Shite holiday weather incoming. So disappointed.

[Miljea]

Poor WFH DH and uni year-in-industry DS1. Also WFH. And a drifting off-to-uni DS2.

Just, sadly, sorting out our holiday packing, now; packed yesterday in anticipation of a sunny holiday.

Lyme Regis, cottage (£850..). So sad to be taking so much 'sun' related stuff out, as it's pointless given that we have thick cloud, then an 'unexpected deep Atlantic Low' on Tuesday/Weds. Rain for the rest of the week.

I know it can't be helped but I'm so disappointed for everyone, as we were banking on this 'amazing summer' lasting for us. But there it is.

I know others are suffering far worse. But it looked so hopeful, so positive! I was getting my hopes up that we'd have a lovely, bright, sunny, life-affirming break from WFH 4 walls!

But nope.

I'm not looking for responses, I'm just so sorry for my family who have worked so hard, for so long - with this little chink of 'yay!

But the weather will be nasty.

I love lyme Regis and the surrounding area. Its my happy place. Every time we go the weather is shit

For me, the coast comes into its own when its less than sunny. Waves crashing onto the shore, wind in my hair, salt water spray. Fewer people! Bliss

@Miljea I really hope your holiday weather is better than forecast - this has often happened to me, I've been gloomily resigned to a week of rain and grey skies, and have been pleasantly surprised. My closest friend has just gone to the Dorset coast too, so am crossing fingers for both of you.

I'm not sure how actuate the forecast is for Dorset but in Cornwall the forecast is usually wrong and forecast of rain all week may turn our to be a sunny week with just a couple of light showers each day. Hopefully that will be the same for the OP too.

I'm not sure you can every predict the British weather.

I love proper British weather when holidaying in this country. Wrap up, get out, get wind swept along the beaches and headlands, get home and dry, cosy up, read, watch films, find a pub and eat great food. We go to a cottage in Pembroke next week and I can’t wait. We went to Yorkshire last year during that really hot week and I was wishing for colder weather. It was too hot to do the long walks we’d planned, all it was good for was sitting on the beach or in the shade which is just boring.

Have fun hunting for fossils!

yup

Welcome to the UK

We went to Scotland and it was cloudy and 10 degrees every day (apart from one). And guess what? We still enjoyed our holiday and managed not to feel gravely disappointed and hard done by.

I get you. It’s the unpredictabliliy. I love packing for Spain: swimwear, shorts, t shirts, couple of dresses, cardigan, flip flops.
Packing for uk: all of the above plus waterproofs, walking shoes, jumpers, multiple changes...

I agree with you. Every british summer holiday I had had shite weather. I don’t want to sit in the rain with a coat and jeans under a gazebo. That is truly miserable. I like the sun if I’m going to the seaside. I am not going anywhere this year and am just staying at home. It’s pretty much as hot as it gets where I am in the UK anyway.

The last british summer holiday we had is Pembrokeshire! We enjoyed it but not the beach. Tenby was really cold. I’m on the south coast and can get to Dorset beaches though.

Hopefully the change of scenery will be a break in itself 😊
Take a pack of cards and some board games, plan easy chilled picky dinners and buy some luxurious hot chocolate, marshmallows etc. Fully embrace it! Go for walks by the sea whatever the weather, come back and have a hot bath / shower, change into snuggly lounge wear, have a hot drink and snacks and games. Honestly sounds so appealing to me right now!
Pretend it’s the days between Christmas and new year when you’re 60% cheese 😁

I'm so sorry OP. It's gutting when you have bad weather on holiday, particularly if you've just missed a heatwave. I agree, holidays are so precious and you want them to be perfect.

It won't help you this year but we have holidayed on the Llyn peninsula in Wales for the past 3 years and have had some sunny beach days every year. It seems to have its own microclimate. Perhaps one to try next year? (But not the same week as me please if you're cursed )

Hi OP. I understand how you feel but I have to say I think your holiday sounds great.

We are due to drive to our holiday cottage today which is in a town 300 miles north of yours. The weather says highs of 16 and continuous rain everyday for a week!
I have two young children to entertain in a house which has no enclosed space outside.
I think I will be spending a week in multiple layers of waterproof clothing constantly having a panic that I can't see the 18 month and has he ran round to the road while my 6 year old moans that it's cold and refuses to do anything I ask!

I'm sure you will have a lovely time.

I get the OP. We have a caravan in Dorset and normally go regularly. When the weather is fab and you go to say Weymouth, it's the best ever.
When it rains all week (rare, but has happened to us a couple of times over the last 10 years. Once we even came home it was that bad) it ruins it. Fact.
That is if you are a fair-weather-camper or holiday'er. Which I am. Proud to admit I am.

