blizzard conditions for a while.
“All in all, the travel situation will be quite atrocious for tomorrow’s commute or school run. The snow will push eastwards during the day, and is expected to reach London around the middle of the day, and eastern coasts by the evening.”
So it is official, 2012 was the second wettest year here in the UK since records began back in 1910. Over the last few years we have seen our fair share of unpredictable weather; 2006 saw a heat wave in July, huge floods in 2009 and in 2010 we experienced “the big freeze”.
At the beginning of this year there were worries and concerns as to what was going to happen to crops as a result of two dry winters. There was a drought warning and farmers, water industry officials and politicians attended a water summit.
There was a hosepipe ban introduced in April of last year in the South and South East of England as a result of the dry winters. By July these were lifted due to the huge rain fall. After the two years of dry winters, spring and summer ended up being the wettest in 100 years.
After a desperately wet summer, things were not looking good for winter and once again there was more rainfall. With the weather continuing in this fashion farmers around the country struggled with their crops. On top of this, rivers overflowed causing unthinkable damage to thousands of properties.
In contrast though, the previous year, 2011, was the second warmest in the UK on record. We had the hottest April and spring, the second hottest autumn and the hottest day in October since records started.
As there is no real pattern to what weather we will experience it is best to make sure your air conditioning units are serviced and well maintained all year round, even if it is as wet as 2012! With this much unpredictable weather who knows what 2013 will hold for us weather wise. Let’s hope it is a hot one!
We have probably all gotten our hopes up for a white Christmas this year. The early snow fall did indicate this is the way the weather was going to turn out. Well unfortunately we will just be subjected to even more rain (if this is possible!) Christmas is going to be a soggy one.
The weather warnings that have come as a result of heavy rainfall mean that the transatlantic mild fronts have been sent on their way and our chances or snow are dwindling.
In areas such as Cornwall and Devon there have been amber weather warnings. This mean anyone in this area needs to be prepared for potential flooding. When the time comes this means all furniture and white goods such as refrigeration units should be moved or protected. There has been a yellow weather warning issued in the Midlands for when this bad weather moves from Cornwall upwards. By Thursday, those in Yorkshire will also have a yellow weather warning.
Things aren’t going to improve over the weekend either, there is yet more rainfall pushing its way through the country. The Met Office has said this, “Very unsettled and windy, with occasionally heavy train pushing north-eastwards.
“Further locally heavy rain is likely midweek separated by drier showery interludes, with the best drier weather likely to be in the east. Strong to gale-force winds are also likely in places, but especially in the north-west. Temperatures will mostly near or perhaps a little above normal, although patchy overnight frost remains likely, a pattern that should continue in the run up to the New Year, with similarly unsettled conditions likely to prevail.”
Over the last few days, we are all aware of the heavy rainfall that has hit most of us. However, in the North they are preparing for even more flooding than they are already experiencing as the most intense September storm since 1981 hits.
Having said this, the amount of flood warnings are declining from the Environment Agency although there are still 68 standing. On top of this there are some less serious flood warnings, 110 in total around the country. This is in advance of the predicted 4 cm of rain that is going to fall within the next 24 hours.
Those living next to the River Ouse in Yorkshire are preparing for higher water levels and protecting their houses.
The beginning of the year saw some of the wettest months in 100 years, and then followed by a rather damp summer. I think it is fair to say we were all hoping for an Indian summer but it seems 2012 will be known as the year of the umbrella (or sandbags). Looks like we won’t need to turn our air conditioning units on as frequently after all. However, it is essential to keep them well maintained in preparation and hope for next year.
It is not just the North that is expecting these heavy rainfalls. The South and the Midlands may also encounter flooding.
So far since Sunday, 400 homes have been flooded meaning that hundreds of people are having to take refuge in temporary accommodation.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the Philippines are slowly being rescued after deadly floods ripped through the capital, Manila and other areas close by.
Volunteers are being requested to help supplies to be distributed amongst the people as there are close to 300,000 currently in emergency shelters.
A month’s worth of rain fell in just two days and has claimed 19 lives as landslides and floods caused the capital to hault to a complete standstill.
Across the Philippines two million people in 30 cities and across 16 provinces have been affected.
A report published by the Government’s disaster management agency has said, “Of the above total affected, 11,079 families/538,445 persons are currently served inside and outside evactuation centres.
