We were baking here in the north west as well this morning - almost 30C. Then a huge thunderstorm burst at 3 pm. Half an inch of rain in half an hour. Some of the roads are flooded! Am I glad I started early!
I'll put the graph from the weather station on my blog in a mo - for any weather nerds out there...
We just had half an hour of continuous thunder in the west. It wasn't far off but not adrop here. I hope the allotments aren't flooded; that's the direction the stream comes from.
Braai-ing under a golf unbrella at the moment as OH was determind to have one as it's fathers day!
Having first lot of new potatoes with lots of salady things from lottie. mmmm
8) 31.8ºC max in our little garden today, even my little dog refused a walk in it and I don't blame him, I could hear thunder rumbling like and upset stomach but no rain as I was watering my Lottie at around 5pm.
Trillium, do so like your weather station, I'll keep nipping back and forth till I get the hang of it ;) ;D
Trillium
I am impressed with your weather station.Â
What did take my eye though is 'Newton le Willows'
is that in Suffolk, nr Stowmarket. If it is, I used to live in Badwell Ash, many years ago.
;D ;D ;D
in notts we had thunder and lightning for 2 hours before the rain come. thank god for rain at night!!!
Hi Carol,
It's the other Newton-le-Willows, in Lancashire just north of Warrington.
I can't take much credit for the weather station - my other half bought it for me for Christmas. But it is fun, and compelling. I can keep an eye on the weather from work if I want - great if I've forgotten to open the polytunnel or left washing out!
In Essex/London it's muggy as hell!
And I think my min/max thermometer broke at the weekend - the max is now up to the max of the thermometer - 50C/120F!!! :o :o :o It is in full sun, though.
Everything in the garden is parched, despite all the gallons of water yesterday. I'm still waiting for the rain. It started this morning, but soon gave up, despite the thunder cracking away.
make it rain, please!
Poor folk in Yorkshire -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/4109692.stm
Have suffered in the North East too though not as bad as in Yorkshire. We sat in the garden all afternoon yesterday, OH, me and the children enjoying each others company on Father's Day. It was very hot and stuffy and then late in the afternoon the thunder started and then the most torrential rain I have ever seen.
After the children had gone my OH and I sat in our summer house in the garden and watched about 40 frogs cavorting on our lawn, it was tremendous sight - our own Spring Watch event. They seemed to relish the downpour.
After the storm was over I popped up to our allotment to see if it was okay, and it was amazing journey, the water was streaming down the streets like a river and I was told that Whitley Bay sea front area had been closed off and several streets around abouts because of flooding from the storm drains. The underpass on the way to my allotments was flooded with over 3 feet of water. I couldn't get along my path on Site as it was flooded and when I spied my poor plot it was completely submerged - it looked like a rice field.
Was expecting the worst this morning when I popped over but it had completely drained and just left a muddy trail behind and no lasting damage as far as we can tell yet. Hopefully it will all be okay, but what a storm! busy_lizzie
We were just on our way back from Gardeners World Live at NEC when the sky turned very dark with an orange tinge. Quick decision was necessary - home and bring in the washing - or - allotment to harvest a lettuce and some strawberries?
Chose home to bring in the washing first, then down to the allotment. We just got on our plot, pulled back the mesh from the strawberries when there was a flash, immediate clap of thunder overhead and somebody turned a big tap on. We dived into our little hut (when I eventually managed to get the padlock undone!) and stood in there for half an hour watching the rain pour down.
That's two Sundays running that we have been driven away from the allotment by rain. If we could rely upon it happening every week we wouldn't have to bother too much with watering.
Hopefully the ground should be in good shape for planting the blueberry bushes we bought yesterday.
I'd forgotten about the frogs - yes ours were hopping around the lawn as well. They seemed to be migrating from the pond to the borders - not sure what that was all about!
Beautiful day today, clear, sunny, warm but not sultry. Shame I'm stuck in the office!
Trillium
It has been a hot one here again today. This is our temperature at this moment.
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LIzzie - we had water coming in under the door and flooded road, got some great photos sent to me of people going down chillingham road on inflatable chairs!!
That must have been a sight to see Legless. Saw on the local news also tonight the old couple rescued from their car in Walkergate. It floated down under the bridge and just disappeared just a few minutes after they were rescued. Thankfully though all these areas seem to have recovered really quickly. Hope you had no real damage. ??? busy_lizzie
the house was fine, we'd taken up the carpets as we are decorating and discovered the advantage of swimming cats - they soaked most of it up ;D
the allotment is fine but has obviously been slightly flooded as all my shallots are filled in and the beds are dead flat!!
Sorry to hear about those people suffering from the weather - be it one extreme or the other!
