Stormy Weather II

[Serial_Apologist]

The cold front went through like a dose of salts an hour ago, and now we are into the danger zone, with winds estimated to gust up to 70 mph from this point until 2 pm, though at the moment I would put them at generally around gale force 8. Ironically we have brilliant sunshine!

[Ein Heldenleben]

The flames go too high!

Just had power back which we lost around 8am.

Western Power overhead cables ? good to hear it’s fixed …

Average gust wind speed in Plymouth peaked at 63.3 mph which is the highest figure in the ten years the records on the site I use goes back - probably the highest for years before that as well . Didn’t feel like it as everything is geared to cope with South Westerlies. Nothing like 1990 which was seriously scary….

[oddoneout]

Yes I have, OG: surprised at the number of shoppers I chatted to who were quite unaware of the bad weather on the way. A lovely afternoon for an extended cycle ride too: talk about the calm before the storm!

Is that anything to do with being urban rather than rural? Folks here were busy doing their shopping yesterday instead of today (old habits die hard and many still do their shopping on a Friday morning because of the market - which I think may be somewhat reduced today...) because of the storm arriving. Buses can't be taken for granted, where they exist at all, even more so when the weather is bad, so plans are changed accordingly. Much of the power network is underground which reduces outages somewhat but being a large rural county can make it more difficult for faults to be fixed quickly so again forecasts of poor weather are taken more seriously, and then the folks living on the coast have to be weather savvy. The local rag does carry lots of weather-related news items and Met Office warnings, such that the BTL crowd grumble.

[oddoneout]

Flashlight?? Why is everyone caving in to American speak????

Well, it's not a recent thing. 30 or more years ago the term was used by volunteer teams family was involved in to mean the big "looking for casualties" item, often mounted on vehicles, whereas torch usually meant something smaller and handheld.

[Petrushka]

Nothing like 1990 which was seriously scary….

I remember that well, January 25 I think, hugging a lamppost as I was unable to walk further in the teeth of a ferocious gale and in danger of being blown into the road. Yes, it was seriously scary!

I know we're about as far from the coast here as it's possible to get in this country but despite some strong gusts and squally showers, it's mostly what the BBC Weather would call 'a moderate breeze', nothing to justify the faintly ridiculous amber warning, the silly naming of storms, or the media hysteria. It's just one of those unpleasant days you get at this time of year and I can recall many much worse than this over the years.

[johncorrigan]

our former yellow snow warning has retreated Northwards...

Just as well, OG, you don't want to go messing with the yellow snow.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I remember that well, January 25 I think, hugging a lamppost as I was unable to walk further in the teeth of a ferocious gale and in danger of being blown into the road. Yes, it was seriously scary!

I know we're about as far from the coast here as it's possible to get in this country but despite some strong gusts and squally showers, it's mostly what the BBC Weather would call 'a moderate breeze', nothing to justify the faintly ridiculous amber warning, the silly naming of storms, or the media hysteria. It's just one of those unpleasant days you get at this time of year and I can recall many much worse than this over the years.

I think they got it about right down here. There are quite a few trees down and having school kids walking to school in 80mphplus gusts would not have been sensible.
In contrast in 1990 when , around midday , it must have been gusting 100mph plus , people were blown off their feet and trees were going down all over the place. The Navy sailed a few frigates up the Tamar to find safer moorings than in the dockyard. The sea in Plymouth Sound was “boiling” - no clear wave pattern but huge waves ! The anchored RN ships in the Sound were steaming into the wind to get the weight off their anchor chains - quite a memorable sight.

[french frank]

All council waste collections cancelled today (notified yesterday). Just as well: the way people put out their waste paper would have meant we'd have had a paper storm rather than a snow storm.

Blue cloudless sky and all very still first thing, now blustery and wet. But if this is the worst of it ……………

[cloughie]

I think they got it about right down here. There are quite a few trees down and having school kids walking to school in 80mphplus gusts would not have been sensible.
In contrast in 1990 when , around midday , it must have been gusting 100mph plus , people were blown off their feet and trees were going down all over the place. The Navy sailed a few frigates up the Tamar to find safer moorings than in the dockyard. The sea in Plymouth Sound was “boiling” - no clear wave pattern but huge waves ! The anchored RN ships in the Sound were steaming into the wind to get the weight off their anchor chains - quite a memorable sight.

A gust of 91mph in Illogan this morning. Just listening to Radio Cornwall to catch up on the tales of woe around the County - trees no longer vertical an the like.
Got to say the RC music is dire as usual - that Adele record is dreadful!

[Joseph K]

Just got back from a short walk. Luckily I managed to avoid getting drenched (it's raining quite heavily now). I've secured our gate which had been forced open and I picked up our recycling bin which had fallen down - unfortunately this is bin day but having got back from my walk I discovered the bin men had been and gone and fortunately there was no evidence of the bin having fallen again - sadly I noticed quite a few bins had been knocked over and the contents scattered all over the place.

[Old Grumpy]

Just as well, OG, you don't want to go messing with the yellow snow.

I was tempted to make a similar comment in my post...

... but I rose above it (well stepped over it, perhaps) JC!

[Old Grumpy]

A gust of 91mph in Illogan this morning. Just listening to Radio Cornwall to catch up on the tales of woe around the County - trees no longer vertical an the like.
Got to say the RC music is dire as usual - that Adele record is dreadful!

RC music...?

...ah, yes - I understand, on the local wireless station.

[oddoneout]

All council waste collections cancelled today (notified yesterday). Just as well: the way people put out their waste paper would have meant we'd have had a paper storm rather than a snow storm.

Blue cloudless sky and all very still first thing, now blustery and wet. But if this is the worst of it ……………

It was recycling bin this week and some bright spark a couple of roads away didn't take account of the wind and the contents of the bin had come out and were being scattered everywhere, ready to get squashed under the parked cars and further bung up the drainage of rain water, and creating work for more tidy minded folk who have it land in their gardens. An occupant of the house was feet up in front of the telly - it was tempting to bang on the door and ask him to do a bit of litter picking, but even if I'd had the time I don't think I would have been quite brave enough. I suppose the only slight positive was that it didn't look as if any glass items had come out.

[Joseph K]

It was recycling bin this week and some bright spark a couple of roads away didn't take account of the wind and the contents of the bin had come out and were being scattered everywhere, ready to get squashed under the parked cars and further bung up the drainage of rain water, and creating work for more tidy minded folk who have it land in their gardens. An occupant of the house was feet up in front of the telly - it was tempting to bang on the door and ask him to do a bit of litter picking, but even if I'd had the time I don't think I would have been quite brave enough. I suppose the only slight positive was that it didn't look as if any glass items had come out.

See #8620.

[french frank]

Just got back from a short walk. Luckily I managed to avoid getting drenched (it's raining quite heavily now). I've secured our gate which had been forced open and I picked up our recycling bin which had fallen down - unfortunately this is bin day but having got back from my walk I discovered the bin men had been and gone and fortunately there was no evidence of the bin having fallen again - sadly I noticed quite a few bins had been knocked over and the contents scattered all over the place.

Our collection was today too - I'm not sure how people were supposed to know the collection had been cancelled (and "Please take all your bins back in again!"). I suppose if they'd happened to look at the council website they would, though someone on the street WhatsApp posted the revised collection dates. Fortunately, there seems to be rather less litter blowing about than on an ordinary collection day so the message must have got around

It's grown less blustery and I think the sky has lightened a bit. Now the sun has crept out. There are some low whiteish clouds, but the sky above them is grey, which looks a bit weird.