Summer 2024 - General Discussion

When it comes to thunderstorms, how many would you say you get per year? And roughly which part of Spain are you in?

I am in Madrid Central. We choose here first to check out the capital (it's fantastic) but our next move will be Málaga.( Probably Benalmádena )

We have lived in Manly in Sydney and Devonport in Auckland which we love ,so Malaga is the closest lifestyle place to them. ( only one way to find out)

Think we had one thunderstorm. Madrid is very dry so, no humidity, no storms.

Weather is breaking this week. Highs of 32. Perfect with the dry heat.

It’s like October out there, brutal.

Some charts are suggesting a very settled spell from next weekend.

Certainly looks to last a few days.

Any more experienced people here shine any light on this?

(Have a golf competition 5-8th in Donegal)

I mentioned this possibility back on page 101 and followed up on 103. Here's what I had to say about it. Not sure if it's really the reason, but I suspect it is :-

Page 101

“I've a feeling early September will bring at least a short settled spell and reasonable temps. There is some consensus in the models that HP will try to move closer, and the jet stream will change orientation and weaken a little.”

Page 103

“I also aluded to this a number of posts back. I think as the US cools over the next few weeks this will weaken the jet stream and as a result will allow HP to push over us more. I also think that this might be a trend in some of our summers going forward. The US has been hot this year, and I believe the temp gradient between the US and northern Canada helps to boost the jet stream. If the US continues to see really hot summers, I suspect we will pay the price. Obviously some years will buck the trend.”

Just for the craic my electricity is gone and won't be back until at the earliest 11pm tonight.

The winters day that just keeps on giving!

Rainfall of 151.5mm now for August. 180mm was the wettest of 2024. Can't remember which month that was. March? Nearly 200mm of rain in Newport.

Rained nearly all day in Leitrim. Windy and dark. I've give up on the garden. Flowers ruined by rain and wind. Ground saturated. I really don't know why I bother.

This year is a particularly bad one in the NW of the country. This is one of our worst August's even as bad as many of the many bad ones. Of the last 25 August's wev had 2 good ones one reasonable one and the rest absolute shite.

… in the east there’s a soil moisture deficit of 50mm according to the farming forecast on RTE today

Im afraid I have to disagree Metorite58 and it's yet another example of how we all perceive weather differently. I wouldn't rate today in Tralee as a nice day. Pretty miserable morning, very windy up to mid afternoon and while it did improve as the day went on it was only an ok day at best, imo. I've been back here since Thursday, a particularly bad day. It's been better since, as in more bright spells, but nowhere near summery and spells of rain always close by. South and west Kerry may indeed have fared better than Tralee as it often does.

Exactly what I was thinking too. Parts of Spain have a better chance for snow each year than Ireland