The main theme of the weather during the coming week is one of some settled high-pressure weather with Tropo options, especially early next week. 

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This is likely to be interrupted by occasional periods of low pressure with rain for northern western parts. The summer weather patterns typically produce a more showery type of rain, even from fronts, giving a reasonable chance of rain scatter, although activity may be small in the south and east. Of the two modes mentioned above, next week will probably be more biased towards Tropo than rain scatter. 

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The Kp index made a brief excursion to Kp=5 last week, but seems a bit quieter now, although it’s a reminder to check now and again in case we find some radio aurora off the back of it. 

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The meteor scatter options feature strongly this week as the Perseids meteor shower peaks around 12th/13th August. It’s quite interesting to just leave a receiver on an MS calling channel to hear the transient signals.

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The Sporadic-E season continues and since meteor debris plays a role in providing the ionisation required for Es, the Perseids week is always worth checking for a surprise opening. In terms of jet stream weather patterns, the stronger hints come from looking east towards the Baltic, but other directions are not to be ignored since even quite small features like a slow-moving severe thunderstorm can have an influence.

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For EME operators, Moon declination reaches maximum on Sunday 9th when Moon window length and peak Moon elevation reach maximum. Path losses are at their lowest at perigee on August 10th. 144 MHz sky noise is low to moderate until the 12th when the Sun is close to the Moon in the sky due to the partial eclipse that day.

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