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One of the most important aspects
of your holiday on Exmoor will be the weather - and
our weather is well know for its vagaries. It can be sunny in Woolacombe,
wet in Lynmouth and sometimes even snowing on Exmoor.
Contrary to popular belief, the Met Office do an exceptionally good job
at forecasting but do not have the time to explain any small pockets of
varying weather in this region: it may be that where you are staying it
is wet but a few miles away folk could be basking in sunshine all day!
So do telephone any Attraction you may wish to visit, for
the weather there may be quite different from what you are experiencing.
With the sea, wind and the large land masses of Exmoor and Dartmoor there
can be many types of weather throughout the region in just one day.
Mists in the combes of Exmoor
For a more pinpointed general weather picture,
why not call the Met Office on 08700-900-0100 for a two-day forecast
free of charge. Alternatively, you can talk to a weather forecaster and
this will cost £17.00,
or you can listen to a pre-recorded massage at 60p per minute on 09014-722-054
Local Weather 1
Meteorological Office Weathercall
Somerset. Tel 09068 505305
Devon and Cornwall. Tel 09068 505304
Marine forecast
South West Area. Tel 09068 505358 Local radio
xmoor can be very wet! Situated close to the coast of North Devon and Somerset, the high moor causes the warm, damp air from the Atlantic to rise, cool and drop its moisture. Annual precipitation i.e. rain, snow, sleet, on the Chains (487m, 1600 ft) is over 2000 mm compared with 800mm to the east of the moor. Generally the months between May and September are much drier than the rest of the year.
Some of this rain soaks into the ground, a small proportion is trapped in reservoirs, about a quarter evaporates into the atmosphere and the rest, known as run-off, flows into the rivers and streams and so back to the sea. There are about (483 km) 300 miles of named rivers on Exmoor.
Over centuries people and animals have adapted to the wet climate of the moor. Cattle and sheep have been bred to withstand the cold and wet of an Exmoor winter. The hardy Exmoor pony, which has lived on the high moorland longer than humans, has developed a special coat. An undercoat of short wool type hair is topped by a longer greasy coat. This repels the rain which simply runs off. Whorls of hair strategically placed help to direct water away from sensitive parts of the body. The two layered coat retains body heat while the snow lies on the pony’s back for days.
Heavy falls of snow regularly used to block the lanes for weeks, cutting off people living in isolated farms and villages and making daily work on the land slow and difficult. sheep had to be rescued from the drifts and occasionally children weren’t able to get to school for a month or more! These days well-stocked freezers, radio weather reports and supply helicopters, which can provide an emergency link if needed, make it easier to manage. However, global warming has meant that such winters are becoming rare.
Meteorological Office Weathercall
Somerset. Tel 09068 505305
Devon and Cornwall. Tel 09068 505304
Marine forecast
South West Area. Tel 09068 505358
Contributed by:Lucy Pinknall
Community Section
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