Lightning Part 2

10:31am Thursday 9th July 2009

Lightning starts when energy sparks from the bottom of the cloud to the positive charged ground.

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Lightning Part 1

11:57am Monday 29th June 2009

Inside a thunder cloud very warm air rises rapidly, cools at the top of the storm cloud, it then starts to descend , then rises again to form convective cells.

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Thunderstorms

12:05pm Monday 22nd June 2009

Thunderstorms occur within unstable air especially during the warmer summer months. Huge bubbles of moist warm air ascends, the water vapour condenses.

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Sky Signs

10:02am Monday 15th June 2009

To the doctor the blood stream enables him or her to find the cause of any illness by the state of the blood. To a meteorologist the clouds and sky can give clues to the weather down wind.

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Anticyclonic Weather

10:27am Tuesday 9th June 2009

High pressure or anticyclones are regions of subsiding air, the barometric pressure is high and therefore the weather is settled.

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Weather Fronts

8:43am Monday 1st June 2009

Different air masses do not mix very well, so there is a boundary between them, these are called weather fronts. Air moving in the same direction at different speeds produce various weather types.

City Weather

11:57am Monday 18th May 2009

The weather within our cities can be very different to the climate of our countryside. Large cities like London are often referred to as heat islands.

Harmony with Nature

2:22pm Monday 27th April 2009

EVERYTHING revolves around our climate, our weather is needed to allow all living things to survive, of course without the heat and light from the Sun, weather would not exist and most living creatures and and human beings would not continue.

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Weather Related Businesses

2:32pm Monday 20th April 2009

Many businesses are weather dependent and rely on certain weather types to make their money.

Summer Weather Part Three

12:36pm Tuesday 7th April 2009

As we move into August the we often experience some muggy very warm days, many regard August as the thunderstorm month with plenty of heat and moisture within the atmosphere to fuel some high level severe thunderstorms, usually they build and burst forth between 4pm and 10pm, fading away overnight as the heat of the day eases away.

Summer Weather Part Two

11:59am Monday 30th March 2009

Through July or mid summer the weather remains warm and often dry, although we have experienced some very wet July's with flooding.

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Summer Weather Part One

3:12pm Tuesday 24th March 2009

Meteorologically speaking, the three summer months are June, July and August. After two consecutive wet summers, Mother Nature will be desperately trying to balance her books.

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Spring Weather Part 3

3:25pm Monday 16th March 2009

Early spring brings changeable weather, by the time we reach mid spring the temperature becomes steadily warmer, and towards the end of spring we can experience some very warm even hot spells.

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Spring Weather Part 2

12:33pm Monday 9th March 2009

The Vernal Equinox will soon be here, but although around the 21st March we celebrate Official Spring, the climatic condition often is far from spring-like.

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Spring Weather Part 1

11:15am Tuesday 3rd March 2009

The Vernal Equinox or the Official start of Spring (around 21st March) often comes in with varied and sometimes cold conditions.

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Buchan's Cold Spell

11:07am Monday 23rd February 2009

Buchan was born in Kinneswood, Perth and Kinross, in 1829, and took up teaching after graduating from Edinburgh University.

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The Weather in February

7:59am Thursday 19th February 2009

February is a late winter month and the saying goes "as the days grow longer the cold gets stronger".

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Tropical climates

12:03pm Monday 2nd February 2009

The Tropics is the area that lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

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Monsoons Part 2

11:14am Monday 26th January 2009

In Asia during summer the land warms faster than the sea. Air pressure falls over central Asia and rises over the Indian Ocean.

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Monsoons Part 1

11:55am Monday 19th January 2009

Monsoons are land and ocean winds covering a large area, they produced by contrasting and changing pressure patterns.

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Ancient continents and Boxgrove Man

11:19am Monday 12th January 2009

ABOUT 248 million years ago, there was one single continent called Pangaea, surrounded by the world ocean, Panthalassa

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Ice Ages Part 2

10:24am Tuesday 6th January 2009

During ice ages the landscape is changed dramatically, even when it ends the melting of ice and snow continues to alter the land.

