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Post by daveh on Feb 27, 2019 8:46:19 GMT 2
Good morning from a mild Sfakera, the wind shifted late last night; blowing in gusts so we had rattles on the balcony until midnight. The result just a handful of white clouds over Albania and the sea, still a bit choppy but it was 10.1c at 8am. The air is almost still and apart from a haze making Albania look like a silloette it is clear and the sun is rising; already over Roda and soon be here in my garden.
Yesterday morning the sun dominated and the air was still; it was perfect. After midday a light wind picked up but it was again gusting and sometimes here, sometimes just down the road, sometimes not at all. Sat in the sun and shelter the real feel went up to 18.5c as there remained no clouds and the sun beat down; several apartment owners in Roda were out tidying their gardens ready for the season; still an abundance of smoke coming from the olive groves and the grass verges are getting more colour to them by the day. Initially some small purple flowers, then while ones and now they are joined by yellows. The sunset was bright yellow and again followed by a beautiful starlit evening; however the wind had picked up a bit more although the temperature dropped much slower than of late.
The maximum temperature was 15.7c and the minimum was 4.6c.
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Post by daveh on Feb 28, 2019 9:10:56 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. A fresh start to the day with the air still, the sea calm, Albania visible behind a sea mist. It is cloudless and the sun is rising. Just 6c at 8am but looking set for another fine day.
Yesterday as the sun came up so did a gentle breeze; this in turn brought in clouds and others formed over the sea. Just after 10am we were reduced to sunny intervals. A light wind came along and the clouds moved away as quickly as they had arrived to leave the sky almost cloudless by midday. The afternoon was wonderful; full on sun and a very light wind. After a mornings work gardening it was nice to spend the afternoon sat outside reading. We again had a beautiful starlit night.
The maximum temperature was 17.4c, the minimum was 9.3c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 1, 2019 8:12:16 GMT 2
Kalo Mina from Sfakera; there is a nip in the air this morning but the sun is rising. It is noticeable now that this is happening earlier; not long ago it was still dark when the school buses pass (7:30 to 7:45am) but now it is light. The sun rise is just before 7am (Athens) and its not long after that it appears on the Albanian peaks and its in Roda by 7:45am. The air is still, it is again cloudless. The sea looks calm if slightly grey. There is a haze over the sea towards Albania. It was 7.0c at 8am.
Yesterday was a day of continual sunshine with hardly a cloud to be seen; a high bank of fluffy clouds sat over the Albanian peaks but that was all. By midday the gentle breeze had become a light wind, gusting at times and this kept the temperature down. You had to find a sheltered spot in the sun to fully enjoy the comforts of sitting outside for more than an hour or you began to feel cold. But if you were pottering about your garden or working outside it was splendid. As evening approached we had a lovely bright yellow sunset; followed by a sky of purples, light yellows and creams. It was accompanied by an orchestra of gunshot; so much it was like every hunter was out and shooting at what as the noise was such the birds had all flown to safety. This kept on until about 40 minutes after nightfall. By then they had expended their final shots and were going home to put their guns away...…...it was the last day of the shooting season (well it carries on until 12th March but until then you can only shoot rabbits and hares). The night was again a perfect view of the stars; like looking at the ceiling inside the London planetarium I remember from my youth.
The maximum temperature was 15.9c and the minimum was 5.8c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 2, 2019 8:45:08 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera where there is a chill in the air that contradicts the thermometer which says it was 9.1c at 8am. The air is still and the sun is up. Today there is high thin white cloud over the sea to the NW which gets thicker and darker in the N over Albania which is barely visible. To the west there is another bank of grey clouds in the distance. We are forecast a day of clouds with a possibility of some rain (depending on which website you look at). As we know it can rain somewhere on the Island and be sunny elsewhere so we will wait and see what happens. Today is noticeable for the total lack of gunshot that usually accompanies dawn on weekend mornings; our only sounds being birdsong and the passing traffic, which is very light this time of year.
Yesterdays lovely sunny start then had a light wind pick up. Suddenly white strips of cloud started to appear to the west giving us only sunny intervals from 11am; however by 1pm they had all passed giving us a nice sunny afternoon still with the light gusting winds. A few fluffy clouds to the west around 5pm which the cloud dipped behind and below to give us a light yellow sunset followed by purple/pink/cream edged clouds. As night fell there was also a bank of clouds to the East but they cleared away before 9pm. The clouds from the West stay put and we had another starlit night but not so bright as in previous days.
