A year of RNLI weather diaries

By Dave Cocks Redcar RNLI

Fishermen sort their catch on Redcar seafront

5pm Sunday 13 September 2009

They say 'what goes around, comes around'.

Exactly a year ago when this weather diary began, we were basking in some glorious late sunshine and this week, it's been exactly the same.

It's almost like the sun was trying to make amends for it's poor showing this summer.

Delightfully warm days have been brought to a close each evening with pastel shades of pink showing in the skies above the cliffs at Saltburn.

The view from Redcar towards Huntcliff has provided the backdrop for some of the most spectacular scenes we have seen of Mother Nature at work.

Sun, snow, storms and rain have all painted dramatic images on the canvas provided by the sea and cliffs.

The Best of the RNLI weather Pictures Take a look at a few of our favourite pictures from the last year

The change in the weather today has been stark, and some of the fishing boats which set out early-doors were more than a little bit caught out be the wind as it strengthened quickly through the morning.

The sea picked up more and more energy, and conditions on the water's edge were tricky to say the least.

Those who did manage to bring fish and crabs ashore soon sold their catch, but could only look wistfully to sea as the breaking waves on the shore spoiled any chance of going back out.

For the crew at the lifeboat station, it was back to some routine chores; brasses to polish, floors to sweep, and kit to check over in preparation for the visit next week by the RNLI divisional inspector.

So there we have it. 365 days, four seasons, and 65 emergencies for the crew to deal with in the last 12 months.

When not training, or answering a call-out, volunteers still have plenty to do

Whether you use forecasting or folklore to try and predict what the weather is going to deliver, there are two things which are certain.

We will always have weather, and the volunteers of the Redcar lifeboat station will always be ready to go to the aid of those who get caught out by Mother Nature's twists and turns.

A lazy high pressure system is going to meander away to the north and east, followed in quick order by another high. That's going to keep the winds blowing from the sea.

The dull, rainy weather will last a couple of days before clearer skies mean some more late sunshine.

Look back through a year of the Redcar RNLI weather diaries