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Ice Ages Part 1

12:41pm Monday 22nd December 2008

AROUND 18,000 years ago, northern Europe, Asia, and North America was covered by a vast sheet of thick ice. About 10,000 years ago the ice retreated.

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December Weather

11:17am Monday 15th December 2008

DECEMBER is normally a very wet stormy month as deep low pressure systems from off the Atlantic ushers into the British Isles.

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Water in the Air

12:42pm Monday 1st December 2008

WATER vapour is invisible with no apparent feel or aroma. But it plays a huge role within the environmental cycle.

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Fog

10:26am Tuesday 25th November 2008

During settled anticyclonic spells during autumn, winter and early spring fog will form, especially out within the rural setting.

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Deep Atlantic Weather Systems

12:32pm Monday 13th October 2008

During the autumn, winter and early spring the upper jet stream (a core of fast running wind of up to 200 mph) in the upper atmosphere often influences are weather.

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Autumn Fine Spells

1:07pm Monday 6th October 2008

After any poor summer, it is extremely pleasant to be able to enjoy an autumn fine spell, especially when its accompanied by warmer than average temperatures.

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Hurricanes Part 3

9:08am Monday 29th September 2008

Sea levels within normal low pressure systems can rise by 3 metres, in a hurricane the level of the sea can rise above 20 ft causing widespread flooding especially in coastal regions. Hurricanes of category 3 or above are the most destructive. In 2004 hurricane Jeanne and Ivan was a category 3 storm. Hurricane Charlie 2004 and Dennis 2005 was a category 4. Andrew 1992 and Katrina also Wilma 2005 turned into category 5.

Hurricanes Part 2

9:02am Monday 29th September 2008

As I have previously mentioned that hurricanes are the largest and most powerful storms on our planet, they vary in size and their direction and power can be very unpredictable.

Hurricanes Part 1

12:20pm Monday 8th September 2008

It is said that the hurricane season is becoming lengthier and the storms much more intense and destructive due to global warming and other influences.

Fine Spells

3:16pm Tuesday 2nd September 2008

After prolonged wet spells, its a breath of fresh air when anticyclonic conditions return. Sunshine strengthens the immune system and lifts our feel good factor.

Flooding

3:12pm Tuesday 2nd September 2008

For more than forty years I have been taking climatic observations every three hours, during that time I have witnessed more frequent torrential rainfall events, some responsible for flooding on a vast scale such as the flood of summer 2007.

Sea and Land Breezes

12:27pm Monday 11th August 2008

Coastal regions as I mentioned last week has its own local climate, sea fog, gales and rough seas, sunny blue skies, and in fine stable conditions beneath regions of high pressure or subsiding air, land and sea breezes.

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Coastal Weather

11:16am Thursday 7th August 2008

Many of us fly off to the sun and hotter climes these days away from our unpredictable fickle British weather, but many still enjoy a day or week or two at the seaside taking advantage of the cliff top walks, the coves and bays and various beaches.

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Rapidly Changing Weather

9:56am Wednesday 30th July 2008

The British weather, as I indicated last week is extremely changeable and often fickle and unpredictable.

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The Weather Chart

3:56pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008

The weather chart seen on television or in newspapers allow most of us to see what is the state of play weather-wise in graphic form

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Variability of the British Weather

9:13am Tuesday 15th July 2008

The British Isles is placed between a large continent to the east and landmass to the south and the Atlantic Ocean.

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Changing Skies

2:51pm Monday 7th July 2008

Since a very early age, I have been fascinated by clouds and the hue of the sky. Ever changing from one second to the next, each skyscape unique and different.

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Weather and the Countryside Part 3

3:25pm Monday 30th June 2008

On warm summer days everything seems in tune with nature, the wildlife enjoying the sunlight which spills forth through those cloud flecked skies, the swifts and swallows making sweet high pitched thrill as they swoop down towards the village green and church spire.

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Weather and the Countryside Part 2

3:42pm Monday 23rd June 2008

On hot summer days many animals head for the cooler spots beneath the trees, water sources become important to wild life.

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Weather and the Countryside Part 1

12:51pm Monday 16th June 2008

Our climate is extremely varied and fickle across the British Isles but it is this variability which makes our weather one of the best in the world.