The maximum temperature was 16.9c, the minimum was 6.8c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 3, 2019 8:23:31 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera, where there is a chill in the morning air...….more fresh than cold. Still, cloudless but with a sea mist/haze making the outline of Albania faintly visible and in fact you can only just see the snow on the peaks which is slowly melting away. The sea looks calm. The air is filled with birdsong and Sfakera church bells toll in the background. At 8am it was 9.3c and the sun was just reaching the bamboos opposite me having broken out in Roda some 20 minutes previously.
Yesterday the sun burnt off the thin layer of clouds but they were replaced by other passing fluffy white ones kept moving by the light wind and hardly causing a break in the sun. Sat in the sun and sheltered it was very nice indeed, if in the wind and sun it was more than pleasant but if in the shade you needed a fleece or light jacket. The villagers were pruning their vines and tying them to there supports be they wire or cable. I notice some have already prepared and planted there potatoes but my neighbour has yet to have her plot cultivated ready - she clearly sticks to the same routine every year regardless and will do so in about 2 weeks time. Lunch in the outdoors was a must and gardens, balconies (that face the sun) are now coming back into the daily routine of use. Come mid afternoon the sun was still out but it was shining through a very thin hazy cloud almost like a high thin fog; the whole sky was no longer blue but was bright cream in colour. The sunset was nice, the sun looking much bigger as its rays were spread out as it shone through the haze; bright yellow in the centre and lighter towards the edges. It was some time after nightfall before the haze thinned or cleared in places to reveal the stars; by midnight it was a full starlit sky.
The maximum temperature was 17.4c (real feel 20c), the minimum was 9.0c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 4, 2019 8:41:43 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera where each day is becoming similar; we mustn't become complacent as it is still only the first week of March and there are bound to be more rains to come over the next 3 months but meantime we can enjoy it while it continues. The sun is up, its cloudless, still and fresh and 8.9c as we approach 8:30 am. Albania again masked by a sea mist/haze and the sea itself is calm; just a small fishing boat in view which looks like it has been stuck on the sea being so stationery.
Yesterday was a lovely sunny day all day; a light wind picked up around midday and continued until nightfall but it wasn't a cold wind. I walked down to Roda at 11:40 and strolled around the village; wearing a t-shirt and light jumper. There was signs of some work (gardening, maintenance and preparation) at Makis, Theodoras, the Grill on the beach and nearby apartments. Other apartments such as Elaini and the one next to Jo's Bakery have finished their tidy up of their gardens. Tropicana was busy as Sfakera were meeting up ready for their long drive south; Nemos too as their was a childrens party with a Carnival theme. Drossia is decorated with coloured flags and plastic clowns ready for Carnival. Just a few customers in the sun outside Oscars; a few visiting Paniotis and X-Press mini markets; a handful in Pirates; Alexandros quiet as it doesn't open until 3pm. The middle road was almost deserted; Floyd as usual was working away at Dolphin and Sandy's was open but had no customers early (here again the outside is in the sun and also sheltered from the wind so very pleasant and quiet place to sit and pass the time). As I started to walk home I had to remove my jumper as I was too warm such was the day. Sunset was a yellow ball, not as bright as of late but very nice and a lovely purple, orange sky was visable across the western horizon; a this layer of wispy clouds over Albania were tinged in pink. It only started to turn dark at 7:10pm as I walked up to the Neon to meet friends and watch football. On the way home it was a joy to again look upwards at the beautiful starlit night.
The maximum temperature was 18.6c and the minimum was 9.1c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 5, 2019 8:14:22 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. A nice fresh start to the day. As the sun was rising behind Albania so the high thin clouds to the NE were tinted pink; other high thin clouds to the W and SW are more light grey in colour. The air is still, it is 9c at 8am, visibility better though still sea mist/haze towards Albania but thinner than of late. The sea calm and looking bluer now the sun is up over Roda and Agnos; it hasn't arrived with me yet due to the olive groves behind. Noticeably quieter this morning; much less birdsong at dawn that usual though they are singing away now the sun is rising.
Yesterday morning whilst sunny saw medium sized fluffy white clouds passing and a very gentle gusting breeze. I had a bonfire to burn garden prunings where I help somebody out; these are the sort with needles on branches so not good for handling or cutting back to use as kindling. The smoke just went up and then it different directions according to the gusts of breeze showing that the breeze was circling around against the hills behind the village. These clouds were to the SW and we were therefore subject to the odd shady interval during the afternoon; you could tell when the sun was hidden without looking as you could feel the warmth go from your arms, fortunately not enough to make you reach for a jumper. When the sun got round to the West there were no clouds and when setting it was a nice bright yellow ball with orange edges. After it went from view the sky on the horizon was just a cream colour. The late evening and night was starlit.
