Alarmed, not because Spring is on it's way, far from it. I wait for the first shoots of Spring with great anticipation of the summer it will bring.
No, my alarm was raised by the date, 23rd February, rather early for the usual, Earthly cycle to begin.
Yes, I've enjoyed crocuses and alpine bulbs sitting in large pots outside my kitchen window, but I would expect that. They are sheltered from the extreme weather by the aspect of the house as well as gaining stored warmth from the building itself.
However, the exposed, northerly facing garden should not be springing into action (no pun intended) so early.
Our seasons are changing, that's all too clear.
My predictions are, in the South-East we will get wet, wild winters and arid, hot summers.
We will be conserving water from the winter to water the gardens, and the crops, in the summer as the continental climate slowly migrates north.
The rest of the country?
Well I do sense, flooding in the winters with hurricane force winds, with very low rainfall in the summer months.
It's all down to that Jet Stream and I am pretty certain we are going to see that behaving in a very different way than it has, as we slowly pull up the continental climate and pull tight isobars of wind and rain over us in the winter months.
Snow? Frost? Yes, but up North more than here, down south where that Jet Stream seems to sit high.
I'm ready for this. I am adapting my garden to be as insect friendly as I can so as to maintain one oasis of calm for them without herbicides or pesticides to damage or kill them. Lawns are going, to be replaced by shingle and bark clippings so rain still penetrates rather than runs off and planting will reflect a more continental habitat.
My greatest concern?
That jet stream could sink really low and get stuck, plunging us into the Siberian style winter with -50°C conditions, snowfall in the region of 6 feet and the realisation that this country will grind to a complete halt.