Search This Blog

Sunday 16 September 2018

Weather forecasts!

I don`t know if others have noticed, but different weather forecasts provided by different organisations can vary with regard to chronology. I usually check the `Met Office` and BBC weather forecasts, the latter forecast being supplied (I think) by a firm based in the Netherlands.
Yesterday evening, the Met Office forecast predicted overcast conditions with fairly strong (but not excessive) winds so, as the winds were more from a southerly direction than of late and because migrants have been turning up in SW England (and elsewhere), out went my two garden traps. Also, rain was not forecast until c 7.00am the next morning, giving me time to inspect the traps.
Later yesterday evening, I checked the BBC forecast which, as a title summary for overnight, said something like `strong winds and heavy rain`.
As my roof-top actinic is wood and prone to soaking (therefore needing subsequent drying out) and its more open top (perhaps why it traps/holds more `good` moths), as well as its precarious (wind-sensitive) siting on the edge of the flat roof, I decided to take it in.
This morning I therefore only had the MV to inspect - at c 7.00am when it was still dry (the light rain came later at c 8.00am). The moth haul was uninspiring with only my FFY large ranunculus (a singleton) and a blackneck being of any interest. The blackneck is quite unseasonal as it is normally in flight during June and July; it must be a rare second brooder.
....I should perhaps have left the roof-top actinic out (and may have caught a convolvulus hawk-moth, which are around) and not have listened to over precautionary weather forecasts.

                             Above: last night`s blackneck (or should it be a `brown-neck`!)

3 comments:

  1. My trap had an unpredicted soaking two nights ago, always a nuisance, but it doesn't seem to upset the moths. My catches are unremarkable at the moment except for lots of Brimstone Moths which seem to be having a very successful season here.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We have noticed that the summary headline for the BBC forecast for our area bears little resemblance to the hourly forecast! The summary can say "Rain and strong winds" and the hourly forecast will show only light rain and no winds over 12 mph! If you want an optimistic forecast try XC Weather.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks both. The Met Office forecast was wrong -in detail - last night (Sunday) too, as there was more rain than predicted.
    Some decent moths (though nothing `hot`) - will blog later.

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.