Little or no rain around here since last Wednesday, when we arrived back from holiday - but it must have rained a bit while we were away, as the allotment didn't look very parched. Different story now though, and the water levels have dropped on our site, so our hand pumps don't work too well. Yesterday I invested in a water butt and guttering to collect rainwater from my shed roof - obviously this would have been more useful had I bought it a month or two ago!! All I need now is a bit of rain to start filling it up (but not until I've had chance to fix the guttering to the shed this evening!).
:) Essex Suffolk border here, dry as a bone. Cracks so big on my clay soil you could fall down them.
Spuds are the size of brussels sprouts, peas will probably be invisible. Have been watering but it evaporates as quick as I can get it on the land. Plus I got sunburn t'other day when doing the hoeing.
Mid Essex here, and same thing. Cracks so deep I could loose the kids in them ::). Plants in the garden are wilting like my astilbes, and the water level in the pond has dropped! Waterbutt is empty, going to have to get the hose out tonight! :-\
EJ, can I send my girls up to you? ;D
We are dry as a bone too in East Sussex, cracks in the lawn, wilting flowers, emptying the paddling pool from the weekend on the plants tonight! Just waiting for the hosepipe ban!
Send them up DP, altho my two have spent all afternoon in the paddling pool, with the sprinkler on, so the garden has had such a good watering! It will probably rain tomorrow now!!
Not a drop in kent. Haven't been to the lotty since Sat am and wimped out coz it was too humid. Wont get there till this Sat and scared of what I might find frazzled.
It's been hot and humid here in Birmingham as well, but the allotment's OK in the evening, which is the only time I manage to get there at the moment. I'm just marking, marking, marking for the next couple of weeks. Talk about soul destroying! I had a paper yesterday which claimed that 'Jews often marry their families, so they wear dark glasses to hide the inbreeding weakness'!!! Meanwhile the weeds are taking full advantage and going mad. The first year I did the marking, they were waist high and it took me the entire summer holidays to get them sorted out. This year it's not that bad, but it's bad enough.
Thunderstorms came into Dorset last night (around 8 ish), though didnt get any rain in Dorchester until 6am this morning - and its hardly stopped since. Just had a tremendous cloudburst about half an hour ago too.
Rain's made it as far as where I work near Watford. Huzzah! The wonderful sound of water I don't have to carry about in buckets!
moonbells
It is sooooooooooooooo hot and humid here in Essex so far today, am reaching the point of 'can't be doing anything else now!'
However, the skies on the horizon to the North and darkening and things are looking cloudy. Â I am hoping for plenty of rain, just not toooo hard please!
We've got the storm here - thunder lightening and LOADS of wet stuff! Can practically hear the plants slurping.......
COME ON RAIN! The sky is darkening by the minute! I don't wanna have to go out and water all the new pots of seeds number one son planted yesterday!!!
RAIN! ;D ;D ;D ;D
Had rain on and off for a couple of hours now, in East Yorkshire. Not too heavy but most welcome - maybe we can start digging and planting down on our new lottie tonight!
PS: BBC lunchtime news weather forecast had changed a lot since this morning's forecast - more rain spreading over more of the country so hopefully it will make its way down south!
Nothing in East Sussex yet.................................... :'( :'( :'(
Nothing here yet, but the skies are going grey quickly. Please PLEASE hold off until I can get home, nip down the plot and attach at lease one length of guttering 'twixt my shed roof and new water butt.... It would be such a shame not to be able to collect some of that lovely water...
grey skies but no pudding here in central london.
at least i wont get wet on the way home....
Tons of the stuff in Brum :P
Send it our way pleeeeaaaaase!
Well, I ask you , was it worth all the rumblings and grumblings! It rained on and off for about 30 minutes, but within 2 minutes of it stopping, the ground was dry! hothothot again, altho the skies are still thick and dark.
i spoke too soon. now thunder and lightening, and rain, in london. just in time for my cycling home :(
i dont mind the ground getting wet but i think i have stopped growing and dont need to be rained on!
We had torrential rain at 3pm today for 15 mins or so which dried up immediately. We then had some decent stuff for about an hour and poor Merly puss came in soaked and not looking his posh self at all. That'll teach him to go frogging ;D
::) I'll bet my plot is over run with slugs 'n' snails after that down pour >:( and I've not been able to get up there to smash em. >:(
I got up to distant rumbles this morning, then the floodgates of heaven were opened while great Jove hurled some thunderbolts. The plot was nice and damptonight, and the water never got as far as flood level. Just as well too, it's devastating when it happens.
