kaz
Roda Anorak
Posts: 3,961
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Post by kaz on Mar 11, 2019 21:06:44 GMT 2
AND WE ARE STILL WEARING OUR WINTER COATS!!!....pleased to hear you are having good weather..njoy Kaz
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Post by daveh on Mar 12, 2019 8:23:35 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera where it is jeans and fleece tme again. We wake to almost full cloud cover; very grey over hidden Albania and lighter elsewhere. There is a patch of light blue sky to the West. There is a gentle breeze and no sign of the sun. The sea is grey, slightly darker than the sky when they meet at the horizon but almost the same colour as the clouds Albania way. It is 13.2c at 8am. At 8:15 so it started to rain; our first rain of the month. Yesterday was the perfect day for Clean Monday kite fliers as we had a light gusty wind all day; the sun was up but there were plenty of passing fluffy clouds and the odd area of higher thin layers of cloud around. Albania almost vanished during the day. Mid afternoon the wind dropped for a short time. Photos show there were dozens on the beach at Almiros flying kites and picnicking; mostly wearing jackets due to the wind. The sea was relatively calm as the winds were from the south west. News reels on tv showed large crowds at the Salonika racecourse enjoying kite flying, food and dancing. Similar events were also held in Athens and other larger Towns. An overhead shot of the Liston showed the cricket pitch dotted with people flying their kites. Sunset came early due to a bank of cloud on the western horizon as the clouds began to dominate the sky. After nightfall there was the odd blurred glimpse of the moon through thinner patches of cloud. After 10pm the wind really picked up and was gusting as well and it was still blowing strong at midnight though by 3 am it had dropped away. The maximum temperature was 19.8c and the minimum was 12.3c.
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kaz
Roda Anorak
Posts: 3,961
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Post by kaz on Mar 12, 2019 16:42:29 GMT 2
Great photo daveh
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Post by daveh on Mar 13, 2019 8:04:30 GMT 2
Good morning from a chilly Sfakera. The sun is up, it is still and cloudless but chilly. Just after 7am a ferry headed towards Corfu Town on the deep blue sea with a visible white wake showing the channel to still be a bit choppy after yesterdays winds. Only 7.2c at 7:30am but hopefully the temperature will quickly rise.
Yesterday the early shower was heavy but short; just about 20 minutes. Then there was a glimpse of sun through the clouds over Agnos which shortly after arrived in the village for just a few minutes. It quickly darkened as the wind blew in very dark clouds and rumbles of distant thunder. Around 9:15 it started to rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning. This time it rained for an hour before easing and stopping. During this storm the overnight temperature of 13.0c fell further to just 11.3c. As it cleared the temperature began to rise again but I t remained cloudy and there were further spots of rain around midday. By 1pm the sun was peaking through again and we had about half an hour of uninterrupted sun though it was still windy. We then had just short sunny intervals until the winds slowly started to clear the clouds and after 3:30pm we had more continual sunshine. The winds continued to blow with gusts; coming from the SW over the hills it wasn't as strong as the F5-6 forecast but then we are partly sheltered. As the winds picked up so a large bank of grey fluffy clouds came over the hills from behind; at the same time Albania became visible as their clouds lifted above the height of the peaks. Just before 6pm the sun was covered by the bank of grey clouds which were heading NW and it became darker with the temperature falling earlier than usual. By night fall there was 80% cloud cover and strong winds. The wind was doing its work blowing the weather front through and by 10pm we could see the crescent moon and stars as the clouds cleared, initially from the S and SW then the W and slowly to the N and E and by midnight we had a fully starlit sky.
The maximum temperature was 15.8c, the minimum was 11.3c (at 10am !).
Elsewhere; there is no sign of any further snow over Albania. TV news this morning show of snow falls in various areas of North central Greece; these being no more than a couple centimetres, giving a picture postcard look to some of the smaller villages and towns and the countryside. Today should be a lull here as the weather front has gone but later we are forecast stronger winds than yesterday but from the W and NW as a new front arrives that will give us more rains later in the week.
