I am surprised not to hear about lack of rain in gardens/allotments
this year.There was a lot of comment on the BBC weather news earlier
this year when the SE and E were threatened with drought,but now that
they have had some rain,it is not thought to be newsworthy when other
regions are suffering.
I know about two microclimates-one in S.Manchester where there has
been some rain occasionally but nothing more than half an hour of
light rain.Crops on my allotment are not doing well and are drying up
before cropping even after some watering.Dwarfing rootstock (M27)apple
trees are producing small early fruit with not much flavour.
The second area I know about is S.Herefordshire where I have a cider
apple orchard.Here there has been even less rainfall-essentially none
since March.The orchard grass has completely burnt off and three trees
(medium sized) have already died with their apples smaller than table
tennis ball size.All fields around are totally brown-sunflower crops
locally are about 9" tall only and it is a serious drought condition.I
am sure that the water table has dropped dramatically and we will need
some very heavy winter rain for it to recover.
I would be interested to know whether I am unlucky to have two small
microclimates without rain,or whether it is a more widespread
phenomenon.
Michael

On 23/08/2011 10:33, michael wrote:
I am surprised not to hear about lack of rain in gardens/allotments
this year.There was a lot of comment on the BBC weather news earlier
this year when the SE and E were threatened with drought,but now that
they have had some rain,it is not thought to be newsworthy when other
regions are suffering.

Dunno which regions are suffering. We had over two inches of rain last
week here in North Yorkshire. I will be growing webbed feet soon!

I know about two microclimates-one in S.Manchester where there has
been some rain occasionally but nothing more than half an hour of
light rain.Crops on my allotment are not doing well and are drying up
before cropping even after some watering.Dwarfing rootstock (M27)apple
trees are producing small early fruit with not much flavour.

I have apples almost ripe now and some splitting - I suspect because of
last weeks rain. They are usually ripe a few weeks later.

And remember the incredibly early glut of strawberries this year...

The second area I know about is S.Herefordshire where I have a cider
apple orchard.Here there has been even less rainfall-essentially none
since March.The orchard grass has completely burnt off and three trees
(medium sized) have already died with their apples smaller than table
tennis ball size.All fields around are totally brown-sunflower crops
locally are about 9" tall only and it is a serious drought condition.I
am sure that the water table has dropped dramatically and we will need
some very heavy winter rain for it to recover.
I would be interested to know whether I am unlucky to have two small
microclimates without rain,or whether it is a more widespread
phenomenon.
Michael

I think you are just unlucky. We could use a bit more sunshine up here.
Grey and cloudy but not actually raining at the moment...

Regards,
Martin Brown

In message
,
michael writes
I am surprised not to hear about lack of rain in gardens/allotments
this year.There was a lot of comment on the BBC weather news earlier
this year when the SE and E were threatened with drought,but now that
they have had some rain,it is not thought to be newsworthy when other
regions are suffering.
I know about two microclimates-one in S.Manchester where there has
been some rain occasionally but nothing more than half an hour of
light rain.Crops on my allotment are not doing well and are drying up
before cropping even after some watering.Dwarfing rootstock (M27)apple
trees are producing small early fruit with not much flavour.
The second area I know about is S.Herefordshire where I have a cider
apple orchard.Here there has been even less rainfall-essentially none
since March.The orchard grass has completely burnt off and three trees
(medium sized) have already died with their apples smaller than table
tennis ball size.All fields around are totally brown-sunflower crops
locally are about 9" tall only and it is a serious drought condition.I
am sure that the water table has dropped dramatically and we will need
some very heavy winter rain for it to recover.
I would be interested to know whether I am unlucky to have two small
microclimates without rain,or whether it is a more widespread
phenomenon.
Michael
You can add Cheshire to your list.
Well below average for over 12 months now and as end of August
approaches we are at about 1/4 of normal for this month.
August is on average the 3rd wettest month of the year after Oct and
Nov.
--
hugh

On Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:33:51 -0700 (PDT), michael
wrote:

I am surprised not to hear about lack of rain in gardens/allotments
this year.There was a lot of comment on the BBC weather news earlier
this year when the SE and E were threatened with drought,but now that
they have had some rain,it is not thought to be newsworthy when other
regions are suffering.
I know about two microclimates-one in S.Manchester where there has
been some rain occasionally but nothing more than half an hour of
light rain.Crops on my allotment are not doing well and are drying up
before cropping even after some watering.Dwarfing rootstock (M27)apple
trees are producing small early fruit with not much flavour.
The second area I know about is S.Herefordshire where I have a cider
apple orchard.Here there has been even less rainfall-essentially none
since March.The orchard grass has completely burnt off and three trees
(medium sized) have already died with their apples smaller than table
tennis ball size.All fields around are totally brown-sunflower crops
locally are about 9" tall only and it is a serious drought condition.I
am sure that the water table has dropped dramatically and we will need
some very heavy winter rain for it to recover.
I would be interested to know whether I am unlucky to have two small
microclimates without rain,or whether it is a more widespread
phenomenon.
Michael

"They" promised us a deluge for yesterday, Tuesday. I had family
staying so we planned to go to the cinema, but went out while it was
still dry, It didn't rain a drop all day, and we had a good day on
the Mendips. Countryside looking very dry but at least it's giving
the farmers a chance to harvest what crops there are.
Had a damping here 2 ish today but it's all dried up again now.