Hi DP - whereabouts in East Sussex are you? Â Before I emigrated to the north west (nearly 20 years ago - I get my citizenship papers soon!) I was just inland from Eastbourne - the family are still there. Â Your description of baked clay brought up instant memories of blithely offering to help my mum dig out a border, only to watch the spade bounce off the baked clay! Â
Glad to see most of you are getting some rain - we've had some more today - much needed on this sandy soil. Â And still warm out - I do love summer rain. Â
Trilliun
YEEHAW! It rained steadily most of the evening! Everywhere looks so perky, so do the weeds! >:( Popping to the plot tomorrow to see what is what. Bet my spuds we pleased with the watering! Great timing mother nature!
Great news EJ. It must be a big relief to finally get some rain for your lottie after your long drought. Your veggies will be sucking it up. ;D busy_lizzie
Hooray - at last.
Started drizzling Friday evening, after a very hot, very humid day. I ran outside and sat watching the plants rejoice for a while. Then rushed inside to fetch my camera and snapped away until it got too torrential and I worried about killing my camera. I popped inside the shed and watched it through the open door until Mr Aqui got home from work. Really lovely time - I love rain after it's been hot in the summer. And really lovely to spend so much time communing with the plants, rather than just bustling about working at growing them. Tonight, though, I'm going to have to water the veg beds again - already?
West Essex is due heavy rain from Wednesday PM onwards (huh! prolly last about ten minutes) so I'm trying to get things sorted ready for then! I'll listen out for my garden cheering and heaving great sighs of relief!
Quick bit of moderating: Just watched the weather for the next five days and apparently we are to have rain tomorrow afternoon (tues)/evening going into Wednesday morning and then back to sunshine. Sounds good to me!
Friday morning was up at six with the thunder storms and did it rain ,we had thunder and rain very heavy rain to about 3 in the afternoon , done the garden good even over flowed my pond ,Saturday was overcast and sunday was very hot so is today but we are meant to be having more thunder storms moving in tonight is so muggy here in Bristol
Hope it doesn't come to early YP. Daughter number one has sports day tomorrow afternoon. Mind you, even though my waterbutts are full again after the Friday rain, my pots are all dry and the lawn is still looking a little yellow around the edges!
Rain, what rain? Big thunder claps and less than half an hour of rain was all we got after the recent drought. And to cap it all I'd left the tap on open when I'd drained the last dregs out of the leaking butt so all the water that went in immediately ran out again. Hosepipe ban here we come. :(
They're forecasting rain again tonight.The allotment's starting to look a bit dry again already, so it'll be welcome.
Well, the lightning is flashing at 2 or 3 minute intervals, the thunder is right behind it (almost overhead) and the rain is coming down in blobs the size of ping pong balls.
Good old Wimbledon - never lets us down.
Where are you Kepouros? Nought here in East Sussex :-(
There must be some kind of gardener's version of Murphy's Law. Every time I make a real effort to water the garden we get heavy rain within 12 hours. Lightning, thunder and enough rain to make the conservatory a very noisy place to be - yippee!
By the way, Doris Pinks - where in E. Sussex are you? See my earlier posting at the top of page 3.
Happy gardening to one and all
Trillium
I just got to the allotment tonight when it came down in sheets, lightning flashed around, and I had visions of being flooded out. Then the rain stopped after five minutes; just as well too or half the site would have been underwater. There's been some thunder since Igot home, so I'm not sure it's over yet.
Thunder crashing, lightening flashing like mad, but did we get any rain NOT one measley spot,grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!up early in the morning to water the garden,i left the runners today thinking we were going to have some rain. Hosepipe ban must be just around the corner. :(
Mum, did you really not get any? We got a very heavy downpour but it only lasted about ten minutes, grrrrr >:(
I'm too scared to check my plants, I think the flower heads will be all over the lawn! :-\
Blimey, that is odd, with you being just four miles away!  ::)
Anyway, you can't have any of mine :P
Funny you should post that YP, I was just about to say the same, a 5 minute sudden and loud downpour, then nothing! Not even the excitement of thunder and lightening!
Speaking as an ex-southerner (frm the beautiful chalk downs of East Sussex), I suddenly feel like a smug northerner. (Like ex-smokers become unbearably smug non-smokers?)
2 hours of warm, steady rain and still going - check the weather station link and scroll down for th rain graph (it clears to zero at midnight). Very happy pumpkins and beans. With warm condolences to my south-eastern parched lottie sufferers (including my mum), but that's the way the north-western, atlantic-facing cookie crumbles.
Love and slightly puddled kisses
Trillium
:)
I still only got about half the garden cleared... had to lay down for last 24
hours........severe sunstroke ::) weedkiller is lookin really good at this stage
broken backed n burnt to a cinder..... seems like am IN a nightmare either it
pours with rain or burns ya butt........ Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp !! :o :o
The water container outside my alpine house was empty before the rain last night. It is now empty again. I got 2 watering cans out of it!. Thats how much rain we got!
