| Fenland Weather, Atmosphere, Climatology Clouds and Skies |
| Note the irrigation in both pictures - Somebody thinks it will not rain |
| CLOUD FORMATIONS OVER THE FENS 1. Cirrus - These are the thin wispy type clouds that are very high, and an indication of good weather, not to be confused with Altocumulous or Altostratus clouds, and sometimes referred to as 'Mare's Tails'. 2. Altocumulus - These are the large fluffy clouds seen at a lower level, but because of there height they look small, and appear to have a mackeral pattern.. The clue is in the name altoCumulus (or cumulous at a great altitude) 3 Altostratus - This is like a very high level fog, a thin continuous covering of cloud that makes the sun look watery. 4. Altostratus - Sort of cross between low level Cumolous and Altostratus, or Stratocumulus. 5 Cumulus - Low level fluff white clouds drifting across open sky on a bright sunny day, can become much heavier with large tops, just prior to developing into Cumulonimbus (Thunder Clouds). The sound of thunder takes about five seconds to travel; a mile, and lightening is instantanious, therefore if lighting is seen, and the thunder follows about 15 seconds later, then the storm is about three miles away. Good advice is not to stand under a tree (if you can find one in the fens) in a thunderstorm, and it has become common practice to put up an umbrella, and hold onto the metal stem, which is probably worse than standing under a tree. Beware, thunderstorms are more common in the Fens than in Scotland. If you see tiny clouds on the underside of a Cumulus layer, which look like suspended folds in a curtain, they are called Mammato cumulus.The name mammatus cloud derives from the Latin word mamma, or breast, due to their rounded, hanging shape. It is highly unlikely that mammato cumulus will occur over the Fens, but can be associated with the remnants of cumulonimbus. They do not pose a threat if seen. 6 Nimbostratus - Low level cumulous clouds usually associated with rain. If a inch of rain falls in the Fens, it means that 3,630 cubit feet of water needs to be pumped up into the main drains, or absorbed by the land. Clouds exist only in the lower levels of the atmosphere commonly known as the Troposphere, above them is the Stratosphere, the Mesosphere and finally the Ionosphere, before entering space itself. |
| WEATHER WISDOM AND SAYINGS FROM THE FENS. The prevailing wind is from the south west, therefore by the time the weather reaches the fens it is minimal, and the fens are reputed to have the same rainfall as Israel. 1. In the fens it can rain at anytime, so the farmers 'have to make hay while the sun shines' 2. When rain can be seen falling in the distance across the fen landscape, you can hear the saying 'It is raining over Will's mothers', which means it is not raining at present, but raining somewhere else. 3. 'Red sky at night is shepherd's delight', meaning that it is an indication that the following day will fine and clear. 4 'Red sky in the morning is shepherd's warning', meaning that there is good chance of bad weather, and/or rain. 5. 'If it rains on St Swithin's Day (15th July), it will rain for the next forty days'. Literally, this is untrue, but what it probably means is that a spell of bad weather is expected, and on the way. The saying originated after St Swithin died in AD 862, and was buried outside Winchester Cathedral, and his remains were later due to re-buried inside the cathedral, but this was delayed by about forty days by a spell of wet weather. 6. There are many sayings about seeing a rainbow. 7. There are also many sayings regarding plant behaviour when wet weather is about to descend, e.g the Scarlet Pimpernel only opens its flowers prior to a spell of good weather, and many red berries on a holly bush indicate that it is going to be a bad winter. But, these and many other sayings have not been proved. 8. There is a saying that when cows sit down, it is going to rain. But if the cows are standing up in a neighbouring field, then the rain must be very localised. 9 Other unproven sayings relate to insects, who change their behaviour just prior to the arrival of wind or rain, e.g Spiders build smaller webs just prior to wind arriving. 10 Bird-life is reputed to behave differently, prior to the onset of weather. Moor-hens build their nests nearer the water, prior to a dry summer. Swallows fly lower just prior to the arrival of bad weather etc. 11. Human behaviour changes too at the onset of bad weather, but this mainly relates to aches and pains. 12. Some Fen sayings are simply based on logic, e.g 'Rain before seven fine before eleven'. 13. Other sayings without logic include 'Wet Friday: Wet Sunday'. 14. Another saying is 'Rain from the East, twenty four hours at least. 15 Another strange saying is ' Fine weather is route if there is enough blue sky to make sailor's trousers' 16 Rainbows have much folklore about them, including 'A Rainbow in the morning is Shepherd's Warning' !7. Obvious logic includes ' If the Sun goes Pale to bed, it will rain it is said'. 18 More obvious logic relating to the winter months 'The North Wind doth blow, so we shall have snow, and what will the Robin do then. Poor Thing!' 19. More Fenland Logic includes 'A heavy crop of berries means a hard winter |
| BEAUFORT SCALE WIND IN THE FENS (Invented by Sir Francis Beaufort ) Wind speed is measured by the Beaufort Scale from 1 to 12. 0 - Calm - There is no movement of water in the drains or air on the face. 1-3 - Light. - Reeds in the marshes move and movement in the cumulus can be detected with small waves in the drains and rivers. 4 - Moderate - Starts to bend grasses and reeds, and creates larger waves in rivers and drains. 5 - Fresh - Starts to bend branches of trees and bushes. 6-7 - Strong - The sound of the wind can be heard across telephone and electric lines, and large branches in trees start to move, and gusts can move the fine silt soils. 8-9 - Gale - Dust storms are evident, and branches are broken off trees and bushes. 10-11 - Strong Gale - Trees and bushes can be uprooted, and large waves are prominent in the Rivers and Drains - Not usually experienced in the Fens. 12. - Hurricane - Never been experienced in the English fens |
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| These are large Cumulus clouds before they develop into Cumulonimbus. Between the cumulus can be see high altitude Cirrostratus (Mackerel Sky). (See chart below for explanation of terms) |
| Below are normal cumulus cloud formations over the Fens on a clear fine summers day |
| Click on following to see: Current Met Weather Forecast for Spalding (Near centre of Fens). |
| MYTHOLOGY AND THE CAUSE OF BAD WEATHER IN THE FENS. Bad Weather in the Fens is an 'Act of God', unless the speaker is an atheist, then it is 'Global Warming', 'Rainy' weather, or 'Atom Bombs', or 'Shotgun discharges', or 'Vapour trails in the sky', or just an 'Incoming Tide' close-by. Fog is alway blamed on the North Sea and called 'Sea Mist', or 'Murk'. |
| LENGTH OF DAYS IN THE FENS. In the same way as everywhere else in the UK, the Fens have long hours of daylight in the summer, and short hours of daylight in the winter. It is a common fallacy that people living on the equator have longer days, yet in fact the total hours of daylight throughout the year are exactly the same at the equator as in the Fenland. |
| THE WEATHER GLASS (Commonly known as the Barometer) One of the most useful predictors of weather conditions for Fen Farmers is the Barometer (Weather Glass), which displays a Hygrometer ( instrument for measuring humidity), a Thermometer, (instrument for measuring temperature) and the most useful of all is the Barometer (instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure and for directly predicting the weather). These Weather Glasses often display a spirit label. |