Heat Islands

8:42am Tuesday 10th June 2008

As our villages, towns and cities expand they create huge heat islands which in turn influences our climate on a local scale.

Unusual Weather Events

2:36pm Monday 2nd June 2008

The British weather is extremely fickle and varied and we can also experience some unusual weather events from time to time. From wind and thunderstorms to heavy snows and drought with high temperatures.

High Level Thunderstorms

9:43am Thursday 29th May 2008

During hot summer spells the chance of it ending in thunderstorms are very high, hence the saying "three days fine weather then a thunderstorm".

Hot Summer Spells

2:23pm Monday 19th May 2008

In Britain many of our summers are mixed, swinging from cooler wet spells to dry hot conditions. The climatic pattern sets up certain weather situations.

Interesting facts about Thunderstorms

11:54am Monday 12th May 2008

Thunderstorms are extremely fascinating events, especially when they occur overnight.

May Thunderstorms

12:19pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

May ThunderstormsIn May a very warm or a hot spell usually occurs. Sometimes the Spanish Plume pumps northward on a southerly wind flow bringing temperatures in the range of 25-30c 77-86f.

Ocean Currents and Climate

12:26pm Monday 28th April 2008

Warm and cold ocean currents can change the climate of coastal regions, but only when prevailing local winds blow from the sea to land.

Ice Core Records

12:50pm Tuesday 22nd April 2008

The climate is constantly changing, we can find evidence all around us of different climates of the past.

The Moving Earth

11:37am Tuesday 15th April 2008

The Earth's crust is made from rock called "plates" which move in relation to one another. The seven larger plates, include the North American, African, and Eurasian plates, and many smaller ones such as the Caribbean and Arabian plates.

Acid Rain

11:16am Monday 7th April 2008

Some years ago Acid Rain was top of the agenda, even more so than Global Warming. It was stated that due to man made pollution, our water source from all precipitation was increasingly becoming acid.

Snow and Sleet

11:26am Monday 31st March 2008

On the near Continent snow is dry in nature and causes less problems than in Britain. Lower temperatures and drier air makes the snow powdery, it is easily blown off roads by snow blowers.

Dew and Water Vapour

10:59am Tuesday 25th March 2008

The air is never completely dry, even in the driest parts of our globe like the deserts, the air contains water vapour.

Atmospheric Phenomena

11:38am Monday 17th March 2008

On many occasions if you are looking skyward, we can witness beautiful Atmospheric Phenomena, from unusual shapes, lights to colours and cloud formations.

Microclimates

2:46pm Monday 10th March 2008

In the countryside and within our gardens we have microclimates. Animals make use of these areas and often need them to survive. When we experience severe winter weather, many small animals finds ways to stay alive.

How plants adapt to climates

11:04am Tuesday 4th March 2008

Without sunlight, precipitation and the correct temperature, life as we know it would not exist.

The Atmosphere

12:25pm Wednesday 27th February 2008

Weather occurs in the lowest part of the atmosphere which we call the "troposphere". In this area the air contains water vapour and clouds which produce our weather, and the temperature falls with height.

Pressure and the Weather

12:37pm Monday 18th February 2008

Pressure changes effects everything living on this planet including the way we feel, it shapes our personality without us knowing it. When pressure is high the subsiding air which is to be found beneath anticyclones can reduce the sea level by about 3 metres. When the pressure is low, the air is rising and pressure reduced so sea levels can rise by the same amount. Hence, when we experience low pressure with a rise of sea level, coupled with a strong sea surge due to strong winds and a high tide, coastal flooding becomes high risk. This almost occurred along the East coast of England earlier this year. Like every substance, air has its own weight. The atmosphere is over 600 km (370 miles) thick, and the weight of the air forces down on the Earth's surface. The downward force exerted by the weight of the air is called pressure. Air molecules are squeezed together by the weight of air above, making the air denser near the bottom of the atmosphere than it is at higher altitudes. Air density and pressure are greatest at sea level and decrease the higher one goes. Heat also makes air less dense, so less heavy, by moving its molecules. The warmer the air, the lower the air pressure.