The maximum temperature was 18.3c, the minimum was 8.5c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 6, 2019 9:10:09 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. Well we went to bed with full cloud cover; however in the early hours a wind could be heard and we wake to almost cloudless skies. The sun rose early and along with a gentle breeze all looks set fair for a glorious day. Albania is hidden completely by low clouds and sea mists; the sea is calm as the winds were from the South so not really affect the north coast. It is already 14c at 9am.
Yesterday it stayed mostly clear during the morning giving us a lovely sunny start to the day. The clouds that were in the SW began to move in and were large, some grey and fluffy and gave us an afternoon of sunny intervals with a gentle breeze; lunch in the garden was still very pleasant. Slowly the clouds to the west merged into a nearly complete bank of cover and by 5pm the sun had disappeared; we only saw the odd glimpse thereafter but could tell when it had finally set as there was a light purple tinge to the western sky for 15 minutes or so. Due to the cloud it was dark earlier; before 7pm. The sky by now 100% cloud cover.
The maximum temperature was 17.8c and the minimum was 8.5c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 7, 2019 14:13:21 GMT 2
Good afternoon from Sfakera. In the early hours today there was a stiff wind that blew away the cloud cover so we woke to a clear sky, with distant fluffy clouds to the South and West. There was a gentle breeze and the sun was rising; the sea was calm as the wind was from the south. It was 13c as we approached 9am.
Yesterday it was a near perfect Spring day, a light wind, sunshine and the odd passing fluffy clouds (some of them grey in colour). Everywhere you looked people were out and about; in gardens, walking, outside bars, working on buildings, shopping; in general enjoying the outside life. Birds were singing, flowers on the verges have quadrupled in the last 3 days, smoke from fires in gardens and olive groves to be seen all around. The cloud cover increased slowly as the day progressed but never really affected the sun, the gusty wind got a bit stronger too. A nice yellow sunset was followed by a cloudy evening but as midnight approached so the wind picked up and the stars slowly started to appear.
The maximum temperature was 19.2c and the minimum was 13.0c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 8, 2019 9:11:19 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. There is one big change this morning and that being it is very clear; there is no sea mist or haze at all today and Albania is clear with its still snow capped peaks (it is slowly melting away) and a few thin white clouds overhead. It is still the sun is up and apart from a bank of cloud on the distant western horizon there are only high thin white streaks of cloud yo be seen around. It is 12.5c at 9am. The sea looks calm, and looks split in two; nearer the coast it is a light blue and further out it is darker blue; it looks like there is a line separating the two shades of sea.
Yesterday the sun shone, a light southerly wind blew and thin layers of cloud formed all around. They were not very high but they were so thin the sun just continued to shine through them giving us a very pleasant day. This weekend is Carnival in Nymphes though the procession will come through Sfakera and Roda sometime after 4pm...……..whilst finishing touches are being made to the floats everyone is hoping the weather holds for the day and wondering what the main float will be this year...….my guess is a Brexit theme. As it approached sunset the sun, behind the thin layer of cloud was very bright light yellow but more creamy white in the middle and made to look bigger coming through the clouds. It was also very bright and you could only glance at it and not look at it too long. After it set there was a cream horizon and the thin layer of clouds turned pink for quarter of an hour. Due to the cloud it was not a good night for stargazing, but it remained warm as the wind had died away.
The maximum temperature was 19.9c, the minimum was 11.1c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 9, 2019 8:11:52 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera, where despite a mild night there is a definite chill in the air before the sun reaches the village. It is again clear and still and almost cloudless; there is a bit of sea mist towards Albania but the sun was sitting on the peaks early and was in Roda before 7:30am. It is 10.4c as we approach 8am. The sea is calm and but lighter in colour today with the darker water seemingly further out to sea; the little white fishing boat is again out getting his catch ready for Clean Monday.
