I've only been forecasting the weather at Gibraltar for over a year now, but
I can't help the feeling that I've jinxed it and that the jet decided to
follow me south!

Rainfall accumulations for December, January and now February have all far
outstripped the mean monthly rainfall.
February (so far ) by over 500%.

Winter 2009-2010 has now set a new record for the wettest winter ( records
began in 1947 ).

From the beginning of December 2009 to 09Z this morning, the 24th February,
Gibraltar has accumulated 1366.8mm.
Funnily enough the previous wettest was the winter of 1962-1963 which saw
931.6mm, which reminds me of another snowy winter for the UK...hmmm??

Steph ( Weather Forecaster, Gibraltar )

On Feb 24, 1:58*pm, "Steve Ball" wrote:
I've only been forecasting the weather at Gibraltar for over a year now, but
I can't help the feeling that I've jinxed it and that the jet decided to
follow me south! *

Rainfall accumulations for December, January and now February have all far
outstripped the mean monthly rainfall.
February (so far ) by over 500%.

Winter 2009-2010 has now set a new record for the wettest winter ( records
began in 1947 ).

From the beginning of December 2009 to 09Z this morning, the 24th February,
Gibraltar has accumulated 1366.8mm.
Funnily enough the previous wettest was the winter of 1962-1963 which saw
931.6mm, which reminds me of another snowy winter for the UK...hmmm??

Steph ( Weather Forecaster, Gibraltar )

No answer to that - that total is absolutely staggering. I
presume most of it has been cyclonic/frontal with a bit (a lot?) of
convective enhancement from relatively warm sea and cool air.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

No answer to that - that total is absolutely staggering. I
presume most of it has been cyclonic/frontal with a bit (a lot?) of
convective enhancement from relatively warm sea and cool air.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

Definitely Tudor,
we have experienced several 'lows' originating southwest of Morroco where
SST's are currently running warmer than normal. These warm, moist laden
systems also led to the severe floods earlier in the month in the Canary
Islands.
We also get the occasional problem in Gibraltar that fronts can run in over
a low level easterly airflow. Not only does this feed in more moisture from
the Med but the windshear adds the dynamics for embedded CB and can also
slow down the front, hence enhancing possible rainfall accumulations.

Its proving a very interesting place to forecast with its own microclimate.
You wont believe how many people joked that I would only be forecasting
sunshine down in these parts!

Steph.

On 24/02/10 16:00, Steve Ball wrote:

No answer to that - that total is absolutely staggering. I
presume most of it has been cyclonic/frontal with a bit (a lot?) of
convective enhancement from relatively warm sea and cool air.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

Definitely Tudor,
we have experienced several 'lows' originating southwest of Morroco
where SST's are currently running warmer than normal. These warm, moist
laden systems also led to the severe floods earlier in the month in the
Canary Islands.
We also get the occasional problem in Gibraltar that fronts can run in
over a low level easterly airflow. Not only does this feed in more
moisture from the Med but the windshear adds the dynamics for embedded
CB and can also slow down the front, hence enhancing possible rainfall
accumulations.

Its proving a very interesting place to forecast with its own microclimate.
You wont believe how many people joked that I would only be forecasting
sunshine down in these parts!


Looking at the sea-temperature anomalies and, in particular, the region
of strong contrast that would encourage a low-latitude jet, you seem to
be at the muzzle-end of a very long gun. That zone can be traced back
from Gibraltar, through the Caribbean, across Central America and thence
onward across the Pacific to the Philippines! ;-)
See http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/data/sst/a....2.22.2010.gif


--
Graham P Davis, Bracknell, Berks., UK. E-mail: newsman not newsboy
"I wear the cheese. It does not wear me."

In article ,
Steve Ball writes:
From the beginning of December 2009 to 09Z this morning, the 24th
February, Gibraltar has accumulated 1366.8mm.

Wow! I make that about 53 inches in old money.

Funnily enough the previous wettest was the winter of 1962-1963 which
saw 931.6mm, which reminds me of another snowy winter for the
UK...hmmm??

Steph ( Weather Forecaster, Gibraltar )

Probably no coincidence.
--
John Hall
"Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people
from coughing."
Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-83)

"Steve Ball" wrote in message
...
I've only been forecasting the weather at Gibraltar for over a year now,
but I can't help the feeling that I've jinxed it and that the jet decided
to follow me south!

