The MGS Forum
Miscellaneous => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: John on November 28, 2011, 09:25:30 AM
-
Just thought that I'd mention that today I woke to a frost. The first of the season, here in the UK (at least for me in the London suburbs). Turning milder again tonight though! Due to this very mild weather bedding plants are still flowering though I suspect this first cold snap will have put an end to that now. Amazing though, nearly December and tuberous Begonia still in flower.
-
We've not had a frost yet, and neither have we had the usual November torrential rains. There are lots of plants still in flower, including Spring flowers like bearded irises and alliums. I do wonder if the alliums will come back next year.
-
Weather Umbria. We too are enjoying a wonderfully warm autumn with no damage to more tender things despite a week of hard ground frosts in mid November. The thermometer,under "cover" outside our back door that faces North, read +2C at its lowest but geraniums, morning glory, Salvia guaranitica etc are still flowering merrily. One fact may be that we are really still suffering drought conditions with no rain for weeks and so the soil is quite dry. :)
-
In the south east UK we are also suffering somewhat from a drought. Hardly any rain for ages. Reservoirs getting really low again.
-
Same story here, no rain for weeks, warmer than average for time of year, roadside almond trees already showing blossom, two Iris albicans plants in flower. And all the Narcissus papyraceus have already been blooming for a fortnight! (Photos to follow next week I hope...)
-
My sister, in Caithness, recorded 95mph wind speed by her weather station on the roof today!
Some gusts here today seem to be trying to rival that.
-
What a lucky lot we are!!
25º. Not a cloud to be seen, picnic on the beach and our own olive oil for "Pan con Tomate" topped with Jamon Iberica and a Rioja for company.
-
It is somewhat fresher here in Oslo, -8 0C and the ground is covered with snow. All water reservoirs are full, we have not had more rain any other year the last 112 years.
-
Between 10 ° C the morning and 15 ° C the afternoon in south of France in Var. No wind this last days, but a lot of rain the last month. Iris unguicularis had became to bloom, and lantana montevidensis is in full blooms.
-
Last night's continuous rain and hail added 2inches to my swimming pool. The lower ground in the valleys was still quite saturated, so most of that emerged as runoff in the river bed. I can see the river from my study window, and I can more or less see the water level rising. Never seen it this high before - the valley bottom is becoming braided with swirling ruddy muddy water. Three of the reservoirs in Cyprus are full, others are filling ahead of their rate last year. Touch wood, my runoff management measures are working. But there are many bits of road and river bank round-about that are suffering from minor slippages.
Piccies:
1. the old road between Polis and Prodromi, being swamped
2. the broad swathe passing under the new bridge - coping so far...
3. churning water
-
Mike quite exiting. The first one almost looks like tufa. Or roots, not water!
-
Did any of you see the snow fall in the Sahara on the news. Amazing.
-
Great to see, Mike, I haven't seen the Kouris (our local river) running like that since they dammed it in the late 80s. We've been getting more rain this year than we've had for a long time and I'm glad to hear that the smaller reservoirs in the Paphos area are on the point of overflowing. However, the larger ones here in Limassol are a long way off that and the overall capacity on the island is still only a little over 50%.
-
David - snow in the Sahara - thanks for the heads up.
Not since 1979, apparently.
Curiously there are songs called 'Snow fall in the Sahara' and 'Snow in the Sahara'.
But of horticultural interest, buried in this summary, is a comment about snow being good for palms...
January 20, 2012 – BECHAR, Algeria - Snow fell Tuesday in the Sahara Desert in western Algeria. A 24-hour cold spell brought snow and rain to the region. Strong wind blew the snow across roads and buildings in the province of Bechar. Meteorologists predicted a return of good weather Wednesday. People who live in the region said the snow was good for the palm trees because it killed parasites. Bechar is located in the northern Sahara, about 36 miles south of the Moroccan border. –Nine News
(http://www.disclose.tv/forum/it-s-snowing-in-the-sahara-desert-t66161.html)
John - and the snow melt from the Troodos should be good this spring, too.
-
This morning being a nice bright day I drove up to the Kouris Dam (the largest on the island) to see what the level was. The first photo is of the dam itself and, I admit, doesn't give a clear indication of its current capacity. I carried on around the reservoir to the site of the old village of Alassa. This was abandoned and rebuilt on higher ground when the dam was built in the late 1980s. The second photo is of the old village church, taken this morning. The third photo was taken in March 2004 and is of the same church or, at least, all that could be seen of it. That year the Kouris, along with every other dam in Cyprus, overflowed for the first and only time.
