Spring/Summer drought in southern England and northwestern Europe.

[greysrigging]

I'm lucky inasmuch there is an official BOM AWS at the end of my street ( Darwin suburb of Leanyer ), so about 500m from home. I simply don't bother with even looking at the temp readings from the my el cheapo home station. And if I do they're generally 2c higher than just down the road at the Stevenson Screen.
Even the rainfall appears inaccurate, and not compared to the AWS, but with my own manual Nylex gauge sited next the home station. Often reads too high compared to the manual set up.
For me they are a guide, and if I want correct data I use the AWS figures
And to also change the subject a bit, I find the drying trend of spring/summer in the last few interesting......

[sipalms]

5 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

So if you record 90F on your own station in Christchurch, but MetService NZ only records 85F on their 'official' verified station, that means your recording is wrong by default and that you must go by what the MetService recording was, irrespective of your own recordings/data. You agree with that, right? 

The same would apply for people recording weather data in California. If someone records a high of 100F on their station in the Hollywood Hills, but the nearest 'official' National Weather Service station in Franklin Canyon only records 92F, that means that person's own independent recording is incorrect and they must go by the nearest 'official' recording instead? Even if that station is almost 10 miles away?

Yes. I 100% go by the official Metservice data. Like @sandgroper, I find my own thermometer interesting but have never used it to quote recorded temps on this forum or others.

On your second point, California is about as far from the rolling hills of Surrey than you can get. Microclimates there are huge and variable. But we're talking about actual mountains and canyons, not rolling pastures 8 miles away. And yes @GottmitAlex I fully agree, microclimates are definitely a thing. +/-5 degrees C is definitely possible in a small area BUT from my perspective, not in the rolling hills of the UK. The terrain there is just like the terrain of the Waikato in NZ but even that has more mountain influence and I'm not aware of 5 degree differences in temps 8 miles apart (inland not coastal, that's another whole story).

[GottmitAlex]

Not only referring to natural landscapes, but man made/man supported/accidental microclimates. It's not limited to mountains/US..

I understand what you are saying @sipalms.

I just can't (even in my region) make blanket statements regarding "your thermometers (I have 3 in my yard) are discardable and at best, a guide"  not saying that every unofficial thermometer (no Stevenson screen) is faulty or the opposite. In my humble opinion, results speak for themselves.

Here again, no discussion on my part. I've never been to the UK. 

 

 

 

[GottmitAlex]

My official trumps say it's 13C

My unofficial temps say it's  17C

I wouldn't know...

 

gute Nacht

Edited May 24, 2020 by GottmitAlex

[Silas_Sancona]

6 hours ago, sipalms said:

Yes. I 100% go by the official Metservice data. Like @sandgroper, I find my own thermometer interesting but have never used it to quote recorded temps on this forum or others.

I'm not aware of 5 degree differences in temps 8 miles apart (inland not coastal, that's another whole story).

Come on out to AZ, lol.. there can be LOTS of  differences in temps.. and rainfall, even 3 miles apart, especially lows during the winter..  No ocean nearby for hundreds of miles..

As far as saying a home wx station reading should be disregarded/ voided because they might all be installed incorrectly ( not sure how anyone would be able to discern that, unless they inspected each and every one installed ), Interpret how you choose, but i trust the readings i see closer to me, than 3 or 11 miles away where our weather service takes their " official " readings.. 

Same w/ rainfall.. Phoenix, at Sky Harbor, might get 0.05" while some place .. less than 2 miles away.. might get 2" during a storm. Should i trust the 0.50" reading Phoenix records as the "official-for- the- area" amount?, or the 2" that falls in my yard? ..or the 0.75" that fell a couple miles to my east? Here, the local ( and state, i think ) water agencies ..and a couple other non NOAA research agencies use data from rain gauges scattered across a much broader area to get much more accurate information regarding precip. data..

I honestly think the NOAA and local news stations should use more focused/ greatly detailed data when displaying the temps/ precip data on a daily basis.. Using data recorded at a wide open place like any of the airports, isn't what i experience in my own neighborhood, or out in the open desert.. Neighborhood temp. readings may be influenced by things like man made microclimates, etc but don't see that as a valid reason to write off those readings.. I think they matter more, since that is where people live, not on the Tarmack of an Airport.

Regardless, Are home stations perfect, nope.. Neither are the stations used by the weather service. That is where averaging things out, and axe-ing data from the " bad apples " comes handy when interpreting data.

[GottmitAlex]

^^^dieser Mann^^^ @Silas_Sancona

Edited May 24, 2020 by GottmitAlex

[sipalms]

Folks... Please!

We are talking about the southern UK here.

Not Arizona or California or NZ. These places have high mountains, deserts, canyons and (excluding AZ!) coasts, often within very small distances.

Having spent plenty of time in the southern UK myself over the last decade, and have close relatives in Bournemouth and Guildford (can't speak for the rest of y'all), it is one of the most benign places climate wise. That's my point.

Speaking respectfully I would like to challenge the fact that 5C variances from official recordings exist within 8 miles. There it goes for the record.

@Silas_Sancona  Rain is not even relevant, of course downpours happen in tiny locales.

I guess we need some kind of consensus on this forum. Do we respect official recordings, and take home recordings with a serious pinch of salt?

Or do we take home recordings as gospel truth?

The latter gives a great degree of scope for climate classifications. For example classing southern UK as a 9b subtropical / Mediterranean.

