FORMER Craven resident Graham Jagger has been living in the United States for three years; here  in his letter from America, he describes what its like to be a Yorkshireman when daily temperatures are still in the high 80s. 

 

THE weather is a topic talked about everywhere in the world and we often complain about how it where we are and wish we were somewhere else where the weather is better all year round.

Holiday destinations are often determined by the weather at the time and that so looked forward to time away from where we live can be spoiled if the weather is not what we were looking forward to.

The Yorkshire weather can be both brutal and beautiful and sometimes both in the same day. That game of cricket, tennis or golf that you were so looking forward to can be ruined by that big black cloud that floated over just before things were going to get underway and soaked everything and stopped play. But you can’t let the weather determine your life and somehow, reluctantly, you learn how to live with it.

So, leaving the Yorkshire weather to live in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, the State just above sunny Florida, then I looked forward to more sunshine and a warmer climate and living the outdoor life for a change and that’s exactly what I’ve got.

But the climate always has its surprises waiting to launch on you no matter where you are. Obviously, we are now in autumn, or fall as it’s referred to here and into November. Only a few days ago it was 85F (27.4C) during the day and two days later it was down to 50F (10C), quite a shock to everyone’s system here.

Yes, in the US, they still refer to temperatures in Fahrenheit and not Celsius. During the coming week, the temperature is due to rise again and reach close to 80F which will be nice and comfortable again.

This is November in Georgia. We haven’t had a drop of rain for nearly five weeks now too and none anticipated for at least another week. But everyone here says that mid-September to early November is the best time of the year when it comes to the weather.

The hurricane season ends around the middle of the month. No longer are we suffering the heat that comes from the end of May through to September. August was very hot with only three days when the temperature didn’t get above 90F (32.4C) and we had a five-day spell when at some time during the day it was 100F (38C) and very humid too.

Even the locals found it unbearable so just think how it felt for a Yorkshireman! This is when a good HVAC air-conditioning system is invaluable. When the temperature doesn’t get below 75F at night you need the system to cool things down so you can sleep.

I often get asked here about the weather back in the UK and just about everyone has the view that it’s wet and cold all the time.

As much as I might try to paint a more favourable picture of the weather in the UK, it’s hard to convince people here that it can be absolutely beautiful at times, but it can be as we know, but not often enough.

I try to point out that the UK is geographically equivalent to the north of the US and is affected by the weather coming from the west across the Atlantic and picking up a lot of moisture on the way.

The position of the Jet Steam plays a big part in the weather in the UK and Ireland gets the worst of things before the mainland feels the effects of what comes from that direction. But the UK weather is not as bad as people here believe it to be really.

People want to know the best time of year to visit the UK in relation to the weather and it’s difficult to give good advice on that because we know it’s pretty unpredictable.

I then ask them why they are going to the UK and what do they want to see and do there before polishing my crystal ball and picking out a suitable time slot with my fingers crossed behind my back. I hope to not see them shortly after their return to avoid any backlash from my wild, unscientific prediction.

So as the UK is being hit with storms Babet and Ciaran one after the other we are enjoying a bright sunny day with clear blue skies but cooler temperatures now. But only a few weeks ago at the end of August we had two consecutive days where the rainfall was measured as one in one-hundred-year rainfall events amid very high temperatures so it’s not all good here all the time I can assure you.

Hurricanes and tornados are always likely to pop up during the summer months and can be devastating and life threatening. Trees here are often uprooted and damage to property can be severe and widespread. So, we can get our fair share of bad weather and when it’s bad, it’s seriously bad I can assure you.

I started off with giving the impression the weather is great here, which it certainly can be, but you must be prepared for some extreme weather also. However, it is nice to be in shorts and T-shirts from May through to November and going into long trousers feels weird.

Over the three years now that I’ve been here, I think my body has gone from being used to the English weather to being more familiar to the weather of the southern USA. I’m sure I feel the cold more than I used to do in the UK.

In some ways I miss the Yorkshire weather and its unpredictable variations but on the other hand, the warmth of the weather here is now very much appreciated.

I’ve had to adapt my gardening work to be compatible with the warmth here and that’s been challenging. But outside grown tomatoes in October are much enjoyed along with my colourful display of roses including the white rose of Yorkshire proudly on display in my garden.