[Ian J]

I work from home and during the summer holidays I try and do everything that needs to be done in the morning so that I can take my son out somewhere in the afternoon.

We've hardly been out this summer as the weather hasn't been good enough.

I'm sure that we used to go out for picnic lunches in the last couple of years but haven't been out at all this year.

We also cook on the bbq and eat in the garden when the weather is good enough in the evenings and we have hardly done that this summer either.

I'm also sure that I never have to cut the grass in August as it never grows with the lack of water but this year it's growing like mad.

Am I looking at the recent past through rose coloured glasses or is this summer really worse than in recent years.

[Perceval]

Last summer was worse IMO with all the flooding, but that isn't saying anything.

The idea of long hazy days, barbecuing throughout the summer seem a distant memory.

When we do get a few good days, it is the insect repellent that comes out before the sun oil.

Never seen as many midges as the last two years.

[Anotherlimey]

It's been bad the past week but as a whole it's been better than average, IMO ofcorse

[pave]

Here is an interesting article on this very subject, I remember the 76 heatwave....



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7561411.stm

[PJTX100]

Worst I can remember for a long time.

We have eaten outside in the back garden dozens of times in recent summers, hardly at all this year.

[Leej]

I go fishing generally about three times a week and cannot remember ever having to wear waterproofs as much as this year. Even fishing during the evening I have had to wear wind stoppers and jumpers because of the cold. So yes, to me, it's been a particularly bad summer.

Nearly put the fire on last night. But I'm with British Gas, so I couldn't afford to

[Sporran]

we got rain forecast for the next 4 days

[The Dude]

As a golfer, I'd say the wettest (?) summer for 5 years or more?


June was nice, July was at best OK, August has been even worse than usual.

[Steven]

At least you got to go on holiday

[wormvortex]

Defiantly been a lot colder than the last 2 years. I haven't gone down the pub once without a jumper/hoodie this year where as I just wore a shirt the last 2 years for half the year.(And yeah, that's how I judge whether the weather has been good)

[krish]

can't grumble too much about my neck of the woods, though hasn't been a great August (never usually is is it?) ... just got the lawn done before the heavens opened yesterday evening, and several large frogs started making their usual appearance on my patio

[Dony]

I've been working from home most of the summer, with the intention of spending some time with the kids during their holidays. Like Ian, I've done practically nothing with them outdoors.

The rain here on Saturday was the worst I've ever seen. I never thought I was in danger of being flooded out, but the rain was relentless (1 months rainfall in 12 hours ). A river, stream would be more accurate, up the road from me burst it's banks, taking the wall of the bridge with it.

Definately the worst August I can ever remember.

[shahedz]

been rubbish, no summer at all. 2 years ago was amazingly hot, last year was disappointing and this year nothing at all.

[Gordon B]

Don't worry.

September will be so hot, you'll be posting "Its far too hot" posts for the whole month

[wormvortex]

Originally Posted by SnakeDoctor

Don't worry.

September will be so hot, you'll be posting "Its far too hot" posts for the whole month

No chance, theres no such thing as too hot. Especially in this Country. Bring on Global warming and higher temperatures

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by wormvortex

No chance, theres no such thing as too hot. Especially in this Country. Bring on Global warming and higher temperatures

Its not called Global Warming anymore for obvious reasons....

Now we have to call it 'Climate Change'......

[Decadence]

i'm hating this weather...it's making everyone more depressed on top of the economic **** we're having to put up with too!

[andykn]

The aircon in my car broke over 18 months ago and I don't remember missing it much last summer either.

[KoThreads]

I think it's a tough call between this summer and last, both complete rubbish, this ones seen more sunshine yet been cooler, August is the worst i can remember. Apart from two years ago August seems to be more Autumn these years not part of summer.

No doubt though all the 'experts' will be saying that it's been yet another 'warmest on record'.

[KoThreads]

Originally Posted by Decadence

i'm hating this weather...it's making everyone more depressed on top of the economic **** we're having to put up with too!

Same here, at least good weather makes the rest of the gloomy news better and makes people feel better. I was told over the weekend we have only had one totally cloud free day

[Reign-Mack]

Two years ago everyone was complaining that it was far too hot, nothing wrong with british weather at all gives people with nothing to talk about something to talk about.

[jenic]

The weather reflects my mood, and this bad weather gets me down.

