Penellype's Weather Channel

[Penellype]

Penellype, could you explain the pics I put on the 'What makes you happy' thread as I have never seen a rainbow opposite a red sky like that.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1559895

There are 2 things at work here. Firstly the red sky. A red sky is caused by dust or haze in the atmosphere scattering sunlight - this is often, as in your picture, reflected on the underside of cloud. In order to see this you need the sky around the sun to be clear. So as your photo was taken in the morning, you have clear sky to the east, with a few clouds which are reflecting the red glow.

Secondly the rainbow. Rainbows are always opposite the sun and are caused by light being refracted and reflected by water droplets (usually but not always rain - you can get a fog bow). The rainbow itself does not actually exist, it is an optical "illusion". You will only see a rainbow if the light can be reflected from a raindrop at an angle of exactly 42 degrees to the direction of the light source. This means that you can actually see a rainbow if it is not raining where you are, as long as there are water droplets which can reflect the light back to you at the required angle.

You can see in your picture of the rainbow that it is actually raining to the west, although it looks like most of it could be evaporating before it hits the ground, which is not that unusual (and can result in radar pictures which imply that it is raining when it isn't).

I hope that helps.

[Lumpy]

Thank you Penellype.

[Penellype]

Enjoy the last couple of days of warmish weather because all changes Saturday into Sunday with the wind coming in from the north. Sunday night could be quite frosty where skies are clear.

There may be a return to milder weather in the middle of next week, but most of the models are consistently going for northerly winds again by the start of November, with high pressure to the west. This then looks as though it may drift north which would pull the wind into the east, another cold direction at this time of year. This is by no means a certainty, but frosts are likely and snow is a possibility - watch this space.

[Greenleaves]

Thanks Penellype, best get me woollen boxers out

[1Bee]

I'm getting all excited....

[Penellype]

I'm getting all excited....

Remember it is still a long way off in forecasting terms and much can change. Yesterday's forecast promised a dry day today, for example, but a narrow band of rain sat across the north of England (particularly wet over York) all day today. My plan for cutting the hedge tomorrow is a non starter because it will be far too wet and I can see water in the holes that the tomato stakes came out of, so the ground is absolutely saturated. If that's dry I dread to think what wet means.

If they can't get "tomorrow" right, next week is anyone's guess.

[1Bee]

Don't worry, I know it's very uncertain. But I like getting excited anyway...

Frost on the cars this morning.

[Penellype]

So here we are with a cold night tonight, but the cold spell for the start of November has all but disappeared. It may come back towards bonfire night or it may not - some of the runs are still pretty cold beyond 5th November:



Apart from some fronts bringing a bit of rain to the northern half of the country on Tuesday, there is not much rain for the next week or so with high pressure dominant. That doesn't mean wall to wall sunshine though as at this time of year there is always a risk of fog with high pressure. The upper air temperatures may be warm, but towards the end of the week winds may fall light and if skies clear there is the potential for more frosty nights.

[Greenleaves]

Dry sounds good Penellype

[Penellype]

Cold night tonight and colder tomorrow night with a widespread frost, so shut your greenhouse and cover anything vulnerable that you want to keep!

[Greenleaves]

Thanks Penellype

[Jungle Jane]

Thanks you just saved my sweet peppers!!

[Penellype]

The models have been really struggling with next week, but have firmed up on a chilly day after a frosty start tomorrow, becoming milder into Tuesday as the wind swings round to the south or south west. It doesn't last long though as a cold front brings rain from the west on Monday night into Tuesday, followed by cooler and clearer weather which will give another cold and potentially frosty night Tuesday into Wednesday. High pressure then builds, but as the winds move back to the south west the air will be damp and there is likely to be a good deal of cloud and possibly some fog. It looks likely that away from western coasts and northern Scotland there won't be all that much rain.

How long this lasts is very much open to question as the ensemble chart for York shows:

[Nicos]

Interestingly Pen, my bunny and the chooks are demanding more than usual amounts of food!
They clearly think/know winter is upon us!

[Penellype]

The lady who owns the stables where I keep my horses says she always knows when it is going to be cold because the horses eat more - not when it is cold, but just before it gets cold. Animals are far more perceptive than we are, I think (or we have lost the ability).