New Years Day brought 83 flood warnings in the southern half of England as the rain
fell down again. A number of local small rivers are over their banks along substantial
lengths, including the Roding, the Ingrebourne and the Mardyke, and several local roads
are closed because the water on the road is so deep. An outing on my bicycle took me
beside the Ingrebourne, where water on the path was over 30cm deep and went over the
tops of my high wellies as I put my feet down to steady the bike in the torrent some
several metres from the normal course of the river. However, the weather is still so mild
that the early Iris in my front garden is out today, and the Snowdrops will not be long.
The snowdrops opened only to be covered immediately with snow on 7th and 8th.
Upminster had about 7cm depth on open ground like the sports field, and there was a bit
more in Southend and Basildon where many schools closed for the day on the 8th. A
south-easterly wind usually brings most snow to these parts, especially Kent, whereas
the north wind drops it all in Scotland and northern England. It was the heaviest snowfall
in the London area for a decade. For children, many had not seen snow before and they
had a wonderful time in the parks, particularly in places where schools were closed! It
melted slowly, but there was still some left when the temperature dropped to -7°C on the
night of 11/12 January, and the next day was beautiful with thick hoar-frost on every tree
and twig and blade of grass. As the sun came up it gave a brilliant day of sunshine, but
the temperature did not rise above freezing until the next day.
A week or so later it was so mild for a couple of days that everyone thought summer had
come. Buds began to burst and birds sang, and Scotland had 14°C, the highest temperature
ever recorded for Scotland in January, and warmer than the Costa Del Sol and Athens!
It was close to 14°C here in south Essex too.
Then there was snow again on Thursday, 30th January. It started in the early afternoon,
and soon the trains and tubes were being shut down and the chaos on the M11 that
trapped many people in their cars for up to about 18 hours. And it was very cold that
night; I am surprised that nobody died of hypothermia.
This variety of temperature within one month reminds me of the old adage 'Most countries
have a climate, but Britain only has weather'!
And now, dear readers, I know there are at least three of you, in addition to the editor.
One commented on the field meeting reports, and one of our distinguished Honorary
Members kindly wrote to me from Suffolk saying he felt the earthquake last September;
indeed, was awoken from deep sleep by it. The third discussed with me the matter of
foxes eating fruits of various kinds, and said that really foxes are opportunists, eating
anything that is available. Furthermore, the seeds and fruit stones emerge intact from
the other end, as I had noted, and thus the foxes are important agents of seed dispersal,
particularly for the Cherry Plum, out in full bloom before its cousin the Blackthorn.
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Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 41, May 2003