Light and Weather

11:14am Monday 11th February 2008

Light and radiant heat are both forms of electromagnetic radiation. They travel as waves and differ only in wavelength, which is the distance between one wave crest and the next. The suns surface is about 5,700 degrees c (10,300 degrees f), and it radiates energy at numerous wavelengths and in every direction. About 9 percent of energy we receive from the sun is invisible ultraviolet light, 45 percent is visible light, 46 percent is long-wave infrared radiation, which we feel as heat. At the top of the atmosphere, Earth receives about 1,360 watts per square metre of solar energy. This is called the "solar constant". Sunlight is made from light in rainbow colours, which combine to look white. Gas molecules in the air scatter the blue light, but not the others, making the sky blue. As the Sun sets, light passes through a thicker layer of atmosphere with more dust. Now orangey colours are scattered, but not blue.

Water and the Weather

8:33am Wednesday 6th February 2008

Without water there would be no life and no weather, precipitation would not occur, no fog, frost or dew formation and certainly no clouds. Water is a complicated substance because it can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas. The solid is called ice, the liquid is called water, and the gas is called water vapour. To change from a solid to a liquid (to melt) or a liquid to a gas (to evaporate) requires energy. This energy may come in the form of warmth from the sun or from rising temperatures caused by the wind blowing in from a warmer area. If the wind blows in from a colder region, the temperature drops and the water vapour condenses back into water droplets. If the temperature falls below the freezing level 0c 32f, the water droplet freeze.

The Water Cycle

12:12pm Tuesday 29th January 2008

The water evaporates from the land and ocean, condenses, falls back to earth as precipitation, and the water that descends over land either returns to the air by evaporation or plant transpiration, or it flows back to sea via streams and rivers. This movement is called the water cycle.

Jet Streams and Rossby Waves

9:00am Monday 21st January 2008

Air temperature decreases from the Equator to the poles, and wind speed in the upper air is proportional to the rate that temperature changes. This is most marked where polar and tropical air masses meet, at the polar front, and where equatorial and subtropical air masses collide. In those areas narrow belts of winds, called "jet streams" often blow with great force. The Polar Front Jet Stream is less constant than the Subtropical Jet Stream, but it is stronger, with winds of 100-150 mph and occasionally 200 mph. In each hemisphere, high altitude winds blow from west to east. Along the jet streams, waves form in the winds. Gradually these waves become more pronounced, and eddies begin to form at the front. The air begins to turn on an axis. Finally, waves break into cells that may last for some time, blocking low altitude weather systems below them. These " Rossby" waves were discovered in 1940 by the meteorologist Carl-Gustav Rossby (1898-1957).

Global Wind Systems Part 3

11:31am Monday 14th January 2008

Climates change all the time. Subtropical and mid-latitude climates are strongly effected by the upper jet stream, a strong and high altitude wind that blow from a westerly direction in both hemispheres. "El Nino", a change in the Trade winds and Pacific currents, occurs every few years and affects the weather and climates over a large part of the world. Climates are always changing, at present we are living in an "interglacial period" an interval between the end of one ice age and the start of another. During our life time we will witness many weather patterns which are short lived. In the British Isles the weather is fickle and changeable due to the fact that we are a very small country compared with others. Britain often becomes the battle field as winds from different directions bring contrasting air masses, which produces all kinds of weather.

Global Wind Systems - Part 2

9:28am Tuesday 8th January 2008

Years ago when sailing ships were exploring and trading with the rest of the world, winds and currents were very important. The winds near the Equator, blowing from the north-east in the Northern Hemisphere and the south-east in the Southern Hemisphere, are called the "trade winds".

Global Wind Systems Part 1

11:56am Monday 17th December 2007

The weather is affected by the oceans and also masses of air and the varying amount of moisture they carry. Some air contains more moisture than others.

The Changing Environment....Climates of the World Part 3

8:34am Tuesday 11th December 2007

The distance from the Equator is not the only factor that affects our climate, and therefore the vegetation, of any region. Birmingham is about the same distance from the Equator as Labrador and Siberia so we may assume they might have the same climates.

