# Jim Dickson

> weather, climate, geographic information systems for Kent, UK and global


## Posts

- [Rainbow spotting on north Kent coast, 24 Nov 25](https://jimdickson.uk/weather/rainbow-spotting-on-north-kent-coast-24-nov-25/): A rainbow over the Swale Estuary viewed from Hampton Pier, Herne Bay in Kent.  The post presents photographs and gives a brief outline of the science behind rainbows and double rainbows concluding with a description of the best place to view such an event.
- [Meteorological Teleconnections 14 Nov 25](https://jimdickson.uk/seasonal-and-sub-seasonal-weather/meteorological-teleconnections-14-nov-25/): an attempt to summarise current weather and climate global teleconnections as they affect Kent and the UK
- [Indoor Temperatures Lag Outdoors in Daily Heating Cycle](https://jimdickson.uk/weather/indoor-temperatures-lag-outdoors-in-daily-heating-cycle/): a journal paper studying indoor and outdoor temperatures in summer heatwaves
- [Sudden Stratospheric Warming Event November 2025](https://jimdickson.uk/seasonal-and-sub-seasonal-weather/sudden-stratospheric-warming-event-november-2025/): A description of Sudden Stratospheric Warming aimed at the lay enthusiast, with graphics and links to relevant weather charts at ECMWF, NCEP and Earth.nullschool.  Some comment on the likely effect of SSW on the  subseasonal forecast for Kent and the UK.
- [Introducing my Meteorological Teleconnections Phase Wheel](https://jimdickson.uk/seasonal-and-sub-seasonal-weather/__trashed/): Introducing the Teleconnections Phase Wheel, an attempt to summarise current weather and climate global teleconnections.
- [Long term sea level rise legacy for East Kent](https://jimdickson.uk/climate/long-term-sea-level-rise-legacy-for-east-kent/): long term sea level rise, locked in by slow changes in oceans and ice sheets, has implications for Kent coastline 
- [Ham's Secret Water - Land Elevation Data and Historical Sea Levels near Eastry Kent](https://jimdickson.uk/historical-landscapes/hams-secret-water-land-elevation-data-and-historical-sea-levels-near-eastry-kent/): Ham's Secret Water is an investigation into the historical coastline around Eastry and Ham in East Kent using open-source data and geographical information system, QGIS.
- [Low tide out beyond Hampton Pier](https://jimdickson.uk/out-and-about/low-tide-out-beyond-hampton-pier/)
- [The Old Lighthouse, East Quay, Whitstable. C G Harper drawing then and now.](https://jimdickson.uk/c-g-harper-drawings-then-and-now/the-old-lighthouse-east-quay-whitstable-c-g-harper-drawing-then-and-now/): An examination of maps and photographs both current and historical, to find the location of the old Whitstable lighthouse as sketched by C G Harper on his bicycle tours in the 1900s.
- [Saxon Shore Way - Cliffe to Hoo, the Dickens leg.](https://jimdickson.uk/walking/saxon-shore-way/saxon-shore-way-cliffe-to-hoo-the-dickens-leg/): A walking route description, with images and maps, of the Saxon Shore Way between Cliffe and Hoo St Werburgh in Kent, UK.
- [Low tide safari, Herne Bay.](https://jimdickson.uk/out-and-about/low-tide-safari-herne-bay/): Just photos of weed and jelly fish seen at low tide on west beach, Herne Bay.
- [Preston in East Kent, a village on a tidal creek off the Wantsum Channel.](https://jimdickson.uk/historical-landscapes/preston-in-east-kent-a-village-on-a-tidal-creek-off-the-wantsum-channel/): Preston, East Kent, is shown above on the Ordnance Surevy’s first published map of Kent in 1801, The County of Kent – map by William Mudge 1801, the first map published by the Ordnance Survey. I think that the area covered by the Wantsum Channel is essentially the marshes that are indicated so clearly on this map. Searching for Kent’s Wantsum Channel on Historic OS Maps. This leads to an understanding of Preston as a coastal settlement on the shore of a tidal inlet. Analysing the Environment Agency LiDAR data I have shaded the area at an elevation of less ... Read more
- [Speed Limit on Paddling at low tide off Herne Bay](https://jimdickson.uk/out-and-about/speed-limit-on-paddling/)
- [Flooding the Wantsum Channel on Open Street Map](https://jimdickson.uk/historical-landscapes/flooding-the-wantsum-channel-on-open-street-map/): This post presents and animation of how the Wantsum Channel would look on Open Street Map by shading different elevations of Environment Agency sourced LiDAR data.  A conclusion of the post is to present a possible medieval East Kent Coastline based on an elevation of 2.75 m.
- [Between the huts and the sea wall, hollyhocks](https://jimdickson.uk/out-and-about/between-the-huts-and-the-sea-wall-hollyhocks/): A micro climate between the beach huts and the sea wall.