Rainfall accumulations for December, January and now February have all far
outstripped the mean monthly rainfall.
February (so far ) by over 500%.

Winter 2009-2010 has now set a new record for the wettest winter ( records
began in 1947 ).

From the beginning of December 2009 to 09Z this morning, the 24th
February, Gibraltar has accumulated 1366.8mm.
Funnily enough the previous wettest was the winter of 1962-1963 which saw
931.6mm, which reminds me of another snowy winter for the UK...hmmm??

Steph ( Weather Forecaster, Gibraltar )

Sorry Steve, but I thought Gibraltar was part of the UK, so there's the
answer.

Been to Gib a number of times but have never experienced any bad weather at
all.
We were there on 2nd December last year and it was glorious.

Regards.
Len.

"Steve Ball" wrote in message
...
I've only been forecasting the weather at Gibraltar for over a year now,
but I can't help the feeling that I've jinxed it and that the jet decided
to follow me south!

Rainfall accumulations for December, January and now February have all far
outstripped the mean monthly rainfall.
February (so far ) by over 500%.

Winter 2009-2010 has now set a new record for the wettest winter ( records
began in 1947 ).

From the beginning of December 2009 to 09Z this morning, the 24th
February, Gibraltar has accumulated 1366.8mm.
Funnily enough the previous wettest was the winter of 1962-1963 which saw
931.6mm, which reminds me of another snowy winter for the UK...hmmm??

Steph ( Weather Forecaster, Gibraltar )

"GKN" wrote in message
...
Sorry Steve, but I thought Gibraltar was part of the UK, so there's the
answer.

Been to Gib a number of times but have never experienced any bad weather
at
all.
We were there on 2nd December last year and it was glorious.

Regards.
Len.



Hi Len,
sorry its Stephanie, Steve is my other half

I think you were lucky to miss the bad weather on your visit, it seemed to
kick in a week before Christmas.

My husband was so surprised by the weather here, he did liken it to a piece
of the UK having been dumped in the Med.
When all of Spain can be basking in glorious sunshine, Gibraltar often sits
under its own generated cloud, the Levanter.
It can be extremely windy due to funnelling through the straits, and during
the summer months can be plagued by sea fog.

"Steve Ball" wrote in message
...
"GKN" wrote in message
...
Sorry Steve, but I thought Gibraltar was part of the UK, so there's the
answer.

Been to Gib a number of times but have never experienced any bad weather
at
all.
We were there on 2nd December last year and it was glorious.

Regards.
Len.



Hi Len,
sorry its Stephanie, Steve is my other half

I think you were lucky to miss the bad weather on your visit, it seemed to
kick in a week before Christmas.

My husband was so surprised by the weather here, he did liken it to a
piece of the UK having been dumped in the Med.
When all of Spain can be basking in glorious sunshine, Gibraltar often
sits under its own generated cloud, the Levanter.
It can be extremely windy due to funnelling through the straits, and
during the summer months can be plagued by sea fog.

Please accept my apologies Steph.

We have a timeshare in Mijas Golf on the outskirts of Fuengirola, very nice
area. We normally pop down to Gibraltar when we stay, usually May / June,
but last year we squeezed another week early December and were surprised to
find the weather was not really that much different from when we visited
last May.

Regards. Len.

On 24 Feb, 13:58, "Steve Ball" wrote:
I've only been forecasting the weather at Gibraltar for over a year now, but
I can't help the feeling that I've jinxed it and that the jet decided to
follow me south! *

Rainfall accumulations for December, January and now February have all far
outstripped the mean monthly rainfall.
February (so far ) by over 500%.

Winter 2009-2010 has now set a new record for the wettest winter ( records
began in 1947 ).

From the beginning of December 2009 to 09Z this morning, the 24th February,
Gibraltar has accumulated 1366.8mm.
Funnily enough the previous wettest was the winter of 1962-1963 which saw
931.6mm, which reminds me of another snowy winter for the UK...hmmm??

Steph ( Weather Forecaster, Gibraltar )

I suspect the rain was desperately needed after years of low rainfall.
I was shocked how barren and arid the landscape was the last time I
visited Andalucia a couple of years ago...