Cash, canned food, bottled water, medicines, clothes. Blankets and hygiene kits are to be donated and can be given to various organisations that are helping with the relief efforts.
Benita Ramos is the head of the country’s disaster response agency said that the floods may become worse. “It will take a few more days to recover, assuming the rain stops now.”
The executive assistant to Social Welfare Secretary Corazib Soliman, Sheila Alinsangan and she have said, “The situation is very dynamic, we need more people to help out in this massive relief effort.”
Although here in the UK we have been rather disappointed with our summer and not being able to turn on our air conditioning units to escape the heat, this terrible natural disaster puts it all in perspective.
After our week of sunshine, the weather looks set to change dramatically for us over the next few days. With snow already see in the more Northern parts of England and in Scotland it looks like our early summer hasn’t lasted.
Snow, sleet and rain hounded down on Britain last night and left 10,000 people without any power across the North East of England. There is yellow weather warning for Scotland, Wales, northern England and the Midlands. This is after gale force winds reached 80 mph last night.
According to forecasters, 15 – 20cm of snow fell last night in the Peak District, Pennies and Cumbria and with this kind of weather there are many travel disruptions around.
After writing about the high temperatures in Aboyne last week, this area has also seen 2cm of snow as the weather seems to be playing bizarre tricks on us.
This, however, is a good time to make sure all air conditioning units are functioning as well as they should be. From looking at the dramatic weather changes in the last week, who knows when we will see our next glimpse of summer, could be next week with these changes! By cleaning the units out and getting professionals to check them over as we have previously written about is essential. This is especially true with the weather as unpredictable as it is now. Scorching temperatures in the office without working air conditioning is unbearable.
This cold weather is set to move south leaving behind wintery conditions although there isn’t any forecast snow and we still have a little sunshine and highs of 13 throughout the week. This, at least for the south, is normal March temperatures.
Hasn’t it been a glorious month! The weather has been beautiful all over the UK and we’ve experienced one of the hottest March’s on record. So here at GT Refrigeration we thought it would be a great time to look at the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the UK. So why not check out our infographic below:
We can see that the hottest temperatures recorded are all located in South, (lucky for us). Although this March we didn’t beat any temperature records (except in Scotland) the air con has definitely been on in our office all week.
We can also see that for ¼ of the year we need to have air conditioning, especially if you still want your staff to come to work even during the summer time!
If this month is anything to go by, we think that we are going to be seeing many more hotter days year on year, let us know what you think. Do you think you will be switching your air con on much earlier on in the year?
Weather forecasters have predicted snow and brutal weather conditions. As Britain is expected to reach freezing temperatures this winter, air conditioning in our cars is probably the last thing on our minds.
However, keeping the air conditioning in your car maintained properly will ensure that the heating also works, and in this cold weather, getting stuck in a traffic jam without heating will be something everyone will want to avoid.
Mechanical or electrical defects on your car’s air con can happen at any time and can be expensive to fix, due to the many components within the system including compressors, thermostats, condensers, electric motors and rheostats. It can require removing the car’s dashboard to get to some of the parts, and it one case, has cost a massive £2,038.41 to repair.
Last winter, the UK was covered in centimetres of snowfall and darkness and there were a number of fatalities and car accidents across the regions.
Making sure that your air conditioning system is in order can protect you and your passengers against the big freeze and avoid the risk of freezing in your vehicle. A car warranty plan that provides cover on your air conditioning, drivers can have peace of mind if anything goes wrong over Christmas – it’s not a good time of year for a hefty garage bill.
To prepare the public for winter weather, the government has already launched its ‘Get Ready for Winter’ campaigns, to help avoid the manic that the weather brought to the UK last year. Last year, December 2010 because the coldest in the UK for 100 years.
Britain has, this past week, been blanketed by fog. This has caused flights to be cancelled and delayed across the country which has left travellers, understandably, furious. However, there is simply nothing that can be done, except to wait for the fog to clear of course.
A spokesman for the BAA, Heathrow’s operators, has warned passengers to check with their airlines before travelling due to the fact that Northern Europe has been affected by the fog as well.
The spokesman was quoted saying: “Today 11 arrivals and 12 departure flights have been cancelled and we are advising all our passengers to check with their individual airlines before travelling.”
Meanwhile, Gatwick and Stansted have been able to operate as normal despite the poor weather.
It has also been reported that some areas of the country could witness some snow fall in coming days. Frost and gales are also in the pipeline.
