"danny (west kent)" wrote Hi Ian,
A cool summer for modern times though, that you have to accept?

I'd prefer to think of it as being cooler than we've been led to expect we
should get.

I've had to explain to a growing number of people recently that this
summer hasn't been that unusual: the Boscastle incident is not unique and
"global warming" is not responsible for every sharp thunderstorm/unusually
strong wind/hot day/early springs and late summers that happen.

Looking at the charts for the south, I'm hopeful that this week and over
the weekend looks set, however, to bring settled, warm weather and go some
way to redeeming this part of the summer, down here at least. It would be
nice to think that it might help the farmers' bring in some more of the
harvest too.

- Tom
Blackmore, SW Essex

BTW, I've just booked an All Inclusive (AI) holiday from 15th - 30th
September in the Dominican Republic and it's amazing how many people are
now telling me that it's "slap-bang in the middle of the hurrican season
there". We may complain about "dumbing-down" but it's remarkable how many
people are very well versed in bad weather.

I had a friend who went to Cancun a couple of years ago. He DID get a
hurricane: The Americans went home 3 days before it struck, followed by
some family parties a day or so later. Many people stayed and it turned
out not to be that bad. Not that Peter would have noticed, I think. He
was quite sanguine about it and explained that he'd been provided with an
AI wristband which entitled him to unlimited food and drink at the resort.
When that wristband blew away, he said, it might just have been time to
think about going home!

:-)