- [Flooding up the Wantsum Channel on Mudge's Map](https://jimdickson.uk/historical-landscapes/flooding-up-the-wantsum-channel-on-mudges-map/): This post presents and animation of how the Wantsum Channel would look on Mudge's 1801 map by shading different elevations of Environment Agency sourced LiDAR data.  A conclusion of the post is to present a possible medieval East Kent Coastline based on an elevation of 2.75 m.
- [Tracing the Plenty Brook Through Herne Bay](https://jimdickson.uk/historical-landscapes/tracing-the-plenty-brook-through-herne-bay/): This post presents the historical location of the Plenty Brook as it passed through the Herne Bay Memorial Park area prior to the development of the site.
- [Searching for Kent's Wantsum Channel on Historic OS Maps](https://jimdickson.uk/historical-landscapes/searching-for-the-kents-wantsum-channel-on-historic-os-maps/): An exploration of historical maps and modern OS data layers to find the Wantsum Channel.
- [The County of Kent - map by William Mudge 1801, the first map published by the Ordnance Survey.](https://jimdickson.uk/resources/the-county-of-kent-map-by-william-mudge-1801-the-first-map-published-by-the-ordnance-survey/): Introducing Capt Mudge RA's first published Ordnance Survey map as found on the David Rumsey Map Collection website.  The map is embedded here and the reader can pan and zoom from this post.  
- [Integrating LiDAR data into QGIS](https://jimdickson.uk/resources/integrating-lidar-data-into-qgis/): a short note about LIDAR and how to connect QGIS to LIDAR data released by the UK Environment Agency.
- [Visual Historical Records - sources of historical maps, aerial photography, lidar and other images.](https://jimdickson.uk/general/visual-historical-records-sources-of-historic-maps-aerial-photography-lidar-and-other-images/): Some links and discussion about sources of old maps, aerial photography, LiDAR and other historic sketches
- [Bank holiday flowers on the shingle between the beach huts at Hampton, Herne Bay.](https://jimdickson.uk/out-and-about/bank-holiday-flowers-on-the-shingle-between-the-beach-huts-at-hampton-herne-bay/)
- [Hampton, Herne Bay, Kent.  Coastline and littoral then and now.](https://jimdickson.uk/historical-landscapes/hampton-herne-bay-kent-coastline-and-littoral-then-and-now/): a visual comparison of historic maps and current satellite imagery showing how the coastline at Hampton, Herne Bay Kent has changed.
- [The Fractals of Moze Creek and Cunnyfur Ooze](https://jimdickson.uk/seen-from-space/the-fractals-of-moze-creek-and-cunnyfur-ooze/): Satellite image of fractal mudflats in North East Essex.
- [The Naze, Walton - OS Coastline 1888-1913 and Satellite 2024](https://jimdickson.uk/historical-landscapes/walton-on-naze-shoreline-then-and-now/): Overlay of historic OS map with current satellite imagery to show change in shoreline at Walton-on-Naze.
- [Saxon Shore Way Route Flag - Cliffe Fort Works](https://jimdickson.uk/walking/saxon-shore-way/saxon-shore-way-route-flag-cliffe-fort-works/): A description of Saxon Shore Way as it passes through the gravel works at Cliffe Fort.
- [Saxon Shore Way - Cliffe to Gravesend](https://jimdickson.uk/walking/saxon-shore-way/saxon-shore-way-cliffe-to-gravesend/): Route and Points of Interest Getting There Whilst our intention was to walk the entire Saxon Shore Way, we were not particular about the order or direction of each segment. Exactly how each section of ground was traversed has been dictated by the availability of public transport. In at least one case, the segments were completed out of order because of a bus driver’s strike. Often it has been found expedient to front load complicated journeys, thus ending with easier ones more suitable for those with tired feet. In this case, we took the train to Chatham Station and then ... Read more
- [Saxon Shore Way - Sandling to Hamstreet.](https://jimdickson.uk/walking/saxon-shore-way/saxon-shore-way-sandling-to-hamstreet/): Walking the Saxon Shore way from Sandling to Hamstreet.
- [28 Nov 23 full moon at Herne Bay](https://jimdickson.uk/out-and-about/28-nov-23-full-moon-at-herne-bay/)
- [30 Nov 23 cumulonimbus shower cloud approaches Herne Bay from the sea](https://jimdickson.uk/out-and-about/north-sea-shower-system-approaches-herne-bay/)
- [mother of pearl canopy 26 Non3 23](https://jimdickson.uk/out-and-about/mother-of-pearl-canopy-26-non3-23/): like looking up at the inside of an oyster shell
- [Dog and Ball in Winter Foam 21 Nov 23](https://jimdickson.uk/out-and-about/21-november-2023/): What the sea offers willingly in summer it guards jealously in winter.

