Half-Year Report

June the 19th and we are smack in the summer season, long warm evenings in the garden drinking wine and cooking food on the BBQ.

Spring drought means crops are struggling to grow

.....well that's how it should be but at the moment you would be forgiven for thinking that we are in April, strong winds, wave after wave of low pressure systems sweeping in from the Atlantic and 62mm of rain so far this month (which is more than the previous 3 months combined) all add up to a poor start to summer.

Summer showers can provide great photo opportunities

It looks like we are paying the price for a record-breaking dry spring but the rain this month has been very welcome to farmers and growers but unfortunately for sun lovers we need much more to replenish the reservoirs and water table, its already too late for many crops with over 30% yield loss so far, some farmers could be facing an uncertain few months.

Looking ahead, Wimbledon fortnight starts tomorrow and I predict a disruptive first week, then we are into the (supposedly) best two months of summer, July and August. No doubt we will have some warm or even hot weather over the next eight weeks or so but time will tell if this summer follows the pattern of the last two, if it does then a very cold winter with interludes of extreme cold and snow could be on the cards again!

Make the most of what you get and I will update this blog with my summer review in september, unless of course extreme weather (heat wave?) changes my plan!