52 Tuesday May 24 2022 | the times
Weather
5
Channel IslandsNORTH
SEACHANNELIRISH
SEAATLANTIC
OCEANAberdeenGlasgow EdinburghCarlisleNewcastleYorkManchester
LiverpoolHullLlandudnoShrewsbury NottinghamSheffieldNorwichCambridge
OxfordBristolSwansea
CardiffPlymouthExeterSouthamptonBrightonLondonLondonderryBelfastGalway
DublinCorkBirminghamCELTIC
SEAOrkney Shetland15Friday18141720Aberdeen
Aberporth
Anglesey
Aviemore
Barnstaple
Bedford
Belfast
Birmingham
Bournemouth
Bridlington
Bristol
Camborne
Cardiff
Edinburgh
Eskdalemuir
Glasgow
Hereford
Herstmonceux
Ipswich
Isle of Man
Isle of Wight
Jersey
Keswick
Kinloss
Leeds
Lerwick
Leuchars
Lincoln
Liverpool
London
Lyneham
Manchester
Margate
Milford Haven
Newcastle
Nottingham
Orkney
Oxford
Plymouth
Portland
Scilly, St Mary’s
Shoreham
Shrewsbury
Snowdonia
Southend
South Uist
Stornoway
Tiree
Whitehaven
Wick
YeoviltonAround Britain
Key: b=bright, c=cloud, d=drizzle, pc=partly cloudy
du=dull, f=fair, fg=fog, h=hail, m=mist, r=rain,
sh=showers, sl=sleet, sn=snow, s=sun, t=thunder
*=previous day **=data not available
Temp C Rain mm Sun hr*
midday yesterday 24 hrs to 5pm yesterdayNoon today14 R 5.4 1.6
12 PC 0.0 0.4
13 C 0.0 0.8
11 R 4.8 0.8
13 C 0.0 **
17 C 0.0 **
14 PC 2.2 4.0
16 C 0.0 **
17 PC 0.0 12.8
17 PC 1.8 **
15 PC 0.2 6.5
13 R 0.2 6.8
13 PC 0.4 2.2
15 PC 0.6 0.9
14 R 0.8 0.2
14 C 1.8 0.8
15 R 0.0 **
14 R 7.4 2.1
16 R 3.4 9.9
13 PC 1.6 0.1
15 C 0.0 **
15 PC 3.0 1.5
13 C 0.6 **
11 R 10.0 0.9
14 C 1.2 **
11 C 6.0 0.8
15 C 0.2 0.5
17 PC 0.2 5.5
13 C 0.0 **
17 B 0.0 9.4
14 PC 0.0 **
15 PC 0.0 2.0
14 R 8.6 **
13 C 0.2 **
15 PC 0.0 **
16 PC 0.0 4.5
11 D 14.6 1.7
17 PC 0.0 **
13 C 9.0 **
15 C 0.0 **
14 PC 1.6 **
16 C 0.0 10.3
15 C 7.0 **
12 D 0.4 **
14 R 5.2 4.0
12 C 13.6 **
10 R 13.0 0.4
13 C 1.6 1.0
13 C 3.4 0.3
10 R 4.0 **
15 PC 3.6 11.3The world
All readings local midday yesterday
Alicante
Amsterdam
Athens
Auckland
Bahrain
Bangkok
Barbados
Barcelona
Beijing
Beirut
Belgrade
Berlin
Bermuda
Bordeaux
Brussels
Bucharest
Budapest
Buenos Aires
Cairo
Calcutta
Canberra
Cape Town
Chicago
Copenhagen
Corfu
Delhi
Dubai
Dublin
Faro
Florence
Frankfurt
Geneva
Gibraltar
Helsinki
Hong Kong
Honolulu
Istanbul
Jerusalem
Johannesburg
Kuala Lumpur
Kyiv
Lanzarote
Las Palmas
Lima
Lisbon
Los Angeles
LuxorMadeira
Madrid
Malaga
Mallorca
Malta
Melbourne
Mexico City
Miami
Milan
Mombasa
Montreal
Moscow
Mumbai
Munich
Nairobi
Naples
New Orleans
New York
Nice
Nicosia
Oslo
Paris
Perth
Prague
Reykjavik
Riga
Rio de Janeiro
Riyadh
Rome
San Francisco
Santiago
São Paulo
Seoul
Seychelles
Singapore
St Petersburg
Stockholm
Sydney
Tel Aviv
Tenerife
Tokyo
Vancouver
Venice
Vienna
Warsaw
Washington
Zurich31 S
21 S
29 PC
17 PC
36 S
32 PC
31 PC
23 PC
32 S
24 S
24 S
21 S
26 B
20 C
18 SH
20 S
22 S
20 S
30 S