Yesterday was again a lovely spring day; almost continual sunshine, a light southerly wind and thin high layers of cloud that were unable to hide the sun. At times if you got caught in the shade of the sun and in the wind there was a need for a jumper; move into the sun and you could take your jumper off. In Acharavi on such days it is always best to walk on the coast side of the road and only cross if you need to visit a shop. Some of the coffee shops had rolled up their winter plastic outers to open up the shop to the sunshine. There are still palls of smoke all day from the olive groves and small holdings as the spring clean of the countryside continues. The sunset was again yellow with a whiter centre; bye this time most of the thin clouds had gone so as night fell so the stars came out in their full brightness. The Neon has now decided that there is no need to have the wood burner on in the evenings but many of the locals are still having theirs on; in some cases all day!
The maximum temperature was 20.9c and the minimum 11.2c.
There is a bit of a weather warning for next week on the tv forecast but Corfu is very much on the outside of it. There could be stronger winds and even some bad weather and possible snow in north central Greece. There is a possibility that we will get some rains during the week; much needed to moisten the soil ready for the planting of the potatoes. It looks like out temperatures will fall by 3 or 4c but at around 16c they will still be very pleasant for the time of year.
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Post by daveh on Mar 10, 2019 8:21:13 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera, where there is what appears to be more fog than mist especially over the sea but also within the olive groves. There is a heavy dew as a result. Albania is almost invisible. There are some high thin clouds around but the sun is up ready to clear the fog away. The air is still and the sea calm but looking grey as it is only just visible from my balcony this morning. It was 10.9c at 8am.
Yesterday was a beautiful day, full of sunshine with a gentle breeze and the odd passing cloud. A group of over 20 turned up for the Beach clean in Roda and dozens of sacks were filled as we cleaned in groups; covering from Alexandros (Golden Sands) all the way to well past Coral. Another group cleaned the gutters of the beach road of sand and weeds and the car park area as well as the road out the village buy the car park. Many hands made light work and all was done within a couple hours; everyone left contented with a job well done and having enjoyed a couple hours in the sun. The sea was so calm there was barely a ripple on the beach. A few clouds appeared in the west late afternoon and we had a long shady period after 5:30 before seeing the end of the bright yellow sun setting. As night fell a large bank of clouds appeared on the SW horizon but they didn't seem to move as we were treated to a near perfect starlit sky with a bright crescent moon.
The maximum temperature was 19.1c, the minimum was 10.3c
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kaz
Roda Anorak
Posts: 3,961
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Post by kaz on Mar 10, 2019 18:25:50 GMT 2
Looking good daveh
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Post by daveh on Mar 11, 2019 10:43:00 GMT 2
Hello Kaz, hope you are well. Yes it has been good, February we had just 7 days with rain (average for February is 20 days) and so far none at all in March though some is forecast later this week.
The problem is wild fires have started already; one in South and 5 in the North (one was at Nymphes). One place near Santa had fires 2 days running and the fire service say the number of fires at the same time indicate to them it is arson in some instances; in a couple over use of fuel when clearing in olive groves and not appreciating the area is very dry for the time of year.
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Post by daveh on Mar 11, 2019 10:59:26 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. It is a windy start to the day, the sun is up and there is plenty of cloud around except in the East. Some are large fluffy and grey others are high thin and flat layers; all have large gaps with blue sky. The sea is one colour today; dark blue. Wind is from SW and the sea doesn't appear to be choppy from here at present. It was 14.3c at 9am. I walked down to Roda to buy my lagana (an unlevened flat bread traditionally eaten on Clean Monday) and was warm in t-shirt and light jumper despite the wind. It seemed that at road level the wind was lighter as the trees most affected by the wind were the tops of the eucalyptus that line the road from Sfakera to Roda crossroads. These trees were swaying and creating a rustling noise in the wind; the olive trees behind them in contrast were hardly moving at all. The bamboos, on the other hand are bowing gracefully. This wind will of course be great for those out flying their kites today but may make it a bit chilly for picnic on the beach.
Yesterday morning the fluffy clouds increased in number and formed a bank moving from the West and South West and by 11am it changed from a sunny start to one of a few sunny intervals. The light winds kept them moving and splitting and my mid afternoon the sun was again out with just the odd interval. Albania remained behind cloud all day. Fortunately the sun was out at the time the Nymphes carnival procession came through Sfakera on there way to Roda and Acharavi before returning to party. They were noisy as usual, horns, music and whistles; some good costumes and nicely decorated floats but it did seem there were a few less than last year. After the sunset there was a nice light orange sky to the western horizon. Due to the passing cloud it was a partially starlit night.
The maximum temperature was 18.9c, the minimum was 10.7c.
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