Penellype's Weather Channel 2

[Plot70]

I am getting the feeling that once all the stuff is planted out and established with metered water the rain will come complete with all that pesky blight that it spreads.

[Mr Bones]

Thank you for the forecast Pen. Never a dull moment with the weather eh

[Penellype]

Yes, very different and already causing problems with drought and frost damage, especially to fruit blossom. My early potatoes have damaged leaves even though they have been under cover.

[Nicos]

^^^ yikes! - quite a contrast to this time last year isn’t it?

[Penellype]

Quick update for those who think spring has arrived.

A cold front will move down through the country from the north over the next 48 hours, weakening as it does so, so there will be little rain and many places will probably just see increased cloud. The air behind this is a little cooler so daytime temperatures will not be as high as recently and night frosts will return/continue.

By the end of the week the high is forecast to reposition itself over the UK and draw up some slightly warmer air for a few days. What happens next is up for debate, but the models are increasingly predicting that the high will yet again move towards Greenland, drawing in another cold blast of air from the north some time around 27th April. This would mean a return to night frosts. There are a few rainfall spikes appearing around the same time, some of which could fall as snow on higher ground in the north. However, this is all too far ahead for any certainty, but weather patterns do have a tendency to get stuck in a rut, and I would definitely not rule out another cold spell at the end of April/start of May.

Is all this fine, dry weather our "summer" for this year? It is far too soon to say, but my opinion is, yes it probably is. I think we are in for an often cool and wet summer, but I hope to be proved wrong.

[Mr Bones]

As ever, thanks Pen. Always appreciated.

[Penellype]

Although things are starting to warm up a little by day, nights are still likely to be cold enough for frost in places (particularly north and east) for the remainder of this week.

The threat of another spell of northerly winds towards the end of the month has not completely gone away, but the models seem less keen on it today than at this time yesterday. It would be wise to be aware of the possibility that the cold could still return around or after 25th April and be prepared to protect vulnerable plants yet again.

Very little in the way of rain in the next couple of weeks as high pressure remains in charge.

[Nicos]

Thanks Pen - much appreciated .

[Penellype]

Sorry for the lack of answers - been very, very busy at work.

Looking cold until Monday/Tuesday then a gradual warm up seems likely, although a further cold spell later in April cannot be entirely ruled out. Frost likely at night for at least the next 3 nights.

The models are struggling at the moment, with some of the longer range ones looking really unsettled into May, but there isn't a huge amount of rainfall on the shorter range predictions.

[sandspider]

Raining here today, and a little warmer. But forecast is for several more cold nights - frost cold.

[Plot70]

I need rain on my plot.
The clay is like concrete and I need the rain to soften it up.
I am going to have to wait until the stand pipes are on again at the rate we are going at.

[Containergardener]

Ten days at the earliest by my estimate based on three weather related websites.

oh , 10days

[Plot70]

Ten days at the earliest by my estimate based on three weather related websites.

[Containergardener]

Really hoping its going to warm again soon

[Nicos]

You were spot on again Pen!
We woke up to 1cm of snow today