33 S
14 C
19 PC
17 B
16 S
25 PC
26 M
35 S
12 SH
21 S
29 S
24 PC
28 PC
25 PC
18 S
26 PC
29 B
21 PC
25 PC
15 PC
33 PC
** **
25 PC
24 PC
15 M
21 B
18 PC
32 S23 PC
24 PC
31 S
31 PC
26 S
15 S
26 S
31 B
24 B
32 PC
25 PC
11 S
33 S
23 S
28 PC
25 PC
30 PC
28 B
22 B
30 PC
14 B
16 SH
14 T
20 PC
10 PC
17 S
24 PC
42 S
25 S
20 PC
16 B
17 S
24 S
29 PC
32 B
14 S
16 S
15 SH
25 PC
25 PC
21 PC
16 B
25 PC
22 S
17 B
31 PC
23 PCThe Times weather
page is provided
by WeatherquestFive days ahead
Chance of rain or
showers at first, but
becoming drier towards
the weekendToday A mixture of sunny spells and scattered showers, some heavy and locally thundery. Max 18C (64F), min 1C (34F)
Tides
Tidal predictions.
Heights in metres
Today Ht Ht
Aberdeen
Avonmouth
Belfast
Cardiff
Devonport
Dover
Dublin
Falmouth
Greenock
Harwich
Holyhead
Hull
Leith
Liverpool
London Bridge
Lowestoft
Milford Haven
Morecambe
Newhaven
Newquay
Oban
Penzance
Portsmouth
Shoreham
Southampton
Swansea
Tees
Weymouth09:20 3.6 22:30 3.6
02:47 10.5 15:24 10.3
06:55 3.2 19:54 2.9
02:33 9.9 15:08 9.6
01:17 4.6 14:10 4.4
07:18 5.5 19:33 5.6
07:34 3.7 20:33 3.5
13:46 4.0 --:-- --
07:59 2.9 21:09 2.8
07:36 3.5 19:55 3.3
06:15 4.9 19:19 4.6
02:21 6.0 14:17 6.3
10:39 4.7 23:28 4.7
06:57 8.0 19:47 7.7
09:34 6.3 22:03 6.0
06:02 2.3 17:15 2.3
01:50 5.8 14:32 5.5
07:11 7.9 20:01 7.6
07:00 5.4 19:39 5.7
13:31 5.4 --:-- --
02:00 3.1 14:58 2.8
13:08 4.4 --:-- --
07:21 3.9 20:18 4.2
07:06 5.0 19:49 5.3
07:06 3.8 18:52 3.9
01:56 7.7 14:34 7.4
11:40 4.7 00:43 4.6
02:15 1.6 15:10 1.4Synoptic situation
An area of low pressure over
the North Sea will maintain
a west to northwesterly fl ow
across the British Isles, bringing
a mixture of sunny spells and
scattered showers. Several
troughs embedded in the fl ow
will provide the focus for more
organised bands of showers,
some heavy and thundery. An
Atlantic front will approach
western Ireland in the evening.Highs and lows
24hrs to 5pm yesterday
Warmest: Heathrow, 18.5C
Coldest: Bealach Na Ba, 3.7C
Wettest: Aultbea,
Highlands, 27.0mm
Sunniest: Bournemouth,
Dorset, 12.8hrs*
Sun and moon
For Greenwich
Sun rises:
Sun sets:
Moon rises:
Moon sets:
New moon: May 30Hours of darkness
Aberdeen
Belfast
Birmingham
Cardiff
Exeter
Glasgow
Liverpool
London
Manchester
Newcastle
Norwich
Penzance
Sheffi eld22:07-04:01
22:07-04:32
21:39-04:27
21:40-04:37
21:38-04:42
22:08-04:18
21:49-04:27
21:28-04:25
21:46-04:24
21:52-04:13
21:27-04:14
21:43-04:53
21:42-04:21General situation: Sunny spells and
scattered showers, some thundery.
E Anglia, London, SE Eng, Cen S Eng,
E Mids: A breezy day with a mixture of
sunny spells and scattered showers,
some heavy with hail and thunder.
Winds will be light to moderate
westerly. Maximum 18C (64F),
minimum 3C (37F).
NE Eng, E Eng: Possibly cloudy in some
areas in the morning with outbreaks
of rain, but becoming brighter into the
afternoon with scattered showers,locally heavy. Winds light to moderate
west or northwesterly. Maximum
16C (61F), minimum 5C (41F).
N Ireland, Republic of Ireland: Sunny
spells and scattered showers, locally
heavy in the east. Showers will ease
towards evening as cloud thickens in
the west. Light to moderate westerly
winds. Maximum 16C (61F),
minimum 6C (43F).
Scotland: Perhaps some early rain in
the east, which may linger close to
Shetland, but many areas will havesunny spells and a few scattered
showers. Light to moderate west or
northwesterly winds. Maximum
15C (59F), minimum 1C (34F).
Wales, SW Eng, W Mids, Lake District,
Cen N Eng, IoM, SW Eng, Channel Is:
A mixture of sunny spells and
scattered showers, locally heavy, but
becoming more isolated through the
afternoon with increasing amounts of
sunshine. Moderate to fresh west or
northwesterly winds. Maximum
17C (63F), minimum 3C (37F).Tomorrow17151517Thursday20151420Saturday17171819Sunday1515181715vy Winds light18 2219oooo18221883neyney Sh1514151515
121312
121110 101617
15
14121515131314(^4) r
7
ih
L
k
F
95
86
77
68
59
50
41
32
23
14
5
C
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
-5
-10
-15
Wind speed
(mph)
Temperature
28 (degrees C)
34
Sea state
Calm
Slight
Moderate
Rough
Flood alerts and warnings
At 17:00 on Monday there were no
fl ood alerts or warnings in England,
Wales or Scotland.
For further information and updates
in England visit fl ood-warning-
information.service.gov.uk, for Wales
naturalresources.wales/fl ooding and
for Scotland SEPA.org.uk
Cold front
Warm front
Occluded front
Trough
LOW
HIGH
LOW
LOW
HIGH
LOW
LOW
1024
1016
1016 1008
1008
1000 1008 1008
1000
992
Showers across Scotland and
northeast England, but many areas
will be dry with sunny spells and
patchy cloud.
Max 22C, min 2C
A breezy day with cloud and showery
rain spreading eastwards, but
interspersed with some sunny spells.
Max 19C, min 3C
Cloud and increasingly patchy rain
spreading erratically southeastwards,
but staying mainly dry in southern
areas.
Max 22C, min 3C
A few isolated showers, but most
areas will be dry with patchy cloud and
sunny spells.
Max 21C, min 1C
Largely fi ne and dry with sunny spells
and areas of cloud, the chance of a few
isolated showers.
Max 20C, min 3C
04.56
20.57
03.06
14.11
14
T
he sky turned distinctly
apocalyptic last Wednesday
over Birmingham and
other parts of England.
Spectacular dark clouds
seemed to roll in turbulent waves
that looked as if you were at the
bottom of the sea looking up at
them swirling on the sea surface.
This was the surreal and rare cloud
formation called asperitas.
It took a long time for
meteorologists to acknowledge this
cloud formation. It had first been
proposed as a new category of cloud
in 2008 by Gavin Pretor-Pinney of
the Cloud Appreciation Society, and,
only after much campaigning,
asperitas was officially recognised in
2017 by the World Meteorological
Organisation, the first new cloud
classification in 54 years.
The name asperitas comes from
the Latin for roughness after its wild
appearance and seems to be mostly
linked with thunderstorms that can
happen after the asperitas clouds
appear. That was what happened last
Wednesday when, a few hours after
asperitas appeared, thunderstorms
erupted over much of the country
with torrential rainfall and dazzling
lightning displays.
Even though asperitas achieved
official recognition only in recent
times, it was first illustrated by the
Swedish-born German Romantic
landscape artist Caspar David
Friedrich in 1835. His painting
Seashore by Moonlight shows a
haunting sky of dark wavy clouds
hanging over a dark sea, and
perhaps reflected Friedrich’s later
years of life after he suffered a
stroke. This was a period when he
was clearly haunted by dark skies at
seashores, and Seashore by
Moonlight was the “darkest of all his
shorelines”, as the art historian
William Vaughan described.
Quite what creates the wild
turbulence of asperitas clouds is still
not certain, partly because it is rare
and difficult to study. It is thought
that asperitas is likely to be linked
with atmospheric gravity waves that
happen along weather fronts and
near thunderstorms, where air
masses clash and cause vertical
motions.
Weather Eye
Paul Simons