January 2009

[simona]

Happy New Year!

....First day began with minus lows night temps here...so, it's not a very happy begin but so far it's normal....:

[Daryl]

Brrrr...I didn't realise it go that cold there Simona!

It is the exact opposite here... 10pm 28C (82F) and 79% humidity. Lightning flashing and thunder rumbling in...calm before the storm!

Daryl

[Jonathan]

Summer seems to have forgotten Tasmania this year - its been strangely cold, barely getting to 20C.

Today was about 15C, blowing a howling westerly - its like early spring weather - creepy.

The really depressing thing is that we are getting a bit of rain finally, but no heat to push things on.

We seem to get summers like this about 1 year in 5, and I think that has a big impact on our long term averages....they make summer look cooler than it generally is.....really!

Cheers,

Jonathan

[happ]

Brrrr...I didn't realise it go that cold there Simona!

It is the exact opposite here... 10pm 28C (82F) and 79% humidity. Lightning flashing and thunder rumbling in...calm before the storm!

Daryl

Sounds great, Daryl & just the start of the warm season for you

Here we are checking palms for winter yellowing! Sunny days but cold nights.

[BobbyinNY]

Hey you guys..... let me tell you what cold REALLY feels like. Last night we had 16f here with a 45mph wind.... That's not fit for human habitation.

[Tyrone]

I sure could use some of that thundery Queensland humidity Daryl has in abundance.

It's 35C at the moment with a 14.5C dewpoint.

Summer kicked into gear about a week ago or thereabouts. Minimums around 20-22C, max's today around 37C. Yesterday was 37C. There's nothing below 30C for the forecast period. The good thing is this arvo a humid change is coming in off the Indian ocean as the heat trough moves inland allowing thick warm humid seabreezes to come in. You can almost smell the ocean when that happens. It will be nice and humid tonight and tomorrow you should be able to smell all the vegetation and Eucalypts as they open up there pores to transpire a bit before slamming them shut when the humidity drops.

Best regards

Tyrone

[ariscott]

We have lots of humidity here, Tyrone, if you need some..... Apparently monsoon trough has passed to our south. Elliot is getting most of the rain now. We will be back to convection storm until the next monsoon. Oh well, we really need to do some mowing and slashing and poisoning anyway....as long as the rain returns next week...

Regards, Ari

[happ]

We have lots of humidity here, Tyrone, if you need some..... Apparently monsoon trough has passed to our south. Elliot is getting most of the rain now. We will be back to convection storm until the next monsoon. Oh well, we really need to do some mowing and slashing and poisoning anyway....as long as the rain returns next week...

Regards, Ari

It's great having reporters, like yourself living in the tropics [knowing the palms you can grow

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?ac...st&id=45179

Edited January 2, 2009 by happ

[_Keith]

Hey you guys..... let me tell you what cold REALLY feels like. Last night we had 16f here with a 45mph wind.... That's not fit for human habitation.

Geez Bobby, that's tough. You know, plane tickets to Miami aren't all that expensive. :-)

[Tyrone]

Here's the forecast here in the wild west.

Precis: Fine.

City: Min 20 Max 32

Mandurah: Min 20 Max 29

UV Alert: 9:20 am to 5:20 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 11 [Extreme]

Fire Danger: Coastal Plain: VERY HIGH

Hills: HIGH

Sunday Fine. Min 17 Max 32

Monday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 35

Tuesday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 34

Wednesday Fine, hot. Min 18 Max 35

Thursday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 36

Friday Fine, hot. Min 19 Max 33

regards

Tyrone

[Daryl]

Here's a summery photo that I took this evening to warm all of you N.Hemispherians up...

Daryl

[Walter John]

Here's a summery photo that I took this evening to warm all of you N.Hemispherians up...

Daryl

Much pinker sunsets down the Goldie I see Daryl, we have much redder ones here on the bay. Did you get a visitor today ? Any pics taken ?

[Daryl]

Here's a summery photo that I took this evening to warm all of you N.Hemispherians up...

Daryl

Much pinker sunsets down the Goldie I see Daryl, we have much redder ones here on the bay. Did you get a visitor today ? Any pics taken ?

Yeah, they're pinker because the air is cleaner down this way...

Spoke to Brod, but I was at work all day today...woulda been a good visit, but next time...

Daryl

[Jonathan]

Here's the forecast here in the wild west.

Precis: Fine.

