wimblettben

You could probably even go with two separate warnings. One of yellow for most of the day where there were 40-50mph gusts and a separate amber highlighting the 55mph or higher gusts in squalls.

Out of all of the predictions the Met Office got it right the most with widespread 50-70mph gusts in squalls and 30-50mph gusts throughout the day which is exactly what happened. I imagine most on here like me who were a bit disappointed is because of the other models which always over do the winds giving predictions of 60-70mph gusts all throughout the day and 75mph+ occasionally which was obviously way over the top but would have made the storm more interesting and different. I don't get the Met Office bashing though.

I'd also suggest that thats because your roof didn't experience 90mph winds, probably at most more like 50-60mph. I say this as most wind reports from the weather sites are exposed and almost always tend to record higher then what your garden and house gets. A gust reported on the local weather in the 60s mph is more like the 40s mph for most people.

Not all of Wales had those kind of winds though as here to the west of Wales it didn't seem much stronger then what we have had in previous storms. I think it must have peaked in the early hours for us as I only managed a 41mph gust up the road in the afternoon, which at the time I thought was pretty weird as everyone else in the country seemed to be getting storm force to hurricane force gusts of 60-90mph.

Isn't it because the majority of models still only show most inland areas getting 40-60mph gusts? I do agree though that if most places are going to get 70mph gusts then more of the country needs to be in the Amber warning.

I think its going to be the duration of the winds which will be the different thing about this storm as the actual speeds are the the same as the max gusts we have had in previous storms. There are only a few occasions where max gusts reach 60mph rather then the common 50mph. If the gusts were showing 60-70mph for inland areas then in terms of strength it would be a different storm from what we have had previously and up another level from the usual 40-50mph range.

Problem is I have seen this exact model before and it always seems to overdo the wind speeds in any given storm. I still think this will be a bit stronger then previous storms though as I have heard people mention that an amber warning could be released and you need at least 60 or 70mph gusts for that rather then the more common 40-50mph.

I know its funny really because I said to some of the members over at the model thread yesterday that the lows would probably get downgraded as time goes on as they always have done in the past but barely anyone agreed with me. This evening the models show the beginning of downgrades but hopefully its just a blip and they will ramp up the lows again to give us something of a middle ground in terms of wind gusts e.g. not typical 50mph or devastating 100mph but a different 60mph or 70mph perhaps.

I have noticed over the last few years that we never seemed to manage to get much over 50mph in recent storms so maybe this one could change that? I say this as quite a few models show inland areas getting gusts topping around 60mph, so it would be about 10mph stronger then what we have had in previous storms.

Based off of the Beaufort Scale, at 60mph you would expect general basic trees to be blown down with considerable structural damage to buildings and houses. 70mph, and the physical structure of a house or building can be damaged, not just chimney pots or roof tiles. And more of the stronger trees would start getting knocked over.

Apart from the downpours, hail and thunderstorms winds inland look to be only the same as what we get at least once a year there e.g 50-60mph. Western coasts of Ireland, the Irish sea,North sea and the Channel getting the highest gusts as usual.

Yes but it clearly wasn't buying into them all like the other models were showing. I agree that it still looks windy even if the main storm doesn't happen but it will be nothing unusual and probably the usual inland 50-60mph gusts that we get most winters at some point. Unsurprisingly more of the models have backed off the major low effecting us this morning so going exactly as I expected it to so far, with some moving the low too far south and others completely removing it.

Typical fantasy mega storms showing up on the gfs models, when have we not seen that before only for the lows to be massively downgraded nearer the time. These charts are just simply unrealistic, as they are showing repeats of the burns day storm and 1987, which are only suppose to be three century events. The ECM model already isn't buying into it.

I think models showing 100mph winds is more then adventurous, more like worrying.

Considering its only Winter I haven't done too bad here the last 24hrs for thundery weather. There were a few more faint distant flashes between 4:00pm and 7:00pm with heavy showers and even some small hail.

Saw a few more faint flashes around this evening with showers so have been pretty lucky considering its Winter.

Wales seems to have done better for thunder in the Autumn and Winter months then Spring and Summer as we have just had a light to moderate shower come over with some distant thunder and then one flash and rumble overhead. And I am now almost certain that the ridiculously loud rumble we had last night was also thunder.

Just had a light to moderate shower come through here with a few distant rumbles and then a flash and rumble overhead. We seem to have done better for thunder here in the Autumn and Winter months than Spring and Summer!

Are they real strikes or just errors?

Not sure if anyone else heard but earlier there was a loud long rumble here a few hours ago before there was a ridiculously heavy downpour. Not sure if it was thunder or a possible very weak earthquake or possible explosion as it didn't,t sound like normal thunder and I was inside watching TV when it happened. If it was from lightning it must have been a pretty powerful strike to be heard with windows and curtains shut, watching tv with headphones on.

Not sure if anyone else heard but earlier there was a loud long rumble here a few hours ago before there was a ridiculously heavy downpour. Not sure if it was thunder or a possible very weak earthquake or possible explosion as it didn't,t sound like normal thunder and I was inside watching TV when it happened. If it was from lightning it must have been a pretty powerful strike to be heard with windows and curtains shut, watching tv with headphones on.

Managed to go out in yesterdays system to get some wind readings and got 32mph slightly up the large road and hill and then further up had a 40mph gust. Not long after it calmed down so I probably missed the peak of the winds even though they weren't as strong as early Mondays system. Rain was ridiculous though as I got damp even with waterproofs on!

Was up for most of the night watching the wind and it was worth it as it was fun and more enjoyable then normal due to there not being much rain. I saw flashes in three different areas in the distance so unless it was lightning i guess some areas not far from here must have had power problems. I wasn't able to be outside and take readings but I would guess gusts were 25-45mph where we were based on how it looked and sounded, with isolated exposed spots having 45-65mph were power supply problems occurred.

I was up for most of the early hours and at three separate occasions through the night I saw flashes in three different areas in the distance. So unless it was lightning some areas must have had power problems. I enjoyed it quite a lot though as there wasn't much rain with this system like we often get which makes it less enjoyable.

Was expecting it to be stormy out by now but its just breezy. Assuming the storms coming in later then forecast?