Do you remember as a child jumping in puddles dressed in short red wellington boots and holding a brightly coloured little umbrella? Sometimes rain can seem quite fun whether it is great fat droplets that splash down or a moody almost opaque mizzle, torrential rain to run out into and then back into the dry or rain that you just watch through a window pane. I suspect however that most people in this country would currently say that they had had quite enough of it as it seems to have rained almost incessantly now for several months. We have just enjoyed a few days of sunshine which was heavenly and, today, guess what, it is raining.
“Rain” is an Anglo Saxon/Germanic/ Dutch word stemming from those colder northern European climates. The romance languages with their Latin associations use pluvia – il pleut or la lluvia for example in Spanish which suggests showers rather than the incessant grey rain around the Atlantic and Baltic seas.
The British do like to talk about the weather. With a predilection for outside concerts, picnics, walks, runs and events, it is always one of the biggest risk factors. We tend therefore to be glued to the weather forecasts, in a myriad of media, trying different versions until we find the result we most prefer.
Most of the British weather patterns can be predicted from the rivers of air circulating high above us. The jet stream is a core of strong winds above the Atlantic Ocean which moves and meanders rather like a current in a river, splitting up and swirling together but for us always in a west to east direction. Like a river, the effects are strongest in the centre and more eddying towards the edges. It is the consequence of the differences in heat and thus pressure between the equator and the poles. In winter when the temperature difference is more marked, the unevenness causes greater edginess – or turbulence – in the jet stream and thus wetter, stormier weather.
In summertime there tends to be a smaller temperature difference and the position of the jet stream hopefully ends up to the north of the UK so that we see calmer, drier weather. The jet streams also “follow the sun” – as the sun’s elevation increases each day in the spring, so the average latitude of the jet stream should shift polewards.
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west but because the earth rotates, our view of this is relative. The jet streams also eddy and move in relation to the rotation of the earth. Since the Earth makes one rotation every 24 hours, the countries along the longer latitudes towards the equator rotate at a faster speed than Britain does for example because they travel further in the same amount of time. Therefore, the Earth’s rotational speed is fastest at its widest point, the equator. Likewise, if you stood at either the north or south pole you would not really move, just slowly turn around. The result of this is that the air moving away from the equator does not move directly north and south because it retains this rotational momentum.
However, in reality there are no simple answers to the weather patterns because, like so much on this earth, there are a myriad of subtle connections and inter-relationships and a multiplicity of subtle influences which all play their part.
In the past we were more conscious of the natural landscape in which we lived and knew the seasonal patterns and clues as to the weather. We looked at the clouds, sniffed the air and watched the animals. There were a multitude of country sayings which acted as guides which perhaps surprisingly are still often valid today, for example, the saying “doors and drawers stick before a rain”. In a nutshell, wood expands when the air humidifies, humidity is a sign of low air pressure and incoming bad weather so yes – a door suddenly sticking can indeed sometimes predict rain.
Ultimately though there is nothing so satisfying as lying on your back and watching the clouds. To quote one of my favourites A A Milne:
“How sweet to be a cloud. Floating in the Blue!”
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Outside my place in The Weir, Whitchurch, part of old track through the water meadow to Fulling Mill where James Robertson Justice lived, a puddle.
Most little kiddies stamp in the puddle as part of their walk.
Very important part of walk!
I love the rain, but I was so happy to be able to see Highclere in all it’s splendour last week, when we visited. Steve and I were also delighted to be able to meet you and look forward to our collaboration with Highclere Gin and the Carnarvon family growing stronger. Hopefully we will meet again soon!
Kind regards, Karen and Steve Jones
hope so too
Lovely picture of the rain and you and lord Carnarvon have wonderful weekend l am fan of Downton Abbey and higcelere castle thank you for the email
Your observations, as always, are so lyrical and philosophical. My treasured visit to Highclere Castle two years ago (almost to the day) was also rainy and windy. It didn’t hamper my excitement to see so many scenes from Downton Abbey brought to life. The only disappointment: the inclement weather prevented further exploration of the gardens and follies, but that only means I need to return at a later date. My question is rather mundane, but it always crosses my mind when I see videos of your beautiful and well-mannered dogs frolicking through the gardens and fields–how do you manage the muddy paws?
The dogs have their baskets in the utililty room and the floor is very easy to clean. I hope you might return another day when the weather is brighter Trudi.
Good Morning Lady Carnarvon, from Bellingham in the 4th corner as some refer to WA state. We talk about the rains frequently here too. It’s what keeps WA state “The Ever-green State.”
