inkermanhero

Pretty gusty here now. My fence is swaying around and looking, as Bill Tilman’s boatyard manager in Lymington used to say of his topmast, “rather precarious, Sir, and not at all permanent”.

Interesting that all this expressed in wind speed, rather than force, which is what causes damage. As a good rule of thumb, 50 mph generates c10 lbs/sq ft, 60 mph c15 and 70 mph c20, so you can see that a 70 mph gust is likely to be twice as destructive as a 50 mph gust, other things, like air density, being equal. It also means that a 70 mph gust of dense, cool moisture-laden air will be a lot more destructive than the same gust of dry, warm air. Sustained Atlantic winds of 70 mph in January are likely to be destructive in the wrong place!

Just nudging 40C here now. Not a pro setup but two good-quality, calibrated thermometers 1.5m AGL in shade.

Viking, you are right, of course but fifty knots on the beam of a ferry is a mighty force and it is all about risk management for the harbour authority. Berthing is an exact science and you can’t take chances with 40-50,000 tons of steel when a few feet either way makes all the difference between success and disaster. It is the closure of ports that stops the ferries and, if they are at sea when it happens, they stay safely at sea until the port is opened again or go elsewhere. Happens regularly in severe weather.

Regarding ferries, they can cope perfectly well at sea in a storm. The problem is manoeuvring a shallow-draft vessel with high, flat sides at slow speed in a restricted area. Harbour entrances can also pose special difficulties, so it all depends upon the wind speed and direction in the harbour manoeuvring area and the sea conditions in the final approach and entrance. These can change very quickly ( with a major wind shift etc) so you just have to monitor their bulletins closely and hope for the best!

Hi Pete, Many thanks, I shall keep a close eye on things. Obviously, ice, snow or fog could all stitch me up at either end but getting out of Inverness midday Thursday is the critical thing so very grateful indeed for any pointers over the next 36 hours! Thanks again, Graeme

Good Morning, I want to fly up to Inverness from Birmingham on Wednesday morning for a funeral, returning on Thursday but, obviously, I'm very worried about getting stuck there for Christmas! I should be very grateful for any thoughts from the snowy north!! Thanks, Graeme

Good Morning, I want to fly up to Inverness from Birmingham on Wednesday morning for a funeral, returning on Thursday but, obviously, I'm very worried about getting stuck there for Christmas! I should be very grateful for any thoughts from the snowy north!! Thanks, Graeme

For Pete Tattum Pete, We have to fly up from B'ham for my mother's fneral in Culloden on Wednesday, back on Thursday. I should be very grateful indeed for any thoughts on how things might be up there then? Many thanks, Graeme

Heavy snow for the last hour or so and it is settling despite a rainy afternoon and evening. 0C at present so I guess that the guys up the hill from us on the Oxon/Warks border (TONA etc) must be doing pretty well.

I lived in a maritime province in Canada where it was often no colder than it has been here - but they get a lot more snow. They don't use salt or grit because it is filthy, damaging stuff and the people neither want nor need it. They just drive carefully, use the right tyres and, when it really dumps, stay at home until the ploughe have cleared or levelled it.

I lived in a part of Canada where they don't use salt or grit (environmental damage) but you are required to fit snow tyres from 1st Nov to 31st Mar. They just let it snow and then drive on it - when they have a lot of snow, they let the trucks and 4x4s pack it down (a matter of a few hours) and then just drive on it. They also know how to drive on snow! I had a Volvo 940 estate and never got stuck in 3 winters - but with Finnish (Hakkapoliita) non-studded tyres fitted. Everyone has a set of cheap steel wheels with the winter tyres in the garage and, come the autumn, off come the shiny alloys with the high-speed tyres and on go the winter ones, which are still S-rated, so good for 100mph!

I'm just below Turnedoutniceagain who is on top of Edgehill - we are at the bottom of the hill and a lot lower. Still snowing heavily, 5 inches so far. Not a gritter in sight ...

Four inches of snow in last few hours, snowing heavily now, -0.5C, ene 5kts.

Snowed from 0200 - 0800, 5" lying snow at 0830, wind ESE 5 kts, -1C.