Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
Feb 20th 2006, 5:47 am
#1
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
This recent discussion on kids and weather got me thinking.
Is it really bad, in Summer, in the UK? Most people want to get a new house and a new car and to 'chill out' and so decide to move to Aus. They tell themselves its for the kids to have a better outdoor life. (I'm taking the piss, personally, I think Australia can offer a great deal for kids- cancer or no cancer). Anyhow, people always talk about how it pisses down in the UK and how there is no summer. And pictures of dirty beaches don't help.
Perception is the key.
I can only remember summers from my childhood as I have not consistently been in the UK long enough the last 10 years to really know. I recall hot summers. But whenever I've rang home from Central Europe (30c) I was always told it was raining- yet 'Spring was gorgeous'. I'm beginning to feel that high summer in the UK is genuinely a wet season and as winters are long -(although mild by Continental standards) that people do feel generally shortchanged.
What I do remember from my year in Australia followed by 9 months in the UK was the lack of consistency. On arrival at Heathrow at midday in February on a mild day, the first thing I noticed was no sky - it literally looked dark and purple. I thought, 'who turned out the lights"? April brought an immediate change and it was uphill all the way. In Melbourne, my brother and my Dad (on seperate visits) have noticed how beautiful the sky is, and how bright it is, even with clouds - they say that pollution changes it over there. They notice different types of cloud, often in the UK its low-lying.
Summer 2003 was the best UK summer I've experienced as an adult. Heatwaves and consistent sun. To be honest, every day, really. But I'm told this was a one-off.
It seems that UK climate is changing, the summers are improving marginally, but the winters are getting colder, especially if the last 2 are a trend.
Me- I still prefer Victoria where you get the best of both worlds. A decent summer, long autumns and springs, long evenings, equivalent to a UK summer(+) and a short winter which the woodburner makes fun.
Is it really bad, in Summer, in the UK? Most people want to get a new house and a new car and to 'chill out' and so decide to move to Aus. They tell themselves its for the kids to have a better outdoor life. (I'm taking the piss, personally, I think Australia can offer a great deal for kids- cancer or no cancer). Anyhow, people always talk about how it pisses down in the UK and how there is no summer. And pictures of dirty beaches don't help.
Perception is the key.
I can only remember summers from my childhood as I have not consistently been in the UK long enough the last 10 years to really know. I recall hot summers. But whenever I've rang home from Central Europe (30c) I was always told it was raining- yet 'Spring was gorgeous'. I'm beginning to feel that high summer in the UK is genuinely a wet season and as winters are long -(although mild by Continental standards) that people do feel generally shortchanged.
What I do remember from my year in Australia followed by 9 months in the UK was the lack of consistency. On arrival at Heathrow at midday in February on a mild day, the first thing I noticed was no sky - it literally looked dark and purple. I thought, 'who turned out the lights"? April brought an immediate change and it was uphill all the way. In Melbourne, my brother and my Dad (on seperate visits) have noticed how beautiful the sky is, and how bright it is, even with clouds - they say that pollution changes it over there. They notice different types of cloud, often in the UK its low-lying.
Summer 2003 was the best UK summer I've experienced as an adult. Heatwaves and consistent sun. To be honest, every day, really. But I'm told this was a one-off.
It seems that UK climate is changing, the summers are improving marginally, but the winters are getting colder, especially if the last 2 are a trend.
Me- I still prefer Victoria where you get the best of both worlds. A decent summer, long autumns and springs, long evenings, equivalent to a UK summer(+) and a short winter which the woodburner makes fun.
Feb 20th 2006, 6:19 am
#2
Proudly Deplorable
Joined: May 2003
Location: Alloha snack bar
Posts: 24,246
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
Originally Posted by thatsnotquiteright
This recent discussion on kids and weather got me thinking.
Is it really bad, in Summer, in the UK? Most people want to get a new house and a new car and to 'chill out' and so decide to move to Aus. They tell themselves its for the kids to have a better outdoor life. (I'm taking the piss, personally, I think Australia can offer a great deal for kids- cancer or no cancer). Anyhow, people always talk about how it pisses down in the UK and how there is no summer. And pictures of dirty beaches don't help.
Perception is the key.