If we're okay with this, them from now on, next summer I'll jump on wunderground and throw some screenshots up, and before you can say Jack Robinson I'll be living in my own parallel universe of a hot subtropical/Mediterraneanclimate here in cold temperate Christchurch @42 degrees south. 

I work with a guy from the UK and he always laughs over the UK summer because the tabloid type newspapers love to make a huge deal of so called heatwaves. You only need to look at the Sun or the express during July and get a sense of how the UK goes crazy when temps break 30... That's my point. We have here on this thread claims of 32/3 during May in the UK, record breaking temps, yet there's no mention of it anywhere on Google. Bizarre at best.

[UK_Palms]

5 hours ago, sipalms said:

Folks... Please!

We are talking about the southern UK here.

Not Arizona or California or NZ. These places have high mountains, deserts, canyons and (excluding AZ!) coasts, often within very small distances.

Having spent plenty of time in the southern UK myself over the last decade, and have close relatives in Bournemouth and Guildford (can't speak for the rest of y'all), it is one of the most benign places climate wise. That's my point.

Speaking respectfully I would like to challenge the fact that 5C variances from official recordings exist within 8 miles. There it goes for the record.

@Silas_Sancona  Rain is not even relevant, of course downpours happen in tiny locales.

I guess we need some kind of consensus on this forum. Do we respect official recordings, and take home recordings with a serious pinch of salt?

Or do we take home recordings as gospel truth?

The latter gives a great degree of scope for climate classifications. For example classing southern UK as a 9b subtropical / Mediterranean.

If we're okay with this, them from now on, next summer I'll jump on wunderground and throw some screenshots up, and before you can say Jack Robinson I'll be living in my own parallel universe of a hot subtropical/Mediterraneanclimate here in cold temperate Christchurch @42 degrees south. 

I work with a guy from the UK and he always laughs over the UK summer because the tabloid type newspapers love to make a huge deal of so called heatwaves. You only need to look at the Sun or the express during July and get a sense of how the UK goes crazy when temps break 30... That's my point. We have here on this thread claims of 32/3 during May in the UK, record breaking temps, yet there's no mention of it anywhere on Google. Bizarre at best.

That is a bit of a sweeping generalisation pal. To say that all the temperatures are pretty much the same in my part of the UK, and that the climate and geography is "benign" here, is somewhat insulting and an unfair assessment. I live in an area with deep valleys and large hills, which clearly influence temperature and climate. Then there are also places closer to London that benefit more from the urban heat island effect. And places close to water sources (coast, lakes, rivers) which also help to shape a microclimate. The temperature and climate is not consistent across the board as you suggest. Farnborough is a prime example of that, when compared to Wisley. My two closest 'official' stations which are 12 miles apart and record large variations to each other in both temperature and rainfall. 

While Guildford averages around 19 inches of rainfall a year, just 10 miles south of me in the South Downs NP, they average 30 inches a year. So clearly different microclimates are at play, depending on elevation, distance from the coast, urbanisation etc. To say that is not the case, simply because I am in the UK, is ridiculous. If I said that about somebody else's country/province/climate, they would probably perceive that as an insult and quite an ignorant comment towards where they live. I mean I would never tell someone else on here, in another country, that their geography and climate is benign, or that they don't know what they are talking about in regards to their own temperature and climate. 

I actually have the Surrey Hills directly to the northeast of me and the South Downs NP directly to the southwest of me, as well as the North Downs NP to the northwest of me. My location falls under all 3 of them technically, where they meet. All are high elevation areas with large valleys. I am flanked by large hills to either side of me which I am in between in a valley. They might not be canyons or mountains, so to speak, but they certainly have a bearing on climate and microclimates. For you to downplay this is simply not a true reflection of my geography or the climatic variables. 

Now If someone on here says that they recorded 32C / 90F, I will take their word for it. I'm not one to try and pick holes in people's observations and data. That doesn't make their temperature recording official, but it also doesn't make it an inaccurate recording. If they record a certain temperature and there are no official stations within a 5-10 mile radius, who's to say their recording isn't correct? And who are you to question it when there are no other 'official' stations nearby? Again, that's not to say it should be taken as 'official' by any means. But recording some data is better than having no data for certain areas. 

Funny how there's large vineyards around my area? And large valley's...? These pictures are all within a 10 minute drive of me... the environment clearly isn't all "benign". There's plenty of potential for microclimates, even over short distances...

 

[UK_Palms]

Back to the subject of drought... no chance of any rainfall on the horizon by the looks of things. The highs next week are going to be between 24-28C (73-82F). Definitely a Mediterranean feel as the warm dry fronts from Spain and the Sahara continue to dominate. All the air is coming from the south and it is very dry. I will probably finish the month of May on 0.32 inches of rainfall. Wisley only appears to have recorded 0.27 inches. At least that is more than the 0.0 inches of rain that we recorded last May. Unfortunately the past 3 consecutive June's have averaged around 0.1 inches of rainfall too, so it doesn't look great as we head towards summer. The past two June's have had 0.0 and 0.2 inches of rainfall. 

I could imagine the situation in the Netherlands, Belgium and western France is similar. If not worse than it is in southern England. That whole section of northwestern Europe seems to be pretty hot and dry from April - September these days. It's almost like a dry-summer Atlantic/oceanic climate. Definitely not the same climate that it was 20 years ago. I don't know if there's any Dutch, Belgian or French members watching on here who can weigh in with their opinion on this...?

