Good evening all ( if anyone is still reading this topic ?! ). I trust you are all keeping well.

I really have let things slide in recent weeks so my apologies for that. Lots happening on a personal level so my weather hobby has taken something of a back seat for the time being

I've just returned from a very pleasant stay with my friends on the South Coast and during that time the weather there was a 7.5 on a scale of 10 by my reckoning. It's always a few degrees cooler on the coast but sunshine levels more than made up for that and in the whole time it rained on just 3 days.

On 2 of those days the rain fell for less than 10 minutes and the countryside there is showing signs of drying up. I haven't had a chance to look at the prospects in detail yet, but the initial signs are that the weather will remain fairly settled in the week ahead, and temperatures in London and the South East will be around or above average.

Thanks for reading and posting. Moley

I am still here Moley and enjoy your forecasting.

In fact I trust it more than the BBC who often have different forecasts on their local weather and the national weather which is on the TV seconds later!!!!!!!!

Moley is back

That belt of heavy rain on Saturday afternoon was interesting to watch. Raindrops the size of golf balls

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Lets be careful out there !

Yep we got caught in it at the butterfly walk in Cranford Park, soaked to the skin but it was entertaining to see.

Lots of sirens going around the west Drayton area too, with Trout Road being police blocked for a while, I think due to a lightening strike on the roof of one of the flat at the canal.

Many thanks for the replies folks. It really does mean a lot to me knowing that this topic is being read, and even more so when you take the time and trouble to reply, especially with local reports.

It seems there was a noticeable difference in rain events across the South East during my 3 week hiatus on the south coast, with the north of the region seeing much more in the way of rainfall. All the reports I've seen suggest that London and the Thames Valley acted as something of a magnet during that time, whilst East Sussex saw almost nothing in the way of rain. My stay down there was far from wasted though, and with a bit of luck I may finally realise my lifetime dream of living by the sea. Watch this space for further news

Now that I have finally come back down to earth though I've had a chance to look at the weather prospects for the next few days and beyond.

The signs are that our region will see temperatures rising towards the middle of the week, but as we head towards the weekend Low Pressure may well introduce a short spell of unsettled weather. If you are planning any outdoor activities/events for the weekend it's advisable to keep an eye on the forecasts.

As you probably know by now, I am reluctant to look much further than 3 -5 days ahead with good reason. BUT......I may make an exception as we head into July and there are some promising signs that the Azore High could become an influence after the weekend. It's still a very big if at this time but it's something I am keeping a watch on. An Azore High ridging near or over the UK suggests a spell of warm and settled weather. Fingers crossed.

Thanks as always for reading and posting. Moley

Good morning to anyone who is still reading my ramblings and I thank you for taking the time and trouble.

This weekend has indeed been a disappointment for much of London and the South East after what was a very pleasant spell of summer weather during the week. The highest temperature of the year was recorded somewhere in east anglia/essex at 28.7c on Thursday.

My earlier prediction hinted that the Azore High might make it's way to the UK during this week but that is now looking less likely. The week ahead sees a mixture of weather, with the best of the weather being to our south west. London and The South East is most at risk from occasional showers brewing up from the near continent, but nothing too be concerned about at this time.

For our region I think it's a mixture of sunshine and occasional showers and temperatures close to average for this time of year. 19-22c (66-72F )

Thanks as always for reading. Moley

19 to 22 is far more pleasant than 26 that turns houses into ovens IMO.

I think the coming week will be quite pleasant if the rain holds off

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Lets be careful out there !

Totally agree with you there Kremmen. I used to be a real sun and heat worshiper in my younger years but find that my tolerance to both has declined rapidly with age. Gone are the days when I would happily soak up the sun with temperatures approaching or even exceeding 100f.

21-23c (70-73f) is my comfort level these days, and even then I can't be out in the sun for too long without feeling uncomfortable. No more holidays in the worlds hotspots for me but they were enjoyable at the time.

The prospects for the week ahead in our region are still mixed, but pretty much in line with a typical British summer so overall not too bad.

Moley

It's been a rather mixed week so far for our region, pretty much as expected. The gardeners amongst you may have been grateful for the heavy rainfall that affected some locations yesterday evening though, accompanied by thunder and lightning here in Northwood.

It's been a very breezy day ( Wednesday ) with frequent gusts of 30mph for several hours which unfortunately dries the soil pretty rapidly.

The rest of the week is proving to be difficult to predict once again as both high and low pressure systems seem reluctant to take control. There are signs that temperatures will rise as we head towards the weekend, possibly reaching 24-25c ( 75-77f ) by Saturday/Sunday inland, cooler on the coast. That brings with it the risk of further thundery showers and localised downpours though.

Thanks for reading. Moley

Well Thursday saw quite a range of weather in London and The South East as a weather front from the east ( quite unusual ) stalled more or less along the Greenwich Meridian Line for several hours.

Locations to the east saw copious rainfall and temperatures struggled to reach 15-16c ( 59-61f ), whilst a few miles further west it remained dry and the mercury reached 22-23c ( 72-73F ) in west London. Just a few miles still further west temperatures of 24-25c ( 75-77f ) have been reported from one or two locations.

There is still some doubt about prospects for the weekend, and the Bbc forecast I watched this morning said it's going to be a cool and rather wet weekend but I am not convinced. I hope to give a clearer picture on Friday.

Moley