I can only remember summers from my childhood as I have not consistently been in the UK long enough the last 10 years to really know. I recall hot summers. But whenever I've rang home from Central Europe (30c) I was always told it was raining- yet 'Spring was gorgeous'. I'm beginning to feel that high summer in the UK is genuinely a wet season and as winters are long -(although mild by Continental standards) that people do feel generally shortchanged.
What I do remember from my year in Australia followed by 9 months in the UK was the lack of consistency. On arrival at Heathrow at midday in February on a mild day, the first thing I noticed was no sky - it literally looked dark and purple. I thought, 'who turned out the lights"? April brought an immediate change and it was uphill all the way. In Melbourne, my brother and my Dad (on seperate visits) have noticed how beautiful the sky is, and how bright it is, even with clouds - they say that pollution changes it over there. They notice different types of cloud, often in the UK its low-lying.
Summer 2003 was the best UK summer I've experienced as an adult. Heatwaves and consistent sun. To be honest, every day, really. But I'm told this was a one-off.
It seems that UK climate is changing, the summers are improving marginally, but the winters are getting colder, especially if the last 2 are a trend.
Me- I still prefer Victoria where you get the best of both worlds. A decent summer, long autumns and springs, long evenings, equivalent to a UK summer(+) and a short winter which the woodburner makes fun.
Is it really bad, in Summer, in the UK? Most people want to get a new house and a new car and to 'chill out' and so decide to move to Aus. They tell themselves its for the kids to have a better outdoor life. (I'm taking the piss, personally, I think Australia can offer a great deal for kids- cancer or no cancer). Anyhow, people always talk about how it pisses down in the UK and how there is no summer. And pictures of dirty beaches don't help.
Perception is the key.
I can only remember summers from my childhood as I have not consistently been in the UK long enough the last 10 years to really know. I recall hot summers. But whenever I've rang home from Central Europe (30c) I was always told it was raining- yet 'Spring was gorgeous'. I'm beginning to feel that high summer in the UK is genuinely a wet season and as winters are long -(although mild by Continental standards) that people do feel generally shortchanged.
What I do remember from my year in Australia followed by 9 months in the UK was the lack of consistency. On arrival at Heathrow at midday in February on a mild day, the first thing I noticed was no sky - it literally looked dark and purple. I thought, 'who turned out the lights"? April brought an immediate change and it was uphill all the way. In Melbourne, my brother and my Dad (on seperate visits) have noticed how beautiful the sky is, and how bright it is, even with clouds - they say that pollution changes it over there. They notice different types of cloud, often in the UK its low-lying.
Summer 2003 was the best UK summer I've experienced as an adult. Heatwaves and consistent sun. To be honest, every day, really. But I'm told this was a one-off.
It seems that UK climate is changing, the summers are improving marginally, but the winters are getting colder, especially if the last 2 are a trend.
Me- I still prefer Victoria where you get the best of both worlds. A decent summer, long autumns and springs, long evenings, equivalent to a UK summer(+) and a short winter which the woodburner makes fun.
Feb 20th 2006, 6:29 am
#3
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Oz -> UK -> San Diego
Posts: 9,912
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
Originally Posted by thatsnotquiteright
This recent discussion on kids and weather got me thinking.
Is it really bad, in Summer, in the UK? Most people want to get a new house and a new car and to 'chill out' and so decide to move to Aus. They tell themselves its for the kids to have a better outdoor life. (I'm taking the piss, personally, I think Australia can offer a great deal for kids- cancer or no cancer). Anyhow, people always talk about how it pisses down in the UK and how there is no summer. And pictures of dirty beaches don't help.
Perception is the key.
I can only remember summers from my childhood as I have not consistently been in the UK long enough the last 10 years to really know. I recall hot summers. But whenever I've rang home from Central Europe (30c) I was always told it was raining- yet 'Spring was gorgeous'. I'm beginning to feel that high summer in the UK is genuinely a wet season and as winters are long -(although mild by Continental standards) that people do feel generally shortchanged.
What I do remember from my year in Australia followed by 9 months in the UK was the lack of consistency. On arrival at Heathrow at midday in February on a mild day, the first thing I noticed was no sky - it literally looked dark and purple. I thought, 'who turned out the lights"? April brought an immediate change and it was uphill all the way. In Melbourne, my brother and my Dad (on seperate visits) have noticed how beautiful the sky is, and how bright it is, even with clouds - they say that pollution changes it over there. They notice different types of cloud, often in the UK its low-lying.