Here in the UK it's a national bank holiday tomorrow so I will get out and take some more pictures of the drought first hand. Lake and river levels are dropping dangerously low now. I'll go check to see if my old fishing lake has dried up in the woods. Hopefully not because I caught, and released, a number of small fish in that lake back in March. Hopefully the creek that feeds it hasn't stopped flowing.

 

[sipalms]

4 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

That is a bit of a sweeping generalisation pal. To say that all the temperatures are pretty much the same in my part of the UK, and that the climate and geography is "benign" here, is somewhat insulting and an unfair assessment.

Nah mate its a perfectly legit definition. In fact I would say it's a compliment. Matches your descriptions of the Mediterranean/subtropical vibes...

More examples here https://glosbe.com/en/en/a benign climate

Sorry if I caused offense.

Nice pics too.

BTW I don't mind if you want to critique the climate definition and stats here in New Zealand / Canterbury / Christchurch - you're more than welcome!

[Tyrone]

On 5/24/2020 at 5:53 AM, GottmitAlex said:

I won't get into an argument.

Personally I do believe in microclimates.

And yes, even up to 5C+ than what the official stations read out.

But hey! That's just me.

 

 

Yes I agree that microclimates can be different to official figures even up to a few degrees. At least in Australia most official sites are at airports, near a runway, with not a tree for miles, and probably will record howling winds that your own 1/5 acre property wouldn't because it's in suburbia with fences and buildings and trees. So your garden could even be different from your neighbours garden etc etc.

But I do get the point about cheap crappy home weather stations that are accurate to plus or minus 20C and frequently break and die. I have given up on them. My last weather station was great for a few months and then didn't end up lasting 2 years in the end. The thing was telling me it was 40C at midnight. No way in hell I live in Abu Dhabi. It was a $400 piece of faeces. When I asked if I could get it repaired or whether you could get replacement sensors I was told that I'd have to buy another one. No way am I falling for that one. So I spoke to the local BOM guy and he said to buy a $2000 good unit. If I was single and loaded, why not. But I'm married and not rolling in cash. If I bought it, I probably wouldn't be married any more. Or, As I told my wife I could spend $100000 and use the exact same equipment that the BOM use which the BOM guy suggested in a hope I'd get the $2000 one. In the end I just give up. It's cold here most of the time and that's all I know.

[UK_Palms]

I went for a walk today to observe the drought conditions in my area. It's almost like desertification is taking place before my eyes. The soil is turning to sand. The worst affected places are the farmers fields which have just become dust bowls here. Even just walking on the soil causes dust clouds to kick up. Country lanes and pathways in general are becoming dust bowls too. As is my garden. The front and back lawns look like utter crap, despite me heavily watering them midweek. 

I went deep into the woods to find my old fishing spot only to find that most of it had dried up. The creek/stream that feeds it has stopped flowing completely and it is just a stream bed now. The lake itself has shrunk to about 1/5 of it's normal volume. No signs of any fish left in it. Or any life in general for that matter. I predict it will dry up completely by this time next week. I will be able to compare update shots next week. 

I recorded a high of 25.1C (77F) today. The 'official' station at Wisley recorded 25.4C (77F) and Farnborough recorded 24.8C (76F). They're forecasting 27C / 80F tomorrow for London. Some rain would be nice, but not a chance. 1% chance of rainfall tomorrow at any time. 

[GottmitAlex]

@UK_Palms are you allowed to irrigate?

I ask because in some places in the States (and elsewhere) there are ordinances against it.  I take back what I said regarding your pictures, that doesn't look like California, that looks like the Arizona desert going into Mexico.

Hope you get rain soon.

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by GottmitAlex

[UK_Palms]

6 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

@UK_Palms are you allowed to irrigate?

I ask because in some places in the States (and elsewhere) there are ordinances against it.  I take back what I said regarding your pictures, that doesn't look like California, that looks like the Arizona desert going into Mexico.

Hope you get rain soon.

 

I am allowed to irrigate at my house as there is no hosepipe or sprinkler ban as of yet, probably due to all the winter rain that is still keeping the reservoirs sustained. But keeping everything watered in the garden is easier said than done when working 45 hours a week and having to stay on top of things. Especially when you factor in watering all my palms and the lawn too. 

I am already struggling to keep all the potted veg plants watered, along with my palms and exotics, so I am trying to plant as many tomatoes and peppers in the ground as possible. I am having to use water retaining compost with added vermiculite for the vegetables to stop them drying out.

Hopefully the CBD medicine for my grandad won't dry up either like everything else. He is a cancer patient and suffers from severe arthritis, so he is relying on CBD for his herbal teas and edibles. He can't access the medicine otherwise. But it will be growing in near desert-like conditions at present. You can see just how dry that ground is there. Not quite Arizona dry as you say, but very dry nonetheless.

[Tyrone]

Have you considered doing whicking beds for your plants. Look it up on google. When water is scarce they are a good idea. You fill the reservoir and the plant draws up what it needs when it needs it. Less time watering.

[UK_Palms]

23 minutes ago, Tyrone said:

Have you considered doing whicking beds for your plants. Look it up on google. When water is scarce they are a good idea. You fill the reservoir and the plant draws up what it needs when it needs it. Less time watering.

