Thursday 28 August 2008

So Endeth The Month


Firstly my apologies for not being around in Skywatch Friday for a couple of weeks - I've been trying to avoid looking skyward all month!! Here is the reason:


August. Ever since I can remember August has generated some of the hottest days of the summer months in Britain. It is the month for record temperatures and blazing, burning sunshine. The month when rainfall stops and the daily task of watering the flowerbeds and lawns begins. The month when most factories have two-week closedowns to allow workers to enjoy the best part of the summer. The month when water companies start to highlight the need to conserve water by threatening hose-pipe bans.


August, a hot, dry month. Ever since I can remember.





Not anymore. This August has been the wettest, most miserable month of the year so far. We haven't come anywhere near our average hours of sunshine figure - in fact I can remember only three occasions where the (weak) sun has shone for more than an hour.


August has lived up to it's reputation as being the month for records - not only by being the month in which Team GB did so well at the Olympics, but also by being the wettest August since records began!! Oh, how I love the British weather. Happy(?) Skywatching.


To join in with Skywatch Friday visit The Skywatch Blog and sign in on Mister Linky.

43 comments:

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Gary: At least you had enough of a break to get a Sky shot and a great reflection.

Rose said...

I love moody shots like your first one!

I got to run but got to tell you I also love the post above this.

Berit T said...

Great photos!!

Julie said...

I gather from all I have been reading that this has been a miserable summer in Britain, weatherwise. Your first image shows some of that.

Anonymous said...

It's been raining in here too for days now! Nice and beautiful shots!Drop by if you got a chance, HERE.

Anonymous said...

Yup, August has been the wettest so far! That's why my photos are from many years ago:D

Anonymous said...

great skywatch

imac said...

Great shots and captures.

Ivar Østtun said...

Exactly the same weather as here last night. A lot of rain :-(

Pat - Arkansas said...

Rain, rain, beautiful rain! You got some good photos despite it all. Think of the money you saved on your water bill! :)

Angie said...

Great photos and yes, don't you just love our British weather,lol

Carletta said...

So sorry it has been dismal - but you have some lovely photos to show for it.
Wishing you better skies! ;)

Pretty Life Online said...

Nice catch for Skywatch! Mine's up too hope you can drop by,,,,asking for you vote too... Thanks a lot! Happy weekend!

Arija said...

Such wonderful rain, do send some leftovers our way. Neither autumn nor proper winter rains have we had. The ground is dry, Our fifth year of drought. I'd love some of that precious precipitation.

Leora said...

I can understand why you don't like all that rain, but I do enjoy your rainy photos. Especially the little girl under the umbrella.

Reader Wil said...

Your photos give a good impression about the weather. It was the same here in Holland I was told, but I was in Australia.

Photo Cache said...

Nice photos. Good thing it's almost September.

mrsnesbitt said...

It was nice today Gary! LOL! What's the forecast for the weekend? Dare I ask?

Cátia said...

nice pictures!

Kelly said...

Great pictures and I'm glad you're back to share these lovely photos! Great job!!

Cath said...

You captured it all here Gary!

I have managed to get some good sky pictures this month, but only odd days here and there. As you say, not once have I needed to water the garden - unheard of in August.

Missed you in skywatch. Good to see you here. You captured very realistic skies tonight!

Louise said...

If I could bottle my sunshine, I'd send you some!

Mary said...

With all that rain, you might as well be living in Seattle. Lovely shots, though! Hope you get some sun soon. :)

Anonymous said...

At least you were still able to get some photos. welcome back!

DeniseinVA said...

Nice photos, and I'm glad to see your little girl has her priorities right by keeping her dolls dry :) You managed to capture that very wet Augst you've been having. Hope the sun shines soon.

Unknown said...

I would love some of your gray rainy skies. We keep getting hot and clear.

Luiz Santilli Jr said...

Great post!

Have a nice weekend!

Santilli

Tom said...

Ha! ... thank god for the Pennine Hills... it kept all that rain in Yorkshire... ;o)...
To be honest it's been just the same around here and boy I'm I fed up with it...
Great post my friend.

Gattina said...

Hahaha ! I am in the same boat ! We have this lousy weather also in Belgium ! I even had once to put the heating on !
I stayed 2 weeks ago for a week at the English coast in Eastbourne, when you see my pictures it looks like the Côte d'Azur ! but it was COLD !! and sooo windy !

Cathy said...

Here comes the rain again.. something thing..(how does that song go?) I hate that you are having so much rain but look at your grass, it's green. Mine looks like straw... and crunches like it too.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Look how green the grass is; children have fun in rain and sun;
look at the pros, you don't have to water the garden and there is no restriction on the water, you can wash your car or your bike! Nice, rainy pictures. Thank you for visiting my SWF.

Rune Eide said...

I know all about rain, but the Western Coast of Norway has by and large been spared this year.

Nova said...

great skywatch, my partner says that august isn't what his expecting it would be, it should be hot and warm but nope his been telling me summer season is all crappy.. i've never been here before so i would not experienced it yet. but i do find it just a fine normal weather for me. as it is what we got in Philipppines.

gaz said...

nothing sums up britain like 'wet-n-windy'...
happy sw.

EG CameraGirl said...

Sorry about all the rain you've had in the UK. We;ve been breaking record for wet too here in central Ontario (Canada). I've never known the grass here to stay green all summer long!

Maria said...

Oh my dear, I am sorry to hear that you are disappointed. Here in Austria, the summer was/still is fine because we had SOME rainy days between hot periods which was very pleasant.
Maybe you will have a warm, golden autumn?
But the rain pictures look very nice :)

Anonymous said...

I my recollection August (and July0 have been the most disappointing months of the year. Give me May, June and September any time. Even October... and February.
recently John Kettley has pointed out that the British Summer was a matter of huddling in raincoats in the shelters on the prom looking at a greay am rainswept shore.
Ah, I remember it well.

Gerald (SK14) said...

My blue sky picture is from a few weeks back - it has been quite mild today but hell it isn't November yet!

Jane Hards Photography said...

This made me lol! It has been the wettest greyist Aug I can rememebr. I've been on the older shots myself.
Love these, beacuse they are just so honest. Yes folks it really has been like this in the UK.

Gayle said...

I wouldn't look up either!

Anonymous said...

Ooh - at least you got a shot of a sky. Sorry for the misery of August. At least September is around the corner - better luck!

Suzanne said...

Your photos are wonderful, August looks very wet for you. Have a good weekend.

SandyCarlson said...

Lovely rain, Gary. Thanks.