The Great Meteorological Thread

[Ricardodaforce]

Whoops, afternoon from what is a sunny Folkestone. Quite mild but in a fresh way at 11.2 C.

Only 13 C here

 

[Cobra]

Just about struggled to 12oC by the afternoon
but backed up with something approaching 45mph winds!

 

[Ian D J]

Just about struggled to 12oC by the afternoon
but backed up with something approaching 45mph winds!

Hi Chris! It had turned out quite sunny for most of the day here at Folkestone, but now there's more in the way of cloud cover and the wind is picking up a bit as I type this. Doesn't matter anyway as it's dark out there and I'm in the comfort of my hobby room.

 

[Cobra]

Hi Ian

I'm actually "broadcasting" this from the Leeds area,
not far J45 M1.
And its quite a high point too.
It did cloud up earlier, with a few spots of rain, just as the
sun was going down.
But like you, I am safe and sound tucked up in a nice warm hotel room now

 

[Ian D J]

Mornin' all from a rather overcast but still dry Folkestone. The rest of the UK does look set to be rather damp and gloomy as far as today's weather is concerned. At least the sun did come out for Remembrance day yesterday (as well forecasted by me).

However, upon awakeing at 6.15 am this morning, I could tell that we were in for a decent coloured sunrise (clear skies for miles back to the east but a bank of cloud building in from the west at the same time) so I quickly fished the clothes back out of the lanudry basket, grabbed the Lumix TZ45 and walked down to the harbour (only a stone's throw from my house).

Here's what I got out of it. Well worth the frosty fingers as my gut instincts turned out to be correct.

Granted, the one above has been lightly HRDed up. However, the one below, taken a few miutes later, is old skool stuff (straight out of the camera with no editing or processing carried out on it - apart from the "trademark" border.

 

[andya700]

Nice shots Ian, love the second one. We had a similar sky to the first shot up here in the Medway towns, but I had the battery on charge (must invest in a backup when I have some pennies). Lets see what tomorrow brings, and I may take a trip along to the Medway bridge.

 

[viv1969]

Now THAT is how HDR should be handled.

 

[Ian D J]

Nice shots Ian, love the second one. We had a similar sky to the first shot up here in the Medway towns, but I had the battery on charge (must invest in a backup when I have some pennies). Lets see what tomorrow brings, and I may take a trip along to the Medway bridge.

:-D Just lucky that my TZ45 was well juiced up before I set off, even though I haven't used it in a while.

Now THAT is how HDR should be handled.

Very high praise indeed! Especially since I am aware that HDR is very much a "marmite" subect. I have been getting into it for a couple of years now where I'm slowly starting to get to grips on how and when HDR does work or not.

For example, it came in very useful for this shot taken yesterday.

I was faced with a difficult lighting set up where if I set the camera so that the painting can be seen in the shadow but then the blue sky in the background will come out completely white and blown. Or shall I make the sky blue but then the mural itself would be hidden in the shade?
That's where I thought HDR would come in handy for this type of situation where I took using three backeted shots and then blended it all together = a more "useful" photo where the light appears the same across the board.

Or I could have waited until the sun swings around to face the side of the building.

 

[viv1969]

Ian exactly. When you've processed the images, they still look like photographs. You're bringing out the details without turning the images into illustrations. That, I think, is the trick.

 

[Ian D J]

Ian exactly. When you've processed the images, they still look like photographs. You're bringing out the details without turning the images into illustrations. That, I think, is the trick.

I'm getting there. The only drawback with using Photomatix to generate the HDR is that it tend to make the blues and reds very grainy, even if the camera was set at the lowest possible ISO. I've had to select and then "iron" out the noisy blue sky by using a very high blur filter using my cheapo Paint Shop Pro 9.

 

[Cobra]

Nice set Ian

Well now, Cumbria is my location for today,
A few miles above Kendal.
and guess what?
Yep its raining
It was raining when I was here in Jan.
So I don't see why Nov. should be any different,
or indeed Wonder if it has actually stopped in the interim months.
According to some of the locals, it would seem not

 

[Ian D J]

Nice set Ian

Well now, Cumbria is my location for today,
A few miles above Kendal.
and guess what?
Yep its raining
It was raining when I was here in Jan.
So I don't see why Nov. should be any different,
or indeed Wonder if it has actually stopped in the interim months.
According to some of the locals, it would seem not

Hi Chris! Indeed, we don't really expect anything else at this time of the year.
However, I think my neck of the woods may get to become quite mild for this time of year in the next few days if it does stay bright for long enough as winds wafts in from the south. If it is August right now, I'd be expecting temperatures to climb into the low 30's.

