h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Off topic, yeh it's fun, Edinburgh festival is on so really crowded, but sat in a pub enjoying a few beers.

Next time I go, I wouldn't mind catching either the Edinburgh Festival or the Tattoo. I probably wouldn't stay so close to the Royal Mile next time though. I'm thinking I'll get a Brompton folding bicycle and a room a bit further afield. The last time I stayed at the Carlton. It was nice, but I could save a bit a few blocks away from the tourist district.

Finally, rain! And lots of it In the four hours from 3am to 7am we've had 1.7", with more to come. And it's only 69° San Antonio (and therefore Dewey) is about to get swamped by what, on the radar, looks like far more than we've just had.

Scorchio number 30.

Yesterday 97/78 (60% chance of rain) (actual: 101/78, no rain)
Today 92/79 (60% chance of storms)
Tuesday 93/74 (40% chance of storms)
Wednesday 96/75 (30% chance of storms)
Thursday 97/76 (40% chance of rain)
Friday 98/76 (20% chance of rain)
Saturday 100/77 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 100/78 (10% chance of rain)

Average for this time of the year: 98/75
Record high temperature for yesterday: 105 (1923)
Record high temperature for today: 108 (2003)

Good grief!
"So far, we've seen a top rain total of 6.54" immediately SE of Llano."

San Antonio got as much in the hour between 7am and 8am as we got in those earlier four hours

That line of storms, that caused flooding in San Antonio, seems to be moving through Houston now and will probably be over the Bay Area during my drive home.

Unless you're going home before 3pm I think you're likely to stay dry, judging by the radar at 3.30.

After a day last week when we didn't get into the 90s, our highest temperature today, as far as I can tell, has been 77, and I wouldn't expect it to get much higher. I've had the windows open all day and the a/c switched off

Looking at the actual radar, it did look like it have moved through well before the commute. But did I believe my own eyes? No, of course not. I looked at the forecast graph in my weather app which showed they highest chance of rain later in the afternoon. Looking at it now, the line of showers has moved well east of here and the app is warning me that thunder storms will begin in 10 minutes.

Dammit. 81°

I wasn't thinking straight this morning. I should have taken the opportunity to bake bread.

Although we did get above 80, and I eventually switched the a/c on in the evening, it was so nice to have such a cool wet day in August

Yesterday 92/79 (60% chance of storms) (actual: 84/69, 2.41" rain)
Today 93/74 (40% chance of storms)
Wednesday 95/75 (20% chance of storms)
Thursday 98/76 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 100/77 (10% chance of rain)
Saturday 101/78 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 99/78 (10% chance of rain)
Monday 97/77 (20% chance of rain)

Average for this time of the year: 98/75
Record high temperature for yesterday: 108 (2003)
Record high temperature for today: 110 (2003)

I should stop on the way home and pick up one more umbrella.

I've got a good, wind-proof, golf umbrella I keep in the car. I've got a compact umbrella I keep at work, one that I picked up in Manchester three years ago.

What I don't have is one to get me from the house to the car. It wouldn't be that much of an issue as I'm usually partially covered as I step out the door and walk down the stairs by the eaves, then by the large pecan tree that also partially covers the porch, then by the porch itself, then by the carport. I'm only out in the open as I unlock the back gate and shut it behind me as I pull the car out.

But there's the dog....

No, Nessie can't just relieve herself on her own. No, I have to act as her cheering section and coach combined. She'll usually go pee with just a bit of prompting, but then she heads for the parents' door. So I gotta keep urging her, "Go poo! Nessie, Go poo!" She'll head for the grass but turn around several times before she finally relents. She really hates to be outside. There might be loud noises outside... well, and there's just so much outside outside.

So, there I am standing in the rain, in the dark, begging my dog to "go poo, already"!

So, I think I'll get another folding umbrella.

Yesterday 93/74 (40% chance of storms) (actual: 94/73, no rain)
Today 95/75 (20% chance of storms)
Thursday 98/75 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 99/76 (10% chance of rain)
Saturday 100/76 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 100/77 (10% chance of rain)
Monday 100/78 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 98/78 (20% chance of rain)

Average for this time of the year: 98/75
Record high temperature for yesterday: 110 (2003)
Record high temperature for today: 106 (1953)

Nodnol Yesterday (Weds) 18C P'ing down all day, couple of tube stations closed due to flooding, Road at South Wimbledon, closed well under water.
Today (Thurs) dry, partly cloudy, 20C not much to report really

It's warming up again
"We're looking at another streak of seven 100+ days in a row, maybe even more".

Yesterday 95/75 (20% chance of storms) (actual: 96/74, no rain)
Today 98/75 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 100/77 (10% chance of rain)
Saturday 100/77 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 101/78 (10% chance of rain)
Monday 100/78 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 100/79 (20% chance of rain)
Wednesday 100/78 (10% chance of rain)

Average for this time of the year: 98/75
Record high temperature for yesterday: 106 (1953)
Record high temperature for today: 107 (2012)

Scorchio number 31.

Yesterday 98/75 (10% chance of rain) (actual: 100/75, no rain)
Today 100/77 (10% chance of rain)
Saturday 101/77 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 102/78 (10% chance of rain)
Monday 101/77 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 101/77 (10% chance of rain)
Wednesday 101/78 (10% chance of rain)
Thursday 103/77 (10% chance of rain)

Average for this time of the year: 98/75
Record high temperature for yesterday: 107 (2012)
Record high temperature for today: 105 (1988)

Scorchio number 32. It won't be the last.

Yesterday 100/77 (10% chance of rain) (actual: 100/76, no rain)
Today 101/77 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 103/77 (20% chance of rain)
Monday 102/77 (10% chance of rain)
Tuesday 102/77 (10% chance of rain)
Wednesday 100/79 (20% chance of rain)
Thursday 101/78 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 101/77 (10% chance of rain)

Average for this time of the year: 98/75
Record high temperature for yesterday: 105 (1988)
Record high temperature for today: 106 (1923)

Scorchio number 33.

Yesterday 101/77 (10% chance of rain) (actual: 100/78, no rain)
Today 103/77 (20% chance of rain)
Monday 100/77
Tuesday 100/77
Wednesday 101/78
Thursday 102/78
Friday 100/77
Saturday 100/77

Average for this time of the year: 98/75
Record high temperature for yesterday: 106 (1923)
Record high temperature for today: 107 (1925)

Just one more scorchio until you've used up this years allotment.

If only that was the end of it What I've particularly noticed with this year's summer is that although we've had plenty of scorchios they've mostly been only just scorchio - 100, 101 and the like. We haven't had too many that are higher than that, and only one record-breaking scorchio (107) that I can recall without going back over the past few months and checking.

Scorchio number 34.

I really can't understand why the forecasters keep adding rain chances into the prospectus. It never happens and it's not likely to with such a stubborn dome of high pressure controlling the weather. Which is the prevailing weather pattern at this time of the year.

Yesterday 103/77 (20% chance of rain) (actual: 101/78, no rain)
Today 100/77
Tuesday 100/77
Wednesday 101/79 (10% chance of rain)
Thursday 101/78 (10% chance of rain)
Friday 101/77 (10% chance of rain)
Saturday 100/77 (10% chance of rain)
Sunday 101/77 (10% chance of rain)

Average for this time of the year: 98/75
Record high temperature for yesterday: 107 (1925)
Record high temperature for today: 107 (2013)

TV meteorologists factor in TV ratings into their forecasts, specifically overestimating the chances of rain, a "wet bias".

http://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/21/accuracy-of-three-major-weather-forecasting-services/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/magazine/the-weatherman-is-not-a-moron.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&