OOP weather

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 90015

Dysis:
> I have been re-reading OOP, and have noticed something that annoys 
> me very much. In the beginning of the book, we learn that there is 
> a severe drought. <Snip>
> 
> When Harry is on the Hogwart's Express, he notices some rain 
> clouds gathering in the distance. Later, when he gets off the 
> train, Harry notices the Thestrals. Their breath forms mist in the 
> chilly night air. In the first week of the school year, it rains 
> profusely. Every time Harry looks outside, it's drizzling. Even 
> Ron notices this. So what's the deal? How come there is such a 
drastic change in weather? 
 <Snip>
> Any ideas about this?

Basically - welcome to Britain! We don't *have* a climate. We have 
weather.

I agree that the weather in OOP is probably symbolic of Harry's 
inner state, with the drought of the summer followed only by the 
misery of endless cold rain. But it is most certainly not an 
impossible sequence for British weather. Nothing is impossible for 
British weather - in living memory, it has snowed in June. In living 
memory, we've also had droughts in June. We have warm winter days. 
We have freezing winter days. Last week we had a blizzard strong 
enough that I couldn't see an office block ten minutes walk from 
where I live, today it's well above freezing. 

Frankly, I don't think LV would bother to try affecting British 
weather. No one would notice in the slightest, unless he actually 
caused a rain of frogs. And even that would probably just be a topic 
for interesting conversation. ('Rotten weather today, isn't 
it?' 'I'll say. I was scraping bloomin' frogs off my 
windscreen.' 'Wonder what caused that?' 'Small tornado, probably. 
Didn't they have one in Bournemouth last year?')

Pip!Squeak