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Posted: Thu 28 May 2009 16:10
by Sav
Make sure your thermometer is north facing, shaded & away from the building.
http://www.weathershack.com/education/t ... meter.html

Posted: Sun 31 May 2009 09:35
by Puddles
Well it does seem May can be a strange month for weather in these parts.
found what I thought was some intresting data for Perpignan the other day, as follows,
5th May 1977 Min temperature registered in Perpignan 2.4 o C

18th May 1977 127.5 mm rainfall recorded in Perpignan

Good job it's June tommorrow !!!!!!!!

Posted: Sun 31 May 2009 09:54
by Santiago
The weather seems exactly as Sav's website predicted. I've changed my home page - thanks Sav :)

As a point of interest, last year at this time was much wetter and cooler. I've been checking my vineyard diary and I have lots of days marked "Heavy rain".

Posted: Sun 31 May 2009 14:40
by Sav
Hi all :)

Weather & Models.

This is one of the main ones i use, for the weather comp i enter :D
http://www.wetterzentrale.de/
You just need a few basic words translated from German ;)
GFS is one of the models used & rolls out 4 times a day.

00Z - 06Z - 12Z & finally the 18Z.
This reports on the latest conditions prevailing & what most forecasting agencies utilise i assume.
Now the Met Office is supposed to have a super computer :roll:
These models can change from one run to the next, so weather forecasting is a fine line scenario, especially regards forecasting snow/storms etc.
The forecast given out by Radio & TV, are to be perused with a pinch of salt at times, if rain is forecast, then its best to utilise the radar for updated analysis.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/radar/index.html
I do like the Meteociel site, as it does give you location GFS analysis, but the wetterzentrale does not.
http://www.meteociel.fr/index.php
I do hope this will help with bountifull grape harvests Jon :wink:

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Sun 31 May 2009 15:30
by Sandy M
This is the weather site I've found to be the most accurate for the Prades area. The link I'm posting should come up for Argelès...
http://meteo.voila.fr/villeobs.html?27284
However, I still think Sav's results speak for themselves... Find myself wondering what he's predicting for our area next week.

Posted: Fri 05 Jun 2009 23:17
by thumbelina
One of the best vantage points for watching storms though is to go up the Col de Llauro from Ceret and stop about half way up. You can see the storms out at sea, all over the plain and those in the mountains as well :lol:

Posted: Sat 06 Jun 2009 00:46
by Sav
My favourite is lenticular, you get quite a few in the PO :D
http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/gal ... &pagenum=1
They look like flying saucers ;)

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Sat 06 Jun 2009 00:49
by thumbelina
We call them tramuntana clouds - cos you always get them with the tram!

Image

Posted: Sat 06 Jun 2009 01:12
by thumbelina
I try!

Image

Image

Posted: Sat 06 Jun 2009 22:58
by Sav
Hi all :)

Here are some stats for May 2009 in Perpignan.
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2009

If you compare that with May 2008 :!:
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2008
Have a look at the precip chart :roll:
Looks like Jon was right with his Domaine diary entries.
70.6mm compared to 17.6mm this year.
Not much difference in temp, but 226.3 hours of sunshine this year, but only 182 hours last year.
So its better eh ;)

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Sun 14 Jun 2009 18:49
by Sav
thumbelina wrote:So, generally speaking, Perps appears to be having nicer weather this June in comparison to last year?
Hi thumbers & all :)

The max temp recorded for June 2008 was 34.8°C
Precipitation was 7.8mm
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/cl ... annee=2008

I am unable to find records for wind speeds on Meteoceil.
But looking at this month's comparisons recently, it does appear it was windier last year :roll:

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Thu 18 Jun 2009 18:18
by thumbelina
Certainly, since you've been doing the comparisons between 2008 and 2009, 2009 is by far the better weather!! Surprising, isn't it? :shock:

What a shame we didn't start this before the winter - that might have showed a different story!!! :? :lol:

Posted: Fri 19 Jun 2009 00:09
by Roger O
What about this, then??
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8107014.stm
Summer rainfall could decrease by about 20% in the south of England and in Yorkshire and Humberside by the middle of the century.

Posted: Fri 19 Jun 2009 17:13
by Sav
john wrote:Well,the rain has been and gone. A heavy-ish burst,but a bit of a damp squib overall. seems cooler and a bit fresher. Not much wind.

I take Sue's pointabout weather in Derbys,but it seems these days the weather here is very like UK,perhaps a couple of deg higher. ie two decent days...up goes the humidity..then it all breaks down in a storm. And you're back to square one.

It'd be interesting to hear Sav's view on this. As a lad with Mum and Dad,then as a young man,we used to go for summer hols in N Spain,or Balearics,and we I remember 2 wks of UNBROKEN hot weather. Not a cloud in the sky. Certainly no rain. This area is not that far from there. Has the weather pattern changed? because it's not like that round here these days?
This might help john
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009 ... inimum.htm

Also
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009 ... stream.htm

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Fri 19 Jun 2009 17:38
by john
Very interesting Sav. Like the way it explains things in laymans terms. I've never been convinced by the "man made climate change" theories. To be frank,this souds a lot more convincing,and would certainly explain the cyclical nature of weather.

