Posted by michael on August 23, 2011, 5:33 am
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
Posted by Martin Brown on August 23, 2011, 6:37 am
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
Posted by Martin on August 23, 2011, 5:12 pm
On Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:37:23 +0100, Martin Brown
>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!
|Today in Zuid Holland, we had hours of thunderstorms with torrential rain until
lunchtime. Then the northerly wind stopped. It became almost tropical, hot with
high humidity. After a few of hours the wind came back this time from a
southerly direction. With the wind came the thunderclouds and more torrential
rain.
--
Martin
Posted by hugh on August 23, 2011, 10:20 am
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
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
Posted by Pam Moore on August 24, 2011, 9:52 am
On Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:33:51 -0700 (PDT), michael
>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
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> 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.