I’m an avid weather watcher. At a young age my daddy taught me an appreciation of all things to do with the weather. He was a doctor and bush pilot in Tanzania, E. Africa. Oh the memories of watching storms together moving across Lake Victoria from our front porch!! Thank you for your wonderful and informative Monday morning weather topic. It brought back sweet memories.
Ina Sue
There is nothing like the smell of the Earth after the rain. I love the rain and have never owned an umbrella…One friend said to me “whenever it rains I think of you, that you must be out there walking in it.” I recently acquired an “outback” rain coat, that is all I need……Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Lady Carnarvon.
That’s a lovely photograph.
kind regards, A.P
It is an amazing smell
I love the smell of the rain before it comes . It’s announcing the arrival of something so very special , and necessary, because the heavens are giving us a gift that only it can give us. I wished it rained more in Coral Gables, Fl. then maybe we could have a shot of having gardens as lovely as the ones in the UK. You are so lucky to experience this as much as you do. Enjoy!
I do appreciate your sunshine!
Rain can be so comforting when it softly hits the flowers and windows. However, here in Ohio (USA) often times the rain becomes an increasing danger as it is accompanied by high winds, flooding and tornadoes. Several years ago. I witnessed a tornado bouncing around in the corn field across the road from our home. We have had a lot of rain this spring to the point our 3 acres of lawn is like walking on a sponge! Thank you for sharing your rain story and great information accompanying it. As in your area, the weather is a constant topic of conversation here also. The photos you share of the castle are put in my “Highclere” folder to enjoy any time.
Regards,
Brenda Watson
Martinsville, Ohio USA
Thank you very much
My grandma said the same thing about a sticking drawer and rain on the way. Growing up in south Jersey ( USA), we had many very humid days in the summer that ended up in thunderstorms and lots of rain. I remember days when we’d be driving past one of the many dairy farms that were all over the area and my mom would say, “Are the cows lying down?”. If they were, that meant bad weather was on the way.
Hopefully your rain will give way to a lovely sunny spring and summer!
Here, in Phoenix Arizona we can go months with no rain. We are often teased by the weather forecast with rain predicted and we may get a few drops. It doesn’t bother me when it rains as I’m originally from England but some people here complain.
We need rain to water our desert, gardens and wash away the dust. One sure way to get it to rain is to wash your car , then it will rain. I love the smell of the air after a good cleansing rain.
Yes the smell of the air is hugely refreshing post rainfall.
Lady Carvarvon,
A very interesting missive, I like the reference to old sayings about the weather. Coming from the Vale of Evesham ( A market gardening area) we have quite a few usually including Bredon hill. Such as; “Beware ye men of the Vale for Bredon be wearing his hat” Bredon is just under 1000 feet so cloud on the top would indicate low cloud and rain soon. Another slightly humorous saying was
” If’n thee con see Bredon it ull rain, if’n thee cosn’t see im it be rainin already bwoy” Quoted in the Asum grammer the local dialect of which there are sadly few speakers left. One last one from more modern times ” That thur train whistle sounds ‘ollow moin tha, it ull rain soon.” This one was to do with how the way sound travels in the air is affected by humidity and wind direction.
Regards Nick
I think there are useful pointers is the old folklores
These were delightful! All the more so for being written in dialect!
Lady Carnarvon,
Thanks for a fresh approach to the week! The scent of rain is so different, and certainly signals a change to our brains!
When we visited Highclere Castle in September 2013, it was a beautiful, clear day and we remarked that we would see your stately home and beautiful grounds without our raincoats.
Thank you again for another engaging essay in nature’s magic and its influence on our lives!
Martha G
You have taken me back to muckloshes/galloshes as we called them. I loved “mucking” about and would stay out in the rain or wet snow, splashing or stomping through the puddles. Sometimes the mud would cling to my boots and build up making me taller! If I didn’t get back to a pure puddle to wash the mud off, the mud might build up to a point where I could not walk and sometimes my boot was suctioned into to the mud causing me to be “stuck”! Ha ha!!
A few times the boot would be left behind as I walked back in wet dirty sock feet!
Great memories!
Thank you!
It is always funny if someone (else) loses their welly!