## Pages

- [Terms and Conditions](https://jimdickson.uk/terms-and-conditions-3/)
- [Terms and Conditions](https://jimdickson.uk/terms-and-conditions-2/)
- [Scale in Meteorology and Climatology](https://jimdickson.uk/scale-in-meteorology-and-climatology/): Weather System Time and Space Scales Scale Typical Duration Spatial Range Examples Microscale Seconds to hours Centimeters to ~1 km Turbulence, gusts, cloud microphysics Mesoscale Hours to days ~2 km to 2,000 km Thunderstorms, sea breezes, squall lines Synoptic Scale Days to a week ~200 km to 2,000+ km Cyclones, anticyclones, frontal systems Planetary Scale Weeks to months Thousands of km Jet streams, Rossby waves, trade winds Climate Timescales Scale Duration Focus Examples Weather (Short-term) Hours to ~10 days Initial conditions, rapid changes Storms, cold fronts, daily forecasts Subseasonal 2 weeks to 2 months Pattern recurrence, quasi-stationary systems Blocking highs, ... Read more
- [About me and this blog](https://jimdickson.uk/about-me-and-this-blog/): My professional interests have been formed by my two careers. Firstly, as an Officer in the Royal Navy, primarily engaged in Operation Meteorology and Oceanography, and secondly as a secondary school teacher of mathematics. In fact, these two experiences blended well. The RN I joined in the 1980s recruited maths and science graduates as commissioned officers to conduct technical training from elementary life skills to post graduate level applied science and these folk were also employed to manage a variety of non-engineering STEM type tasks, one of which was ‘METOC’, or operational Meteorology and Oceanography. The METOC role took me on a fabulous tour of ships, ... Read more
- [West Beach Burtie](https://jimdickson.uk/west-beach-burtie/): Pictures of a dog, usually at home on the seaside of Herne Bay, Kent but sometimes elsewhere too.
- [Contact Form](https://jimdickson.uk/contact-form/)
- [Home - development](https://jimdickson.uk/home-development/): Categories Tag Cloud
- [Saxon Shore Way](https://jimdickson.uk/saxon-shore-way/): A list of links to posts which present a walking of the Saxon Shore Way from Gravesend to Rye. I have used the OS DataHub Maps WordPress plug-in to present GPS tracks and markers. A download of GPX tracks should be linked each time.
- [About](https://jimdickson.uk/about/): Stuff that has arisen in my activities of walking, cycling and being outside illustrated by messing around with various GIS systems and maps.
- [Copyright Notice](https://jimdickson.uk/copyright-notice/)
- [Disclaimer](https://jimdickson.uk/disclaimer/)
- [Terms and Conditions](https://jimdickson.uk/terms-and-conditions/)
- [Privacy Policy](https://jimdickson.uk/privacy-policy/): Who we are Our website address is: http://jimdickson.uk. Comments When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service Privacy Policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment. Media If you upload images to ... Read more


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