Not really mate. I do have a 'raised' bed or two in the garden, but not a proper whicking sized setup. It definitely looks like it will help with the watering, but I've pretty much planted everything now - tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, pumpkin etc. I'll definitely consider it next year though. I work long hours during the week and the DIY / garden stores have sold out of pretty much everything around here anyway. I just think it's more realistic to try one next year. I know I won't get a proper whicking bed set up anytime soon, not this late into the season and with the ongoing virus pandemic here. I couldn't even get myself a new watering can at 2 separate gardening stores over the weekend. Had to order it online. 

Do you use whicking beds much in WA?

[Tyrone]

3 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

Not really mate. I do have a 'raised' bed or two in the garden, but not a proper whicking sized setup. It definitely looks like it will help with the watering, but I've pretty much planted everything now - tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, pumpkin etc. I'll definitely consider it next year though. I work long hours during the week and the DIY / garden stores have sold out of pretty much everything around here anyway. I just think it's more realistic to try one next year. I know I won't get a proper whicking bed set up anytime soon, not this late into the season and with the ongoing virus pandemic here. I couldn't even get myself a new watering can at 2 separate gardening stores over the weekend. Had to order it online. 

Do you use whicking beds much in WA?

Yeah it went like that here for a while. Couldn't buy veggie seedlings or seed for a good while. 

I don't use whicking beds but many do. They're becoming more popular. You can grow a lot on very little water.

[sipalms]

@UK_Palms once things are back to normal(ish) you could try getting something like this: https://vegepod.com.au/ - they're excellent quality and design and are perfect for all sorts of edibles.

[UK_Palms]

Time for more updates. It has been 'El scorchio' again here today. I clocked 28C / 83F in the shade in my garden. Wisley reached 27C / 81F and Farnborough reached 26C / 79F. It's going to be pretty much the same all week. Humidity has been down as low as 15% today. It's so dry here that it is unbelievable. 

I was back at work today so was able to get some photos of the drought outside my work around Guildford. It's certainly not looking good given that we are only in May, which is spring still here. I hate to think what it will be like in a month or two's time, come mid summer, as the drought looks set to continue well into June.

I could be wrong, but dust/sand does appear to be replacing grassy areas. I already posted up pictures of me walking through the mini 'desert' just down the road from me yesterday. Things are certainly looking pretty arid right now. We're desperately in need of some rain but there's absolutely nothing on the horizon in the 14 day forecast. 

 

Edited May 26, 2020 by UK_Palms

[Tyrone]

On 5/27/2020 at 4:31 AM, UK_Palms said:

Time for more updates. It has been 'El scorchio' again here today. I clocked 28C / 83F in the shade in my garden. Wisley reached 27C / 81F and Farnborough reached 26C / 79F. It's going to be pretty much the same all week. Humidity has been down as low as 15% today. It's so dry here that it is unbelievable. 

I was back at work today so was able to get some photos of the drought outside my work around Guildford. It's certainly not looking good given that we are only in May, which is spring still here. I hate to think what it will be like in a month or two's time, come mid summer, as the drought looks set to continue well into June.

I could be wrong, but dust/sand does appear to be replacing grassy areas. I already posted up pictures of me walking through the mini 'desert' just down the road from me yesterday. Things are certainly looking pretty arid right now. We're desperately in need of some rain but there's absolutely nothing on the horizon in the 14 day forecast. 

 

Looks like Perth in December. Even the glare seems about the same. All the verges in Perth are dead in summer. Growing up in Perth they never used to be. Most green areas were irrigated but now nearly 2000000 people live there and rainfall has dropped off, and the only real infrastructure added since the 1940's were desalination plants, so almost nobody waters their lawns anymore. Water is now too expensive and too restricted. Most "gardens" in Perth are dry old dustbowls in summer.

[UK_Palms]

3 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Looks like Perth in December. Even the glare seems about the same. All the verges in Perth are dead in summer. Growing up in Perth they never used to be. Most green areas were irrigated but now nearly 2000000 people live there and rainfall has dropped off, and the only real infrastructure added since the 1940's were desalination plants, so almost nobody waters their lawns anymore. Water is now too expensive and too restricted. Most "gardens" in Perth are dry old dustbowls in summer.

If it was July/August here, you probably wouldn’t think twice. It’s the fact we are still in spring though, and everything is so dry, which is surprising. Although it follows the trend of spring/summer droughts in recent years. But it’s concerning as we still have the whole of summer ahead of us. 

I’ve spent quite a bit of time in WA, but never in summer. I know you guys are pretty hot and dry there for quite a few months each year. When I have visited Perth in the winter and spring, it was very wet, and very windy. You guys are obviously a lot hotter than me in summer and winter though, but you seem to get quite a bit more annual precipitation than here. I’ve been averaging about 18-19 inches in recent years and only had 16 inches in 2018. 

It’s been exceptionally dry here between March - August in recent years. Literally an inch of rainfall across 4-5 months. In 2018 I didn’t have a single drop of rainfall for 10 weeks, between May - August. The thing is it never used to be this dry. Something has changed here. 

[Tyrone]

11 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

If it was July/August here, you probably wouldn’t think twice. It’s the fact we are still in spring though, and everything is so dry, which is surprising. Although it follows the trend of spring/summer droughts in recent years. But it’s concerning as we still have the whole of summer ahead of us. 