I love rain. Here in the desert SW of USA rain can be a blessing and a curse. We get about 9 inches of rain a year. Yes, a year. Hense the desert part. Most of our rain comes in Dec-Jan and July. It rarely comes in gentle showers. It comes with high strong winds that can almost be tornado like. A strange phenomenon of our rain is it can be sunny overhead and raining at the same time. When we have our harsh rains, we get what is called flash flooding. Most of our riverbeds are dry 99% of the year. But the flash flooding comes swift and strong for about 5 minutes then like magic, the riverbeds are dry again. But if a car or person were caught up in this torrent both can be swept away for miles. The powers that be, finally, enacted legislation that driving through a place that has been known for flash flooding is illegal and if you need to be rescued you will be fined and have to pay the cost of the rescue. Yes, people still do it. It’s actually called the stupid motorist law. Enjoy your rain.
Lady Carnarvon,
I like how you combine science with literature in such an interesting way!
I think you could publish the blogs you share with us each week.
Thank you Deborah, that’s a kind sentiment.
I certainly echo that! Your ability to make concepts intelligible and accessible is a wonderful gifting, Lady Carnarvon. We are grateful that you share it with us.
Dear Lady Carnarvon, I had not heard or seen the word ‘mizzle’ since my husbands grandmother (Shropshere born and bred) used to say it. Mist and drizzle, it really fits the bill in England.
We in Dallas Fort Worth have just been treated to the slowest moving storm ever! It thundered all night and part of the day Friday/ saturday and threw so much water at us that the lake / reservoir is up to capacity in just a few hours. I know enough about Texas to know that one never complains about water..but this downpour spoiled peoples planned trips and at least one children’s fete that I know of. “Mustn’t complain ” we need the water and for the lakes to fill..that is our only lifeline when the drought comes, as it surely will.
Mizzle is a good word
Dear Lady Canarvon,
Thanks again for your lovely reflections. They brought back memories of my visit to Highclere from the US in 2016 for a private event and tour. Visiting was a joy, as we got to have coffee, tea and biscuits in the Saloon and even had permission to sit on the furniture. However, the weather was not smiling on us that day and, although the heaviest rain waited long enough for us to get some soggy outdoor photos and selfies before entering, it was pouring by the time we were done with the inside tour and gift shop, which you so kindly opened for our group. We still really enjoyed the visit, but as one who walks and hikes, I had hoped to have had time to walk at least a short time outside as well. As I look at the outside public events you host each year I find myself wishing that I lived close enough to purchase tickets and attend but I am 3000 miles and an ocean away. Perhaps another time……..
As you say Virginia, perhaps another time.
Best wishes
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
We do need rain to help with the growth of Spring but days and weeks of rain is just a little too much. It is very hard on the mental health. We need sunshine for numerous reason. Thank you for the information on the weather and the jet stream. I understand it a bit better now. I hope the rain stops soon. Take care.
Susan
great memories.
I love walking in the sunshine but also the rain. The earth is bathed by sunlight but also the rain. Thank you for taking me on a puddle jumping walk in the rain.
We’ve been watching the weather here in New Jersey in the U.S. too. Unusual amount of rain here since early March, but the lawns and flowers look beautiful.
Some of my favorite days to enjoy the outside is the cool, overcast, misty/showery days when most all of my sun-loving neighbors elect to stay inside. I sincerely hope the spring weather clears up more consistently for everyone over in the British Isles. It has been a truly brutal spring for the farmers there – I follow a number of sheep, dairy, and grain farmers and it has been just awful. They really need a break to get fields prepped and planted, get the herds out of the sheds, and for the remainder of the lambing season. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for more blue skies over Highclere and elsewhere.
It is quite cold again…
Good afternoon, dear lady Carnarvon! Just one other prediction from my grandfather’s times: when you pour tea, the surface “shrinks” creating small patterns that look like clouds. It’s going to rain for certain!
Happy rain to us all!
Fondly, Elizabeth
I love that!
I enjoyed your post and weather report. 🙂 Thank you for making me smile with your last quote.
Carla
Another nice blog and lovely pictures of Highclere even though in the rain thankyou
Hello, the earth needs this rain and when we walk in this rain the smells of the earth and its plants are wonderful. Following this benevolent rain, the sun gives other wonderful smells. Have a nice day and have a good walk on your land. Bonjour, la terre a besoin de cette pluie et lorsque nous nous promenons sous cette pluie les odeurs de la terre et de ses végétaux sont merveilleuses. Suite à cette pluie bienveillance le soleil donne d’autres odeurs aussi merveilleuses. Bonne journée et bonne promenade sur vos terre.
