After 47 consecutive days of rain, to-day it was dry – although rain is forecast for later this evening.
Of course – I didn’t realize that we were going to have a dry day to-day and yesterday I resorted to buying a tumble drier.
I could perhaps dry things around the house if
a) We had some form of heating, or
b) We didn’t have rain coming down the walls in most of the upstairs rooms.
November was the wettest November on record with an average of 8.6 ins (217.4 mm) of rain across the U.K.
Bearing in mind that Cumbria, parts of Scotland and Snowdonia (where I live) have the highest average rainfall in the U.K. ….. It is WET.
My neighbors have resorted to a sump pump to bail out their cellar. Our houses are in direct line between the mountains and the sea and water tends to use the gardens as a short cut back to the ocean.
So we are getting from above and below.
Oh – and the Met Office round up also mentions that in Wales, we had the dullest weather for the U.K.
Probably because all those rain clouds were blocking out the sun.
It is the perpetual grey that really gets me down.
The skies are grey, the ground is sodden, I am grouchy.
For the past six weeks or so the conversation in this house goes something along the lines of;
“Oh look it’s raining”
or
“Oh look, it’s raining again”
or even
“Is it raining?”
“YES”
My tulip bulbs are still in the porch waiting to go in. The allium bulbs are slowly rising to the surface of the soil as the water puddles in all the borders.
And instead of digging for bulbs, the squirrels are fishing for them.
(Sigh)
It is believed that as climate change takes place – winters in Wales are likely to be wetter and warmer, with less snow and more storms.
Yesterday I read on the Environment Agency Website that a Malaysian chief helps Wales prepare for tropical rainfall flooding.
(grief)
Deb at My Global Garden writes informatively about climate change and the impact it will have on gardeners. Recently she wrote about growing things hydroponically …. I may have to investigate this.
There is an urban myth that the Inuits have 100 words for snow. To-day I was thinking about descriptive words for rain, so here are a few that I have used this month.
- Rain
- Wet Rain
- Very Wet Rain
- P@*&?£@ it down
- Bucketing down
- Sideways rain
- Horizontal Rain
- Torrential Rain
- Drizzle
- Downpour
- Sea Mist (Which is rain really)
- Cloud burst
- Stair rods
And last but by no means least “Welsh Rain” which I am sure that those of you who have holidayed in Wales will know and love. It is the wettest, creeping into all your bones rain that I have known.
So these are just the descriptions that fly from my fingers as I type this – please feel free to add your own descriptions of rain in the comments.
And if you see me waving – it probably means I am drowning.
I do sympathise. The leaking roof must be a real irritation. I hope you have stuffed the builders into the holes.
I have stayed in Wales once and it rained – my abiding image is water rushing down the road and wet,wet slate. I thought it might have been a dream but you have convinced me otherwise
No – not a dream I am afraid – although strangely my childhood memories of Wales are of sunshine – well in the summer.
As for the builders – I am saying nothing
K
I did not realise that we’ve had so many consecutive days of the wet stuff Karen. We can’t be so far behind you here in terms of rainfall. Your rain classification is brilliant
I saw something in my paper recently which came up with a rain scale similar to the Beaufort wind scale. Will have to try and fish it out. Now for the good news – high pressure is on the horizon. Yaaaaaaay !
Hi Anna – no I expect you have very similar weather conditions as we do. I have to admit to not counting the days of rain my-self – I heard it from someone who works for the environment agency here
I would love to see the rain scale you saw
K
Anna´s last blog ..Le Sapin De Noel
But today it was dry and the forecast is dry for the next few days until they stop telling us! Don’t think we get as much as you do, and at least up here we don’t get the rain rushing down to the sea under the house. But I have unplanted tulip bulbs too. I think I might be a fair weather gardener.
Shall we make a pact to get our tulips planted by next week?
K
elizabethm´s last blog ..Christmas – let’s just all calm down a bit.
You are spot on with this evenings forecast. We have just had a “curtain of rain” that lasted for about 8 mins. (Guess it wasn’t really a curtain, but I needed to get the clasification in!) Then to add to my woes, my connection is really slow, so either the whole village is down or my laptop is playing up. Oh well, you know what they say, “It never rains but is pours”
On that note, night night (Or at least it will be by the time this has gone across the ether).
Nice one Dobby – 10 out of 10 for your curtain of rain
Yes it’s raining here too!