Last summer was better here, i remember regular bbq's and being outside a lot more, the summer before was immense, think there was 1 week of downpour then just sun sun sun for over a month straight.

[kbfern]

At least there has been no talk of hosepipe bans this year

[krish]

Originally Posted by jenic

The weather reflects my mood, and this bad weather gets me down.

Just think about your new job then!

[Fozzybear]

For a few years I'd had pretty awful weather for my summer holidays, I seemed to manage to pick the bad weather periods in the summer and miss the sun, but this year I went away twice, Pembrokeshire in May and Norfolk in June and had superb weather. Also out in town on Thursday and Friday the sun was shining and it was nice and warm too. Had some sunny periods through the weekend too, just a bit showery with it.

We've certainly had a fair bit of wet weather around (and some flooding in places), but nothing like the terrible flooding last year. We've also had lots of lovely sunshine mixed in with it and some really pretty hot extended periods of dry weather earlier in the summer. I've still heard 'huh! no summer at all this year' comments at work and out and about though (from people who'd earlier in the summer had been commenting on the lovely weather) - some people are just too eager to see the negatives and love to ignore periods of decent weather if it means they can have a good old whinge.

Ok so we don't get 40 degree heat from May to October (good job!), but we do get a lot of good weather and much more than we should expect given how far north the UK is. I remember how much rain and flooding there was last year, so given that I can't see that this summer is bad - if anything I really like that it's been mostly nice and warm but not stupidly hot like it is some summers - nothing like laying on the bed at night dripping with sweat and unable to sleep!

[JonnyTester]

Here in NI we had the worst rain on record on Saturday. A newly built underpass connecting the M1 motorway to NI's busiest road, the Westlink in Belfast, was flooded to the 20 ft high roof in a matter of hours. 5 cars were submerged in approx 100,000,000 litres of water. To put that into perspective, that's 200,000,000 500ml Coke bottles. The drainage operation is still ongoing.

From this:

To this:

Rivers burst their banks all over the country. Thousands of homes were flooded. We ourselves have had a small taste of this destruction when we suffered leaking to the roof of our garage and single story extension which has survived 8 years of weather with no problems. The water got to our lighting, blowing the wiring and the cieling will need replacing.

Horrible stuff altogether.

[sore napper]

Originally Posted by JonnyTester

Here in NI we had the worst rain on record on Saturday. A newly built underpass connecting the M1 motorway to NI's busiest road, the Westlink in Belfast, was flooded to the 20 ft high roof in a matter of hours. 5 cars were submerged in approx 100,000,000 litres of water. To put that into perspective, that's 200,000,000 500ml Coke bottles. The drainage operation is still ongoing.

From this:

To this:

Rivers burst their banks all over the country. Thousands of homes were flooded. We ourselves have had a small taste of this destruction when we suffered leaking to the roof of our garage and single story extension which has survived 8 years of weather with no problems. The water got to our lighting, blowing the wiring and the cieling will need replacing.

Horrible stuff altogether.

The big question is, why hasn't all that water started to drain away yet?

[Dony]

Originally Posted by sore napper

The big question is, why hasn't all that water started to drain away yet?

When the contractor was asked this on the local news earlier he said the Council signed it off so they must have been happy enough!!

(didn't actually answer the question )

The water has now gone but there is a foot of sludge still to be cleared out of it.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by anwarsadat

Last summer was worse IMO with all the flooding, but that isn't saying anything.

I'd forgotten about that, partly because I missed the worst of it as it was around the start of the school holidays and we watched most of it on a TV in Spain.

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

At least you got to go on holiday

Last April we went to Spain for the Easter holiday and it was so cold there that I had to go shopping to buy jumpers to keep warm. I do remember that Britain went through an unusual heatwave whilst we were away freezing

[PJTX100]

Originally Posted by JonnyTester

Here in NI we had the worst rain on record on Saturday. A newly built underpass connecting the M1 motorway to NI's busiest road, the Westlink in Belfast, was flooded to the 20 ft high roof in a matter of hours. 5 cars were submerged in approx 100,000,000 litres of water. To put that into perspective, that's 200,000,000 500ml Coke bottles. The drainage operation is still ongoing.

Amazing pics.

People seem very concious of flooding now.

There's a really nice house for sale in our area, great location, with a large plot of land. It hasn't shifted for years. Because it's next to a brook, which is on the flood maps on t'internet.