I dont understand this weather?

[Fuji Abound]

We have all seen the weather for the last week or so.

Today was typical.

The base was around 1,600 feet and tops were 3,000 feet. Above 3,000 gin clear, no build ups, just solid beautiful VMC in hot sunshine. So thats a mere 1,400 of cloud that is making conditions below miserable and making us all wonder what happened to Summer. The descent through on the procedure was like going from summer to winter in 5 minutes flat.

There is high pressure to the south west.

In all my years of flying I cant remember such a long period of a shallow overcast that the sun appears incapable of "burning" through during the day, particularly in a SW air stream (as gentle as it is) to stir the atmosphere up a bit.

I cant remember the due point today. However the cloud cover although solid didnt appear all that moist.

Any ideas why it is so readily staying put and why we have conditions that to me seem very unusual for the time of year?

[bellend]

ever increasing population of the UK causing a severe build up of methane!

Totally fed up with this summer, no real reason to stay in the UK either financially or the climate, if this is going to be the norm I am off

[flybymike]

Typical warm sector stratocu layer. Beautiful on top with good vis, more or less solid (and smooth) relatively low cloud layer, gloomy underneath, but at least the vis hasn't been too bad beneath. Come the weekend, and a more southerly wind and increasing pressure, then I would expect vis to deteriorate, especially if wind backs south easterly and brings in crap from the continent which is not easily dispersed in calm high pressure conditions..

Of course bellend may be right, and it is all just a load of cowfart.

[SNS3Guppy]

It's all airmass. Did you watch your temperature as you descended through it? Stratus, stable air, with an inversion above.

[bArt2]

Funny, we had exactly the same weather here in Belgium the whole week. IMC at 2000 feet, clear above 3000 feet. But I guess it is normal because it is the airmass that comes from the UK.
Could you send us another kind of airmass next week please. :8

Bart

[IO540]

Yesterday 1700, south east, was +18C on the ground and +19C at 4000ft :)

So, we have a strong inversion.

I was going to Tempelhof tomorrow, intending to do a short movie of the arrival, but the long TAFs indicate more of the same for EDDI too, which I simply do not believe as the MSLP chart shows an airflow over there from the warm and dry bits of Europe.

But this is just stratus cloud, about 1500ft thick, no haze to speak of really. Above is CAVOK, 50nm+ vis.

[rsuggitt]

Here is the most important thing you need to know to understand everything there is about weather.


Weather is random.

[Otto Nove Due]

This anticyclonic gloom usually occurs earlier in the summer when warm subtropical airmasses over-ride the still coolish seas, leading to condensation in the form of sea fog. If there is just enough wind and you have a strong inversion then this fog will lift but gets trapped under the highly stable inversion. Unless winds change or you get a good break in the cloud deck overland to start off sufficient convection to overcome this cap then these benign conditions can last for days.

Dewpoints have been in the high teens lately so we do have that very moist airmass in place. Looking at the soundings, such as yesterdays Camborne 00Z plot (http://weather.uwyo.edu/upperair/images/2008082800.03808.skewt.gif) we can see the extent of the inversion, with the dry bulb temperature going from 15°C at the surface to 18°C at about 2700ft, with a massive drop in dewpoint marking the top of the layer.

[IO540]

The od thing is that visibility is not bad. This is not the traditional UK summer haze. This is just a thin cloud layer. But it is very stable, held by the inversion.

[Fuji Abound]

IO540

I agree, and that was the point I was seeking to make.

My point was the conditions seem to be very unusual. It is not the classic inversion we all know and love.

I am also not sure I can remember the inversion being "held" but such (and thin) layer of cloud in high Summer.

It seems as if the reasons might be a bit more complex.

BTW it is noticeable how many airfields are now using automated met gathering equipment. In terms of reporting the base how accurate do we feel this equipment is?

[effortless]

It's as if the equinoctials have shifted. Looks late October out there. Yesterday was great for Shoreham though, true cross wind notwithstanding.

[PompeyPaul]

Can't help but think yesterday was the last day of summer. Having taken the opportunity, in less than great vis, to struggle back into currency, I fear I'm going to fall right out again as 2 weeks of low level stratus -RADZ is predicted :ugh:

Roll on the clear, crisp winter mornings.

[Squeegee Longtail]

...If it is any consolation, we have had a glorious summer so far down here in S. France - hot and sunny. My garden could do with some rain though.
I flew back from Sardinia last week at FL85 and had unbelievable viz.
Hope it helps!! :} ;)

[flybymike]

B*st*rd......;)