I’ve spent quite a bit of time in WA, but never in summer. I know you guys are pretty hot and dry there for quite a few months each year. When I have visited Perth in the winter and spring, it was very wet, and very windy. You guys are obviously a lot hotter than me in summer and winter though, but you seem to get quite a bit more annual precipitation than here. I’ve been averaging about 18-19 inches in recent years and only had 16 inches in 2018. 

It’s been exceptionally dry here between March - August in recent years. Literally an inch of rainfall across 4-5 months. In 2018 I didn’t have a single drop of rainfall for 10 weeks, between May - August. The thing is it never used to be this dry. Something has changed here. 

Yes, that’s extraordinarily dry. 

In Perth you sometimes wouldn’t even see a cloud from November to January in a dry year. Average rain in Perth depending on location is between 650-800mm falling mainly from May to October. Some years you get summer thunderstorms which add to the total. Growing palms and tropical plants up there made you welcome a tropical style thunderstorm when they came.

[UK_Palms]

1 minute ago, Tyrone said:

Yes, that’s extraordinarily dry. 

In Perth you sometimes wouldn’t even see a cloud from November to January in a dry year. Average rain in Perth depending on location is between 650-800mm falling mainly from May to October. Some years you get summer thunderstorms which add to the total. Growing palms and tropical plants up there made you welcome a tropical style thunderstorm when they came.

The rainfall in Perth is much heavier as well in general, at least in my experience. I have family in Sorrento, close to Hillary's and have been out in Perth during June-July as well as September. I know that was winter and spring in Oz, but I was always quite surprised how heavy some of the rain showers were in Perth. Almost tropical like with flash flooding. It would pour down the streets a couple of times each week, even in September.

Whereas the rain I get here is much, much lighter and barely amounts for anything when it does fall. It's mostly just persistent 'drizzle' from October - March here, which usually doesn't amount to much at all, except for the odd couple of heavier bursts, or winter storms. But the rain is rarely heavy though, even on days when it is persistent during winter. So it can rain for 24 hours straight here in December (my wettest month by far) but still only drop 0.2 inches of rain. Whereas an entire day of rain in Perth often means 1-2 inches of rain, which quickly adds up during heavy winter rains.

I think that is why my annual precipitation is relatively low here. Perth and most other true Mediterranean climates get far more annual rainfall than I do due to their heavy winter rainfalls. Something I don't really experience here. My winters are certainly wet in nature, but the rain is almost always light drizzle or 'spitting'. I still far prefer Perth's climate over my own though. I wish I could grow half the stuff you guys can across WA though. You're way warmer than me on average.

[Shiveringtropicals]

The situation in the Netherlands is'nt too bad yet but it has been very dry and windy for a few weeks now.

Very little cloud cover everyday with almost clear blue skies. We've had our sunniest spring ever this year and we are on track for the dryest year ever.

The trees grass and weeds still look mostly ok, only some parts next to the sidewalks are dying. However the fields look like they are about to turn "that" shade of yellow because of how dry it is.

It looks like it will be a bad year with water shortages if conditions persist.

I took some pictures around my area to compare them later in the year to see just how bad it gets.

I must also add that i live in the lower reaches of the rhine river delta so the groundwater is very high and pumps are always keeping this place dry.

 

these two pictures where taken where the land has slightly higher elevation and they are unable to let the riverwater flow up here so the groundwater has lowered a lot more. usually the water gets up to where the grass grows.

 

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by Shiveringtropicals

[UK_Palms]

5 hours ago, Shiveringtropicals said:

The situation in the Netherlands is'nt too bad yet but it has been very dry and windy for a few weeks now.

Very little cloud cover everyday with almost clear blue skies. We've had our sunniest spring ever this year and we are on track for the dryest year ever.

The trees grass and weeds still look mostly ok, only some parts next to the sidewalks are dying. However the fields look like they are about to turn "that" shade of yellow because of how dry it is.

It looks like it will be a bad year with water shortages if conditions persist.

I took some pictures around my area to compare them later in the year to see just how bad it gets.

I must also add that i live in the lower reaches of the rhine river delta so the groundwater is very high and pumps are always keeping this place dry.

You're certainly much greener looking than me right now, although that could be due to nearby water sources. I can see you are suffering the affects of the drought, but it doesn't appear to be quite as severe across the channel. How much rain have you guys had since March 1st? I have had about 0.7 inches here over the past 3 months. 

And yes, it has been exceptionally sunny here too. We've just had our sunniest April on record with 280 hours of sunshine in some places. I think May is going to finish on about 350 hours of sunshine though, so well over 600 hours of sunshine for April and May alone. It's just been balls to the wall sunshine for weeks at a time. I don't think I have seen a single cloud for a couple of days now. And barely any clouds at all during the past 7-8 weeks. Not surprising given the current drought. As you say, it surely must be the sunniest spring on record...?

I too think it will be a bad year for water shortages. Just today my local council is ordering people to stop watering their lawns and they are preparing to impose a hosepipe ban in June. My closest reservoir has gone from 80% capacity in February right down to 30% capacity now. On that current trajectory it will be at 10% capacity in just 2 weeks, given that there is no rain in the forecast. Are they planning on bringing in hosepipe bans in the Netherlands. 

Even around water sources here it is still barren, sandy, parched land. The trees and woodlands are still holding out largely unaffected but the grass is done for. It looks dead everywhere. Quite unbelievable considering it is still only spring. First day of summer on Monday. God knows what that will bring. More drought and heat probably. 