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Post by daveh on Mar 14, 2019 8:04:43 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. Again it is chilly with a gentle breeze and much more cloudy than yesterday. There is however early sun over Roda as it is clearer to the East and South where there are just the odd small white clouds about. There is a big bank to the North hiding Albania mostly although opposite St Spiriodon the clouds are below the mountain tops and then again much higher above so the snow capped peak is glistening in the sun. There is another large bank of greyer cloud to the West. It is 9c as we approach 8am.
Yesterday was a glorious sunny day with hardly a cloud to be seen and just a light wind. If you were in the shelter from the wind you could sit comfortably in shorts and t-shirt (the real feel was 24c) but in the open a thin jumper was required. As the afternoon was drawing to an end so a thin layer of high cloud began to form and the wind began to gust. A yellow sunset was followed by the odd hint of pink on some clouds but it was nothing special to look at. As daylight began to fade so clouds to the North and North West began to increase but remained thin. After nightfall the moon (almost a half moon) shone through the thin cloud with a hazy light circle around it; a few stars could be seen through the gaps. By 10pm there were more stars to be seen and come midnight it was an almost fully starlit night and the temperature had fallen away making it rather chilly even though the wind had dropped away.
The maximum temperature was 19.8c and the minimum 7.1c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 15, 2019 8:10:50 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. There is about 75% cloud cover; a lot of it is grey; and the blue sky is mainly to the NW. It is almost still and has been drying out after yesterday. Although there are low clouds over Albania there are signs that they have had further snow falls. As we approach 8am there isa hint that the sun may breakthrough which will help lift the temperature from its current 9.7c.
Yesterday was a grismal day; one for the land and not the soul. The early morning sun didn't last long and no sooner had it reached Sfakera than it was gone. It soon clouded over fully and was grey and threatening. A few spots of rain just after 10am became a light shower for about an hour. When it stopped it did brighten a little but full cloud cover remained. It was a darker grey in places and there was a stiff wind blowing lighter whiter clouds below the darker ones. In the early afternoon it darkened and the rains finally returned around 2pm light at first but with a few heavier spells; it continued for almost 3 hours but was always soaking into the dry ground that was eagerly drinking it up. We can expect a burst in the verge side flowers over the next week now and an increase in the budding of the trees; the Judas trees are starting to blossom. After the rain had stopped so the wind eased but it remained cloudy, grey in places for the rest of the evening and into the night. There was no sign of the moon or stars.
The maximum temperature was just 12.3c and the minimum was 7.1c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 16, 2019 8:42:39 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. The air is still and chilly; there was a heavy dew. Plenty of very high thin layers of cloud early and these are slowly increasing. The early morning sun is out but has already stopped glistening off the Albanian peaks as the clouds increase. The sea looks a lot calmer as no whitetops are visible, the little fishing boat clearly collecting in his nets as it is moving around a lot this morning. 9.8c at 8:30 am.
Yesterday the sun finally came through about 9am and the clouds started to thin. Then the wind picked up and whitetops appeared at sea and loys of large fluffy clouds, greyer to the south, came floating bye. As the wind increased so the clouds moved away. I walked down to Roda, warm enough to wear a long sleeved top and carry my fleece; the sea though covered in whitetops only sent small waves onto the beach......no more than 30 centimetres as it met the shore. As the afternoon progressed so the wind continued to increase and gust; I got home to find my seed cloche blown over onto its side and many seeds lost. I need to do some re sowing now; fortunately I managed to save more than I lost so not all bad. Whilst clearing up that mess and securing my cloche to prevent a reacurrance the clouds started to move away completely. A deep yellow sunset hearalded the easing of the wind and we were treated to a full starlit and moonlit night and the wind was finally gone after 9pm; being just a gentle breeze by then.
The maximum temperature was 16.7c, the minimum was 9.5c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 17, 2019 9:32:07 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. Today the dogs woke early and wanted out; it was only 3:40am. This interruption to my sleep was rewarded with seeing the setting moon; almost 2/3rds size it had been bright white when I went to bed but now it was creamy yellow with a hazy surround looking wonderful in the western sky above Karousades. Once dawn broke the sun was up early in the cloudless sky, the air still, the sea calm and everything and everywhere you look it is clear and bright. Last weeks snow on Albania are beginning to melt away now and it is only on the highest peaks it is still fully white. At 9am it was 12.0c.