Climates of the World Part 2

2:20pm Monday 3rd December 2007

The pattern of climate and vegetation we talked about last week is repeated north and south of the Equator around our globe. In Africa and Asia, the deserts of the Northern Hemisphere are the Sahara, Arabian, and Gobi. In North America deserts are found in Mexico and the southwestern US.

Climates of the World Part 1

2:39pm Monday 26th November 2007

Zambia in Africa is mainly a region of grassland called the savannah. These areas vary from place to place, in some areas the trees grow more closely together creating more of an open forest. In other places only shrubs and stunted trees can survive the long cold dry winters. In November, summer begins, the rains come. Empty waterholes fill, lowlands flood and seeds left dormant in the soil germinate. The ground is then carpeted with an array of colourful flowers. As the flowers decay, grasses take their place and soon takes over.

Ice Ages

11:22am Monday 19th November 2007

About 18,000 years ago, most of Northern Europe, Asia and North America lay beneath ice sheets. Around 10,000 years ago the ice retreated. So at this moment in time, we are living in what scientists call an interglacial period.

Volcanoes and Asteroids

12:37pm Monday 12th November 2007

In the year of 1815 Mount Tambora, a volcano in what is now Indonesia, erupted with such force that there was almost total darkness for three days in places within a 500 km or 300 miles radius. These violent volcanic eruptions release vast quantities of particles into the atmosphere. Within the troposphere these are rapidly removed by precipitation, but if they reach the stratosphere they can remain for months or even years, covering huge areas of our globe and reflecting sunlight.

Global Pollution - Part 3

1:45pm Monday 5th November 2007

Global pollution creates problems for all, humans, animal, insect and plant life, it can change the look and feel of a place for good.

Global Pollution - Part 2

2:39pm Monday 29th October 2007

There are many factors which come into play regarding Global Warming. Many man made, others contributed to natural changes, some of those influenced by Global Warming itself. It is a ever riding process. Some of the carbon dioxide we add to the air by burning fossil fuels dissolves in the oceans, some absorbed by green plants, making plants grow faster and bigger.

Global Pollution - Part 1

10:55am Tuesday 23rd October 2007

Over past years the global warming theory has taken off in a big way. Now we believe it's not theory any more but fact. Due to pollution on a global scale, mother nature is hitting back hard. Heat radiated from the sun warms the surface of the earth.

Plant and Animal Folklore - Part 2

3:18pm Wednesday 17th October 2007

Plants and animals respond to changes in temperature, humidity and pressure, even wind.

Plant and Animal Folklore - Part 1

3:11pm Wednesday 17th October 2007

Over the past couple of week's I have talked about weather forecasting and the equipment which helps us to foresee what lies ahead weatherwise. This week I will show how the signs of nature can help us predict upcoming climatic conditions, the plant and animal kingdom especially. Some of these are accurate and have a scientific reason behind their workings, others are less trust worthy.

Forecasting the weather part 2

11:57am Monday 1st October 2007

As I indicated last week, it is very tricky forecasting the weather in a country as small as Britain, where the land often becomes a battle field, and it's this which makes it one of the most interesting places in the world for weather variability.

Forecasting the Weather

9:30am Wednesday 26th September 2007

Forecasting the weather can be very tricky and unpredictable due to the extremely varied and fickle climate Britain experiences. Over the decades weather forecast methods have improved with a higher degree of accuracy. We have a better understanding of how the climate works coupled with a bank of technical weather forecasting equipment and computers. We can look down at earth and through our atmosphere from space by a range of weather satellites. We have a vast amount of data and also computer models.

Blocking High Pressures

2:15pm Thursday 20th September 2007

Blocking Anticyclones

Past Weather Events - Part 3

2:11pm Monday 10th September 2007

1911: The summer of this year was a record breaker with heatwaves for both England and Wales. Persistent high pressure zones predominated, with scorching sun that shone for prolonged periods giving brilliant blue skies.