[cbmnz]

9 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

You're certainly much greener looking than me right now, although that could be due to nearby water sources. I can see you are suffering the affects of the drought, but it doesn't appear to be quite as severe across the channel. How much rain have you guys had since March 1st? I have had about 0.7 inches here over the past 3 months. 

And yes, it has been exceptionally sunny here too. We've just had our sunniest April on record with 280 hours of sunshine in some places. I think May is going to finish on about 350 hours of sunshine though, so well over 600 hours of sunshine for April and May alone. It's just been balls to the wall sunshine for weeks at a time. I don't think I have seen a single cloud for a couple of days now. And barely any clouds at all during the past 7-8 weeks. Not surprising given the current drought. As you say, it surely must be the sunniest spring on record...?

I too think it will be a bad year for water shortages. Just today my local council is ordering people to stop watering their lawns and they are preparing to impose a hosepipe ban in June. My closest reservoir has gone from 80% capacity in February right down to 30% capacity now. On that current trajectory it will be at 10% capacity in just 2 weeks, given that there is no rain in the forecast. Are they planning on bringing in hosepipe bans in the Netherlands. 

Even around water sources here it is still barren, sandy, parched land. The trees and woodlands are still holding out largely unaffected but the grass is done for. It looks dead everywhere. Quite unbelievable considering it is still only spring. First day of summer on Monday. God knows what that will bring. More drought and heat probably. 

Yikes that is dry, for not even in official Summer yet. Have seen some dry summers, this Summer just gone being the most intense of all. But it was always still looking  green the last week in November, which would be the equivalent week. 

[greysrigging]

On 5/29/2020 at 9:00 AM, Tyrone said:

Yes, that’s extraordinarily dry. 

In Perth you sometimes wouldn’t even see a cloud from November to January in a dry year. Average rain in Perth depending on location is between 650-800mm falling mainly from May to October. Some years you get summer thunderstorms which add to the total. Growing palms and tropical plants up there made you welcome a tropical style thunderstorm when they came.

My son is in Perth atm staying at a company supplied hotel accommodation for his R+R from his Iron Ore mining job. The borders interstate are still closed so he has to quarrantine in Perth. He is complaining constantly about the cold and rain.... ( he is Darwin born and bred, so cold rain is not what he has experienced before....lol ). Perth is the typical Mediterranean climate.... cool wet winters. 
Those pics of drought stricken UK... looks like parched Riverina and Northern Victoria last summer.

[sandgroper]

2 hours ago, greysrigging said:

My son is in Perth atm staying at a company supplied hotel accommodation for his R+R from his Iron Ore mining job. The borders interstate are still closed so he has to quarrantine in Perth. He is complaining constantly about the cold and rain.... ( he is Darwin born and bred, so cold rain is not what he has experienced before....lol ). Perth is the typical Mediterranean climate.... cool wet winters. 
Those pics of drought stricken UK... looks like parched Riverina and Northern Victoria last summer.

Perth has been extremely cold and wet this week, colder than the depths of winter in a normal year but I'll take the rain any day.

[Shiveringtropicals]

16 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

How much rain have you guys had since March 1st? I have had about 0.7 inches here over the past 3 months.

I have recorded about 2.9 inches since march 1st. But 2 inches of that fell in the first 2 weeks of march.

it was recorded on my own raingauge but official measurements arent to far of that. ( I can't easily find charts for the whole month only day to day data).

I'm also in between official weather stations so picking one is difficult.

This is the month of may so far.

16 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

As you say, it surely must be the sunniest spring on record...?

I believe it is an official record for us this year. beating the previous record from 2011.

Also this year in the first 10 days of march the previous record for march from 1933 fell. (For hours of Sunshine.)

16 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

Are they planning on bringing in hosepipe bans in the Netherlands. 

Starting next monday there are bans in some regions on using surface water for agricultural purposes but those are in higher elevation regions where the grondwater can't easily be replenished with water from the rivers and the watertable has lowered.

Those bans will probably be expanded to the lower regions over the course of the year as it gets dryer.

They are telling people to cut down on their water usage but there are no restrictions for residential use.  

There are currently no restrictions or bans where i live.

 

Edited May 30, 2020 by Shiveringtropicals

[UK_Palms]

7 hours ago, cbmnz said:

Yikes that is dry, for not even in official Summer yet. Have seen some dry summers, this Summer just gone being the most intense of all. But it was always still looking  green the last week in November, which would be the equivalent week. 

I think it's a combination of the heat and drought to be honest. I have been trying not to post too much about the heat, given the controversy regarding official stations, but I have recorded lots of 27-28C days here over the past month and a few 30C+ days, including an unofficial 33C. I know it doesn't really correspond with the stations at Wisley and Farnborough, but it has to have actually been that warm and dry, in my opinion, for the land around here to be parched to this extent in spring. The pictures show that. I actually clocked 29C (84F) yesterday here, so I'm not really fussed what the 'official' stations are reporting 10+ miles away from me, in cooler pockets of the southeast. They don't have the same microclimates as I have in and around the Surrey Hills. 

But if you go 75 miles north, or west of me for that matter, it is a very different story. Everything is still green where they have had much more rainfall and far lower temperatures. The whole of the UK has been dry and sunny this spring with above average daytime temperatures and below average nighttime temperatures (due to the clear skies) but this extreme drought is only really affecting the inland areas of the southeast of England. Especially in the counties of Surrey, Kent and Sussex. There are places/microclimates there that only average 17-18 inches of rain annually and are also the hottest parts of the UK from May - October, by far. The Guildford area being one of them. So this area has faired pretty badly as a result of the spring/summer droughts in recent years. 