Last weekend it was reported that visibility on some roads was less than 100 yards, due to the fog. I for one was driving south towards Basingstoke and could only see literally 10 metres in front. Dangerous stuff and not something I want to experience again anytime soon.
This cold weather has followed one of the warmest autumns on record, and has, to some extent surprised us all. However, we must remember it is late November and it’s not long now until Christmas rolls around for another year.
Furthermore, this winter weather is certainly sticking around. It is likely that we will see strong winds across England and Wales in coming days, and Met Office spokesman, Dan Williams, has said: “We will be seeing colder nights because of the clear skies.”
Jonathan Powell, of Positive Weather Solutions, has added: “There is a rain-bearing front that could bring a covering of snow on Thursday and Friday in the mountainous parts of the north. Roads will be pretty treacherous as any overnight rain will quickly freeze.”
With such weather now forecast, it is more likely that we will be switching our central heating on rather than turning to our air conditioning units!
If anyone is out on the roads in coming days, be sure to take care and keep your wits about you in icy conditions.
Last week we were all recovering for the blistering cold of the snow and preparing for the rain and potential floods and the ice melted. It was even suggested we slow down the thaw process by building snowmen! Well after some brighter weather this week and the remainders of any snowmen well and truly gone, this weekend looks to be the same.
It is predicted that there will be more showers and a lot of wind with even the chance of hail. This is likely to affect most of the west whilst in Scotland there may still be some snow in some of the higher areas.
As of 8am this morning there were 36 flood warnings that had been issued by The Environmental Agency, most of which were in the Midlands and North West regions.
Tonight there should be clear but there will be some persistent rain. On top of this the clouds are becoming thicker in the south will also bring heavy rainfall. In the Northern Isles there were winds of between 75 and 85mph.
Much of the country will be experiencing bright and breezy weather for the next few days which should bring warmer temperatures. Although, like last week, probably still not air conditioning weather. With January blues out of the way it should be the time for planning holidays to warmer climates, if the purse strings will allow it!
Snow and Blizzard Conditions Coming this Weekend
In a previous blog post we talked about the Big Freeze of 2012. Well this weekend there is expected to be the biggest snow fall since then! It is estimated that there is not going to be much f the country that is left untouched by these snow storms in the next few days. Time to get the hat and scarf out and keep the air conditioningoff!
Wales has already seen snowfall and next is going to be the South West before these icy conditions hit the rest of Britain. Forecasters say that the worst of the snowfall will hit on Friday with up to 10 inches falling on higher ground. On lower ground there is expected to be between three and five inches. Airports and schools are expected to be closed and train services could be cancelled.
For most parts of the UK temperatures will be below zero which means it will be unbelievably cold especially with blizzard conditions. The Met Office has issued weather warnings in the East Midlands, North West and South West England, Wales, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.
Temperatures in East Anglia last night dropped to -11C. Jo Wheeler is a Sky News weather presenter and she has said, “As evening approaches, temperatures will drop, fog thickening in the east and there’ll be a widespread frost.
“As the rain spreads across Wales and the South West, it will give significant snowfall, potentially up to 25cm over exposed uplands.
“There’ll also be strong winds, with gusts of between 50mph and 60mph which will give blizzard conditions for a while.
“All in all, the travel situation will be quite atrocious for tomorrow’s commute or school run. The snow will push eastwards during the day, and is expected to reach London around the middle of the day, and eastern coasts by the evening.”
Our Year of Unpredictable Weather!
So it is official, 2012 was the second wettest year here in the UK since records began back in 1910. Over the last few years we have seen our fair share of unpredictable weather; 2006 saw a heat wave in July, huge floods in 2009 and in 2010 we experienced “the big freeze”.
At the beginning of this year there were worries and concerns as to what was going to happen to crops as a result of two dry winters. There was a drought warning and farmers, water industry officials and politicians attended a water summit.
There was a hosepipe ban introduced in April of last year in the South and South East of England as a result of the dry winters. By July these were lifted due to the huge rain fall. After the two years of dry winters, spring and summer ended up being the wettest in 100 years.
After a desperately wet summer, things were not looking good for winter and once again there was more rainfall. With the weather continuing in this fashion farmers around the country struggled with their crops. On top of this, rivers overflowed causing unthinkable damage to thousands of properties.
In contrast though, the previous year, 2011, was the second warmest in the UK on record. We had the hottest April and spring, the second hottest autumn and the hottest day in October since records started.
