Like 2011...

Yesterday saw sporadic E activity at least up to 144MHz.  Atmospheric radar showed PMSE above Wales, and powerful thunderstorm activity has been extremely widespread across Europe the past few days.  The solar flux index is also much increased over past months, to around 78.

Strong middle atmosphere radar returns, often related to Es conditions.

This all seems to have conspired to produce one of the busiest days on the upper HF bands I've seen for a long time.

A particularly unusual feature in the mid-evening was very short skip at 24MHz (SSB) between North Wales and the South East of England - clustering at distances of only around 350km.  Unusually for very short skip, the signals were extremely stable and strong, just about everyone being 59 or over.

On WSPR, which I left running overnight, 24MHz reception here remained open until 00:56UT, with my spots continuing to be heard sparsely until 02:18UT.

I didn't work flat out, as it was a lovely warm, sunny day and nicer to be outside.  But I did manage around 70 QSOs across the day, which really did feel more like the last ramp up from solar minimum.
The solar cycle is predicted to increase in activity as early as this summer, so maybe that forecast is now becoming true?