We were there 2 weeks ago, for a week. The weather was the best ever. We got home last Saturday, then it got hot and humid and horrible, for this last week.

For 10 years now we've been going for both May bank holidays and a week in July, a week in August. A couple of weekends in September.

The May weather is often great. The August weather is either fab. Or dire.

The last couple of years we've gone we've had pretty much good weather every time we've gone.

My closest friend is going to Cornwall for a week. today. As a family furlough Has been tough for them and they were really looking forward to a week away. this is a big thing for them and the prospect of going when you know it's gonna be raining for a week is actually zaps all the joy and kills it before you've even begun.
She said she didn't even really want to go anymore, having previously been really looking forward to it.

So yes, op. Some of us get you!

After the pictures I've seen in the newspapers of Lyme Regis on a hot sunny day, the silver lining maybe is that you will not have a zillion other beach goers in very close proximity to you?!?!

Sorry that's not much help 😔

I live by the coast, the sort of incoming weather is almost perfect because most holiday makers/day trippers wont bother with the beach so it won't be packed stupid but the water will still be warm. Get yourself to Tesco or Sports direct and buy some cheap wetsuits and water shoes they make a big difference to how much time you can stay in the water. Maybe even grab some bodyboards, your children are older but I bet they'd still like them. Take some flasks with hot drinks in for after and if its raining and windy the surf is even better (obviously check the sea is. Safe to go in and for rip tides etc).

Isn't it always like this? Decent Spring and Autumn, lousy Summer?

Eliza, I have to disagree.
Yes some beaches, over the last couple of months, have been horrendous. On certain days.

But not all. All this generalising doesn't help.

See picture. Certain beaches, people adhering to rules, social distancing, not that busy.

Yet the media made it sound like every beach was heaving. They aren't. I should know. Because one day I was there.

As I said in my post, we were near Weymouth, Poole, 2 weeks ago.

We went to sandbanks one day. Got parked. Loads of space. People distancing. We left. Early afternoon.

Yet the media paints every single beach as horrendous. It's simply not the case.

We’re on our last day of a break in the East Neuk of Fife and the predicted weather was shite. I was gutted as it was due to be gorgeous back home (Glasgow) but we’ve been very pleasantly surprised. Two days hot enough to swim in the sea (in Scotland!!) and the other few days dry and mild so perfect for walking about. You never know what the weather is going to do.

Yes it’s super unlucky and shit but I hope you have a great time anyway.

The first abroad holiday I went on in years in Portugal pissed down the whole week... I got Norovirus and then the ash cloud happened!

Chin up! We're off to Scotland instead of our planned trip to France today. Yes, it will be wet but at least we'll be away. We have grown-up children of a similar age to yours. I'll be happy that we're all together (hopefully for the last holiday we're paying for!) before they go back to uni. None of that making memories trite, just some trips out, fish and chips, a game of cards, a bit of TV together rather than all on devices in different rooms.

I guess we all like different things but having spent last week in the SW constantly dripping with sweat and trying to find shade I am looking forward to this week (also in SW but moved location) being a pleasant temperature even if it looks like it will rain at some point every day. The fact that we had to pre-book things and that restaurants were often fully booked and cafes had limited menus was more of a pain last week - I always thought I was really organised on holiday but the reduction in ability to be spontaneous has meant much more pre-thinking. Nevertheless we all agree that, despite the weather being not to our taste and the restrictions in place, we are really glad to have been able to have our holiday unlike so many of our friends whose overseas holidays have been cancelled. A change of scene and break from work is worth having whatever the weather.

So take your waterproofs with you but other than lazing on the beach and eating outside you will be able to do most things. It definitely won’t be as wet in Dorset this week as it was in mid-August in the Lakes last year when we still had a good holiday.

Don't give up on the idea of sunny stuff. The coast has been really soared the rain so far. I'm about 60 miles down the coast and we've missed all storms and it's been humid as hell!

It's still warm enough for shirts and t shirts and a jumper in the evening.

I quite often holiday in that area and it's also very hilly and you'll be kept warm just walking up and down

But I have empathy. I was meant to be AI in Majorca next week. I always book that week because it's quieter and because the UK weather falls.

The weather forecast is wildly unreliable for coastal areas. The rain can blow in and out very unpredictability so just take waterproofs and hope for the best.

Don't unpack the beach stuff. You'll get wet in the sea anyway. Do you have wetsuits?

You'll have a lovely time. Swimming, body boarding can be done the drizzle, back to your cottage for a bath and board games, dinner at a pub.

If you don't like rain you should try the Norfolk coast instead next time we've had roughly 6 spells of rain the entire lockdown. There are some lovely safe sandy beaches around here.