City: Min 20 Max 32

Mandurah: Min 20 Max 29

UV Alert: 9:20 am to 5:20 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 11 [Extreme]

Fire Danger: Coastal Plain: VERY HIGH

Hills: HIGH

Sunday Fine. Min 17 Max 32

Monday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 35

Tuesday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 34

Wednesday Fine, hot. Min 18 Max 35

Thursday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 36

Friday Fine, hot. Min 19 Max 33

regards

Tyrone

.....sigh....we can only dream.....

Actually next week looks alright - but our maximums wont be much above 22-25C type range - but at least its not 16C and windy!

Should be good for Rhopies, Hedys and Lepidorrachis...actually I dont think they've been too worried about the cold stuff.

Can't wait for my Ceroxylon parvifrons seeds to arrive - then I'll be praying for cool summers!

[PalmGuyWC]

All those beautiful Australian sunsets with a Royal in the forground do for me is make me want to hop on a plane for Ft. Lauderdale. It's dreary here. I'll probably stick it out for another month, then a visit to a warmer clime. The palms can take it, but I can't.

Dick

[happ]

Here's the forecast here in the wild west.

Precis: Fine.

City: Min 20 Max 32

Mandurah: Min 20 Max 29

UV Alert: 9:20 am to 5:20 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 11 [Extreme]

Fire Danger: Coastal Plain: VERY HIGH

Hills: HIGH

Sunday Fine. Min 17 Max 32

Monday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 35

Tuesday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 34

Wednesday Fine, hot. Min 18 Max 35

Thursday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 36

Friday Fine, hot. Min 19 Max 33

regards

Tyrone

Tyrone,

That forecast & fire danger suggests very low humidity & an offshore [land to ocean] wind flow. Will you be increasing irrigation?

[epicure3]

Mighty chilly here today (51F or 10-11C) with a thick marine layer. Should warm up starting Monday or so and stay warm for quite a while (so they say....)

[gsn]

Mighty chilly here today (51F or 10-11C) with a thick marine layer. Should warm up starting Monday or so and stay warm for quite a while (so they say....)

Epicure,

So just WHO are THEY???

[gsn]

We have lots of humidity here, Tyrone, if you need some..... Apparently monsoon trough has passed to our south. Elliot is getting most of the rain now. We will be back to convection storm until the next monsoon. Oh well, we really need to do some mowing and slashing and poisoning anyway....as long as the rain returns next week...

Regards, Ari

It's great having reporters, like yourself living in the tropics [knowing the palms you can grow

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?ac...st&id=45179

Ari,

Happ picked your favorite palm tree, a Carpie!

[BobbyinNY]

Hey you guys..... let me tell you what cold REALLY feels like. Last night we had 16f here with a 45mph wind.... That's not fit for human habitation.

Geez Bobby, that's tough. You know, plane tickets to Miami aren't all that expensive. :-)

I know Keith... Actually I was looking at the flights just yesterday.... But I have so much stuff growing in my backyard right now (in my greenhouses) that It would be tough to get away and not worry about it.

[Tyrone]

Here's the forecast here in the wild west.

Precis: Fine.

City: Min 20 Max 32

Mandurah: Min 20 Max 29

UV Alert: 9:20 am to 5:20 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 11 [Extreme]

Fire Danger: Coastal Plain: VERY HIGH

Hills: HIGH

Sunday Fine. Min 17 Max 32

Monday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 35

Tuesday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 34

Wednesday Fine, hot. Min 18 Max 35

Thursday Fine, hot. Min 20 Max 36

Friday Fine, hot. Min 19 Max 33

regards

Tyrone

Tyrone,

That forecast & fire danger suggests very low humidity & an offshore [land to ocean] wind flow. Will you be increasing irrigation?

Correct. The usual summer pattern here is easterlies from late night to early afternoon which is dry. The lowest RH we've recorded during this hot spell is 30% when it was 35C. A heat trough normally forms just off the coast which heats up the ocean areas so that when it moves east the humidity gets sucked in off the ocean with the afternoon seabreezes over land. Last night we went down to 21C but with 80% RH and it was still. Those fire dangers are normal until about April May. The sea breezes save us from totally roasting and constant low humidity. I suppose we get a humidity pulse daily from lower to higher, but sometimes the humidity is high and stays all day. They have been forecasting a humid day today with a 32C maximum while the heat trough goes east, then the humidity will slowly drop and we start the process over again as the next high pressure zone moves east, before directing hot easterlies back over us from the interior. Sorry to go on a bit. Is that a bit like California?