Lady Carnarvon,
Your post made me smile. Living in Michigan, one of the most often comments heard is “if you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes.” We are on vacation in Hawaii. Guests are planning to join us. If I don’t like one forecast, I keep searching until I find a better one. Wonderful post! Thank you
The clouds above the castle in the first photo are fabulous.
Here’s another pleasant A.A. Milne quote – in fact, the entire succinct little poem: ‘John had great big waterproof boots on. John had a great big waterproof hat. John had a great big waterproof mackintosh. And that said John is that.’
There are outdoor delights on a rainy day, and there are indoor ones… I’m thinking specifically of a cup of tea and a good book!
Best wishes to you, Lady Carnarvon
From Glenview, Illinois
Love the poem- thank you
The inclement weather in England has many interesting observations My partner will often stand in the garden ,muttering it is looking black over Wills Mothers ,apparently an old Kentish saying ,needless to say rain arrives !!Thank you for the blog ,always so interesting and looked forward to each Monday.
Though the rain may interfere with our outdoor ‘play’, it sure makes a nice green world with all the colorful elements to go with it. Here in Alabama, in mid summer, we will be begging for rain as the humidity here gets quite muggy, sticky and buggy!
Your first picture of that gorgeous sky is an artist’s dream.
During the Pandemic when all the parks were closed here in southern Ontario, my daughter and her husband dressed their three little boys in their rain gear and headed out to find the biggest puddle. The boys loved this ! Maybe we should get dressed in our rain gear and go find a puddle to jump in when the rainy days get us down! Find our inner child and rejoice!
Rain in Hawaii is special when it drizzles because there is almost always a rainbow or two in the sky. I suspect the smell of rain is globally the same, and it is usually welcoming to nourish our plants and trees, though damaging rains have been reported around the world, too. I especially liked your explanation of the earth’s rotation and how it affects the air. It makes perfect sense!
The smell of rain is special where ever each of us lives..
Living in a large Victorian stone house the rain troubles us often with blocked gutters etc. This winter however was a whole new thing. We were struck by a tornado in Cheshire! Unheard of in these parts. Many fine old beeches uprooted and stone walls demolished. All being restored now despite the rainy conditions. We look forward immensely to the summer. Highclere is high on our agenda once the work is over.
My dear friend and I will be visiting your home the week of May 5. We are traveling from Alabama, USA. This is a gift from my friend to celebrate my 70th Birthday. I would love to meet you and your beautiful dogs in person. This has been a dream of mine for a number of years.
Hope to see you!
Bonjour lady Carnarvon, la terre a besoin de cette pluie et lorsque nous nous promenons sous cette pluie les odeurs de la terre et de ses végétaux sont merveilleuses. Suite à cette pluie bienveillance le soleil donne d’autres odeurs aussi merveilleuses. Bonne journée et bonne promenade sur vos terre. Good morning Lady Carnarvon, the earth needs this rain and when we walk in this rain the smells of the earth and its plants are wonderful. Following this benevolent rain, the sun gives other wonderful smells. Have a nice day and have a good walk on your land.
Lovely post. I used to adore lying on my back to watch the clouds. We adults need to do it more.
There is an old Peanuts cartoon where Linus comes to a puddle and jumps in (yes, with boots on). Then he looks at the little puddles all around and says, “I set them all free!” My grandchildren and I like to go to a nearby dirt lane and jump in the puddles.
The only weather saying I pay a lot of attention to is “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.” It is usually true here that when we get a morning red sky we’ll have lots of rain and quite windy conditions.
Thank you for another interesting post. That photo of the castle is marvelous.
Lady Carnarvon,
It is true we should appreciate the sunny days. Although it is really nice when it drizzles slightly. Here in Florida we have good weather right now. However; in mid May, our rainy season starts. All the way to August. Still can get heavy rain in early September. I always schedule my days depending on what the meteorologist says. Avoiding thunderstorms in any way.
I would jump from spring to autumn..
My favorite smell, or one of them, is a rain after mowed grass… Highclere is beautiful no matter the weather! Thank you for sharing!!
Lady Carnarvon, I very much enjoy your thoughtful blogs, thank you, and this one about rain was timely for us here in Oregon, in the Northwest corner of the United States. I hope you will entertain an off-topic question. In your Podcast #4 with Pat Withers, and on Merry Berry’s Country House Secrets episode on Highclere, you mention Friday Fish and Chips from a local shop. My wife Cheryl and I will be visiting your lovely home in September this year and would love to know which local shop you frequent? We would be very grateful for a reply. Warmest regards.