Thank heavens it is November after all.

 

[viv1969]

Cumbria in the Autumn sounds nice Cobra....'cept, you know, the rain etc. lol
If it makes you feel any better, here we have rain, wind, hill fog...it's cold and my commute home in the dark was a pig!

 

[Ian D J]

Cumbria in the Autumn sounds nice Cobra....'cept, you know, the rain etc. lol
If it makes you feel any better, here we have rain, wind, hill fog...it's cold and my commute home in the dark was a pig!

It's now quite filthy even here at the normally semi-desert of the far South East as I type, dull, dark, damp and murky. I got into my pyjamas at 3 pm and stayed in my hobby room since then - but don't feel guilty at all for it.

 

[Cobra]

If it is August right now, I'd be expecting temperatures to climb into the low 30's.

Thank heavens it is November after all.

Bloody hell! well send some of it this way, Ian
I'm appearing here all week, and if I can I would like to aviod trench foot

Cumbria in the Autumn sounds nice Cobra....'cept, you know, the rain etc. lol
If it makes you feel any better, here we have rain, wind, hill fog...it's cold and my commute home in the dark was a pig!

You commuted home with a pig?
it must have been dark lol

(there is only sheep up here )

 

[michael23]

Pretty damp and dull here today, and still pretty much the same tonight, looking very murky. Hopefully some sunshine will appear tomorrow. Lovely pics by the way Ian.

 

[Kevin O'Brian]

Volcanic looking sunrise Ian well worth an outing with camera, pouring down here Snowdonia and not much light around to chase today.

 

[Ian D J]

Mornin' Michael, Kevin and anyone else reading this bit from a rather dull Folkestone. Although it's not foggy here at my coastal location, the sky is very nebulous looking.
And there's not really a lot to get too excited over in the next few days as the mild, settled, slack and cloudy theme continues.

 

[viv1969]

Mornin' Michael, Kevin and anyone else reading this bit from a rather dull Folkestone. Although it's not foggy here at my coastal location, the sky is very nebulous looking.
And there's not really a lot to get too excited over in the next few days as the mild, settled, slack and cloudy theme continues.

Drove through a nice pea-souper on Detling Hill on the way in this morning

 

[Ian D J]

Hi Ruth! Indeed, even though visibility is very good (as in, fog free) here at my coastal location, the hills to the north of Folkestone are heavily shrouded in fog.
Mind you, it is those very same hills that does have the effect of "filtering" out fog and mist as it try to come in from the west or north.

 

[Cobra]

Actually its been a really nice day up here
(south Yorkshire boarders)
A little hill fog this morning gave way to light cloud and double figures
more importantly, no bloody rain

 

[Tringa]

Rained most of the day here in NW Scotland but it has been amazingly mild for mid November, so can't complain at all, especially after the stunning late spring and early summer.

Dave

 

[Kevin O'Brian]

Nice and settled weather here for the first time this week this morning i was treated to a golden sunrise over the mountains on my way to work. Car said 6'c

 

[Ian D J]

Mornin' folks from what is now a rather gloomy and overcast Folkestone. A bit of a comedown on yesterday where it was gorgeous and sunny. Now it's a bit nebulous in nature.
It's going to stay this way for the rest of today, into tomorrow, then becoming more wetter as we go into Saturday as a band of general cloud cover and rain crosses eastwards over the UK.
All that should clear away on Saturday night leading to a brighter and sunny Sunday for most of us, albeit very much on the cool and fresh side.

I might as well "bump" up my Cloud Master web site at this point. Also there is a facebook group with the same name if you fancy picking up the latest hot news on all things meteorologically related: http://thecloudmaster.webs.com/

 

[viv1969]

Day's taken a turn here Ian....sun's just popped it's head out. Things is looking up!
(Watch it rain tomorrow though...I have a day off )

 

[Ian D J]

Day's taken a turn here Ian....sun's just popped it's head out. Things is looking up!
(Watch it rain tomorrow though...I have a day off )

Actually, now you have come to mention it . . .

Naaa, I'm expecting tomorrow to be generally overcast, much like today, really. Actually, the sun did valiantly try to come out a couple of times today.