I said the day was bright but it was still quite sharp and a hot dring would have been very welcome but, unfortunately, the kiosk was closed.
-
Fascinating pictures, John, almost unbelievable - the church looks so relatively unscathed!
-
@John - Hot Dring gave me a proper laugh just now! :D Lovely pictures.
And keeping with the topic of the thread, what news on everyone's weather?
Here, after good rain at the end of November, it has been dry almost constantly for over two months, with above-average temperatures. Two weeks ago we had a some useful rainfall over a couple of days, but that has been it.
Can anyone proffer thoughts on irrigation in winter, any precautions or recommendations?
-
Very little rain here in Umbria from September through to now although further north and to the south there has been disastrous amounts at times with flooding and landslips. Daytime temperatures well above normal with clear blue skies and warm sunshine. The local farmers are very worried not to mention the gardeners. Our isolated old farmhouse is served by a spring for house water and this dried up last June for only the second time in the nearly 14 years we have been here. Needless to say it is still dry. Thank goodness we sank a well which we are able to switch to in emergencies like this but we are even worrying about that source should the dry weather continue because surely the water table must be falling all the time? ??? :(
-
Has been pretty dry here in southern Greece, but some rain in the last few weeks. Very cold weather sweeping down from eastern Europe, in northern Greece early this month temp down to minus 25C - not seen there for 30 years. And another bout of cold weather now, snow flurries in Athens today, and even down here right by the coast I see snow on the hills about the house. Our temp down to plus 4 last night. Still drier than usual for the time of year, and spring bulbs all later than usual. But gorgeous Anemone coronaria down at the southern end of the Mani peninsula, where the populations include very deep-coloured forms.
-
We have had virtually no rain here in the Costa Blanca since last September. Very intermittent autumn rains. I think it has been the driest winter we have experienced in 7 years. Our bulbs (Narcissus tazetta mainly and some hyacinths) look a bit sad, no blooms on the horizon and the leaves are drooping somewhat. But the Iris germanica is loaded with buds and Crocosmia lucifer and Chasmanthe floribunda are strongly flowering. We have had a serious winter cut back in the last week something which we do every 3-4 years. and I was hoping for some rain. The earth is quite dry and in fact I brought out the hose to dampen some parts of the ground today where I have young plants. We have frost forecast inland here in the next few days, but I doubt if it will affect us as we are only 300m from the coast. But still, I have covered the Plumeria!
-
Up in north Portugal we are due to have drizzle tonight and showers tomorrow and then maybe some rain next week!! Otherwise like Marilyn down south: no real rain for ages. In fact, according a newspaper article published this afternoon, Portugal is already suffering from a "meteorological drought", with the rainfall in January having been only a seventh of normal rainfall.
-
Here in my hometown Arta in Epirus it snowed!!! Last time I remember snow it was 20years ago!! Unfortunatelly it melted and turned into a slur, but it was nice to look at in the morning!!
-
Helena and I had a slightly hair-raising drive along the Peloponnese motorway yesterday, to Athens airport on our way home, as it had a few inches of snow up in the mountains and the police were blocking off all the trucks, but did allow cars. We'd been keeping an eye on the excellent University of Athens forecasts so were forewarned and had left lots of extra time to crawl along reasonably safely, and did catch our plane.
-
Here in Crete we have had mixed weather so far this winter.
Plenty of windy days, some of them with rain. ;D
Then there has been a few warm sunny days as well, when I have been able to try to catch up with things in the garden.
So far this winter we have had 323.6mm or 12.75inches of rain.
Those figures are for the whole island though. Here in the east there will have been a lot less. :'(
The wind has been the predominant feature of the winter. For most of January, It has been a cold northerly wind. Time to curl up beside the log fire and catch up on my reading.
This last week though, it has turned and is coming from the south, off of North Africa.
We call this wind a Gaddafi, as it is strong, blustery and full of rubbish.
To-day it is very strong. Two of my pots of Narcissus odorus, which are full of buds, have been blown off of the wall.
As I sit here at the computer, I can see out of the window, a small ship moored in the bay below.. It looks like the local coaster. The wind is catching it and turning it broadside. I would't like to be out at sea on a day like this.
Daisy :)
-
Daisy, your rainfall sounds like real luxury! It's no wonder your garden looks so beautiful :D
Here, still no rain but a sharp overnight frost at the weekend has left many soft leaves drooping - Hibiscus, Dombeya, Pelargonium, Schefflera. Worst, of course, in the cold shady pockets which don't heat up quickly in the morning (of which our nursery area is unfortunately one). I switched the irrigation on for the sub-tropical type exotics and the lawns at the weekend, unaware of the risk of frost, but so far this does not seem to have resulted in more damage than elsewhere.