Yesterday the sun slowly burnt off the cloud cover and from late morning we had a perfect sunny, almost cloudless day with the gentlest of breezes. I left early for my walk to Nymphes for the football; walked slower to enjoy the views over the sea to Albania and to enjoy the countryside. The explosion of flowers on the verges and in the olive groves since last weeks rain is amazing and they are at their best now, purples, blues, yellows and whites of all different types. Nymphes itself seemed quiet as I arrived about 1:45 pm; the taverna on the square said they were closed but happily served me while they sat eating their lunch; looking out the windows the hillside on the otherside of the square by the bus stop was stunning......the contrast between the sunlit silver of the olive trees and the deep green of the Cypress trees was at its maximum. The sunset came all too soon and was a lovely yellow giving the western sky a hint of the same colour. The moon had been high in the sky since mid afternoon but as night fell it got brighter and brighter surrounded by the stars in all their glory; a nice end to the day and still very mild even at 9pm.
the maximum temperature was 19.6c and the minimum was 9.0c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 18, 2019 9:00:00 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. Having seen the weather forecast on tv last night with sunshine and 20c over Corfu it was a surprise to wake to 100% grey cloud cover and a gentle breeze with Albania almost hidden. It looks more like rain than sun for today. It is mild being 14.2c 8:30am.
Yesterday was a day of sunshine with the odd passing fluffy white cloud and a light wind. Perfect day for outside be it walking or gardening or just sat reading a book or having a coffee. It was very late in the afternoon that some clouds started to appear on the SW horizon and they began to move in after a bright yellow sunset so that after night fall the early visible stars soon disappeared as the clouds came across them.
The maximum temperature was 19.9c and the minimum was 10.9c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 19, 2019 8:57:29 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera, where at 4:40am there was a beautiful bright white setting moon to the west; still giving off shadows in the darkness. After dawn it is a still sunny start to the day. The is a large mass of grey white fluffy clouds shrouding Albania and a sea mist making it almost invisible. Elsewhere there are patches of high white clouds around, mainly to the NW. The sea a light grey with a darker look nearer the horizon is calm. There is a heavy dew and a damp feel which the sun is slowly drying. As we approach 9am it is 11.9c.
Yesterday the clouds dominated early with just the odd couple minute glimpse of the sun. Mid morning the wind picked up and slowly the gaps between the clouds increased and the sunny intervals grew. By afternoon the blue sky was dominating but there were still some clouds around but it was almost continual sunshine and by sunset there was hardly a cloud to be seen apart from over the Albanian peaks. There was a lovely yellow sunset to the west while high in the eastern sky was already a bright moon. The wind by now had reduced to nothing more than a gentle breeze. Once dark the moon was so bright the shadows were amazing; especially if you were away from lighting as I can be in my garden as the road light opposite has still not been fixed (its like nothing matters here in winter, the Roda traffic lights haven't been working for months now). The moon was accompanied by the stars but they didn't look so bright as the moon dominated them.
The maximum temperature was 20.6c, the minimum was 13.2c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 20, 2019 8:12:41 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera. It is almost still, the sun is up and there are just a few very high thin layers of cloud around. The sea is just one shade today, a greyish blue and there is a sea m.ist towards Albania which is visible through it. The snow on the peaks is now melting away quickly except the one much higher peak that sits in the background behind St Spiriodon as you look from Roda. At 8am the temperature is 11.7c.
Yesterday morning there was a lot of cloud around but it was always moving; sometimes thin sometimes thicker but with large gaps. There was less cloud to the E and S so we did have almost continual sun but often it was hazy as it was only just breaking through the cloud. A light wind blew and it was very nice out walking early and later when I was working in the garden. Early afternoon the clouds diminished but there remained a large mass to the West; this meant we lost the sun around 4:30pm for an hour or so before the cloud moved away. The early evening we had a lovely deep yellow setting sun and to the East a beautiful white full moon. Sunset is now not until just after 7pm and the extension to the daylight hours is welcome. After the sun set the sky stayed light yellow for a while. The moon was so bright; like a search light and far more bright than even the brightest lighthouse could ever be; we never really had a nightfall. It was just like dusk all night as you could walk about aided by the moonlight even where there were no streetlights. The stars were out but again you had to look more carefully to see more than a few due to the lightness in the sky.