Everything is moist in my garden too.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Jeff Searle]

Hey you guys..... let me tell you what cold REALLY feels like. Last night we had 16f here with a 45mph wind.... That's not fit for human habitation.

Geez Bobby, that's tough. You know, plane tickets to Miami aren't all that expensive. :-)

OR.....Fort Lauderdale. Days are still in the low 80's, I'm starting to wonder if we missed winter and jumped right into spring. Jeeeeez!

Jeff

[BobbyinNY]

Hey you guys..... let me tell you what cold REALLY feels like. Last night we had 16f here with a 45mph wind.... That's not fit for human habitation.

Geez Bobby, that's tough. You know, plane tickets to Miami aren't all that expensive. :-)

OR.....Fort Lauderdale. Days are still in the low 80's, I'm starting to wonder if we missed winter and jumped right into spring. Jeeeeez!

Jeff

Jeff, I was gonna come and see you... I was down in Ft. Laud last month for a couple days with my buddy.... I'm probably coming down again the end of this month for a couple days.

[Tyrone]

Hot hot hot here. Over 35C today, and nothing below 31C for the next week. The average so far for Jan is around 20C min 35C max. The air con is cranking at the moment. The sun is going down in the sky and it's still 32C.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Neofolis]

After the coldest December for many years, still waiting for the exact figures from The MET Office, January is even colder. Accuweather have me forecast for -8°C/18°F for Monday night and -7°C/19°F for Tuesday night. The lowest temperature I have seen here in 12 years is -6°C/21°F, so I'm hoping they are wrong, but last night was -5.5°C/22.1°F and temperatures have been really low for a long time, so it is quite feasible.

Not happy.

[John in Andalucia]

Same here, Corey. Next week is looking chilly. The usual low is 6-7 Celsius (43-45F). Time to break out the gas heater in the greenhouse.

[kristof p]

After the coldest December for many years, still waiting for the exact figures from The MET Office, January is even colder. Accuweather have me forecast for -8°C/18°F for Monday night and -7°C/19°F for Tuesday night. The lowest temperature I have seen here in 12 years is -6°C/21°F, so I'm hoping they are wrong, but last night was -5.5°C/22.1°F and temperatures have been really low for a long time, so it is quite feasible.

Not happy.

i know how you feel. here on the other side of the channel it's also the coldest winter in more than ten years. i'm lucky because i live quite close to the sea on a southwest facing hill. lowest this winter is -5.1°C but only 30km more to the north they already had -8°C (Bruge) a couple nights ago. but they also forecast -7/-8 for wednesday night and -11/-15 for the east of the country. i hope it will stay a little warmer than that? coming weekend the cold should be gone, lets hope they are right because 3 weeks with such cold weather is a killer for my exotic plants i hope my A. dealbata can handle -8°C because it is about to flower....my basjoo stems are already collapsed

[Kathryn]

With 6 inches (15 cm) of rain yesterday followed by several days with highs in the 70's (24ºC) the palms should be growing well. Maybe I should put some fertilizer out.

[Tyrone]

I've just come in from the heat for a break in the air con. It's 36.1C outside and I've just been moving a few Pritchardia's and Dictyosperma's around in the shadehouse. The shadehouse thermometer says 28C but it's about 100% humidity in there. It's so stifling it makes you feel dizzy. I'm just about to go out again and pot up about 70 baby Carpentaria's, in the shade.

regards

Tyrone

[Kathryn]

Sounds like fun Tyrone. Be sure to drink plenty of water!

[Tyrone]

The 70 Carpentarias turned out to be 92, which was about 100% germination.

It's now a cool and pleaant 25C out there at 11pm. Pity it's pitch black. I could be potting more up in this pleasant temp. Back to 34C+ tomorrow. Nothing below 31C for the forecast period.

Best regards

Tyrone

[philinsydney]

I got sunburnt at the cricket yesterday.

[ariscott]

The 70 Carpentarias turned out to be 92, which was about 100% germination.

It's now a cool and pleaant 25C out there at 11pm. Pity it's pitch black. I could be potting more up in this pleasant temp. Back to 34C+ tomorrow. Nothing below 31C for the forecast period.

Best regards

Tyrone

Why do you need 92 carpies???

[Tyrone]

The 70 Carpentarias turned out to be 92, which was about 100% germination.