 

[michael23]

I have been stuck inside, sorting all day, it started off very foggy very early in the morning, a mild night last night of just over 5c. Sun popped it's head out for a bit, hopefully a decent dry day tomorrow, so i can catch up on washing!

 

[Ian D J]

I have been stuck inside, sorting all day, it started off very foggy very early in the morning, a mild night last night of just over 5c. Sun popped it's head out for a bit, hopefully a decent dry day tomorrow, so i can catch up on washing!

Hi Michael! Sounds very similar to here.

We have had the "mini ice age" in the 70's, and 80's, then Global Warming in the '90s, then Climate Change in the 2000's - now in the 2010's, we have Global Boring. Mind you, the rest of the world are seeing to unusual weather events . . . apart from here at Kent where I'm wondering what's the fuss is all about.

 

[Ian D J]

Seems our weather has now returned back to it's unsettled and wet fashion. The "classic Autumn" theme continues as it becomes wet and very windy tomorrow and into Friday, especially over Western parts.

Then it becomes colder as we go into next week as winds turn in from the north east. Cold enough to support snow? Uncertain at this point but wouldn't be surprised.

 

[viv1969]

Howling gale in the north of Kent Ian...but it does seem to be keeping off the worst of the rain (though I did get wet walking the pooch).

 

[Ian D J]

Howling gale in the north of Kent Ian...but it does seem to be keeping off the worst of the rain (though I did get wet walking the pooch).

Hi Ruth! Indeed, we have missed out on the worst of the rain here at Kent today, but we certainly copped the wind. However, thankfully I have experienced worse.

 

[michael23]

Well, all of last night it appeared to be raining! which continued into this morning and seemed to finish by around 14:00. I have seen a couple of fields which have started to collect water, which I haven't seen before. I just wonder how much rain actually fell in the last 24 hours around here. Just looked on magic seaweed and does seem a bit windier tomorrow, seemed to escape it today.

 

[Cobra]

Hi from a sunny Fleetwood (NW) Yes it is, (well was anyway, its dark now )
Its been hissing down the last 2 and a half days since I have been up here.

But by mid morning, the rain quit, the sun came out, no wind either.
I think that spring maybe on its way at last


Great cartoon as always Ian

 

[viv1969]

Hi from a sunny Fleetwood (NW) Yes it is, (well was anyway, its dark now )
Its been hissing down the last 2 and a half days since I have been up here.

But by mid morning, the rain quit, the sun came out, no wind either.
I think that spring maybe on its way at last


Great cartoon as always Ian

Well, my bluebells are above ground a good few months early, and the cherry tree is in blossom....seriously

 

[Cobra]

Well, my bluebells are above ground a good few months early, and the cherry tree is in blossom....seriously

Sorted then it is Spring

 

[viv1969]

It being spring would work for me because that would make it, what...March? March would be good for me

 

[Ian D J]

Might have to shatter those illusions of spring being here as the outputs are now starting to show some wintry-like scenarios over the UK next week. All a long way off but the signs are there.

December 2010 all over again? Only time can tell.

Until then, Southern and Western parts of the UK are going to be buffered by gales tomorrow as Autumn continue in it's diminutive fashion.

 

[Cobra]

Might have to shatter those illusions of spring being here as the outputs are now starting to show some wintry-like scenarios over the UK next week. All a long way off but the signs are there.

Any guesses as to when its likely to start Ian?
or indeed last for?

Until then, Southern and Western parts of the UK are going to be buffered by gales tomorrow as Autumn continue in it's diminutive fashion.

Oh well I guess I won't be flying the birds again tomorow
They will start to go stir crazy at this rate

 

[Ian D J]

Any guesses as to when its likely to start Ian?
or indeed last for?



Oh well I guess I won't be flying the birds again tomorow
They will start to go stir crazy at this rate

Hi Chris! I'd say we should start to see the first bit of wintriness show up on Wednesday onwards as our wind start to come in from the north east, more especially over the Eastern side of the UK as we go into Thursday and Friday.
Whether it'll actually be cold enough at all levels to produce and support snow is uncertain but the possibilities are there.

 

[Cobra]

Hi Chris! I'd say we should start to see the first bit of wintriness show up on Wednesday onwards as our wind start to come in from the north east, more especially over the Eastern side of the UK as we go into Thursday and Friday.
Whether it'll actually be cold enough at all levels to produce and support snow is uncertain but the possibilities are there.

Thanks Ian I'll keep an eye out just in case then