Abnormal weather conditions around here.

Plummeting temperatures,storms,winds and the crazy amount of rain.

could the volcanic activity be to blame?

No

Never known it this cold in May before here.
Been out walking the dog in my Winter woolies and still felt chilly.

If we had any lena there would be a blazing fire here right now.

This isnt spring showers.

It's lovely down here

Maybe down is the operative word ... it's looking lovely UP here, but that's at 900m+. With windchill & altitude, I'd be thinking of a fire too if I could be bothered!

contact m,[email protected]

I think the weather patterns are changing worldwide... nothing to do with volcanic ash... more to do with cyclical weather changes. IMO it must be stressed

Altho its been sunny over the last couple of days, theres a cold wind and its been cold overnight. This morning is beautiful but its not warm - yet!

Jo xxx

You're getting pretty close.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Atlantic_oscillation

Interesting one.
Read all the technical jargon then got to the bit at the end which says the that the fluctuations in the Soay sheep population are a guide to what the NAOs are doing with regard to controlling the weather in the N.Atlantic zone.
Not having come across any Soay sheep for the past year or so I presume we must be moving towards another ice age.

There was an extended BBC weather programme a couple of weeks back that showed the variations in the jetstream over the past Winter.
The jetstream was on occasions as far South as the South of Spain which explained why all Europe was affected with the bad weather which is normally on the Northside of the jetstream.

Please don't confuse the Soay sheep with the St Kilda sheep, who are in fact the Hebridean sheep, even though they are in the same archipelago and Lord forbid that you should confuse the Soay sheep with the Park Soay sheep at Woburn Abbey who are not ferile. I trust you are now unconfused.

Jim

No good trying to pull the wool over my eyes Jim,...been very familiar with all sorts of woolie backs for most of my years.
Not only the numbers are shrinking,but the sheep themselves are shrinking due to the climate and may end up like pocket sized chiwawas in a hundred years time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8130907.stm

Ash affects weather, but the question is to what degree?

There are so many things that have an effect that picking out what does what is next to impossible. The ash cloud being so small comared to the biggies that did have a measureable effect, I doubt that it has done much.

Think I'll send the Icelanders a bill for a fresh bunch of tomato plants after my last ones unexpectedly bit the dust.

Mind theres an outside chance that,that late frost could have had something to do with it.