Past Weather Events Part 2

2:27pm Monday 3rd September 2007

1839: A thunderstorm crossed Herefordshire and winds gusted to gale force on the 13th June, bringing down trees in full leaf. As it crossed the north of the county a hailstorm of great ferocity raged. The hailstones came down in such numbers that it was widely reported they lay for many hours to a depth of 6ft in parts. A severe thunderstorm in Worcestershire was followed by rain storms.

Past Weather Events Part 1

9:32am Wednesday 29th August 2007

Through the ages we have experienced numerous dramatic weather events that contributed at times to shape history. Although we blame many present weather events on global warming, in years gone by, we have witnessed some noteworthy climatic conditions.

Air Masses

9:20am Wednesday 25th July 2007

Large areas of air that is fairly constant in temperature and moisture is called an "air mass. Air over continents becomes dry, hot or cold depending on the latitude and time of year. Air over the seas is less changeable and the air is moister. An air mass is called continental (dry) or Maritime (moist) depending on whether it formed over land or sea, and it is either polar (cold) or tropical (warm) depending upon where it was formed.

Various forms of rain

9:09am Tuesday 17th July 2007

Rain is merely one phase in the perpetual recycling of the world's constant supply of water. Vapour in the air condenses as cloud, from which falls rain, snow or hail. Precipitation forms in various ways, the main one's being frontal, convectional and orographic rain.

Rain

3:36pm Tuesday 10th July 2007

Water falling from the sky in any form is called precipitation, whether as fog, sleet, snow, hail or rain. Rain is the name given to water droplets more than 0.5 mm across. Widely separated droplets smaller than this may still be called rain, but tiny droplets that fall close together are called drizzle. Raindrops make a splash when they fall into puddles and other water sources, thundery drops also creates a bubble as it breaks the water surface with force, drizzle do not.

The Beaufort Wind Scale

11:53am Monday 2nd July 2007

The Beaufort Wind Scale was devised in 1806 by Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857). Born in Ireland, Beaufort joined the Royal Navy as a young man and served for many years. Because of his knowledge of hydrography (the study of everything to do with the sea) he was made hydrography of the navy. His wind scale for sailors divided wind speeds into 13 forces. In 1838 the Beaufort Scale was adopted for sea, and by 1874 it was adopted internationally for general use. It is still widely used, especially at sea.

Measuring the wind

8:57am Tuesday 26th June 2007

Many people need to know the wind speed and direction. Aircraft crews require the strength and direction, not only at ground level but the speed and direction through the atmosphere. The force of the wind is important for those on the sea, strong squally winds whip up the sea surface and can cause many problems.

Urban Weather

12:49pm Monday 18th June 2007

Urban Weather often can be influenced by various factors, one being huge columns of heat ascending upwards, especially during summer (heat islands). Smog can also be a common feature when summer heatwaves arrive, causing problems for some people, especially those with breathing problems.

Land and sea breezes

2:03pm Monday 11th June 2007

When visiting the coasts, we can find several interesting local weather effects. Land and sea breezes are micro climate at it's best. Due to the sea and land through the day and night changing temperature, these sea and land breezes occur frequently especially in periods of fine anticyclonic weather conditions.

Local Winds of the World Part 2

3:15pm Wednesday 30th May 2007

LEVANTER (from Levant: land at eastern end of Mediterranean) Moist East wind in region of Straits of Gibraltar, often strong and most frequent June-October.

Local Winds

8:40am Tuesday 15th May 2007

The atmosphere is rarely still, pressure winds moves around our globe, constantly moving and changing it's characteristic and moods. Winds can be light and blissful, or strong, squally and destructive.

Hurricanes

10:40am Monday 30th April 2007

Due to Global Warming the hurricane season is getting longer and the these vast storms of our planet much more intense and destructive.

Whirlwinds, Tornadoes, Water Spouts and Dust Devils

8:58am Monday 23rd April 2007

Whirlwinds

Thunderstorms

9:39am Monday 9th April 2007

Very often it is said that "the start of the cricket season is the start of the thunderstorm season".

The Harsh Winter of 1946/47 and 1962/63

5:38pm Monday 2nd April 2007

Last week I mentioned how our weather can be influenced by a blocking weather situation. During the winter's of 1946/47 and 1962/63 a blocking situation developed.