Setting some records this morning

It’s getting windy here 8O

So far this morning I’ve broken my all-time gust record once (currently 49.8mph) and my all-time average speed twice (currently 35.8mph). The wind shows no sign of abating so I suspect I might break both records again before long. My PC is in the loft and it’s quite scary sitting up here with the wind battering the roof and everything shaking. I’m taking heart from the fact that the house is nearly 70 years old and it must have stood up to similar winds in the past!

Hit 32 mph wind gust today here, not a record, but windy and WET. My barometer took a deep dive today and set a record…


Met Office are reporting 85mph gusts about 60-70 miles NW of here, 71mph gusts about 15 miles S. 8.5 inches of rain in 24 hours in North Wales (approx 80 miles SW). Gusts of up to 90mph are likely for the next 2 hours :frowning:

Not quite a hurricane, but getting on for one.

100mph gusts are being reported on the Cumbrian hills (70 miles N). The wind is now moving to the W and then to the NW so things are going to get a bit colder, but I don’t think it will get cold enough for snow.

About 8 miles from where I live…

Reference: http://www.chicoer.com/Stories/0,1413,135~25088~2643816,00.html

Tornado takes down power poles in Oroville

By BARBARA ARRIGONI - Staff Writer

OROVILLE – No one was hurt when a tornado touched down in Oroville late Saturday afternoon, but power lines and trees were downed and a roof was blown off a building, said a CDF/Butte County Fire and Rescue firefighter.

Tim Person said the tornado touched down near Las Plumas High School. Two power poles were downed on Autry Lane off Monte Vista Avenue.

On Oro-Bangor Highway and V-E Avenue, the tornado tore the roof off one building and deposited it on another one, Person said.

The tornado touched down around 4:20 p.m.

Personnel from El Medio Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol responded.

We might get our third battering of gales today. The second set weren’t as strong or as prolonged as the first. The predictions are for 100mph gusts again today, but probably further to the north of me (Scotland and Northern Ireland).

I think we’ve been fairly lucky in this area so far. I’ve seen a few slates off some houses and a substantial 50ft tree was blown down about 300 yards away from my house, but not much else. Carlisle (approx 90 miles N) has had very bad floods with the Fire and Police stations being put out of action. The main train line running through the town is still suffering delays and 3 days after the event 400 houses are still without power (down from 70,000 the morning after the storm).

Southern California is getting battered this week. Lots of rain and mud-slides down there. The storms are hitting them harder than up here in Northern California. Sounds like a real mess.

looks horrific - some striking images here on the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4162055.stm

the large boulder in the middle of a road is amazing!!!

You beat me to posting that one :slight_smile: it’s in Coldwater Canyon which is frequently a location in books/movies set in the LA area.

Found it!

There’s scary video of the La Conchita land/mudslide here http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=968 under the “Major Landslide Levels Homes in Stormy Calif” item.

A gust of 97mph has been measured in the Outer Hebrides. Gusts for this areas of 70-90mph overnight. I’m only measuring 38mph gusts now, but the wind is definitely building.

Things are expected to be much worse further north though. One of our sites (approx 80 miles N) that employs approx 10,000 people has sent all but essential staff home until Thurday morning. The winds over the weekend damaged a number of buildings and the continued strong winds over the last few days have prevented them from carrying out all the required repairs. So, they’re sending people home as a safety measure. I suspect that they’re also expecting snow and don’t want thousands of people stranded on site as happened a few years ago (my boss was there for a meeting and was stuck on the site for 2 days)!