BleakMidwinter

Are the Mon-Tues low and the Thurs-Fri low part of the same 'thing', meteorologically, as Thursday's, or are they completely separate? It's not unknown for Scotland to get gale-force winds, storm-force maybe less common, but it's this three-in-a-week thing that feels unusual. Or is it kind of weather-hiccups and the low/ high/ low pattern is just a repeating stutter in the pressure? Jane Louise: aye, aye, cap'n. My father (who paid no attention to the storm at all...) did look at me in an old-fashioned way on Thursday afternoon and said accusingly, "you're enjoying this, aren't you?" to which I could only grin and admit 'yes'!

This side-discussion on whether or not one can find killer-weather exciting or thrilling... my tuppence-worth: Humans are programmed to get a rush from adrenalin, which can be exhilarating and make you feel very alert and alive - that's the purpose of adrenalin, to sharpen up every sense in a situation where one may need every sense to stay alive. I think whether one enjoys the rush pleasurably or whether one gets tense unpleasurably may perhaps depend upon one's level of awareness of potential consequences. And that, in turn, may perhaps depend upon one's previous experience, since at times of adrenalin rush, very little conscious thinking happens, but plenty of unconscious, so a book-learnt awareness may not be present, but an experience-learnt awareness may well be. But also, even those of us who have learnt-experience may still find extreme weather thrilling. I have a sibling with alocholic liver disease, dying only in their 40s with two children under 21 and two parents over 70, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a drink or three. I know exactly, from learnt-experience, the damage that drinking to excess can do, but I still enjoy a good night out with good pals and a few pints and settling down for a long blether on the single malt. Humans are full of contradictions. It's one of the things that makes us human. So I don't think it's feasible to expect all people to not-enjoy the excitement and drama of a building storm coming in, because of how we, as people, are made - but I can understand why some people find it difficult to hear/read of other's pleasure at a great storm. Sorry, a bit clumsily-phrased, but I hope that may help stop it polarising into two sides and ne'er the twain shall meet! BleakMidwinter

Chiming in to echo the other surprised Edinburghers! Woke up at 6, would normally go back to sleep as it's Saturday, but whoohooo the sky was pale orange, which only means one thing: sodium lighting reflected upwards, looked out properly and there it was! So I got up on the grounds that I don't know when my next snow will be (if ever...). Nobody likely to use front path til lunchtime-ish, but I'm off out to sweep it clear just for the fun of it! And no, I'm not coming up to the Highlands to shovel anyone's path out of four foot of snow just for the fun of it, sorry :-) Same as someone else posted, our windows were filthy with a brownish dust after Thursday - the only time in 30-odd years I've noticed rain making the attic bog window dusty - and I know they were clean earlier because I thought about taking a photo out of that one if it got visibly interesting as it's the good long view to the south. BleakMidwinter

That xc map looks so weird this morning, all pale and full of small dark-blue arrows with only a couple of red 'gusting' arrows. :-) A standard bright still winter's morning here in Embra South - still air, dry ground, blue sky with broken cloud of, er, some type of other, sorry... BleakMidwinter

So it was a stushie and a panic that resulted in No Deaths* and No Serious Injuries. Presumably he'd prefer a downplayed warning, which the police ignore, everyone goes about their business and the school that lost its roof would be full of children, and the school-bus that went over would be full of children, and then who would he blame, I wonder... ? The appropriate authorities sent out a warning, people followed advice, nobody died. No warning in 1987 Great Storm and 18 people died... There's a lesson in there somewhere....! *death of woman in Fife seems to have been in the morning, not weather-related; five walkers in Cairngorms missing, but hopefully they are in a bothy safe and waiting it out.

Well done and congrats to you, Mrs Cheggers and, er, "wee Bob"... :-)

Well, given that the BBC's weather forecasts have been re-jigged AWAY from everyday phrasing by listener demand... the PM programme started a deluge of complaints about the forecast being full of stupid phrases like "spits and spots" instead of "light shower" and people got very cross about being given instructions - "you will need an umbrella" or "you won't enjoy the next two days' weather". The upshot was that the Radio4 forecasts now follow a set geographic order, and are limited to clear, concise technical terms. I find the MetO absolutely fine. The page I use has a paragraph of text about my region, which I've never had a problem with, but also has a lot of graphic versions.

Still really strong winds here - just not as wild-feeling. More sustained and less-dramatic gusts, maybe? Can't tell exactly what's going on out there, it's dark! :-) Time for bath & book... thanks for the company and the info all day! Stay safe, take care.

