What can we expect?
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:59 pm
The weather has been remarkable for the time of year lately as we all know. I'm 44 in a couple of weeks, and I can honestly say I've never experienced anything like it at the very end of September.
What's more, the forecast is for more of the same through the first few days of October, with the all time UK record October temperature of 29.4C (set on 1.10.85) expected to be beaten tomorrow. Even up to Thursday, it still looks as though it'll remain in the high 60s/low 70s in the south and east.
We had an unusually warm April, and of course that brought forward the flowering time of many plants. However, those plants still in bloom are the last ones standing and no amount of warm weather is going to resurrect those whose season is already over.
What can we expect vis-à-vis butterfly populations though? I wouldn't expect univoltine species to suddenly generate a 2nd brood, but could we see a further emergence of some of the double-brooded species?
Also, this weather system is being dragged in from off the continent. Although winds are light, I suspect butterflies will be more active than usual due to the heat. Does this mean it may be more likely we might see a few continental residents making their way over here or is the general trend now for butterflies to actually be heading SOUTH as the hours of daylight decrease?
What's more, the forecast is for more of the same through the first few days of October, with the all time UK record October temperature of 29.4C (set on 1.10.85) expected to be beaten tomorrow. Even up to Thursday, it still looks as though it'll remain in the high 60s/low 70s in the south and east.
We had an unusually warm April, and of course that brought forward the flowering time of many plants. However, those plants still in bloom are the last ones standing and no amount of warm weather is going to resurrect those whose season is already over.
What can we expect vis-à-vis butterfly populations though? I wouldn't expect univoltine species to suddenly generate a 2nd brood, but could we see a further emergence of some of the double-brooded species?
Also, this weather system is being dragged in from off the continent. Although winds are light, I suspect butterflies will be more active than usual due to the heat. Does this mean it may be more likely we might see a few continental residents making their way over here or is the general trend now for butterflies to actually be heading SOUTH as the hours of daylight decrease?