maitaitom

"Take the weather reports with a grain of salt.


Yep...We were in England for a few weeks in 2013. Every day the weather report said it would rain the following day. We hardly saw any rain. Stiff upper lip!

EYWandBTV

The lip is hereby stiffened! Thank you.

PatrickLondon

I don't know about your weather forecasts on TV, but ours tend to the animated, with the isobars, weather fronts and the spots and belts of rain moving all over the place. Or in other words, they can tell you there's likely to be a belt of raincloud moving over a particular area, but not whether or where it will definitely disgorge spits and spots, a passing shower, a sudden cloudburst, heavy rain or a plague of frogs and pestilence. One side of the hill might be wet, the other not.

That's what comes of being on the edge of everybody else's weather systems.

dotheboyshall

That's what comes of being on the edge of everybody else's weather systems.

Ruddy foreign weather, coming over here, taking the indigenous weather...

...anyhow to see how it rains in the UK (though I wouldn't recommend looking at it today), dark blue generally is light drizzle or even fog

http://www.rain-alarm.com/

annhig

Yes, we're all stocked up with stuff and we anticipate some strong winds coming from the west especially when we're visiting Hadrian's wall in the Haltwhistle/Hexham area.>>

DH just spent a week walking Hadrian's Wall and his main complaint was that he was too hot - he'd taken too many winter clothes with him as he left here in winter and got there to find it was summer. I think it rained once in the space of a week.

Remember, there is no bad weather, just the wrong clothing.

dotheboyshall

If he did it today on the basis of it being "summer" he'd pretty soon be suffering from hypothermia

Morgana

I've just looked at the Northumberland weather and it definitely doesn't indicate 'non stop rain'.
We very rarely get 'non stop rain' anyway, and that's from someone who lives in the North of England. In fact here in North Yorkshire I really want some proper rain for my garden and am watering each night at the moment.
My advice - make sure you have decent waterproofs and pack them each day when you go out even if the weather starts out looking ok.
Forget umbrellas as they tend to get blown inside out by the wind.
Put a spare outfit in your car each day just in case you get drenched.
Be prepared to be flexible with your itinerary and change it around if necessary. Do the outdoor stuff when it is dry and save the indoor things (museums etc) for when it is siling it down.
The countryside at the moment looks absolutely stunning and every shade of green you could imagine. You'll have a wonderful time and the sun WILL shine!

laverendrye

Good Morning, here is the Weather Forecast

http://youtu.be/4z2jwDcb9wI

anicecupoftea

Weather forecasts in this country are advisory, not fact. They will change frequently as you get closer, and often on the day itself as it progresses. There is small chance you'll get a full day of heavy rain at this time of year, but much more likely to be a shower during which you take shelter in a tea room until it ceases, then resume activities as planned.

colduphere

I once spent hundreds of dollars/pounds on the finest golf rain suit for a golfing trip to England and Scotland. It didn't rain a minute. I wore the rain pants and rain hat anyway in the sunshine to get my money's worth. I did not use the umbrella. That would have looked odd.

My advice - spend several thousand $$ on the very best rain gear. You'll hope it rains.

jamikins

Was forecast to rain all day in London today...not a drop expected now until 18:00 and even then only 30% chance for 3 hours.

EYWandBTV

Thanks everyone, this is just the kind of information I was hoping for. So it looks like we will not in fact be facing nonstop rain. Instead, a melange of a little of everything, which is fine.

@colduphere: I did actually invest in some expensive water-wicking-washable-quick-drying-merino-wool state-of-the-art socks, therefore if it rains it will just be in barely noticeable amounts.

annhig

Weather forecasts in this country are advisory, not fact.>>

you're telling me. the 7.55 am forecast on Radio 4 is the worst. Many's the time they tell us that rain is expected soon in West Cornwall, and it's been raining for hours. I also remember a very funny forecast when they told us that were it not for the fact that a thick sea mist was expected to last all day, it would be a most beautiful warm sunny day. well it did, and it wasn't.

>

I hope you're not grumbling, jamikins!

PatrickLondon

Hah. Promptly as you posted, annhig, a light but persistent drizzle started here in east London. Trooping the Colour was, I assume, spared (though it did feel awfully close and heavy in the late morning, which the rain has now lifted); but I fear the participants in the World Naked Bike Ride this afternoon will have got soaked (is it better to cycle in the rain clothed or in the nip? I suspect the latter might occasion a certain amount of chafing).

annhig

I suspect the latter might occasion a certain amount of chafing. >>

not to mention what might be described as a diminution of assets should it be cold and wet.

contrary to the forecast it's warm and a bit sunny here; I'm glad to read that if the sun did not exactly shine on the righteous this morning, it didn't piss down on them either.

MmePerdu

"Forget umbrellas as they tend to get blown inside out by the wind."

My nice vented one doesn't and I've used it successfully walking in English weather. I'm sure I'm labeled some sort of sissy when I do but it spares me the "waterproofs" so seemingly beloved. Quick-drying bottoms, a raincoat and my umbrella have served me well.

StCirq

I'm terrible about umbrellas. I like to have my hands free. Hoods and hats work better for me.

As for weather reports in this part of the world - they are notoriously "off" or weird, at least ours are. I remember tuning into BBC, I think it was, last year in the fall sometime and hearing (or maybe it was reading) the comment:

"Heavy fog on the Channel today. Continent cut off..."

I knew what was meant, of course, but cut off? As far as I knew we were doing fine.

Today was billed as rainy all day here, and that was believable because yesterday the rain didn't let up between 8 am and almost midnight except for an hour, plus we had thunderstorms. Today? I'm sitting outside in a sleeveless shirt and was baking hot until a nice breeze came along about an hour ago.

jamikins

Definitely not grumbling!!! Happy with the warm weather, even if it is grey outside!!!

MmePerdu

"I'm terrible about umbrellas. I like to have my hands free."

I think I settled into the umbrella solution when I was photographing gardens with a big camera. Umbrella tucked under my arm, I could continue in the rain. A good balancing act while focusing, ah, the good ol' days. So just walking with one seems almost hands free.

StCirq

I think you must be far more agile than I am, Madame.