The maximum temperature was 19.0c, the minimum was 10.8c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 20, 2019 8:46:04 GMT 2
It appears the full moon this month is also a supermoon for the following reason.
Its arrival coincides with the spring equinox – the exact date the Earth's equator is closest to the Sun.
It is the first time these two events have occurred on the same day in more than three decades and means this month's supermoon is also being called the Worm Moon. This is after the Native American observation that worms begin to appear at the start of spring as the ground begins to thaw.
The actual time of the full moon was 01:43am on Wednesday but the full brightness of the moon will be viewable from Tuesday through til Thursday night.
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Post by daveh on Mar 21, 2019 8:47:21 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera; today is the spring equinox...…..anyone up early to celebrate this would have had the joy of the very bright setting moon at 5am, which had lit everywhere, followed by a just over an hour of darkness before dawn and the sun rising about 6:20am. There is a gentle breeze, the sea is bluer and calm. There is plenty of high thin layers of cloud around but it is already 13.1c at 8:30am.
Yesterday the clouds over Albania got bigger and higher and also built up to the North, and more slowly to the E, SE and S and was patchy and thinner to the SW and W. The sun did break through and the morning was mainly sunny with a few short breaks. In the afternoon we had periods of no sun at all but a gentle breeze kept the temperature rising. The afternoon also saw the first House Martins arrive over Sfakera, circling over the olive groves; just a handful of them so we can expect more to follow in the coming days. Sadly they will find a lack of mud for building repairing nests due to the dry weather this year (only 2 days with rain so far this month). We also had some long sunny intervals, some hazy sun and some full sun. Surprisingly there were little clouds to the West late afternoon so we had a fine bright yellow sunset and yellow sky on the horizon. The moon by then was already up but hidden to the SE; after nightfall it being so bright it could be seen as hazy light behind the clouds. Once the moon moved more to the S so it passed the clouds going the other way and suddenly it was like a new dawn as everywhere lit up again. It stayed this way all night. We really have had the full glory of the full moon this month.
The maximum temperature was 19.2c, the minimum was 10.9c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 22, 2019 9:00:24 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera where we have a still, sunny, almost cloudless start to the day. There is a sea mist towards Albania, the sea itself is a blue grey colour and calm. It was 11.3c at 8am.
Yesterday the sun came through the thin clouds and a light wind was about but it was not always there. Larger grey clouds appeared to the SW and in the early afternoon we had some spells without sun; however the wind was warm. The sea had small whitetops. Once the clouds had moved away from the sun it was very pleasant late afternoon and early evening. It was a day when you just wanted to be outside and stay there watching the newly arriving swallows flying around. There was a bright yellow sunset and by then it was an almost cloudless sky apart from over Albania. We were then treated to a starlit night with the moon not so bright as in previous days.
The maximum temperature was 22.3c, the minimum was 11.9c.
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Post by daveh on Mar 23, 2019 8:51:28 GMT 2
Good morning from Sfakera; we are really getting spoiled by the good weather but the lack of rain is a concern. If we don't get and have a long dry summer there will be water shortages in places; a much greater risk of wild fires and poor crops. Some locals are clearly waiting for some rain before they plant their potatoes while others have gone ahead. This morning is again almost cloudless, still with the sun up. The sea mist is thicker than of late and Albania only can be seen in places. The sea calm and almost blending into the sky on the horizon. 11.3c at 8:30am. All are hoping that it stays this was as it is a Holiday weekend here; Monday being Greek Independence Day.
Yesterday was a glorious day; just the odd passing clouds, though some were large, in an otherwise sunny day. An afternoon light wind kept the temperature recorded lower than the real feel; that was 26c in sheltered areas. The locals are already starting to sit out on the beach where the bars are open and start their tans early. Swallows and House Martins are now increasing in numbers to add to the spring feel. There was a bright yellow sunset and after the sky had a hint of purple to it for a while. A beautiful starlit night with the shrinking moon still looking bright but the shadows it produces are not even half what they were on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
The maximum temperature was 21.1c and the minimum was 10.4c.
For those out in the sun, the UV index is rising and you should have sun lotion to hand. It is currently 5 to 6 (max is 11 here). You don't want to start the year with early sunburn.
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