Pam in Bristol

Pam Moore wrote:
"They" promised us a deluge for yesterday, Tuesday. I had family
staying so we planned to go to the cinema, but went out while it was
still dry, It didn't rain a drop all day, and we had a good day on
the Mendips. Countryside looking very dry but at least it's giving
the farmers a chance to harvest what crops there are.
Had a damping here 2 ish today but it's all dried up again now.

Didn't stop all day yesterday. And it carried on this morning. Then all of
a sudden I looked out at about 1pm today and thought "oh, blue sky!"

--

On Aug 24, 5:14*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 2011-08-24 16:11:22 +0100, said:

Pam Moore wrote:
"They" promised us a deluge for yesterday, Tuesday. *I had family
staying so we planned to go to the cinema, but went out while it was
still dry, *It didn't rain a drop all day, and we had a good day on
the Mendips. *Countryside looking very dry but at least it's giving
the farmers a chance to harvest what crops there are.
Had a damping here 2 ish today but it's all dried up again now.

Didn't stop all day yesterday. *And it carried on this morning. *Then all of
a sudden I looked out at about 1pm today and thought "oh, blue sky!"

Stair rods here this morning and we thought we wouldn't see one
customer but the tea room was heaving at lunchtime! *I'll never figure
out what it is that makes people decide to come out one day but not the
next. *And now, at closing time, the sun's peeping through but with
dark clouds following up.
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

After 2 days of "Summer" , here in "Sunny South Wales" we had a 15 min
burst of heavy rain at around 11am, and nothing since then so I was
able to finish cutting the grass, it's 3rd cut of the year.

In article ,
Dave Hill wrote:

After 2 days of "Summer" , here in "Sunny South Wales" we had a 15 min
burst of heavy rain at around 11am, and nothing since then so I was
able to finish cutting the grass, it's 3rd cut of the year.

Nothing of consequence here, on the edge of the prairie, but what
else is new?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"michael" wrote in message
...
I am surprised not to hear about lack of rain in gardens/allotments
this year.There was a lot of comment on the BBC weather news earlier
this year when the SE and E were threatened with drought,but now that
they have had some rain,it is not thought to be newsworthy when other
regions are suffering.
I know about two microclimates-one in S.Manchester where there has
been some rain occasionally but nothing more than half an hour of
light rain.Crops on my allotment are not doing well and are drying up
before cropping even after some watering.Dwarfing rootstock (M27)apple
trees are producing small early fruit with not much flavour.
The second area I know about is S.Herefordshire where I have a cider
apple orchard.Here there has been even less rainfall-essentially none
since March.The orchard grass has completely burnt off and three trees
(medium sized) have already died with their apples smaller than table
tennis ball size.All fields around are totally brown-sunflower crops
locally are about 9" tall only and it is a serious drought condition.I
am sure that the water table has dropped dramatically and we will need
some very heavy winter rain for it to recover.
I would be interested to know whether I am unlucky to have two small
microclimates without rain,or whether it is a more widespread
phenomenon.
Michael

It rained so hard this evening that I had difficulty getting from my house
to a shop because I needed to go under a bridge which was flooded.
However, Mr F, my car, ploughed through the water fine.
To get a loaf and stuff. I love this car. He never lets me down.
Some of my friends think it would be better if I got a newer car. I have no
idea why.

Tweed

Sacha wrote:
Stair rods here this morning and we thought we wouldn't see one

Very much not stair rods here. It was that horrible fuzzy weird rain.

On Aug 25, 10:48*am, Martin wrote:
On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:26:56 +0100 (BST), wrote:
In article ,
Dave Hill wrote:

After 2 days of "Summer" , here in "Sunny South Wales" we had a 15 min
burst of heavy rain at around 11am, and nothing since then so I was
able to finish cutting the grass, it's 3rd cut of the year.

Nothing of consequence here, on the edge of the prairie, but what
else is new?

The plague of mosquitoes released near Wageningen NL, only flew
between 50 and 150 metres from where they were released. You can come
out from under your mosquito net.
--

Martin

It seems as though my experience is not shared in other regions.We
happen to be in two microclimates which avoid rain usually.
In Cheadle Hulme (S.Manchester) we are aware that often rain falls all
around us but not here.It is all to do with the prevailing winds
across the Pennines which seem to steer the wind and rain away from
us.
In Fownhope (S.Herefordshire),rain coming from the West falls on the
Black Mountains and has disappeared by the time the winds reach
us.Rain coming from the East seems to deposit itself on The Cotswolds
and Gloucester before reaching us.
So normally,we have little rain but this year very little or none at
all.
I am sure that you can come up with other similar microclimates,but so
far(apart from Cheshire)most of you have had significant rain.
Since writing this blog,we have had some rain in both areas but not
much.
Michael