Cold

On Boxing Day, we went for a walk round Rochester Castle in Kent. It was sunny, but the wind was bitingly cold, cutting through coats and hats and gloves. We took refuge in the warmth of the Cathedral. Even after stopping in a cafe for a hot drink, I was still cold. The temperature never got above freezing. There was ice on the ground at midday.

A couple of days later and further down the coast, we walked from my SIL's house to the local pub for lunch. On the way down, one of the neighbours was washing his car. Later, his driveway was coated in ice where the water had pooled. It had frozen where it landed.

Last Sunday, we visited my FIL's grave, only to find the flowers frozen in their vase.

Excluding a few days of this week, it has been seriously cold in Britain for the best part of a month. The BBC reports that it hasn't been this cold since 1995! Last Thursday, the local weather station registered -9 Celsius. I think my prediction from September is coming true. This year, Britain is having a respectable winter instead of just a rainy, grey one. (And how is that different from our summers? Not much.)

Interestingly, when it gets that cold, instead of ice/frost forming on cars and pavements, we're getting a sort of snow frosting. It looks like snow flakes, but it hasn't fallen from the sky. (We've had almost no snow falling.) It's fluffy, too, and the wipers just brush it off the windscreen.

Several times, the Toy's screenwash has frozen in its jets. On Saturday, I was horrified to discover that the regular brand is only for temperatures down to -5C. Even when used neat. I've replaced it with some heavy duty stuff that is guaranteed down to -20C. My biggest fear is that I'll be driving down the M4, use the screenwash and it'll just freeze on the windscreen, leaving me blind. I've had it freeze when the car is cold, when I've been stuck at the traffic lights, but we'd only just started up then.

The weather reports suggest the cold weather will return at the weekend, when these islands will be hit by a front that has crossed the Atlantic. I wonder if it will snow.

- Pam