Batten down hatches!

[anteros_lmc]

It's a bit wild and wooly up here! Growing up in the Outer Hebrides you kind of get used to storms, but even by West Coast standards this is a big one. The eye of the storm seems to be right above the central belt right now and there have been winds of up to 165 mph recorded in places. Somehow storms always seem worse in the city, perhaps because there's more to blow about. Even during severe storms in the Hebrides very little moves, there's just nothing to blow away! There are no trees and even the grass grows horizontally :}

I've been in the house with daughter all day as the schools have been closed. So far our garden storage unit has been blown to bits, but our shed is still standing and there's no damage to the house. We still have power thankfully but it was flickering a bit earlier. Large parts of the country seem to be without power though and the BBC have a rather spectacular pictures of wind turbines exploding.

Comments

[esteven]

The main thing will be that the house is not damaged and that you will retain power.
*crosses fingers*

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I'm sure we'll be fine :) If the worst comes to the worst I can read Basil Hall by torch light!

[esteven]

You have enough batteries? :D Hope you are all well!

[latin-cat.livejournal.com]

Glad you're alright up there. Hope the power stays on.

That picture of the turbine exploding is rather scary.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Aye, we'll be fine. I think the worst is passing. The turbine picture is quite something isn't it? Though it's unattributed so I don't know where it came from. Of course this being Scotland no one is taking things entirely seriously and the most widely cited image of the storm is this youtube vid. Daft :}

[latin-cat.livejournal.com]

OMG, trampoline! XD

This is one of my favourites so far.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Ooh that's a good one!

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

That wind turbine picture is amazing. Sounds like stormy in a way that is no longer fun at all.

Do you have a fireplace?

I am sorry to hear about your garden storage. I suppose everyone will have a clean-up once there is no danger of getting a trowel in your eye!

Hope your heat and lights and water stay on. Will be thinking of you guys...

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, I think the worst has already passed. Our fireplace is blocked up and the chimney was removed by the previous owners so that's one thing we don't have to worry about. I've just discovered a large puddle in the kitchen but the water is getting in under the door rather than through the roof so it's not too much of a problem. If it gets any bigger I could sail a little boat in it!

[eveiya.livejournal.com]

Cool satellite image, that one, isn't it? :-D

I have to admit I love storms; I'm not even sure at what point I'd stop liking them.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Pretty amazing isn't it?

I don't mind storms at all as long as I don't have to go on a ferry! The only storm that ever really scared me was the one in January 2005 when that family in South Uist were killed. I was in Glasgow but I was calling my family in the Hebrides and it sounded absolutely horrific.

[eveiya.livejournal.com]

Oh I remember that one!

I guess I've been a bit scared (as in, semi-crawling and keeping at least three limbs connected to the earth at any given time) while ridge-walking on the Scottish mountains in high winds, and once when caught out in the middle of Loch Lomond during a lightning storm in a sailing yacht with a metal mast. Other times sailing, too, when too much of a gale blew up to risk trying to moor so we just had to beat back and forth with reefed sails for hours until the wind dropped, or when the boat was knocked over flat sideways in the water by gusts. But really I think on all these occasions I was kind of thrill-scared and still basically having fun rather than truly fearful.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I think on all these occasions I was kind of thrill-scared and still basically having fun rather than truly fearful.

I know what you mean! We had a rather exciting sail down the length of a very stormy Loch Lomond in a minuscule wee cruiser once. We were the very last boat they allowed onto the lock before they closed all the locks!

I've never done any hill walking, ridge walking or such like. I had never even come across such a thing until I came down to Glasgow! The idea of spending the weekend walking up hills seemed a little odd to a naive tcheuchter XD

[lady-branwyn.livejournal.com]

Stay warm and safe! I hope your stove is gas so you can at least have hot tea if the electricity goes out.

I think storms are worse in the city because you get that "wind tunnel" effect between the tall buildings.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Everything in the house is electric but we have a gas powered VW camper van outside complete with cooker and propane heater :D If the worst comes to the worst we can decamp to the van!

[esmerelda-t.livejournal.com]

Mother assures me our old Christmas tree Stumpy has been placed in a safer place than his usual garden spot. She's probably put him in my bed.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I suspect Stumpy has probably made a break for freedom and is winging his way to lapland as we speak!

[katriona-s.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is horrible... I hope you are OK, no damage to your house and garden!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, we survived intact. Apart from the garden storage unit, which had already got damaged in the previous storm and was due to be dumped anyway. It's in bits now so much easier to get rid of!

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

It was a corker - hope you're all OK.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Yup. All present and correct. Or at least as correct as we're ever likely to be ;)

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

Hope all's okay today. Those wind turbine photos were scary.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Amazing pics aren't they?! We're fine, although we know folk further north who have been without power and water for a couple of days now.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Safe and sound! The storm was at its height for about seven hours from about midday. By midnight the wind had died away completely. Luckily we escaped any damage.