To quote:

"The first half of April is likely to remain unsettled, with
temperatures near normal and precipitation likely to be around average
for most areas."

The first statement in that line suggests bad weather, though the
second and third suggest average conditions. Unless April habitually
produces bad weather (and generally, it produces good weather as often
as it does bad) that would suggest a contradiction.

Nick

Nick wrote:

To quote:

"The first half of April is likely to remain unsettled, with
temperatures near normal and precipitation likely to be around average
for most areas."

The first statement in that line suggests bad weather, though the
second and third suggest average conditions. Unless April habitually
produces bad weather (and generally, it produces good weather as often
as it does bad) that would suggest a contradiction.

Nick

I don't see the contradiction, Nick. Unsettled with near average temperature
and rainfall is a very common British Isles situation. It's probably quite a
good description of a typical British summer.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

On Mar 19, 12:58*pm, "Norman" wrote:
Nick wrote:
To quote:

"The first half of April is likely to remain unsettled, with
temperatures near normal and precipitation likely to be around average
for most areas."

The first statement in that line suggests bad weather, though the
second and third suggest average conditions. Unless April habitually
produces bad weather (and generally, it produces good weather as often
as it does bad) that would suggest a contradiction.

Nick

I don't see the contradiction, Nick. Unsettled with near average temperature
and rainfall is a very common British Isles situation. It's probably quite a
good description of a typical British summer.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

To me I've always taken "unsettled" to mean significantly above-
average rainfall, and significantly below-average pressure, i.e. a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days,
such as last November.

Nick

On 19 Mar, 15:41, Nick wrote:
On Mar 19, 12:58*pm, "Norman" wrote:
Nick wrote:

"The first half of April is likely to remain unsettled, with
temperatures near normal and precipitation likely to be around average
for most areas."

The first statement in that line suggests bad weather, though the
second and third suggest average conditions. Unless April habitually
produces bad weather (and generally, it produces good weather as often
as it does bad) that would suggest a contradiction.

I don't see the contradiction, Nick. Unsettled with near average temperature
and rainfall is a very common British Isles situation. It's probably quite a
good description of a typical British summer.

To me I've always taken "unsettled" to mean significantly above-
average rainfall, and significantly below-average pressure, i.e. a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days,
such as last November.

What will be interestin in April is that all the phases indicate the
same spell except for the last one which is the same as the one just
gone. (7th March on IIRC.)

What happened with them recently though admittedly after a rather
prolonged build up to a rather extreme earthquakes and series of
lesser tremblors is that we had an anticyclone. But since the time of
the phases presage goggy weather that might just be what we get.

So we should be getting an inversion for the first three weeks. WHich
isn't normal for April. Is it?

The USGS expert at Santiago or Valparaiso or wherever, has just
forecast an high probability for another large magnitude quake in the
not too distant. So beware if you're there.

"Nick" wrote in message

To me I've always taken "unsettled" to mean significantly above-
average rainfall, and significantly below-average pressure, i.e. a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days,
such as last November.

Nick

April showers?
Unsetteld to me would just mean unsettled, IE mixed weather.
Above average rainfall would be wet weather?
Deep lows, active fronts - Wet and windy weather?

Nick wrote:

On Mar 19, 12:58*pm, "Norman" wrote:
Nick wrote:
To quote:

"The first half of April is likely to remain unsettled, with
temperatures near normal and precipitation likely to be around average
for most areas."

The first statement in that line suggests bad weather, though the
second and third suggest average conditions. Unless April habitually
produces bad weather (and generally, it produces good weather as often
as it does bad) that would suggest a contradiction.

Nick

I don't see the contradiction, Nick. Unsettled with near average temperature
and rainfall is a very common British Isles situation. It's probably quite a
good description of a typical British summer.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

To me I've always taken "unsettled" to mean significantly above-
average rainfall, and significantly below-average pressure, i.e. a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days,
such as last November.

Nick


This thread emphasises just how difficult it is to communicate weather forecast
information. The default in this country is "unsettled" weather i.e. typically
the weather is very variable over relatively short periods of time. Days with
rain alternated with dry days. This "typical" weather produces moderate
temperatures and moderate amounts of rain. A spell of "settled" weather will,
almost by definition, result in below average rainfall. "Unsettled" weather
might produce above average rainfall but not necessarily so. A spell with a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days would
probably be best described as "stormy" or "wet".


--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

On Mar 19, 5:58*pm, "Norman" wrote:
Nick wrote:
On Mar 19, 12:58 pm, "Norman" wrote:
Nick wrote:
To quote:

"The first half of April is likely to remain unsettled, with
temperatures near normal and precipitation likely to be around average
for most areas."

The first statement in that line suggests bad weather, though the
second and third suggest average conditions. Unless April habitually
produces bad weather (and generally, it produces good weather as often
as it does bad) that would suggest a contradiction.

Nick

I don't see the contradiction, Nick. Unsettled with near average temperature
and rainfall is a very common British Isles situation. It's probably quite a
good description of a typical British summer.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

To me I've always taken "unsettled" to mean significantly above-
average rainfall, and significantly below-average pressure, i.e. a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days,
such as last November.

Nick

This thread emphasises just how difficult it is to communicate weather forecast
information. The default in this country is "unsettled" weather i.e. typically
the weather is very variable over relatively short periods of time. Days with
rain alternated with dry days. This "typical" weather produces moderate
temperatures and moderate amounts of rain. A spell of "settled" weather will,
almost by definition, result in below average rainfall. "Unsettled" weather
might produce above average rainfall but not necessarily so. A spell with *a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days would
probably be best described as "stormy" or "wet".

