SPRING is on the way as you can see from all the snow, massive drifts, torrential rain and flooding affecting different parts of the country.
Water meadows are just that at the moment, one big sheet of muddy-coloured water, and Weymouth in Dorset has already had more than its average rainfall for March, the ninth month out of the last ten when the town has had above average rainfall.
By contrast, this morning saw grim faced officials in the north of England talk about snow drifts 16feet deep in places, motorists stranded in Cumbria or rescued to spend the night in village halls.
Hundreds of thousands of homes have been left with no power, some of them being warned it could be at least three days until they get it back.
Conditions were so bad in some places that the authorities had to send in mountain rescue teams to try and help motorists stuck on exposed roads.
Weathermen warn that the bleak conditions are likely to last until the end of the month and perhaps in to April.
There is no chance yet of a barbecue while news that the cricket season is due to start in a few weeks is the only ecent thing to raise a laugh.
Gardens are way behind with little sign of any splashes of Spring colour which is hardly surprising when plants have been frozen by snow, drowned by downpours or battered by gales.
If plants are having trouble guessing how to react to the conditions then so do humans.
Do we put on something to keep us dry or something to keep us warm…or both?
Classic recent conditions included snow, rain, sunshine, hail and strong winds all in a few hours.
There just seems no rhyme or reason to weather patterns, experts telling us that a weaker jet stream is to blame. That means that high pressure which used to be to the south east of us forcing mild stormy weather over us has been replaced by high pressure to the north east of us which drags in much colder air from Siberia with all the snow and ice associated with that.
Even the economy is taking a beating from the weather which is hardly surprising. If you can’t struggle to your front gate for snow or rain there’s not much encouragement to walk even further to go shopping.
Supermarkets and shops have been badly hit with sales sharply down which means that we’ll all soon catch a cold when they put prices up to compensate for their problems.
As I write conditions here are cold, there is a stiff breeze, the sky is a flat grey and there is mist building, not the sort of light-hearted conditions associated with Spring.
There is even the bizarre news that the World Cup football match between Russia and North Ireland has been postponed because of snow….and Northern Ireland were at home!
And if you need cheering up further then think on this. It is less than 13 weeks until the longest day of the year after which the nights will start drawing in again. At the moment I feel as if they have never drawn out!
hdswalton 