How does EL NINO affect you

[Ben Brand]

It it hot, I mean really hot, in the area of South Africa where I stay, according to the weather people on my cell phone it was 42 Deg C ( 106 F) yesterday. Not much rain either, had a few drops since May 2015. The weather prophets are talking about good rains only in March next year, and they blame it on El Nino. Our dams are beginning to run dry. My friend phoned my awhile back, and said the fishes are dying in some rivers due to a lack of water. The farmers are paying thousands of Rands for additional feed for their animals whats going to happen, food prices are going to go up! Yeeze we just can`t win.

So yes, El Nino has got us by the short and curly`s, I`m sure it affects everybody around the world!! How does it affect FTT members?

 

[Van]

My outside garden looks like the middle of the Saharah Desert......the only green is one or two palm trees but even they are starting to lose the battle.
My second batch of seedlings died last week because of the heat.
I'm waiting for the end of December to restart A very late crop under opaque greenhouse sheeting with shade net walls .....maybe they will grow or maybe this year is A bust..... will have to wait and see!

 

[Ben Brand]

http://ewn.co.za/2015/10/28/SA-wont-see-significant-rainfall-until-autumn-2016

 

[Van]

That sucks!

 

[webmost]

We have plenty rain. Greener than Shrek here in Dull-Aware.
Come on over. Tell 'em your name is Jose Garcia you won't even need ID.

Be sure to bring your kudu. Maybe he'll eat the kudzu.

 

[chuditch]

Well lousy winter rains no run off so pond we use for irrigation of vines and to pump water to troughs is down by a meter to normal at this time of the year.

Lack of rain has impaired crop growth and feed growth

Have paid for rolls of hay already as can see a shortage of feed all over and then a shortage of hay so locked in a supply.

Unseasonal rain at the moment is threatening crops in the area being oats, barley and cannolla which all needed the rain a month ago not now.

Hay that has been cut is now lying wet on the ground hoping for some dry hot days to dry it out again so it can be bailed.

Forecast is for more rain in December when shouldnt get it as middle of harvest for grain crops here.

This could benefit me as be an oversupply of 2nds and feed grade grain due to rain damage rust marks etc but a pain for the grain growers trying to make a livelyhood.

Then forecast is for heavier than normal rains in March which is just in time to upset my grape harvest.

After that the forecast for 2016 is for above average rainfall.

Got to love nature.

But I have my beds ready for my tobacco seedlings and will be transplanting them tomorrow all twenty varieties

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

They're calling for the warmest driest winter on record here. So that, I predict will result in minus 10 to -20C weather instead of minus 20 to -30C weather. It makes life worth living knowing this. The mountains will still retain lots of snow, so the North Saskatchewan river will be full in the spring as usual. At least that's my prediction.

As for my tobacco, my final pick, not counting the greenhouse which is still growing along with tomatoes, was a month later this year.

 

[bonehead]

i am hoping for a warmer winter. last year was extra cold with lots of snow in the northeast. i hope for warmer weather with less snow this winter.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I'm with you bonehead, last winter was rough in Vermont, if we get a break this year I'll be happy. So far this year has been the longest summer in the collective living memories of the elderly that I chat with.

 

[Smokin Harley]

el Nino may or may not affect us ...we get a lot of lake effect winter storms so whatever Canada passes along to us we deal with. My wife and I both have become less and less tolerant of cold weather so in the next 6 years we just have to suck it up and deal until we can move south .

 

[Ishi]

Hoping for rain but if we get very much the news will be making a big deal about the flooding instead of the drought

 

[Ben Brand]

A woman just walked in my workplace claiming it to be 42C- 111F. I don`t know, but I think she`s adding a number or two, but what I can say, It`s hot here, very hot and no rain. The poor farmers that only plant maize without irrigation cant do nothing, no income this year!!!

 

[TravisNTexas]

In North Texas we should be wetter than a normal winter and on average cooler than normal, but with fewer extreme cold days.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I was out in a t shirt today. It's nearly hunting season! Normally 20-30 degrees less. I mowed my lawn yesterday, normally it's wet from snow thaw and the grass stops growing in late August or early Sept.

I could get used to this!

 

[Ben Brand]

The thing that worries me is that when its so hot and it decides to rain, it usually comes with lots of wind and hail, very bad thunder storms. I haven`t planted yet for the reason of the hail storms, but my planning is in two weeks, or should I wait???? Suppose I can wait till the end of December. It just makes it a bit difficult to plan a planting date.

 

[Alpine]

Much warmer than normal here, no snow yet... And the skying season in behind the corner! El Nino or global warming???

Pier

 

[Ben Brand]

Min/max thermometer, hanging outside in the sun. 48C whoa!!!