I have often pondered ...

[bobleponge]

Get the pain aux raisins in, I'm on my way.

[Nicos]

warming up Australia and South Africa for the cricket

**Bex gets coats and leaves this thread**

LOVE that!!!

[Bex]

LOL - thought you would Nicos. It was a bit too early in the morning for me to be having intelligent conversations. I'd only had 2 cups of coffee.

[Nicos]

Get the pain aux raisins in, I'm on my way.

You'll need snow shoes for the last bit- but you'd be welcome!!!

[OllieMartin]

This might help BP:


As you can see the "Periapsis", "Perihelion" or "Perigee" of the planet does not occur until 3rd January. This is because the Earth's orbit around the sun is not totally circular, but is infact eliptical.
The day length, as I'm sure you know, is a function of the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation being at a maximum incline in relation to the sun known as the "solstice".
The Winter conditions are a combination of both the soltice and the apsis of the planet.

[RedThorn]

So to summarise for my poor brain...(agreed Bex too early and better for cricket )

The earth is off kilter on it's axis hence why we have seasons with the summer and winter solstices being the point that the tilting starts to go the other way. Throughout January to March, the continents and the ocean and all large bodies of water keep cooling down hence why the first half of summer is cooler than the second half(It takes a long time to store that amount of energy) as we hit October to December the heat is gradually released keeping the climate slightly warmer than the second half of winter. Please note this ignores micro climates caused by geothermic activity). Mountains act as a barrier or a funnel with the wind, either enhancing or reducing the cooling effects of wind chill. your location to large bodies of water also alter your local temperature as water holds its heat for longer. to be continued after more coffee

[OllieMartin]

So to summarise for my poor brain...(agreed Bex too early and better for cricket )

The earth is off kilter on it's axis hence why we have seasons with the summer and winter solstices being the point that the tilting starts to go the other way. Throughout January to March, the continents and the ocean and all large bodies of water keep cooling down hence why the first half of summer is cooler than the second half(It takes a long time to store that amount of energy) as we hit October to December the heat is gradually released keeping the climate slightly warmer than the second half of winter. Please note this ignores micro climates caused by geothermic activity). Mountains act as a barrier or a funnel with the wind, either enhancing or reducing the cooling effects of wind chill. your location to large bodies of water also alter your local temperature as water holds its heat for longer. to be continued after more coffee

...and also less radiation from the sun hits the planet when it is furthest from the sun during the perhelion, which exacerbates the sea/crust cooling situation.

[Nicos]

We need also to take into account the winds! ( no- not the sprout/JA heating effect!!!)
High pressure and low pressures create winds between the two, dragging in winds from high to low pressure areas.eg bitterly northerly winds carrying down Arctic weather or warming southern Sahara winds.

I think we are now experiencing a typical winter the UK would have if it weren't for the heating effect of the Gulf Stream???

[bobleponge]

Hmmm

Few more coffees down my face after a polar walk with the kelb and a read of this, and I still dont quite understand why the centre of a continental land mass would have the same climatic effects as a coastal region.
I understand the solstice bit, further away from the sun thus not as warm, but equally, in solar distance terms, northern France isn't too far from the country boundary I mentioned earlier. However, in planetary geographical terms, its quite a long way. I would have thought too far for the marine temperature to influence it.
However, I am certainly more enlightened than I was earlier, now off to join Bex, RT and Nicos on another thread to discuss cricket and pain aux raisins.
Cheers all for the help, another mystery from the deeper recesses of the brain of M Leponge demain.

[binley100]

just popped in to have a quick read on what this is all about .
Going now my brain hurts.

[Brengirl]

My head hurts. Bearing in mind all the aforesaid is it more likely that the gulf stream will reach us and give us a glorious summer?

[OverWyreGrower]

*SPLORT*

Sorry, brain explosion.....

[TPeers]

oh lordy Bob....

TPeers...can you invite your Uncle over for a cuppa????

Well I can try........

*SPLORT*

Sorry, brain explosion.....

Too late!

[Nicos]

My head hurts. Bearing in mind all the aforesaid is it more likely that the gulf stream will reach us and give us a glorious summer?

nope!!

[lizzylemon]

Hmmm

....However, in planetary geographical terms, its quite a long way. I would have thought too far for the marine temperature to influence it......

Maybe it's something to do with land mass against sea mass is much smaller and so with the seas etc cooling down, the heat they loose is more than the land mass has stored??? We know it's usually a few degrees cooler at the coast than inland (only a supposition btw)

Plus clouds and wind are in the sky (obviously) which doesn't have any geographical boundries and what starts as a small fluffy cloud at the coast can end up a huge rain storm inland, which cools the air / land too