The warm weather we have seen in recent weeks, although it seems to be slowly slipping away, means that there has been an increase in the amount of jellyfish that have been surrounding the British coast line.
As a result of the very cold and long spring there were very few reports of jellyfish but now they are growing in rapid numbers as well as there being many different species too, according to the Marine Conservation Society. One of these species include Lions Mane and these have a particularly powerful sting so anyone wishing to escape the heat and are heading to the beach are warned not to touch them. Instead you could always escape to the cinema with the cool air conditioning! Continue reading →
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!
Most of us in the UK have noticed the delayed winter and plummeting temperatures that has been happening this week, but forecasters have predicted that it will become milder over the weekend.
However, even though it will get milder, the weather is still up and down, as it has been expected that the temperature will still fall below -8C.
Gritting teams, hospitals and emergency services are on maximum alert, with the Meteorological Office predicting “a 100% probability of severe conditions across most of England this week”.
The chillier weather follows the stalling of rain from the west and the Atlantic. An area of high pressure over western Russia and Scandinavia has chilled them and started to move them back on easterly winds.
Forecaster with MeteoGroup, Clare Allen, said, “The easterlies are bringing snow showers off the North Sea, and even London is likely to have a maximum temperature no higher than 4C, so it’s going to be pretty cold.”
There has been severe weather warnings for ice, issued by the Met Office, which are likely to stay in force until Saturday. Allen said, “If people aren’t careful driving, then it could cause disruption. Anywhere that is wet, ice is expected to form.”
The UK has reacted in its traditional way by shopping for cold weather equipment last minute.
Debenhams has reported an increase in thermal underwear by 17%, 16% rise in electric blankets, high tog duvets by 40% and slippers by 49%. However, it seems people in the UK are either going on holiday or expecting the sun to come back out soon as there has also been an 18% rise in demand for swimwear and bikinis. The demand of air conditioning units and fans has remained stable.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health asked for people to keep an eye on their older neighbours. He said, “During this period of cold weather we would advise people to check local weather forecasts for the latest information on weather conditions and staying safe when outdoors.
“We are working closely with the NHS and local authorities to ensure vulnerable people stay well during cold weather and get the help they need within their communities.”
We may have had one of the nicest springs in 2011, but in Britain we also had one of our worst-ever summers. Summer was officially declared over yesterday as the UK was battered by gale-force winds and torrential rain. Most people saw themselves going to bed earlier than usual as it became darker quicker.
Forecasters predicted unsettled weather throughout the week and it won’t get much better throughout September, so there’s no need to have your air conditioning units switched on.
According to the Met Office, it has been the worst summer in Britain since 1993. Dan Williams, Met Office forecaster, said “Northwest Britain is looking unsettled with showers and even gales. For the South East, we’ll see rain but in general it’s going to be drier and more settled,” which sounds like a very uncertain prediction.
There were gusts of wind up to 60mph in some places in Britain. Railways across the country were disrupted by trees falling on the tracks causing cancellations, ferries along the south cost were severely disrupted and some of London’s tube stations were also closed due to flooding.
Southend’s mile long pleasure pier’s supports and decking were also damaged after a giant barge was blown into the structure.
We still have our fingers crossed for some sunshine though!
The weather has dampened over the last week for us Britons in the UK. This week, the Met Office issued a severe weather warning on Monday, predicted heavy rain on Tuesday and warned people of the risk of flooding.
However, the predicted torrential rain did not occur, but there were some thundery and heavy showers. Some areas of the capital city saw between 5mm to 10mm of rain in a few hours, while other areas just experienced some light rain. Even though there was no sunshine, most people felt the muggy, humid weather and stayed by their refrigeration units in London!
Despite the weather, Britain is braced for the Bank Holiday weekend and not holding back. Almost 27 million drivers are set to tackle the roads over the long weekend.
According to esure, travel chaos will lead to the average motorist spending almost 2 hours stuck in traffic jams.
According to figures, Britons are still planning to visit the seaside despite the horrible weather, with Brighton and Blackpool being the top destinations.
There are also a couple of big festivals happening over the weekend including Reading and Leeds, which will add to the congestion. Festival goers are hoping that they will be lucky enough to get the same sunshine as people who went to V festival last weekend.
Head of risk and underwriting at esure, Mike Pickard said “Traffic jams are a given for any Bank Holiday but this year it seems more Brits than ever are planning to hit the roads as uncertainty over booking foreign holidays has seen a rise in popularity of the staycation”
Pickard adds, “We would advise motorists to check weather and traffic reports before setting off and ensure they have completed a thorough vehicle check.