The poor wild life pond is virtually empty now, from a metre deep to 2 inches over the last month or so! At least it is dull and drizzling now, so what little rain we had is not evaporating before it has chance to sink into the soil, which is what happened to the last lot.
If this carries on we are going to be hungry come Winter!
My son was at an auction yesterday. He had bought two cars and was helping the guy to load them on his transporter to bring them home. Anyhow the skies opened thunder and lightning. John was running between two buildings and there was a flash of lightning. John had just stepped on a metal plate laying on the ground and he suddenly felt as if a spear had entered his leg. He was in real pain. He has just popped in to see me and he is limping very badly. I think he had a very lucky escape!!! Thank goodness it wasn't worse. He seems to think that the muscles are badly bruised (no burn marks on his jeans or leg.) Has promised to go to the Doctor if no better tomorrow. We got the storm late last night and heard very heavy rain during the night. Lorna
Goodness Lorna, what a very lucky chap indeed! Glad he's ok though (apart from the sore limp) xx
Sorry about last night's rainfall in South Yorkshire.
It's all our fault.
After weeding and watering at the allotment we got home to our sad, neglected garden (too many hours spent on agriculture and none on horticulture) and thought "these clouds will just blow over, like they usually do".
Connected the hose and gave everything a much needed water.
15 minutes later: sitting indoors, having tea, watching the lightning and the rain falling. Poor pot plants must think that we're trying to drown them.
Caught from the bedroom window. We've had lots more rain tonight :D
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Wow - I've never caught lightning on camera - well done!
Great photo! Did you do a long exposure?
My fault it rained last night...
After riding, I was walking back to the bus stop when it absolutely bucketed down. I got completely soaked in two minutes. (but rather then than when I was riding!) The roads were so flooded and the cars were making amazing waves as they went through them. But just a couple of miles away, my garden was completely dry when I got home. So I waited, and waited, and waited. But all we had at home was a couple of spits of rain. At 8.30 I watered the garden. Finished at 8.45 (I only do the essential bits!) and at 8.50 it chucked it down! Rained all night and this morning. so I won't have to water tonight (unless it's blisteringly hot and sunny all day!)
Errr can we have some rain PLEASE! ;D
DP - careful... I kept saying that and then boy did it rain! Wish too hard and you'll get flooded! I'll post you some of mine!
I've been in and out of the garden like I'm on a piece of elastic today!
Each time I get settled into digging and planting - whooosh! down it comes >:(
I come in, start something else, the sky gets brighter.
I drag all my stuff back out again, get settled and so on and so forth.
I've given up now. I'm going shopping in protest ;)
YP - I just carry on gardening in all but the heaviest downpours. Then I nip into the shed. Summer rain is lovely!
Aqui, please send some, we should be OK cos we live on a hill! ;D
lovely lovely lovely lovely! My waterbutts are full to brimming! However, decided to walk to get number one daughter and her chum from school yesterday, and as number one son and I waited for the bell toring, so the thunder and lightening started. As the 4 of us walked home the rain was so hard is actually hurt! We were absolutely soaking wet right through to our pants! The kids thought it was great, a real adventure, especially when a car drove past too fast and sprayed us with water!!! >:( We laughed and whooped in the storm the whole way home!
Today it has rained a few times - good stuff as I sowed more carrots and radishes this morning! Plus I watered, even after the rain the allotment is quite dry, so hopefully the waterbutt will be on it's way to full again! ;D
Absolutely chucked it down in Oxford yesterday - not fun to drive in :-\ Lots of flooding and roads closed >:(
Luckily I was on my way back to the office from a training course. Phoned them to see what it was like at the office, and they were about to evacuate the building - poor me, I had to go home an hour early :P :D
I hope the allotment soaked it up!
Had lots of lovely steady rain yesterday so when we went to dig over the new lottie today, the soil was actually quite soft instead of being rock hard! Got first bed finished ;D Was forecast rain again today (am in East Yorkshire) but none so far although it has just clouded over. Was forecast more rain at the weekend (hoping to get runners in tomorrow ready) but the bbc website forecast has changed to full sun ??? - really need some more rain, please (sorry to sound greedy for those of you who've not had any!).
Spoke too soon - just had a shower. Hopefully more to come.
It's oh so dry here. :( Rain forecast today turned out to be a few spots only and then the sun came out again. If anyone's had enough rain, please can they send it our way?
Nope, still not had enough!
It's left us, so maybe it's on the way. Lots of distant thunder yesterday, and I could just about make out the occasional flash, but only normal type rain. We had a fair bit of that overnight. today, only the odd shower.