It's now a cool and pleaant 25C out there at 11pm. Pity it's pitch black. I could be potting more up in this pleasant temp. Back to 34C+ tomorrow. Nothing below 31C for the forecast period.

Best regards

Tyrone

Why do you need 92 carpies???

I'm sending them in a postpak to you Ari.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Neofolis]

Our forecast low last night, of -8°C/17.6°F, turned out to be only -5.7°C/21.7°D, so I am still in zone 9a, in terms of absolute minimums, for now at least. It's already back down to -3.0°C/26.6°F at just after 18:00, so there is plenty of time for that to drop much lower. Still no sign of improvement in the immediate future, although Sunday and Monday are supposed to be a little milder.

[Steve]

It's been a strange winter here. If someone asked if it were a cold one or warm one, I guess I'd say both. I recorded a 17F temp in November. It got down to 14F one day in December. But we've had some really warm weather too. Last month I recorded 72F. Today is 68F right now. I guess we've had more warm weather than cold weather, and I am perfectly alright with that.

We've gotten a good amount of rain over the past couple weeks as well, which is much needed. Lake Lanier which provides much of Atlanta's drinking water, is up a foot over the past day or so. It is still down 14 feet from normal, but we are expected to get another 3-4" of rain according to some forcasts.

Over the next few days we will cool down some unfortunately, but we aren't expected to get any weather that will threaten my outdoor T. Fortunei (my only outdoor palm). My neighbor has a Washy that gets fried every year. They are from South Texas and brought it back a few years ago while vacationing there because they saw the palm in my yard. They didn't really understand that all palms aren't the same. They didn't cover it when we got down to 14F in December, and it looks like burnt toast. I would guess it will come back in the spring though as it did last year unless we get a real nasty cold snap. It just pushes out a few fronds each year, but doesn't really get much noticable growth.

[Tyrone]

It's kind of scary and a bit hard to comprehend all the low temps being mentioned here.

Corey, -8C is unusually cold for the south of England isn't it? I thought it never really dropped below -3, -4C. A few months back I asked why I didn't see any Nikau palms in the south of England. (We stayed in Tiverton and went down to Exeter a bit, travelled a lot in the Exe valley area). Now I know why, it's just too cold. Are you getting snow with those temps or is it cold and dry?

Meanwhile on the other side of the world, we're in the middle of a heatwave on this side of the country going for 35C today and 37C for the next two days. It's been so hot, that the cold water tap is no longer cold anymore. If you want a 25C shower you just turn the cold on. I've never noticed this phenomenon in Perth before, and it takes me back to my trip to Onslow in the tropics, at the end of nowhere.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Daryl]

It's been so hot, that the cold water tap is no longer cold anymore. If you want a 25C shower you just turn the cold on. I've never noticed this phenomenon in Perth before, and it takes me back to my trip to Onslow in the tropics, at the end of nowhere.

Best regards

Tyrone

Sounds like here Tyrone, we haven't had to use hot water in the shower for quite a while...if you do it just makes you sweat!

Daryl

[Neofolis]

It's kind of scary and a bit hard to comprehend all the low temps being mentioned here.

Corey, -8C is unusually cold for the south of England isn't it? I thought it never really dropped below -3, -4C. A few months back I asked why I didn't see any Nikau palms in the south of England. (We stayed in Tiverton and went down to Exeter a bit, travelled a lot in the Exe valley area). Now I know why, it's just too cold. Are you getting snow with those temps or is it cold and dry?

There are some coastal areas in the far southwest that are virtually frost free. Here I see -6°C/21°F almost every year, but never any lower..... until last night. Oh dear, it went down to -9.1°C/15.6°F. Everything outside was totally unprotected any having been below freezing every night for weeks, I shouldn't imagine the plants were best pleased. It can't have been that cold here for decades. When I woke this morning Wundermap was showing a station near Plymouth (Southwest coast) that was reading -7.6°C/18.3°F. I thought the record lows in that area were only about -4°C/25°F. It was only the Southwest that was so cold, even Scotland didn't go below freezing last night. Well I guess it's safe to say, I'm no longer zone 9a.

I forgot to mention, no snow. Snow is a very rare event here, but then so are these kinds of temperatures, but we only usually see really low temperatures when the sky is clear, so snow is not an issue.

[Tyrone]

Corey, -9.1C !!!!!!!! What was the maximum????? That's unbelievably cold.

Best regards

Tyrone