Casalima (I am intrigued to know more about the different gardening conditions in northern Portugal, by the way!) - I was checking the Portuguese meteorology site today, almost the whole country is in weak to moderate drought, with some parts already reaching severe drought. If we don't get more rain this month, I dread to think what things will look like by summer.
-
The Evretou Reservoir (our local one) began overflowing down the spillway the other day - for the first time since it was built, which was in 1968 [correction: 1986 - thanks John]. As a consequence, the river in the valley below us now has a strong steady flow. It seems strange to see it like this, after years of merely seasonal trickles.
-
Good to see, Mike. The Germasogeia on the outskirts of Limassol is just beginning to trickle over the spillway. The last time it overflowed, in 2004, seemed to surprise a few people, especially those who had parked their cars in the car park that had been created in the dry bed near the coast, just above where the river discharged into the sea in the days before the dam was built. Those members who attended the AGM in 2009 might remember seeing the car park across the road from the main hotel we used, The Miramare.
Sorry to be pedantic but I believe the Evretou Dam was one of the later ones and opened in 1986.
-
quite right - typo - 1986 - thanks John
-
The photo of the church in the abandoned village of Alassa that I took today may not be as dramatic as the one from 2004 but there's time yet and the snow melt from the mountains still to come.
The other photos are of a Pay and Display car park that the authorities deemed it a good idea to create in the dry riverbed of the Germasogia river following its damming. It was flooded in 2004 and is in full spate again this year. It empties into the sea about 100 m further down from this spot. I don't think there's much danger of anyone parking in the entrance to the guy's garage, unless it's with a boat.
-
Extraordinary pictures John, thanks! (Especially when the UK papers most days have at least one picture of a dried-up reservoir....)
-
Yes we are desperately hoping for rain here in London tomorrow. It is promised but!
-
The rain has arrived and our drought has broken though it won't be anywhere near enough to make a difference. Hose pipe bans are due to come in soon!
-
We had rain yesterday and more today!! And a bit more due this week. Great excitement!! And this in an area with an average annual rainfall of 1500 mm.
-
Attempting the "spring clean" of my quite extensive garden I am worried about how dry it is already. It hardly seems possible that just a few weeks ago it was lying under deep snow - 60cm+ in places. Last year was very dry and we had a very mild autumn, the water table must be very low because when the snow finally melted, the little stream that we have to ford to get to our house did not become a raging torrent as is usual after snow. Now it is just a trickle again that is more usual for the summer months. The snow melt will have helped deeper in the soil of course but the surface is already cracking due to unseasonably high temperatures and constant wind making weeding increasingly difficult. :(
-
Haven't posted on this thread for a long time but took a look at the old church in Alassa abandoned village this morning. Hasn't been this far under water since 2004. The trees that were growing next to it seem to have either been cut down or collapsed.
-
Haven't posted about weather for some time and am not sure where I should but have opted for here!
Strange assortment of flowering plants in the garden at the moment that probably will change after the temperature plummeted yesterday and we even had a sprinkling of snow.
I have Solanum rantonnetti still flowering alongside Helleborus niger which often fails to live up to it's name of 'Christmas Rose' but this year was very early and now is almost over. Many Salvias still going strong and the roses producing the odd new bloom whilst a fat daffodil bud is about to burst open....
Knowing that conditions can change very quickly I have my most tender subjects safely moved to their winter quarters but I am hopeful that my annual Christmas Day count of flowers open in the garden will be greater this year - or at least different.
-
I had hoped to emulate Umbrian and do a count of the flowers open today, and maybe take a few photos, but the weather has ruled that out with a vengeance. Yesterday was extremely wet and windy and the wet has continued into today although I'm glad to say that the wind has dropped, so too wet to venture out with camera.
Suffice it to say that wherever you are in the world if you are celebrating at this time of year I hope it is with friends and family and that you have a great time.
-
Our beautiful, warm sunny days have come to an end at the moment and some welcome rain fell yesterday. Despite the cold nights, that accompanied the warm days, I still have an assortment of summer flowers surviving alongside winter and early spring subjects such as Coronilla glauca. Salvia Costa Rican Blue is the star of the show in that area with flowers on lower branches still bravely opening. Some plants obviously just don't know what to do however as the snowdrops are only just poking their leaves out of the soil.
(My total count of flowers in Christmas Day was 29 - a record since we have been in Italy)