[UK_Palms]

4 hours ago, greysrigging said:

My son is in Perth atm staying at a company supplied hotel accommodation for his R+R from his Iron Ore mining job. The borders interstate are still closed so he has to quarrantine in Perth. He is complaining constantly about the cold and rain.... ( he is Darwin born and bred, so cold rain is not what he has experienced before....lol ). Perth is the typical Mediterranean climate.... cool wet winters. 
Those pics of drought stricken UK... looks like parched Riverina and Northern Victoria last summer.

We're still not as badly parched as it was here during the 2018 spring-summer drought. That's when I went 10 weeks without a single drop of rain between May - August. But the drought did not start as early as this year's one. It wasn't even considered a drought until June time, back in 2018. Whereas this year we have been under drought conditions since at least mid-late April.

Last year in 2019 it started even earlier, in mid March. Although last year was nowhere near as severe as the 2018 drought and this current one is already well on course to being worse than 2019's drought. It could even eclipse the 2018 one if it continues into July. It probably will because the past 3 consecutive June's have averaged just 0.0, 0.0 and 0.1 inches of rainfall respectively. Definitely not typical of a temperate/oceanic climate. Not at all. The past 3 consecutive springs have also averaged less than 1 inch of rainfall across all 3 months combined as well.

So it's very dry here from about March - August. Or April - September, depending how you look at the stats. Far drier than most Med climates by the looks of things. We're probably overdue a cool, wet, washout summer though. Unless the climate has completely flipped here in recent years, which it might have. 

2 hours ago, sandgroper said:

Perth has been extremely cold and wet this week, colder than the depths of winter in a normal year but I'll take the rain any day.

I would much rather have a day or two of heavy rain and 16C temperatures in winter, followed by a few days of decent sunshine and 20C temperatures, as you guys have in Perth during winter.

Whereas here we might get a week of overcast skies and drizzle with 10C highs in winter. Followed by a dry, sunny week with 8C highs and -3C lows. Then it's another week of persistent drizzle and 10C highs with 5C lows. With long periods of overcast, wet weather and no sunshine at all. Our winters are definitely dull and wet. Exceptionally mild though for 50-55N though. Parts of East London didn't drop below 1C (34F) last winter. 

[UK_Palms]

The map I have attached shows rainfall totals across Europe accumulated for spring 2020. As you can see the southeast of England is in a league of it's own and is by far the driest place in the whole of Europe this spring. Far drier than southern Spain, Greece, Italy or Turkey. Central Europe on the other hand has been exceptionally wet this spring. 

BBC are saying that only 4mm (0.15 inches) of rain has fallen across the southeast of England in May. Some places have had no measurable rainfall whatsoever, just like myself here. Although according to a nearby unofficial weather station, Guildford has seen 0.34 inches. But again, I have recorded 0.0 inches here for May, so it's hard to tell. I have had two days where rain actually fell, but it was very brief and nothing measurable. I would say the 0.15 inches that BBC are reporting is about right. 

Sources for this drought information and map... 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/52840873

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-29/sunniest-spring-on-record-raises-u-k-drought-risk  

The fires are starting up here now as well. My county hasn't been that badly affected, yet, unlike last spring, but neighbouring counties such as Hampshire and West Sussex are battling active fires right now. They're not quite in the 'dust bowl' region either, and less dry than here, so god forbid what it will be like when the fires start up around here. It just seems inevitable now. They seem to be getting worse each year. BBQ's in public are now banned though with £250 fines being imposed.

 

These pictures are from just ONE fire that has recently been brought under control. The source of the fire has been proven to of come from disposable BBQ's at a campsite. 

Watch this space because the southeast of the UK is on a 'red alert' fire watch with extreme risk of fire. 29C is forecast for Monday and Tuesday with possible dry lightening storms on Wednesday. That could prove very problematic... 

[UK_Palms]

There have been dramatic developments here in the past few hours since my last post. Thursley common, exactly 3 miles southwest of me, has caught alight this evening and is currently being burned to the ground. The fire has spread quickly and there are reports it has already destroyed 60 acres. The photos coming out of Thursley are truly devastating, as a local myself who has visited this piece of land on many occasions to walk my dog, I am absolutely devastated. It has a fantastic bird habitat and famous ancient woodlands where many movies have been filmed, including James Bond and Wonder Woman. If what I am hearing is correct, these areas have been completely incinerated. Including the bird habitat. 

Just a few hours ago in my previous post, I said that Surrey hasn't really been affected by the wildfires yet. Then within the space of 2 hours it has suddenly arrived on my doorstep. Thursley is about 5 minutes from my house by car. Most haunting of all is that there has been a thick smell of smoke in the air here since about 6pm. I have only seen a few bellows of smoke on the horizon, but I can certainly smell it. It's like a thick wood smoke smell. Helicopters have been going back and forth dropping water this evening. There are also two other new fires in Surrey tonight at Reigate Heath and Horsell common. Fire season is well and truly a thing around here now.

Unfortunately a snake didn't make it...

Helicopters going back and forth overhead...

This is literally 5 minutes down the road from me. 

There are already signs around Thursley indicating 'high' fire risk. No doubt someone out there still lit a BBQ, or flicked a lit cigarette. The signs will almost certainly be upgraded to 'extreme' risk now, across Surrey. I am surrounded by woodland and moors. It almost feels like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off now...