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

I've always made something of a, possibly incorrect, distinction in my
mind between "changeable" and "unsettled". The former always seems
relatively benign - the sort of dry/wet mix you describe - while
"unsettled" always seems synonymous to "stormy", "wet" etc - I've
always taken it to mean something *worse* than the average conditions.
So November 2009 was "unsettled" while late October 2008 was merely
"changeable", for instance. Not sure where I've picked that up but
it's possibly through use in the past.

Nick

"Nick" wrote in message
...
On Mar 19, 5:58 pm, "Norman" wrote:
Nick wrote:
On Mar 19, 12:58 pm, "Norman" wrote:
Nick wrote:
To quote:

"The first half of April is likely to remain unsettled, with
temperatures near normal and precipitation likely to be around
average
for most areas."

The first statement in that line suggests bad weather, though the
second and third suggest average conditions. Unless April habitually
produces bad weather (and generally, it produces good weather as
often
as it does bad) that would suggest a contradiction.

Nick

I don't see the contradiction, Nick. Unsettled with near average
temperature
and rainfall is a very common British Isles situation. It's probably
quite a
good description of a typical British summer.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

To me I've always taken "unsettled" to mean significantly above-
average rainfall, and significantly below-average pressure, i.e. a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days,
such as last November.

Nick

This thread emphasises just how difficult it is to communicate weather
forecast
information. The default in this country is "unsettled" weather i.e.
typically
the weather is very variable over relatively short periods of time. Days
with
rain alternated with dry days. This "typical" weather produces moderate
temperatures and moderate amounts of rain. A spell of "settled" weather
will,
almost by definition, result in below average rainfall. "Unsettled"
weather
might produce above average rainfall but not necessarily so. A spell with
a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days
would
probably be best described as "stormy" or "wet".

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

I've always made something of a, possibly incorrect, distinction in my
mind between "changeable" and "unsettled". The former always seems
relatively benign - the sort of dry/wet mix you describe - while
"unsettled" always seems synonymous to "stormy", "wet" etc - I've
always taken it to mean something *worse* than the average conditions.
So November 2009 was "unsettled" while late October 2008 was merely
"changeable", for instance. Not sure where I've picked that up but
it's possibly through use in the past.

Nick
================

Old official definitions are that "changeable" should be used for the short
term, i.e. next 48 hours or so, whereas "unsettled" should only be used for
longer periods. Both mean the same thing.

Will
--

On 19/03/10 18:06, Nick wrote:
On Mar 19, 5:58 pm, "Norman" wrote:
Nick wrote:
On Mar 19, 12:58 pm, "Norman" wrote:
Nick wrote:
To quote:

"The first half of April is likely to remain unsettled, with
temperatures near normal and precipitation likely to be around average
for most areas."

The first statement in that line suggests bad weather, though the
second and third suggest average conditions. Unless April habitually
produces bad weather (and generally, it produces good weather as often
as it does bad) that would suggest a contradiction.

Nick

I don't see the contradiction, Nick. Unsettled with near average temperature
and rainfall is a very common British Isles situation. It's probably quite a
good description of a typical British summer.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

To me I've always taken "unsettled" to mean significantly above-
average rainfall, and significantly below-average pressure, i.e. a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days,
such as last November.

Nick

This thread emphasises just how difficult it is to communicate weather forecast
information. The default in this country is "unsettled" weather i.e. typically
the weather is very variable over relatively short periods of time. Days with
rain alternated with dry days. This "typical" weather produces moderate
temperatures and moderate amounts of rain. A spell of "settled" weather will,
almost by definition, result in below average rainfall. "Unsettled" weather
might produce above average rainfall but not necessarily so. A spell with a
series of deep lows with very active fronts and virtually no dry days would
probably be best described as "stormy" or "wet".

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

I've always made something of a, possibly incorrect, distinction in my
mind between "changeable" and "unsettled". The former always seems
relatively benign - the sort of dry/wet mix you describe - while
"unsettled" always seems synonymous to "stormy", "wet" etc - I've
always taken it to mean something *worse* than the average conditions.
So November 2009 was "unsettled" while late October 2008 was merely
"changeable", for instance. Not sure where I've picked that up but
it's possibly through use in the past.

Nick

Looks like the Met Office have got the right idea to avoid the "barbecue
summer" problem. Express the forecast in terms that mean different
things to different people. After the event, you can then explain what
you meant and that the forecast was perfect.

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

On Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:11:33 -0000, "Will Hand"
wrote:

Old official definitions are that "changeable" should be used for the short
term, i.e. next 48 hours or so, whereas "unsettled" should only be used for
longer periods. Both mean the same thing.

I can see exactly the problem Nick has, Will - and with him, the
majority of the UK population. Terms like unsettled, changeable,
average, which are meaningful to professional and many amateur
meteorologists, are vague to most of the population, who just don't
know what they mean.

Windy, rainy, snowy, sunny - even "barbecue" lol, these are fine and
everyone knows what they mean. It's the in-between words that cause
the problem and the Met Office would get a lot less flak if they
carefully avoided them. If I may use an analogy - colours - it's like
the difference between blue, red, yellow, white, black - and
turquoise, mauve, purple and cyan. Some people would understand the
latter better if they were described as "blue-green" etc.

The Met Office really does need to say in more words than one exactly
what they mean, not rely on one-word "weather types" - simply because
many weather types just aren't well understood by the general
population (and media!)

Cheers, Dave