“Planning ahead by choosing a route that avoids holiday hotspots and driving off-peak is a great way to beat the traffic and make the most of your long weekend,” Pickard advises.
The warm weather we have seen in recent weeks, although it seems to be slowly slipping away, means that there has been an increase in the amount of jellyfish that have been surrounding the British coast line.
As a result of the very cold and long spring there were very few reports of jellyfish but now they are growing in rapid numbers as well as there being many different species too, according to the Marine Conservation Society. One of these species include Lions Mane and these have a particularly powerful sting so anyone wishing to escape the heat and are heading to the beach are warned not to touch them. Instead you could always escape to the cinema with the cool air conditioning! Continue reading →
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!
Snow Showers and Freezing Temperatures upon Us
However, even though it will get milder, the weather is still up and down, as it has been expected that the temperature will still fall below -8C.
Gritting teams, hospitals and emergency services are on maximum alert, with the Meteorological Office predicting “a 100% probability of severe conditions across most of England this week”.
The chillier weather follows the stalling of rain from the west and the Atlantic. An area of high pressure over western Russia and Scandinavia has chilled them and started to move them back on easterly winds.
Forecaster with MeteoGroup, Clare Allen, said, “The easterlies are bringing snow showers off the North Sea, and even London is likely to have a maximum temperature no higher than 4C, so it’s going to be pretty cold.”
There has been severe weather warnings for ice, issued by the Met Office, which are likely to stay in force until Saturday. Allen said, “If people aren’t careful driving, then it could cause disruption. Anywhere that is wet, ice is expected to form.”
The UK has reacted in its traditional way by shopping for cold weather equipment last minute.
Debenhams has reported an increase in thermal underwear by 17%, 16% rise in electric blankets, high tog duvets by 40% and slippers by 49%. However, it seems people in the UK are either going on holiday or expecting the sun to come back out soon as there has also been an 18% rise in demand for swimwear and bikinis. The demand of air conditioning units and fans has remained stable.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health asked for people to keep an eye on their older neighbours. He said, “During this period of cold weather we would advise people to check local weather forecasts for the latest information on weather conditions and staying safe when outdoors.
“We are working closely with the NHS and local authorities to ensure vulnerable people stay well during cold weather and get the help they need within their communities.”
It’s officially Autumn in the UK
Forecasters predicted unsettled weather throughout the week and it won’t get much better throughout September, so there’s no need to have your air conditioning units switched on.
According to the Met Office, it has been the worst summer in Britain since 1993. Dan Williams, Met Office forecaster, said “Northwest Britain is looking unsettled with showers and even gales. For the South East, we’ll see rain but in general it’s going to be drier and more settled,” which sounds like a very uncertain prediction.
There were gusts of wind up to 60mph in some places in Britain. Railways across the country were disrupted by trees falling on the tracks causing cancellations, ferries along the south cost were severely disrupted and some of London’s tube stations were also closed due to flooding.
Southend’s mile long pleasure pier’s supports and decking were also damaged after a giant barge was blown into the structure.
We still have our fingers crossed for some sunshine though!
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Weather is not setting back Britons over the Bank Holiday Weekend
However, the predicted torrential rain did not occur, but there were some thundery and heavy showers. Some areas of the capital city saw between 5mm to 10mm of rain in a few hours, while other areas just experienced some light rain. Even though there was no sunshine, most people felt the muggy, humid weather and stayed by their refrigeration units in London!
Despite the weather, Britain is braced for the Bank Holiday weekend and not holding back. Almost 27 million drivers are set to tackle the roads over the long weekend.
According to esure, travel chaos will lead to the average motorist spending almost 2 hours stuck in traffic jams.
According to figures, Britons are still planning to visit the seaside despite the horrible weather, with Brighton and Blackpool being the top destinations.
There are also a couple of big festivals happening over the weekend including Reading and Leeds, which will add to the congestion. Festival goers are hoping that they will be lucky enough to get the same sunshine as people who went to V festival last weekend.
Head of risk and underwriting at esure, Mike Pickard said “Traffic jams are a given for any Bank Holiday but this year it seems more Brits than ever are planning to hit the roads as uncertainty over booking foreign holidays has seen a rise in popularity of the staycation”
Pickard adds, “We would advise motorists to check weather and traffic reports before setting off and ensure they have completed a thorough vehicle check.
“Planning ahead by choosing a route that avoids holiday hotspots and driving off-peak is a great way to beat the traffic and make the most of your long weekend,” Pickard advises.