Would this be a good time to mention your signature-quotation, or not a good time...? :-)

There's a sequence of 24 pics of that turbine, from spark to charred remnant, here http://www.flickr.com/photos/md93/6477415019/in/set-72157628334022703/

Here's a sequence of 24 pics of that flaming wind turbine, from ignition to cremated http://www.flickr.com/photos/md93/6477415019/in/set-72157628334022703/ Easing in Edinburgh I think - 30-43, up a point to 981mb, and just somehow feeling like it's eased now.

I've been working on the theory that it's the mean and the highest gust. So Embra is currently 40-63mph - so an arithmetical average of 40mph, but gusting up to a recorded max of 63, for that observation period. That fits with the BBC weather page which says Edinburgh has a wind speed of 37.

I wonder if the Telegraph actually knows what 'bawbag' means, or if they've suddenly acquired a sense of humour? aha, Radio4's PM programme has just said "we'll tell you about the word being used all over Scotland".... yep, R4 is about to tell the world! :-)

Edinburgh up again to 40-63mph, 6C, dewpoint 0C, 980mb - all according to xc weather. According to me, it's blowin' a real hoolie, and I'm really glad I have nearly all of a Cartmell Sticky Toffee Pudding in the fridge with some extra toffee sauce to add! Times like this a girl needs Sticky Toffee Pudding!!

That is some photo, stormeh!!! Strewth... It's blowing a hoolie here now - 36-54mph, 6C and 980mb. But it's steadier than it was. As in, the wind isn't dropping and rising and dropping but blowing more solidly.

milkmaid, I found this on the BBC Scotland site " 1608: Western Isles Emergency Planning Co-ordination Group - which involves the council and police - has urged people on Lewis and Harris NOT to travel unless absolutely necessary between 17:00 and 19:00. It said winds were expected to gradually ease after 17:00 but said care should still be taken." So if you stay put for an hour or so longer, you'll be better able to get to the people you need to get to. Just now would NOT be a good time to try!

I think, if it's Force 12, gusting at 79.2mph, I wouldn't leave anywhere. If you're in a building just now, I think I'd stay put if at all possible. They have asked people on the other islands (I mean the police have asked!) to stay indoors and not go out. It is supposed to ease later on, so I shouldn't think you'd be stuck at work all evening! Has there been any official advice, or could you phone to ask advice?

Plenty of tweets about various places the Clyde's escaped and gone for a wee daunder round surrounding land... And this: BBCNews : @BBCWeather : Cairngorm summit just recorded 165mph, only 8mph short of the all-time record. #ukstorm #scotstorm I've just realised that in all my careful preparations, I've got no chocolate in the house!!! Nooooo.......

Gawd, the Radio Scotland special programme on the weather is playing bloody Joy Division! That's the spirit that saw us through the Blitz, eh no? Bloody Calvinist version of cheery ditty! :-)

'Scotch' is usually only for whisky, terriers and shortbread... :-) Plenty of workplaces, state-owned and other, are now closed down. The main storm hasn't yet hit most of the mainland. Still another hour before it's due to hit the East/Central area, the West has it around now, and are recording some massive wind speeds, Tiree in the 80s for example. I would, however, bet that although there is damage, plenty of trees down and so on already, there won't be the damage the 1987 hurricane caused - although this is unusually windy, we do get 60+mph reasonably often so many trees have more extensive root systems in response. In Edinburgh this year we've already had 71mph in Sept/Oct and 76mph in May, so anything liable to blow over did it then. Also, as in May, the 1987 hurricane was when trees were in leaf which makes them far more vulnerable.

Sorry to be a numptie, but what does the dew point signify please? Edinburgh is down now to 6 degrees and a dew point of 3.

More usually spelt "bawbag" :-D Someone in the Scotland thread posted a pic of Stirling Council's official tweet carrying the hashtag HurricaneBawbag, which is hilarious!

Wow, different districts! :-) No hail at all in Embra South, very windy indeed!

It's meant to hit the Western Isles and SW Scotland around noon onwards, which it seems to be doing, and then across the Central Belt, reaching Edinburgh around 3pm, but it is seeming a bit earlier than expected in the East - still approx 1.5 hrs until the worst of it hits us in Edinburgh, they were reckoning. I'm just waiting to see what happens.

It doesn't usually happen in advance - this is a pretty unusual day, I think. Given that so far one school's had its roof ripped off in Clackmannan and one school-bus has been blown over in Edinburgh, I think it was the right decision....