Hot Weather

Sunday started with a thunderstorm accompanied by an hour or so of rain. Then the sun came out and by 9am everything had almost dried off. With no sea breezes to freshen things up, the humidity rocketed making it unpleasantly and stickily hot, topping at at a tad above 32C here. It could easily have gone higher, but finally a light onshore breeze sprang up by mid-afternoon helping to peg things back.

I've just taken another reading and at 1am it is still 25C. There's no breeze at all so I can't see it dropping much tonight. The crickets have been very active on recent nights and are chirring away at the moment. The Great Green Bush Cricket seems locally common and when that one decides to let rip, it's quite a racket.

 

Not yet 11.00 am and it's 30C already in my 'computer room'. Wish I could just sit with a ceiling fan and a nice cool drink instead of having to go out.
Now off to hospital for o/h having xrays on his back. He hasn't been able to do much gardening for some time now and it shows - weeds are having a great time while things planted are drooping through lack of water.

Wouldn't mind a thunderstorm and a nice downpour Dave.

 

Baked roses anyone? This is what the fierce sun is doing to my roses :(


The petals are not falling and the flowers are just being cooked alive Watering doesn't really help. Back garden is not too bad, but the front is a real sun trap and methinks I must move the roses. Next year, the front can go for Mediterranean plants and herbs. Doom merchants are saying that here in the south, we may not be able to grow roses, daffs and primulas for much longer. No joke today - already too hot at 8.30 am when I took the dog out.

 

Hornbeam, that is such a shame. I think that is what has been happening to other plants as well, some people have described their japanese maples withering like that. :(
I was in the garden at 5.30 this morning, it was lovely, beautifully cool. When I was working [I used to be a candlemaker] I used to get up at this time in the summer and work until about 10 when it got too hot. I think I'll have to do the same in the garden!

 

Isn't it funny, roses are a favourite with the Portuguese here and they bloom in profusion all year round! They are even planted on the roadside alongside the orange groves and all around the pump houses! I'm a newcomer to roses, only a couple of years, but am having a modicum of success.

During a "hot" summer we can have temps in the mid-high 40s for a short period and further inland has been known to hit the 50 mark! Saying that, we are 25oC today at noon!

 

At 1.OOPM this lunch time, my thermometer was reading 30oC, but now after having the fan on the reading is now 27oC.I haven't been outside in the back garden yet this afternoon, but I know it will be roasting.

Glad I am not on centre court this afternoon.

Kandy

I will put my thermometer outside in the shade and see what reading I get

 

its too hot for me...and i have put a humidifier in the bedroom to clean the air..dont ask me how many times i have watered in the greenhouse today the tomatoes and cucumbers are thirsty plants..i have been putting ice in the air cooler all day hope i dont run out !..hornbeams roses is a crime ...they should sort some underground water system out for gardens and car washing..we pay enough in water rates..As it seems to be getting hotter in the uk i can see we will have to rethink our gardens..we havnt got a water ban here and i dont think we will get one ..but some people are really wasting water yesterday the man next door left a sprinkler on his front lawn in the baking sun and most of it was just running down his drive wasted..i dont water grass at all as it will return..oh well it may rain again in a day or so..I am looking forward to the autumn :D dark nights ..cool air ...it sounds like heaven today!!

 

I wonder if when it's cold and wet and miserable anyone will remember the heat of the summer? You're still topping our temperatures, only 27,4oC today with a slight breeze so pleasant. Would that be a de-humidifier you have put in the bedroom?

 

Just been out to check the temperature at 5.45pm and it is 80oF in the shade.

I think we should be like the European Countries and have a Siesta in the afternoon.

Even my foxgloves are wilting,something they do't usually do.

I have a honeysuckle in full flower, and despite plenty of grey water, is starting to go over.

Why do people water the lawns in the heat?I would rather save my plants and flowers, not the green stuff.At least I am not having to cut it twice a week like I was having to do before this heat.

Kandy

 

yes it was a dehumidifier and i put some citronella oil in it in case anything may fly in and bite me..they like me !!..now the fan is on in their ..its seemed to do the trick ..I have the dog to think about in his hairy coat he likes to sleep down the side of the bed and its boiling in their..I dont fancy going anywhere hot at all EVER..Why do people water lawns ? well its a status symbol of who has the greenest lawn they are just sad or mad..its supposed to rain tommorow night heavy ! ! !then everyones lawn will return to green..I hope it throws it down torential rain bring it on............

 

Wildflower, not a problem I have to worry about here ... lawns ... wouldn't even contemplate one but we do have a little place in the shade under an Oleander where a little bit of grass grows and I encourage so my cat has somewhere green to loll in on a hot day!

Yuk, I couldn't cope with the citronella in the bedroom, have one of these electric bug thingies for flying critters there!

All I can say is .. keep cool, keep calm and keep happy!

Tchau!

 

Well that's the end of summer!!.We have got torrential rain, strong winds, thunder and lightning.

Now we will be moaning that we cannot get out in the garden and we shall have floods everywhere.

Oh well musn't complain the garden does need it!!

 

I love summer but can't stand humid weather, makes me so claustrophobic and a bit ratty! We haven't got a hosepipe ban, but if we did, I'd save my shower/bath water for the flowers

 

End of summer .. did I miss something on the news today :confused: Any spare gratefully accepted here, thank you

You'd hate it in Alabama where I lived for 14 years, Jay, the humidity is horrendous in the summertime ... anywhere in that part of the States, Mississippi, Louisiana, northern Florida.

Prefer it here in nice dry heat Portugal :D

 

Hooray :D Lovely rain at last! Good and steady with great fat wet drops. The garden is lapping it up and everything is looking perky already.

Forecast is for the heatwave to continue and spread to the whole of Britain. This rain will help us through and the empty water butts are now filling again. :D