I am also extremely grateful to all those firefighters helping to battle the fires to save our communities, heath lands and forests. Fire crews from the neighbouring counties of Hampshire and West Sussex have both come to help the Surrey firefighters. It has been going for about 8 hours now but it is supposedly 'under control' now. I am also hearing that about 100 people have been evacuated from their houses by police. Hopefully those people and their houses are okay. 

UPDATE - the fire is NOT under control and another 400 people are being evacuated due to it spreading. Videos taken around midnight tonight show the fire still raging out of control. Not sure what to expect come morning. It has been burning for 8+ hours now. There's more helicopters going over now than there was 2-3 hours ago. I just can't believe how strong the smell of smoke is here even and I am about 3-4 miles away. 

@sipalms If you do have family in Farnham or Guildford or wherever, they will know about this. Hopefully this doesn't spread in the direction of Guildford. Either way a lot of damage is already done to Thursley. 

Edited May 30, 2020 by UK_Palms

[Tyrone]

Drought, heat, fires and snakes. This sounds like a summer in West Australia not Surrey UK. Stay safe. 

[UK_Palms]

4 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Drought, heat, fires and snakes. This sounds like a summer in West Australia not Surrey UK. Stay safe. 

It's not even 'summer' here yet though. Not until tomorrow. 

I'm currently okay here but the nature reserve at Thursley Common has been devastated. The fire is still burning and spreading East to Ockley Common. Crews are desperately trying to create fire breaks to stop it, but so far not successful. This is the 3rd consecutive year where fires have been within 5 miles of my house.

As far as I am concerned, there is now an active 'fire season' that runs from April - September here now. 

This is the scene from 11am on Sunday morning at nearby Ockley Common where the fire has now spread to... 

[GottmitAlex]

Prayers go out.

Stay safe

[UK_Palms]

The situation here is becoming critical now. The drought conditions have intensified dramatically over the past few days. The 25-26C temperatures haven't helped the severe lack of rainfall.

As this is currently, by far, the worst drought across Europe, I will continue to document it on here...

People's lawns around here look dreadful....

Around town it isn't much better...

Burger King in Baghdad? No, it's Guildford's Burger King in late May...

The birds have stopped flying here and are looking ill. I don't know whether it is drought related?

Going to check my old fishing lake and creek...

The fishing lake and creek in the woods are now completely gone... it was about 2-3 feet deep in March...

Even in the woods there is sand everywhere...

The ground isn't supposed to look like this here...

And that's before I even reach the 'desert' area...

Feral goats don't help the problem...

9PM at sunset...

Air temp - 21.1C / 72F

The fire at Thursley Common, just 3 miles southeast of me, is still raging away this evening. I am now hearing that 160 acres have been burnt and 200 fire personnel are in attendance, 30 hours after it even started. The pictures are painful to look at, knowing that I used to walk my dog there. 

[sipalms]

Looks like you might be in for a reprieve this week with rain forecast along with some near-wintry temps? 

Those mid single digit lows and teen max temps will be a shock to the system after such searing heat.

Hopefully some moisture will dampen the hot spots and keep the dust under control as well.

 

[UK_Palms]

1 hour ago, sipalms said:

Looks like you might be in for a reprieve this week with rain forecast along with some near-wintry temps? 

Those mid single digit lows and teen max temps will be a shock to the system after such searing heat.

Hopefully some moisture will dampen the hot spots and keep the dust under control as well.

It's definitely forecast to cool down quite a bit here by midweek, but lets see how much rain actually falls though. The issue is that even on a rainy day here, there's rarely more than 0.2 inches or so. It's just really light drizzle that might persist all day, but doesn't actually amount to much. So whatever falls probably won't be anywhere near enough to compensate for this drought.

The past 3 months have only produced 0.7 inches of rainfall with nothing at all in May. Whereas June is statistically my driest month here. So I'm not getting my hopes up for much rain this month. It might just be a brief shower, but as you say, at least it will provide some moisture and dampen the hot spots.

As I said, we'll see what actually falls though, compared to what is forecast. Who knows, maybe we will get a drenching? Either way, we desperately need the rain here...

 

Unofficial temperature reading of 29C / 85F here this evening... whether that's a few degrees 'off', or not...

 

Thursley Common this afternoon... and this is just the 'nature reserve' section...

 

Again, this is just the 'nature reserve' section of Thursley common. There's even more of it that is badly burnt. The rain can't come soon enough here after the sunniest ever, and second driest, spring on record. If it's an abnormally dry/hot summer as well to go with it, we are f*cked here. Given the stage we are already at with the drought and the fires.

 

Edited June 2, 2020 by UK_Palms

[cbmnz]

Hate to say it, but no guarantee rain will come in your Summer, might do, might not. By Feb here was wondering "what on earth will happen to the landscape if it does not rain for another month?"  and then it didn't. Quite a few established native trees and shrubs died (but 90% survived). The NZ evergreens like Pittosporum give no warning, they look ok until the day they run completely out of water, then within days the leaves go brown and they don't come back. I lost a small R. Sapida the summer before, thinking that was dry until this summer made it look rookie, did water it, but not enough. The natives in the UK being mostly deciduous, they may handle extreme moisture stress better, drop leaves and go dormant, not sure..

Edited June 2, 2020 by cbmnz