Storm preparation...

[Andrew Gabriel]

Just spent half hour outside clipping off this years long shoots from the rose which climbs (or rather, is clipped) up the front of the house, in the hope it stays clipped there during the storm.

[MM]

But will the storm *really* be as bad as the Daily Express says? The DE is always bringing us severe weather warnings. They thrive on basing all their "news" on superlatives. Even the 1987 storm only managed to rip off half a dozen roof tiles on my house. Big deal.

I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be a squally night and that's it.

MM

[John Williamson]

In Twickenham, I was watching some rather tall Leylandii conifers in a nearby garden swaying a good fifteen feet at the top in the wind, while also watching the clouds passing overhead looking like a timelapse film of a normal cloudy night.

Then I drove into work the following morning, and saw quite a few trees having a bit of a lie down....

I'll be double checking the mooring ropes and the cratch cover tonight before I go to bed. Luckily, the moorings are sheltered by surrounding buildings.

[Peter Crosland]

This is what the Met Office says

"A very intense low pressure system is forecast to run northeastwards across the country early on Monday, bringing the potential for an exceptionally windy spell for southern parts of the UK. At the same time, persistent, heavy rain could cause some surface water flooding, while the winds will lead to some very large waves around our coasts.

There remains some uncertainty in the timing, intensity and track of the low. However, the public should be prepared for the risk of falling trees as well as damage to buildings and other structures, bringing disruption to transport and power supplies.

A developing storm is expected to reach the UK later on Sunday. This is expected to run northeastwards, probably across England and Wales during Monday, with very strong winds on its southern and western flanks. There is the potential for gusts of 60-80 mph quite widely and locally over 80 mph, especially on exposed coasts, both in the southwesterly winds ahead of the low centre and west to northwesterly winds behind it.

20 to 40 mm of rain may fall within 6 to 9 hours, leading to localised flooding, especially where drainage is impeded by wind-blown debris.

This warning will be updated Sunday morning."

[Tim Watts]

On Sunday 27 October 2013 10:11 MM wrote in uk.d-i-y:

There were some major gusts last night - I suspect it wil do some damage by tomorrow.

[Tim Watts]

On Sunday 27 October 2013 10:40 John Williamson wrote in uk.d-i-y:

This makes me glad I had two felled and the other two cut back to half height a few years back.

[charles]

I'm cutting the grass today - to make sure it doesn't fall over in the storm;-)

[MM]

The right attitude!

MM

[MM]

They're just covering their backs after the big F-U in 1987.

Already the BBC weather presenters are saying it's not going to be as bad as back then.

MM

[MM]

"some damage" is NOT the same as the dire warnings put out by the Daily Express.

MM

[Cursitor Doom]

The Express reports on the weather?? I thought they only covered Maddie and house prices.

[Cursitor Doom]

"I've got my beer in the sideboard 'ere" as Chas & Dave once said and that's all the preparation I need. :-)

[Peter Crosland]

You really don't have a clue do you?

You should look at the surface pressure charts and see for yourself.

[Dave Liquorice]

Or the graphic on the BBC that has nearly half the country coverd in a red overlay and big blue arrow with the text "80 MPH Gusts" next to it. All I've ever seen about this from the Meto is that there is a possiblity of gusts up to 80 mph on exposed headlands along the channel coast. VERY different...

Still, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

[Java Jive]

I've been watching them for weeks. This is the current situation:

The particular low of concern is certainly very deep, but it is also moving northwards. IMHO, it's as likely as not that we'll get it up here as down there. In fact, we could all get it, because the radius of the crowded isobars is as long as the entire UK.

However, it doesn't actually seem to be gett>

[Brian Gaff]

I remember a friend of mine in 87, keeping us entertained by his description of a potting shed overtaking him on the A3 near Esher.

Although it was funny afterwards, it could be bloody dangerous of course. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

I'm afraid what will be will be around here, what with a dodgy ankle and being blind I don't think I'll be going wandering about near trees, my asbestos garage or doing anything other than hoping my aerials don't fall over. Brian

[The Natural Philosopher]

It is incerasingly looking that the peak wind will be in the channel, and lower than earlier ensebles predicted and that rain rather than wind will be the dominant issue for poits north of the SE.

netweather.tv has the lastest charts

[The Natural Philosopher]

the scuttlebutt coming in from the other desk, is that the low is deepening faster than predicted and its track is uncertain, it's a massive turbulent eddy in a bigger weather pattern and is frankly beyond the ability of accurate predicton.

Small scale features - a sort of whiplash effect, could sweep 100mph+ winds across the southern flank, or, equally probably, not.

In short as witth all too many thngs that people would like to be able to predict with certainty, ist stll litearlly up in the air.

Be perpared ois all anyine can say.

The more reliable forecast is that its loaded with wet stuff that will fall on all our heads. especailly North Midlands, Wales and, the North West.

This may turn out to be the bigger story.

[Mentalguy2k8]

Your favourite arse-wipe rag is saying the same thing

"Winds of more than 80mph could leave a trail of destruction across large parts of the UK, knocking down trees and causing major structural damage and power cuts."

If you've got a point to make rather than the usual denigration of newspapers you don't like, then make it.