Posted: Fri 19 Jun 2009 18:01
by Sav
Hi john & all :)

I suppose i should give you a few details on the Maunder Minimum :!:
In case anyone would like to know.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7122

Climate changes john, its what Mother Nature does.
Perhaps i should start a seperate thread on these matters ;)

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Tue 23 Jun 2009 18:08
by Sav
Thank you john, but the info is readily available :D
The Meteo people must surely base their forecasts, on the models issued 4 times a day.
Ok there may be differences in them, but when it comes to short term forecasting, its more reliable than long term.
Now are they ustilising recent models for their forecasts :roll:

This is a good site
http://www.wetterzentrale.de/

The one that i use here, the bonus is that they give a view on towns/cities in France.

http://www.meteociel.fr/

So the info is out there, seek & you will find ;)

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Wed 24 Jun 2009 22:37
by Sav
Hi all :)

I've found a lightning detector for the area, you can see the storms gathering over in Northern Spain :roll:

http://www.meteo-paris.com/france/suivi-orages.html

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Thu 25 Jun 2009 14:10
by Sav
thumbelina wrote:Do you have any stats on the year to date in comparison to previous years, Sav? ie is this year colder, wetter etc?
You can find details here thumbers ;)
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/cl ... annee=2009
Just select your destination & month.

Comparing May 2008 to May 2009

Perpignan - Rainfall 70.6 mm last year & a max temp of 28.8°C
This year 17.6 mm & the same maximum temp.

So quite a difference in rainfall amounts, but temp equal.

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Thu 25 Jun 2009 14:19
by Sav
polremy wrote:
think we are up on the sun this year, don't you?
and i thought last summer was a good one here.
Hi polremy :)

You do have this facility you can use.
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/cl ... annee=2009
That will give you monthly figures, going back to 2002.
The one below gives you daily analysis, as per the Perpignan review.
http://www.meteociel.fr/temps-reel/obs_villes.php

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Thu 25 Jun 2009 14:24
by john
Some interesting figures there,Sav. What I see is that our feeling that the last winter was a very cold one was borne out for the figures for min avge temp for Dec ,Jan, Feb and Mar. Far lower than other years,both here and in the UK.

As you say,not especially wet as regards total rainfall,but those figures can often be a bit misleading. I remember from my A level Geog,that rainfall figures can be skewed by,for example a lot of rain falling in a very short time,say during a storm.

Pity theres no reference to wind in there!

Posted: Thu 25 Jun 2009 14:46
by Sav
Hi john & all :)

This might help, from the wunderground site :D
Gives you stats going back to 1996
http://www.wunderground.com/history/sta ... atename=NA

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Thu 25 Jun 2009 20:31
by thumbelina
So funny! Just driving home from work along the Vallespir - the left hand shoulder of Canigou has a patch of snow on it!!!

Apparently it also snowed up near Font Romeu today! :?

Posted: Fri 26 Jun 2009 14:08
by Sav
john wrote: I wonder if he could answer my query as to why,during the approach of the storms the wind ,which had (unusually for these parts) been calm,suddenly get up to strong gusts ? I'm sure I must have been told this at school,but obviously was not paying attention.
This might help ;)

http://www.meteo.fr/meteonet_en/decouvr ... tem1.htm#5

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Fri 26 Jun 2009 15:03
by Sav
john wrote:Thanks,Sav.
No problem john :D

You asked the other day about wind records, this link will hopefully help & it lists other stats also.
http://www.meteociel.fr/temps-reel/obs_temps.php

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Fri 26 Jun 2009 15:15
by Sav
BT wrote:Thanks Sav. I used the link, very interesting.

Last year it was quite windy for the 2nd forthnight in June. Hoping for calmer weather this year. In 07 we were there for the 1st 2 weeks of June, quite calm.

BT
Hi BT :)

In 2007 for Perpignan, June's rain recording was 6.8mm & the max temp was 33°C
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/cl ... annee=2007
2008 was 7.8mm & 34.8°C
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/cl ... annee=2008

You can use this link to track the wind gust speed & other daily records in the region
http://www.meteociel.fr/temps-reel/obs_temps.php

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Fri 26 Jun 2009 15:41
by Sav
Hi all :)

Apologies to Serge :(
Was just going back & deleting earlier posts & one of yours went, i should have answered :oops:

You asked about levels of cloud i believe ;)

Hope this helps :D

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Thu 02 Jul 2009 15:16
by Sav
thumbelina wrote::lol: :lol:

It's only last summer we had a hosepipe ban and a problem with no water :lol: :lol: :lol:

In fact this is the first summer for several years that we DON'T have a drought! :lol:
Going by Perpignan's stats

May 2008

Rainfall - 70.6mm
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2008

May 2009 - 17.6mm
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2009

I have deleted previous links & added two better ones ;)

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Thu 02 Jul 2009 16:26
by Sav
Hi all :)

Here are the Perpignan stats for June
The monthly temp totals are an average

June 2009

Maximum Temp - 28.2°C
Minimum Temp - 17.5°C
Rainfall - 18.8 mm
Sunshine - 280.2 hours

The maximum temp was recorded on the 30th
35.8°C
The minimum was recorded on the 6th
12.3°C

http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2009

June 2008

Maximum Temp - 26.7°C
Minimum Temp - 17.6ºC
Rainfall - 7.8 mm
Sunshine - 267.2 hours

The maximum temp was recorded on the 26th
34.8°C
The minimum was recorded on the 15th
13.2°C

http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2008

Cheers Sav :)

Posted: Mon 06 Jul 2009 12:16
by thumbelina