K
Deluge and torrential are words I’ve used to describe Nashville rain in the winter….then there is saturated. The atmosphere is saturated, heavy and thick with moisture. I would have to invest in a light box. Hugs to you, gail
Thanks for the hugs Gail – just what I need
Yep, Deluge is a great word for rain!
K
Gail´s last blog ..Wildflower Wednesday~~Let’s Be Honest About Honesty!
Greeting Wet Darlin’,
In Oregon, we have lots of rain as well, although this has been a somewhat drier winter so far. I use really wet days to stay home, light the fire, turn on all the lights and do art. Wishing you a speedy roof fixing.
Cindee´s last blog ..Ghosts in the Garden
We have had this rain, all those sorts of rain. Today is dry,and sunny.The trouble is that I’m slipping and sliding and squelching as I go round the garden- and thats just the grass paths. The borders are just a sea of muddy clay. Of course creeping buttercup grows happily in this as in all other envroments. My alliums have not yet surfaced, but I think thats because they’ve rotted.The tulips are in pots- for which read vessels for water.Climate change, Ho Hum.
Deluge sounds good, don’t you think?
It’s been raining here a lot too, far too much in fact but not as much as you are having, you poor thing. And you are not even dry inside either.
Yolanda Elizabet´s last blog ..Bulbalicious
I think Lancashire rain must com a close second to Welsh rain. I returned from a very wet week recently. However on a brighter note I love your photograph and think of all the time you can spend with your photography work now that it’s not so nice weather for gardening.
Joanne´s last blog ..MARTIN MERE WILDFOWL CENTRE
It’s been raining and raining and raining here in the ’sunny’ south. I ventured out to the greenhouse one day as it was sunny but as I turned my back more rain and hail came trapping me and my cat in the greenhouse until it eased off. It is so dark and miserable that by 2.00pm everyday my brain and body shutdown and go into hibernation. But today…. today the sun came out and it was warm and wonderful and I didn’t feel tired and the nights will be getting shorter soon….
Arabella Sock´s last blog ..Advent Countdown -December 10th
Sorry to hear about your wet season. Wow, that was a lot of rainy days in a row. I did have to laugh a bit at your descriptions, though.
You know, that photo would make a lovely quilted piece, maybe with some background writing.
Sandy´s last blog ..two western views for SWF
Oh dear, i do feel sorry for you, it sounds terrible. I hope things get better soon.
I’ve often fantasised about running away to Wales, its such a lovely place (to me, as a kid, it was sunny!) but where i am we seem to avoid all the extreme weather; we only have to put up with overcrowding, traffic, pollution . . oh, forget it. give me Wales. Where’s me wellies?
Ian´s last blog ..Digging it . .
Heh. I can sympathize, seriously, because our November was one big rain too; and when not raining it was just overcast, dull, cold and dreary. We’ve now segued into snow OR rain, but also days of brilliant sunshine, occasionally. I hope that the weather improves soon.
jodi (bloomingwriter)´s last blog ..Amorous about Amaryllis
We had quite a downpour Tuesday. I am glad that was it. We call them gully washers or it’s raining cats and dogs. which makes no sense.
MNGarden´s last blog ..Take a Break
47 consecutive days of rain — I think I’d be crying. Bless you for your fortitude, and I might just go ahead and force the tulips inside to bring in some cheer, if I were you. We have gullywashers here sometimes, just as MN says, and in the Southeast (U.S.) we just had some major fall flooding after a relatively hot and dry summer, which wreaked havoc in the garden. I’m sure climate change is behind some of it, but my grandfather was a farmer for 50 years and saw extremes, too, including a drought that lasted so long in the ’50s that they planted the corn in the dry riverbed. He gave me the best advice about dealing with the weather in my gardening adventure: Take it as it comes.
Although in your case, I admit, my patience would be sorely tested… wishing you dry days! Beautiful photo!
Meredith´s last blog ..new shoot
Ohmygoodness! And to think I was feeling sorry for myself in November with our overcast skies, rain and cold weather… I apologize! Rain: mist, wetness, cloud perspiration, Northerner, and “Oh, my, not again….” Just know you have a lot of people that are wishing you some dry, sunny days!
Shady Gardener´s last blog ..Ooh the Weather Outside is Frightful… but You Can Make it Snow on Your Blog!
Well, if all that rain results in a photo such as the one posted, another word for rain might be “inspiring”–Lovely!
Virginia´s last blog ..Exotic Flowering bulbs from Down Under!