Summer 2003 was the best UK summer I've experienced as an adult. Heatwaves and consistent sun. To be honest, every day, really. But I'm told this was a one-off.
It seems that UK climate is changing, the summers are improving marginally, but the winters are getting colder, especially if the last 2 are a trend.
Me- I still prefer Victoria where you get the best of both worlds. A decent summer, long autumns and springs, long evenings, equivalent to a UK summer(+) and a short winter which the woodburner makes fun.
Is it really bad, in Summer, in the UK? Most people want to get a new house and a new car and to 'chill out' and so decide to move to Aus. They tell themselves its for the kids to have a better outdoor life. (I'm taking the piss, personally, I think Australia can offer a great deal for kids- cancer or no cancer). Anyhow, people always talk about how it pisses down in the UK and how there is no summer. And pictures of dirty beaches don't help.
Perception is the key.
I can only remember summers from my childhood as I have not consistently been in the UK long enough the last 10 years to really know. I recall hot summers. But whenever I've rang home from Central Europe (30c) I was always told it was raining- yet 'Spring was gorgeous'. I'm beginning to feel that high summer in the UK is genuinely a wet season and as winters are long -(although mild by Continental standards) that people do feel generally shortchanged.
What I do remember from my year in Australia followed by 9 months in the UK was the lack of consistency. On arrival at Heathrow at midday in February on a mild day, the first thing I noticed was no sky - it literally looked dark and purple. I thought, 'who turned out the lights"? April brought an immediate change and it was uphill all the way. In Melbourne, my brother and my Dad (on seperate visits) have noticed how beautiful the sky is, and how bright it is, even with clouds - they say that pollution changes it over there. They notice different types of cloud, often in the UK its low-lying.
Summer 2003 was the best UK summer I've experienced as an adult. Heatwaves and consistent sun. To be honest, every day, really. But I'm told this was a one-off.
It seems that UK climate is changing, the summers are improving marginally, but the winters are getting colder, especially if the last 2 are a trend.
Me- I still prefer Victoria where you get the best of both worlds. A decent summer, long autumns and springs, long evenings, equivalent to a UK summer(+) and a short winter which the woodburner makes fun.
Feb 20th 2006, 6:52 am
#4
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
Originally Posted by thatsnotquiteright
This recent discussion on kids and weather got me thinking..
As great as 2003 was, subsequent years have been worse than 'usual', the met-office themselves refer to 2004 as a 'summer-soaker' - an enormous disappointment given the previous year. 2005 was all over the place - up to 30 degrees in mid-June, but with mad wind events in July (a tornado struck Birmingham) and unseasonably cold weather (down to 14 degrees at points). 2005 was also the year that the Glastonbury festival wasn't so much as washed out, as washed away. So to summarise, the summers aren't getting warmer, they're getting more extreme.
I would argue that UK winters are getting colder too. When I was a kid, we had snow most years, but it's been 10 years since England saw any significant snow-fall. Winter tends to just be an extended period of cool, drab weather that lasts from November through to April.
Feb 20th 2006, 6:58 am
#5
Victorian Evangelist
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Melbourne, by the beach, living the dream.
Posts: 7,704
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
Originally Posted by Amazulu
I lived in the UK for 10 years & don't think it actually rains that much or it's that cold. Damp & grey maybe but not cold & wet. Light 'quality' is an issue in the UK, you don't get the bright, vivid colours that you do in a hot country like Australia, Greece, Spain etc. Colours in UK seem 'washed' out or 'toned down'. It's not caused by pollution, Sydney or Melbourne are as polluted as London, rather by stronger sunshine. Weather seems to be changing worldwide, UK is getting hotter & colder but less wet.
The UK weather is not what it is made out to be. London is drier than any city in Oz or NZ, but it does get less sunshine hours. This means there are more days when it is cloudy but it doesn't actually rain.
For some reason everyone from overseas seems to think that London has continual torrential rain, and in winter we are all 6 feet deep in show for months on end.
