We had a bit of rain a few days ago for the first time in months. It put about 20L in the water butts, which was nice but a couple of days later and there might as well have not been any. I am starting to be more positive though, even if there isn't any rain forecast for the next couple of weeks, because most of the established trees and shrubs look good/ok, for the most part, and in the future we can't have a drier summer than this.
You can't have less rain than no rain, which is the present problem. You can have a really dry autumn and spring beforehand but we just have. The trend is for warmer, wetter winters and unless these heatwave become more prolonged (which will likely happen, although still not forecast to be every year, so we will get a bit of a break) things will have some time to recover. It was meant as a bit of a throwaway positive comment not necessarily a prediction of the future.
Glenys (in SA) was telling us they have had limited rain for 7 years and water is now rationed. South west US has been in drought for over 20 years. Last year, meteorologists would have solemnly told you that it's impossible for the UK temp to exceed 40C, because the weather just wouldn't create the conditions for such an extreme here. It is entirely possible that we could have a far more prolonged drought as climate change progresses. We can hope for the best while planning for the worst.
I'm glad to hear your garden is coping well with the conditions
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Can't remember where I heard it but recent and most likely Radio 4 or the World Service ( TV too busy with sport ) but someone mentioned the possibility that humankind may just go the way of the dinosaurs before too long ( relatively speaking ). First time I've heard that. Made me smile really as I've been wondering about our demise for a long time. We seem to think that we are the Anointed Ones and therefore extinction doesn't apply in our case. The only reason I'd like to live for another 2 or 3 hundred years is to see what actually does happens to us and our planet. Not much rain here in coastal Somerset either
I know what I want to say but can't really think of the way to say it. I completely agree with you as to our future.
What I meant is that we are in the driest area of the country, had literally no rain for months but the plants are surprisingly resilient. There is a tremendous amount of shrubs and trees that have succumbed but probably no more than would get taken out by storms. The ground is so parched that wildfires are a real threat, most of the grass has died and been blown away, very few blackberries (I really worry for the birds this winter) and even the bracken has been burnt off but the vast majority of the mature trees look good. I know it's the water table and prolonged (as in frequently reoccuring) drought will drop it and then we are in for problems
I guess I was just trying to be a bit positive despite our in coming doom. Our garden looks absolutely rubbish, as in a frazzled wasteland, because I have only watered what I really want to keep and then watered as minimally as i could. I'm more talking about the natural environment. I'm not deluded as to where the weather can go, I studied environmental science at the uea, its more that despite what has been thrown at the country it has shown amazing resolve at the moment given that the species of plants we tend to grow, or naturally occur, are not used to this environment. I saw some of the mountain biking at the commonwealth games and was very jealous of how lush the vegetation looked. I know the whole country is suffering from lack of rain (for the most part) but there are areas here which show how things will look in the future years if we don't reign in our co2.
It was more of a sarcastic, you can have less rain than no rain initial comment.
That's a shame, @Chris-P-Bacon. Had it been dry up until that point? Or have you been getting rain on and off all summer?
It's not a problem...welcome in fact. We had the two days of very hot weather then toward the end of the week heavy rain during the night. The flood water ( such that is was) soaked away in less than 24 hours. It's been cloudy with showers the last few days although the sun has shone at times. Rain forecast again tonight and into tomorrow morning.
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“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
It was meant as a bit of a throwaway positive comment not necessarily a prediction of the future.
I'm glad to hear your garden is coping well with the conditions
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Not much rain here in coastal Somerset either
What I meant is that we are in the driest area of the country, had literally no rain for months but the plants are surprisingly resilient. There is a tremendous amount of shrubs and trees that have succumbed but probably no more than would get taken out by storms. The ground is so parched that wildfires are a real threat, most of the grass has died and been blown away, very few blackberries (I really worry for the birds this winter) and even the bracken has been burnt off but the vast majority of the mature trees look good. I know it's the water table and prolonged (as in frequently reoccuring) drought will drop it and then we are in for problems
I guess I was just trying to be a bit positive despite our in coming doom. Our garden looks absolutely rubbish, as in a frazzled wasteland, because I have only watered what I really want to keep and then watered as minimally as i could. I'm more talking about the natural environment. I'm not deluded as to where the weather can go, I studied environmental science at the uea, its more that despite what has been thrown at the country it has shown amazing resolve at the moment given that the species of plants we tend to grow, or naturally occur, are not used to this environment. I saw some of the mountain biking at the commonwealth games and was very jealous of how lush the vegetation looked. I know the whole country is suffering from lack of rain (for the most part) but there are areas here which show how things will look in the future years if we don't reign in our co2.
It was more of a sarcastic, you can have less rain than no rain initial comment.