Author: Waldmeister

October 27, 2013: Interplay Of Light And Shadow Before Seismic Storm Christian


Rainy weather and an approaching storm of the century is not exactly what the photographer is looking for when he wants to portray the colors of late autumn. However any weather condition can become much more interesting as it seems to be at first sight.

October 27 appeared to be the last possibility in the Berlin area to get some images of beautifully colored leaves and trees in the rural landscape around the Chorin cloister north of Berlin. Even it was obvious that the monster-storm Christian wouldn’t do any real big damage in Brandenburg (North-East Germany) compared to many other areas in Northern Europe and particularly UK and Bretagne, it was clear that the strong wind would wipe the last leaves away the next day. But even here at the southern-border of the famous world heritage Grumsin, which is in the middle of popular tourist-area Uckermark, the threatening weather conditions could be felt the day before the storm hit middle Europe: first it was raining in the morning before the sky became more clear and temperatures began to rise. It was unnaturally warm for this time of the year and that meant there was a lot of energy in the weather-system. You could indeed feel the tension and that something big was going on. The Wind picked up later and it became the last warm and sunny autumn day in the region with an interesting interplay of blue skies and fast chasing clouds.                                                                                       


The most fascinating aspect of the stormy weather conditions on October 27 were the tiny spots of sunlight flying over the unique landscape. The structure of this landscape which consists of many hills and huge forests adds to the effect. It’s a landscape which was formed during the last ice age and has its own beauty. The fast changing light conditions might be a bit challenging for any photographer but a stormy day can make a landscape more dramatic and makes it maybe more lively as pure sunshine. The clouds on these day were hanging low which were another contribution to the dramatic effect.

 

 The landscape around the Grumsin-World Heritage resemble a bit the lovely countryside in Southern England or Northern Germany and the South of Munich in upper Bavaria but in comparison this region is much more dry. Long periods without sufficient rain are a permanent problem for farmers in Brandenburg. Forest fires in spring are also an issue because it is more dry than any other region in Germany. Winters are tough and very cold.



The time-lapse video below, which was taken at the Southern border of the Grumsin world heritage gives an impression about the special atmosphere of this rural region of North-East Germany. Seismic storm Christian hit Berlin on October 28 with some strong winds and it became colder afterwards but there wasn’t the kind of damage as in Hamburg or Denmark where the storm broke records in weather history.

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http://youtu.be/soCTWJTTAMg
by Waldmeister Categories: Uncategorized

Strong East Wind, October 3, 2013, Berlin Wannsee

The high pressure system over Scandinavia had still an influence in Middle Europe til Thursday, Oct. 3, a holiday in Germany (Reunification). There was a strong east wind blowing most of the day. The wind force between 4-6 made a short journey with the lake Wannsee ferry from the west end to the east side of the lake a real experience. The captain warned people that they might get wet. Not everybody listened. There was also a bright blue sky during the whole day and some people tried to enjoy the sunshine. On Friday the weather in Berlin changed and it became a little warmer. Compared to 2011 where temperatures where more like in summer and even swimming in the lakes was still possible it was a very cold start for October. A lot of sailors enjoy strong winds like the east wind we had on October 3. However lake Wannsee can be dangerous ground: sudden changes of wind direction are unpredictable and every year there are dangerous accidents. Smaller sailing boots can turn over and for canoes the waves can become a serious problem.




If you watch the video til the end you can see that it can be very windy on one side of the lake and nearly calm on the other side. One reason for these interesting weather conditions at lake Wannsee might be that it isn’t really a lake. It is basically the river havel who opens up into several lakes and they don’t resemble the cypical circle we associate with a lake. Furthermore there are small islands and wooden hills protecting some areas from the wind. In other places the sculpture of the landscape might work as a catalyst and making wind forces stronger over the lake.

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http://youtu.be/hPLJjeux2w8
by Waldmeister Categories: Uncategorized

Autumn Day In The Orchard

 

It still looks like Summer. However, September 29 was a cold day in Eastern Germany. A high pressure system in Scandinavia brought a lot of sunshine but there was also a cold wind blowing from the East. The conditions for the annual marathon in Berlin were very good, since it’s getting more difficult for the runners when its getting too warm. In the west of Berlin where you find wonderful orchards in the “Havelland” harvesting time will come soon to an end. There are still some fruits left like the plums. In Marquardt, a small village close to Potsdam, people could pick the fruits with their own hand or buy in a shop attached to the large fields. It’s always a great experience particularly for people living and coming from the capital to experience how natural fruits really look like  and where our food comes from. Many families from the city come here on the afternoon and spend their free-time in the last warm rays of the autumn sun. The nights already have become chilling cold and leaves have begun to fall. All in all it wasn’t an  easy year for the farmers in the “Havelland”. The trees had to endure stressful situations with two weather extremes. Parts of Germany nearly drowned in the flood in June which have become one of the biggest disasters of nature in Middle Europe over the last decades. Later some extremely hot days followed end of July and Early August. Nevertheless, the harvest looks good, even it’s not as rich as in 2012. Click on the photos if you like to get a larger impression:

Wild Geese and other migratory bird do their last exercises and will soon start their long journey. They could be seen in the distance of the orchard fields where lakes and meadows begin. The larger Berlin-area contains many nature reserves and have become a habitat for many birds and other animals.

Clouds were flying by fast over the orchard and sometimes there was an interesting interplay between sunlight and shadow in the late morning of this Sunday in late September:

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Berlin, August 13, 2013: Cold Front From North West

August 2013 proved again to be a month for more interesting weather. Showers and short thunderstorms passed Berlin in the late afternoon on August 13. From the high-rise at Potsdamer Platz the cold front could be seen arriving from the North-West. Wind picked up and thunder could be heard. It was raining for some minutes and visitors and tourists could see a huge rainbow over Berlin as the front moved forward to the East. Temperatures dropped below 20 C and later the sky was crisp and clear.

by Waldmeister Categories: Uncategorized