Well, what a difference a day can make..
The last couple of days have been rainy in the Douro, and given the long run of seemingly dry weather, that rain was probably welcome; but yesterday the outlook was very poor, with a drenching from the remains of Hanna expected at the end of next week, and the legacy of Josephine rolling in at the start of harvest.
But storms are masters of surprise!
Tropical storm Hanna is currently running up the US east coast and is now expected to sling shot rapidly across the atlantic, tracking further north than previously forecast, and crashing into the UK next Thursday (as if we need the rain..
)
Hurricane Ike is now forecast to run into the Gulf of Mexico and is headed directly towards - you guessed it - New Orleans... It will almost certainly be dissipated by the US mainland thereafter.
But the really good news is that Josephine has quite suddenly given up, and dissipated in mid-Atlantic..
The forecast for harvest in the Douro is now very much improved...
Looking at the satellite maps, there is little indication of serious threats on the horizon. There is quite a lot of activity over the African west coast, but it is fairly well south, and shows little sign of developing into a maritime system at this point.
So, fingers crossed..!
Tom
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill