Winds picking up...

[Geo]

In Brum...




Geo..

[nick the grief]

It's orrible and we're due to have the last 3 windows replaced today

Still this might cheer folks up, one of my brave little minidaffs - Jetfire doing it's best yesterday...

[shirlthegirl43]

That is a cheery looking daff Nick - how big is it? My daffs are all at a 45 degree slope today with the wind!

[nick the grief]

It's probably 2x full size. They are growing in a big tub and are about 8" tall. Still I've got to brave the weather in a bit to go to the post office to send a parcel to someone in Pembrokeshire Shirl

[shirlthegirl43]

It's probably 2x full size. They are growing in a big tub and are about 8" tall. Still I've got to brave the weather in a bit to go to the post office to send a parcel to someone in Pembrokeshire Shirl

Aw, sweet, I love those mini daffs, must get some bulbs sometime. If you are posting stuff to Pembs you will be pleased to know it didn't get blown away overnight Cheers Nick, what's the weather like with you? Sun has just come out here!

[Flummery]

I don't think we're still in Kansas, Toto! Had to pick up a large pot this morning (serve me right, it's a big plastic tub and empty - what do I expect.) However, we have missed the worst of it here. Hope everyone's ok.

[nick the grief]

Aw, sweet, I love those mini daffs, must get some bulbs sometime. If you are posting stuff to Pembs you will be pleased to know it didn't get blown away overnight Cheers Nick, what's the weather like with you? Sun has just come out here!

the sun is out here ... and so are the windows ! So The Natch and me have withdrawn to our bedroom where it is south facing with windows

[shirlthegirl43]

the sun is out here ... and so are the windows ! So The Natch and me have withdrawn to our bedroom where it is south facing with windows

Good luck with the new windows - at least it doesn't take long to put the new ones in (well ours didn't). Sky has gone dark again here, still blustery

[Matt.]

Storm in a teacup?

Either its still on its way or that was the biggest anti climax ever. I know its better to be safe than sorry but so far there's been a bit of a gust and a splash of rain. Looking out of the window the trees aren't even moving (and yes they are still planted ). Perhaps its changed course but thought it was Ireland, Wales and south England?

Then again... maybe we're in the eye of the storm and don't even know it

[Two_Sheds]

It's blowy and raining here in Norfolk, wind is now letting off a bit. Meant to be another big one for tonight's rush hour.
I think Brighton copped it ...

[Armorel]

Either its still on its way or that was the biggest anti climax ever.

It's certainly NOT an anti-climax here on the Isles of Scilly!

The retired island pilot and Honorary RNLI Secretary registered a wind gust of 90mph at high tide this morning ... and his house is about 300 yards away from ours (although we're at the bottom of the hill and he's at the top).

Schools on the islands are closed. The off island children can't travel to St. Marys to board for the week. The Primary School base has suffered structural damage and the Head Teacher announced on Scilly Radio that any children already there would be looked after safely but that, if parents were able to, they should collect their children.

The weather conditions are too dangerous for the planes to fly so they've all been grounded. The airport has suffered some minor structural damage, as have two plane hangars up there, and the 'roaming' debris means that the helicopters have been grounded as well, for the time being. The Airport manager said he and the Chief Fire Officer had attempted to go out and inspect the damage but hadn't been able to keep their footing.

Storm boards protecting some of the west facing slipways have been breached, not only by being smashed into splinters by the force of the waves but also by the waves coming over the top of the 4ft high barriers. At Old Town, the Council's Technical Department deployed ONE TON sandbags to protect the slipway and the road leading into Trench Lane, which is very low and prone to flooding.

The restaurant at the Atlantic Hotel, newly refurbished for Easter, has been flooded, as have some houses on the Strand. Tons of sand has been hurled over Porthcressa Bank and is currently piling up on the road behind the Town Hall. The Council isn't planning to start shifting it till Wednesday because plenty more will be brought up tonight and tomorrow.

There is a lot of light tree debris on the roads which is making it very dangerous for cyclists and motorcyclists, although cars are OK. Having said that, Radio Scilly has just announced that the road at Rosehill is blocked because a tree has fallen across the road. That's our main route into town so hubby has had to detour up by the Golf course and Telegraph to do our shopping this morning.

This morning I watched the huge waves rolling into the beach just fifty yards from our back gate (currently boarded and protected with concrete blocks and sandbags), smash against the bank at the back and explode thirty feet into the air to be blown clean across the road and against the houses opposite. The sea breached the slipway at high water (which isn't protected by storm boards) and has spread a swathe of seaweed, cuttlefish bones, lobster and crab pots, old bits of rope, bits of wood and assorted flotsam and jetsam far and wide across the track.

We have sunny spells now and the sustained windspeed has dropped to about 40mph. But violent squalls are pounding in from the west and the windspeed rises very suddenly in massive gusts which are, actually, far more damaging than the sustained windspeeds.

Our three storey solid-poured-concrete house is actually vibrating from the force of the wind and the terracotta tiles on the roof do 'Mexican waves' each time a squall comes in. The patio windows are rattling in their frames and the cooker hood extractors are all flapping.

Apparently Radio Scilly can only cope with about 200 listeners to its online streaming service and it's been jammed full since about 6am this morning. We've already had several phone calls from anxious friends and relatives asking if we're OK.

It looks like being a very rough 24 hours and the weather conditions are forecast to get worse this afternoon, culminating in high water at about 6.30pm. Most of Cornwall is on coastal floodwatch and there are seven severe warnings out in the county.

Armorel

[Headfry]

Armorel hold tight and good luck, My thoughts are with you and all others affected by the high winds and tides.

Not so bad here in Oxfordshire at the moment, but I will go and check little boatie at lunch time, just to make sure she is still tied down in the boat yard and not off sailing round the 'pond' somewhere!
Bee hive was well tied down yesterday! I'm a lot worried for them!

[nick the grief]

Hmm, gone darker here now and a bit more blustery but we've not had anything like Amorel's had. We are fairly high up for Warwickshire ( 2nd highest point I think it is) but with a bit of luck and er (I was going to say following wind but thought better of it!) they should get the upstairs finished today that leaves 1 to do tomorrow down stairs.

[Madasafish]

I'm sorry . I used to live on the coast in NE Scotland.

A force 10 gales with 85mph winds was normal in winter - usually two or three times every winter.

If you listened to the BBC you would think the world was going to end ...

Well where we are we had 80mph gusts last but one weekend... at present the wind speed is 24mph.

If it was not Southern England we'd hear nothing.

Retreats to storm shelter for barrage of complaints:-)