As there is no real pattern to what weather we will experience it is best to make sure your air conditioning units are serviced and well maintained all year round, even if it is as wet as 2012! With this much unpredictable weather who knows what 2013 will hold for us weather wise. Let’s hope it is a hot one!
White Christmas or More Weather Warnings?
We have probably all gotten our hopes up for a white Christmas this year. The early snow fall did indicate this is the way the weather was going to turn out. Well unfortunately we will just be subjected to even more rain (if this is possible!) Christmas is going to be a soggy one.
The weather warnings that have come as a result of heavy rainfall mean that the transatlantic mild fronts have been sent on their way and our chances or snow are dwindling.
In areas such as Cornwall and Devon there have been amber weather warnings. This mean anyone in this area needs to be prepared for potential flooding. When the time comes this means all furniture and white goods such as refrigeration units should be moved or protected. There has been a yellow weather warning issued in the Midlands for when this bad weather moves from Cornwall upwards. By Thursday, those in Yorkshire will also have a yellow weather warning.
Things aren’t going to improve over the weekend either, there is yet more rainfall pushing its way through the country. The Met Office has said this, “Very unsettled and windy, with occasionally heavy train pushing north-eastwards.
“Further locally heavy rain is likely midweek separated by drier showery interludes, with the best drier weather likely to be in the east. Strong to gale-force winds are also likely in places, but especially in the north-west. Temperatures will mostly near or perhaps a little above normal, although patchy overnight frost remains likely, a pattern that should continue in the run up to the New Year, with similarly unsettled conditions likely to prevail.”
Intense September Storm
Over the last few days, we are all aware of the heavy rainfall that has hit most of us. However, in the North they are preparing for even more flooding than they are already experiencing as the most intense September storm since 1981 hits.
Having said this, the amount of flood warnings are declining from the Environment Agency although there are still 68 standing. On top of this there are some less serious flood warnings, 110 in total around the country. This is in advance of the predicted 4 cm of rain that is going to fall within the next 24 hours.
Those living next to the River Ouse in Yorkshire are preparing for higher water levels and protecting their houses.
The beginning of the year saw some of the wettest months in 100 years, and then followed by a rather damp summer. I think it is fair to say we were all hoping for an Indian summer but it seems 2012 will be known as the year of the umbrella (or sandbags). Looks like we won’t need to turn our air conditioning units on as frequently after all. However, it is essential to keep them well maintained in preparation and hope for next year.
It is not just the North that is expecting these heavy rainfalls. The South and the Midlands may also encounter flooding.
So far since Sunday, 400 homes have been flooded meaning that hundreds of people are having to take refuge in temporary accommodation.
Flooding in the Philippines
Hundreds of thousands of people in the Philippines are slowly being rescued after deadly floods ripped through the capital, Manila and other areas close by.
Volunteers are being requested to help supplies to be distributed amongst the people as there are close to 300,000 currently in emergency shelters.
A month’s worth of rain fell in just two days and has claimed 19 lives as landslides and floods caused the capital to hault to a complete standstill.
Across the Philippines two million people in 30 cities and across 16 provinces have been affected.
A report published by the Government’s disaster management agency has said, “Of the above total affected, 11,079 families/538,445 persons are currently served inside and outside evactuation centres.
Cash, canned food, bottled water, medicines, clothes. Blankets and hygiene kits are to be donated and can be given to various organisations that are helping with the relief efforts.
Benita Ramos is the head of the country’s disaster response agency said that the floods may become worse. “It will take a few more days to recover, assuming the rain stops now.”
The executive assistant to Social Welfare Secretary Corazib Soliman, Sheila Alinsangan and she have said, “The situation is very dynamic, we need more people to help out in this massive relief effort.”
Although here in the UK we have been rather disappointed with our summer and not being able to turn on our air conditioning units to escape the heat, this terrible natural disaster puts it all in perspective.
Winter or Summer – Who knows?
After our week of sunshine, the weather looks set to change dramatically for us over the next few days. With snow already see in the more Northern parts of England and in Scotland it looks like our early summer hasn’t lasted.
Snow, sleet and rain hounded down on Britain last night and left 10,000 people without any power across the North East of England. There is yellow weather warning for Scotland, Wales, northern England and the Midlands. This is after gale force winds reached 80 mph last night.