I have even heard this opinion expressed by a Professor at a foreign University who had travelled quite extensively, and therefore IMO should have known better.
I love the summers in London, and the spring and the autumn. I also love it in winter when it snows. I DONT love the damp and grey days Amazulu alludes to above.
One of the positives I put down on my list of reasons to want to move to Oz was "More Dramatic Weather". In other words - England gets gentle sunshine with fluffy white clouds, Oz gets hot fierce intense sunshine, England gets all day drizzle, Oz gets brief torrential showers, England gets a light breeze, Oz gets High winds. All these are generalizations, but I think you would agree that the weather is more dramatic in Oz, particularly the further north you go into Queensland etc, and personally I like that!
Cheers
Buzzy
Feb 20th 2006, 7:00 am
#6
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Mount Tamborine
Posts: 17,426
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
Originally Posted by Hutch
As great as 2003 was, subsequent years have been worse than 'usual', the met-office themselves refer to 2004 as a 'summer-soaker' - an enormous disappointment given the previous year. 2005 was all over the place - up to 30 degrees in mid-June, but with mad wind events in July (a tornado struck Birmingham) and unseasonably cold weather (down to 14 degrees at points). 2005 was also the year that the Glastonbury festival wasn't so much as washed out, as washed away. So to summarise, the summers aren't getting warmer, they're getting more extreme.
I don't think the weather's too horrific in the UK, the sumers do get quite hot although they are short usually and I think the thing is the weather is so unpredictable you couldn't really plan things - I always find myself saying "if the weather's nice tomorrow we'll go to the park" - You could have a fantastically sunny day, but the next day it will be rainy and cold. I've never been to Oz so I don't know about the weather, is it more predictable than here?
Feb 20th 2006, 7:08 am
#7
Fighting my corner
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 11,948
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
I love the British summers; they are so gentle and mild, with none of the cloying humidity and laser-like UV rays that we get back home.
Feb 20th 2006, 7:26 am
#8
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,397
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
I just love those comments about the "Oz weather"!
It's like a Martian asking, when he gets off the saucer, what the weather's like on Earth!
It's like a Martian asking, when he gets off the saucer, what the weather's like on Earth!
Feb 20th 2006, 7:32 am
#9
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 15,526
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede
I love the British summers; they are so gentle and mild, with none of the cloying humidity and laser-like UV rays that we get back home.
My visit last year, from the end of May through to the 3rd week of July, was the best period of weather combined with light hours, I've enjoyed since coming to Aussie. It was bloody fantastic. Most of all was the Lushness and vibrancy of everything... Especially sitting out in a beer garden, gentle warm sun beaming down, watching swans glide by on a canal. No flies, no need for sunscreen, white fluffy clouds, birds singing, total laid back hedonism. All at 8.30 pm !!!!!
Feb 20th 2006, 8:05 am
#10
Fighting my corner
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 11,948
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
Originally Posted by ozzieeagle
My visit last year, from the end of May through to the 3rd week of July, was the best period of weather combined with light hours, I've enjoyed since coming to Aussie. It was bloody fantastic. Most of all was the Lushness and vibrancy of everything... Especially sitting out in a beer garden, gentle warm sun beaming down, watching swans glide by on a canal. No flies, no need for sunscreen, white fluffy clouds, birds singing, total laid back hedonism. All at 8.30 pm !!!!!
Aussie autumns were a highlight of my year, back home.
Feb 20th 2006, 8:06 am
#11
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
Originally Posted by Wol
I just love those comments about the "Oz weather"!
It's like a Martian asking, when he gets off the saucer, what the weather's like on Earth!
It's like a Martian asking, when he gets off the saucer, what the weather's like on Earth!
Feb 20th 2006, 8:20 am
#12
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Sun in Pommyland, it is really bad
Originally Posted by ozzieeagle
My visit last year, from the end of May through to the 3rd week of July, was the best period of weather combined with light hours, I've enjoyed since coming to Aussie. It was bloody fantastic. Most of all was the Lushness and vibrancy of everything... Especially sitting out in a beer garden, gentle warm sun beaming down, watching swans glide by on a canal. No flies, no need for sunscreen, white fluffy clouds, birds singing, total laid back hedonism. All at 8.30 pm !!!!!
