Red radar echoes, no a spot.

[Graham Easterling]

There's been bright radar echoes over Penzance this afternoon. I've been outside (until 16:00) haven't felt a spot.

Radar 3pm

Graham

Penzance

[Freddie]

Predannack radar is off for maintenance until Wednesday, so your coverage currently comes from Cobbacombe Cross radar which is away to the NE near Tiverton.  Very likely the radar beam intersected the precipitation a long way up (>10000 feet) and with deep dry air under the cloud the vast majority (if not all) of the precipitation would evaporate before hitting the ground.

[Graham Easterling]

Thanks Freddie, I noticed the imagery was less distinct than normal. Even when Predannack is working, rainfall over Scilly is often over estimated. 

Just saw David B on the local BBC Spotlight SW weather talking about the rain over Cornwall this afternoon, which is a bit dis-appointing, clearly didn't check with Camborne.. With the wind and lower humidity (60% relative humidity mid afternoon) it dried up very well today, was able to get the grass cut this afternoon.

Graham

Penzance

[Graham Easterling]

The MetO also believe the radar, as they showed 2 rain drops & a 90% chance of rain at 08:00, 09:00 & still for 10:00. There has been the odd spot, but not enough to dampen the ground. They also show 11C for 10am, based probably on the fact there's persistent steady rain. At 09:00 it was 14.2C, a degree higher than reached at any time yesterday, so it's starting to turn milder again.

West Cornwall's already turned yellow

Perhaps real observers still have a place, as they did in the old Magicseaweed, possibly the last website that took into account the fact that real observers might have something to add. Now we have the joke that is Surfline, no more than raw model output with the amount of local knowledge you'd expect from somebody in an office in California.. Despite an extensive search it would appear there is, for the first time for decades, no useful specialised surf forecast site for Devon & Cornwall. Hopefully a phoenix will rise from the ashes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=7WIwkijLCAo

Graham (yes I can be a grumpy old man!)

Penzance

[Nick Gardner]

Graham

I don't know if this website is any good. The owner sent me a link to share on my website.

https://surf-reports.com/

Nick

Otter Valley, Devon.

[Graham Easterling]

I'm afraid not Nick, it's really quite rubbish, but thanks anyway.

Currently there's a strong east wind, so conditions are very different at Marazion, where it's essentially being blown flat, to Wherrytown (Penzance - between the prom & Newlyn) where it certainly isn't! But 'current conditions given are identical, as in fact they are for many miles of Mount's Bay. Wave heights given as  1.12m waves (typical precise stuff). It doesn't say whether this is significant wave height or maximum wave height. It also doesn't distinguish between swell height & surf height (which at least Surfline does)

Current figures for the Penzance buoy, about 1 mile off Wherrytown, and possibly more sheltered by the Lizard.

SWH 1.6m,  maximum wave height 2.4m So aA good deal bigger, but still a messy wind wave. Very rough conditions along the prom

I checked Sennen, where apparently there's currently a good deal bigger 2m wave. It's basically flat.

I'm sure the 2m mark is probably fine a couple of miles out to sea, but that's not where you go surfing. 

Surfline has 1-2' at Sennen, which is actually very near the mark, certainly no bigger. The main problem with Surfline is it doesn't understand how sheltered Sennen is from the SW, so doesn't give a clean wave in that direction, it lacks  local knowledge. It does break down the different swell & swell directions quite well. 

Graham

Penzance