Why is UK weather so bad in June 2012?
After Britain basked in unseasonal warmth at the end of May, June got off to a terrible start with a series of Atlantic fronts sweeping in the wind and rain which hit the country throughout the week.
The bad weather has been caused by the positioning of a jet stream, a fast-moving current of air in the middle layer of the atmosphere, much further south than is usual for this time of year, causing low pressure directly over the UK.
Rain and wind which would normally be blown off the Atlantic near the north-west coast of Scotland is instead sweeping across the south of the country causing a collection of weather conditions being dubbed the “European Monsoon”. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/18374637
Whether this is the result of Climate change or just a typical English summer, gardeners are feeling cheated by the miserable weather and lack of sun.
With just 11 days till Midsummers Day, we have all missed out on some lovely long warm days in the garden so lets pray for one of those glorious Indian Summers that we often seem to have in September now.
Indoor Gardening?
Whatever the weather is doing, I regularly sit in my “Summer” House writing blogs about the climate and its effects on our plants and gardens. I find it is the next best thing to digging or pruning!
Just picked some beautiful pink Roses to remind me that UK Summer Gardens offer a wealth of beautiful flowers and fragrance – just not as often as they used to maybe?
June 10th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Hi Debbie
I call this Ducking & Diving weather. I just spent a few hours today cutting my tiny patches of grass, broke my new strimmer (!) and then the skies opened. I ducked inside. I think I’ll leave the electric hedge trimmer until it’s a really dry day, so I don’t get electrocuted! In the meantime, my hedge tries to stop traffic 🙂
June 10th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
What a contrast this year to your 2009 video with predictions of farewell to lupins hollyhocks and lawns. Our lawn has never been so lush and green and we have an amazing show of lupins! It’s all crazy and unpredictable!
June 11th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Yes I agree – the weather is totally topsy turvy! The past few years of unpredictable weather prove that as gardeners we are going to have to adapt to constantly changing climatic conditions in the future .Gardening is certainly more about the weather today than it has ever been.
June 11th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Love your description of a day in your garden – shows you are a true gardener as it sounds as if a bit of rain does not put you off at all!
Welcome to the world of horticultural delights.