According to forecasters, 15 – 20cm of snow fell last night in the Peak District, Pennies and Cumbria and with this kind of weather there are many travel disruptions around.
After writing about the high temperatures in Aboyne last week, this area has also seen 2cm of snow as the weather seems to be playing bizarre tricks on us.
This, however, is a good time to make sure all air conditioning units are functioning as well as they should be. From looking at the dramatic weather changes in the last week, who knows when we will see our next glimpse of summer, could be next week with these changes! By cleaning the units out and getting professionals to check them over as we have previously written about is essential. This is especially true with the weather as unpredictable as it is now. Scorching temperatures in the office without working air conditioning is unbearable.
This cold weather is set to move south leaving behind wintery conditions although there isn’t any forecast snow and we still have a little sunshine and highs of 13 throughout the week. This, at least for the south, is normal March temperatures.
The Hottest Places in the UK
Hasn’t it been a glorious month! The weather has been beautiful all over the UK and we’ve experienced one of the hottest March’s on record. So here at GT Refrigeration we thought it would be a great time to look at the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the UK. So why not check out our infographic below:
We can see that the hottest temperatures recorded are all located in South, (lucky for us). Although this March we didn’t beat any temperature records (except in Scotland) the air con has definitely been on in our office all week.
We can also see that for ¼ of the year we need to have air conditioning, especially if you still want your staff to come to work even during the summer time!
If this month is anything to go by, we think that we are going to be seeing many more hotter days year on year, let us know what you think. Do you think you will be switching your air con on much earlier on in the year?
Look after Your Car’s Air Con This Christmas
However, keeping the air conditioning in your car maintained properly will ensure that the heating also works, and in this cold weather, getting stuck in a traffic jam without heating will be something everyone will want to avoid.
Mechanical or electrical defects on your car’s air con can happen at any time and can be expensive to fix, due to the many components within the system including compressors, thermostats, condensers, electric motors and rheostats. It can require removing the car’s dashboard to get to some of the parts, and it one case, has cost a massive £2,038.41 to repair.
Last winter, the UK was covered in centimetres of snowfall and darkness and there were a number of fatalities and car accidents across the regions.
Making sure that your air conditioning system is in order can protect you and your passengers against the big freeze and avoid the risk of freezing in your vehicle. A car warranty plan that provides cover on your air conditioning, drivers can have peace of mind if anything goes wrong over Christmas – it’s not a good time of year for a hefty garage bill.
To prepare the public for winter weather, the government has already launched its ‘Get Ready for Winter’ campaigns, to help avoid the manic that the weather brought to the UK last year. Last year, December 2010 because the coldest in the UK for 100 years.
Winter Weather Wonders the Land
Britain has, this past week, been blanketed by fog. This has caused flights to be cancelled and delayed across the country which has left travellers, understandably, furious. However, there is simply nothing that can be done, except to wait for the fog to clear of course.
A spokesman for the BAA, Heathrow’s operators, has warned passengers to check with their airlines before travelling due to the fact that Northern Europe has been affected by the fog as well.
The spokesman was quoted saying: “Today 11 arrivals and 12 departure flights have been cancelled and we are advising all our passengers to check with their individual airlines before travelling.”
Meanwhile, Gatwick and Stansted have been able to operate as normal despite the poor weather.
It has also been reported that some areas of the country could witness some snow fall in coming days. Frost and gales are also in the pipeline.
Last weekend it was reported that visibility on some roads was less than 100 yards, due to the fog. I for one was driving south towards Basingstoke and could only see literally 10 metres in front. Dangerous stuff and not something I want to experience again anytime soon.
This cold weather has followed one of the warmest autumns on record, and has, to some extent surprised us all. However, we must remember it is late November and it’s not long now until Christmas rolls around for another year.
Furthermore, this winter weather is certainly sticking around. It is likely that we will see strong winds across England and Wales in coming days, and Met Office spokesman, Dan Williams, has said: “We will be seeing colder nights because of the clear skies.”
Jonathan Powell, of Positive Weather Solutions, has added: “There is a rain-bearing front that could bring a covering of snow on Thursday and Friday in the mountainous parts of the north. Roads will be pretty treacherous as any overnight rain will quickly freeze.”
With such weather now forecast, it is more likely that we will be switching our central heating on rather than turning to our air conditioning units!
If anyone is out on the roads in coming days, be sure to take care and keep your wits about you in icy conditions.