scotland Scotland Regional Discussion 26th January 2013

[Hairy Celt]

Wtf? School transport off on the Black Isle... Bit blowy here I guess but no that bad really. I guess someone's done a risk assessment...

[Northernlights]

Wtf? School transport off on the Black Isle... Bit blowy here I guess but no that bad really. I guess someone's done a risk assessment...

Should have done one crossing over to the steading this morning as a broken tree branch hit me in the face, no damage done. It is in fact less windy than it was last night but still some good gusts. As far as I can see just a few bales blown about at the edge of sheds Currently 6c with broken cloud and sunny intervels.

Edited January 30, 2013 by Northernlights

[Coast]

Skywarn forecast out covering today:

SKYWARN UK SEVERE WEATHER WARNING #008

ISSUED: 1530UTC TUESDAY 29TH JANUARY 2013 (GS/GJ)

SKYWARN UK HAS ISSUED A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING REGIONS:

WESTERN SCOTLAND NORTHERN SCOTLAND ORKNEY & SHETLAND

IN EFFECT UNTIL 2100UTC WEDNESDAY 30TH JANUARY 2013

VERY DEEP LOW CROSSING TO THE NORTH, GENERATING SEVERE GALES WITH DAMAGING GUSTS

SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED IMMINENTLY, OR OCCURRING, SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE REGIONS INDICATED. THREATS WITHIN THIS WARNING INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

GALES...SEVERE GALES...STRONG GUSTS...DAMAGING GUSTS

DISCUSSION:

THERE IS HIGH CONFIDENCE IN THE OCCURRENCE OF SEVERE WEATHER IN THE REGIONS SPECIFIED. A RAPIDLY DEEPENED LOW SYSTEM WILL CROSS CLOSE TO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF SCOTLAND BEFORE MOVING EASTWARD. A VERY STRONG JET AND DEEP VERTICAL WINDFIELD, COMBINED WITH THE DEEPEST PHASE OF THE LOW, WILL ALLOW 90MPH WINDS TO BE TRANSPORTED DOWNWARD TO THE SURFACE WITHIN A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT. MEAN WINDS OF AROUND 55MPH ARE EXPECTED, WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY EXCEEDING 80MPH, THROUGH THE PERIOD. THIS WARNING MAY BE UPGRADED IF THE TRACK OF THE LOW IS ANY FURTHER SOUTH. NEIGHBOURING AREAS MAY SEE LEE GUSTS EXCEED 70MPH. PLEASE MONITOR WEATHER AND TRAVEL INFO AS NECESSARY.

[blitzen]

Wtf? School transport off on the Black Isle... Bit blowy here I guess but no that bad really. I guess someone's done a risk assessment...

Aye, makes you wonder how we all survived whilst growing up without all this 'Health & Safety' to protect us!

Chucking it down here at the moment with a mixture of heavy rain and hail.

[Ravelin]

A bit breezy here in Aberdeenshire but nowhere near the wind speed further north and west have been suffering. A nice bright day which is a welcome contrast to yesterdays dull and dreich offering. Snow in our garden in Kemnay is down to the piles cleared from the drive and paths and even they are looking rather pathetic. Other places in the village (including the football pitches) and the surrounding countryside still have some large patches where it's been deeper and/or shaded. Nothing much left in Dyce though that I can see.

Now off to see what the mood is in the model thread this morning......

[blitzen]

Not a lot of enthusiasm on the MT this morning. Of course most of these posts are from

an IMBY perspective. I think us northerners should do quite well from regular N/NW incursions into cold uppers.

http://www.meteociel...&ech=150&mode=0

http://www.meteociel...&ech=150&mode=1

http://www.meteociel...&ech=168&mode=0

http://www.meteociel...&ech=174&mode=1

Plenty to keep the interest going I think!

Edited January 30, 2013 by Blitzen

[Benvironment]

I've just heard from home that it's snowing and settling on the hill

[Ravelin]

Not a lot of enthusiasm on the MT this morning. Of course most of these posts are from

an IMBY perspective. I think us northerners should do quite well from regular N/NW incursions into cold uppers.

Having just worked my way through 12hrs of MT posts that would be my summation too. The next week or so doesn't look like a descent into a sustained cold spell for Scotland but it will be on the cold side, with wintry outbursts and mildish interludes.

Edit: No reports from our windswept north/northwestern outposts this morning on how they've fared?

Edited January 30, 2013 by Ravelin

[NUT]

Was a horrible start to the day with some heavy rain but that's cleared south now. Still a little bit breezy but not as windy as it was

Bealach na ba was the windiest place last night with a gust of 129MPH

Edited January 30, 2013 by NUT

[Soaring Hawk]

Morning all.

The Press and Journal :

The Stornoway ferry was forced to abort her voyage across the Minch in the teeth of hurricane-force winds last night.

The MV Hebrides turned back for Ullapool after coming directly in the firing line of a violent storm racing up the Minch.

Her skipper made the decision not to let passengers suffer a painful trip in horrendous conditions.

Stornaway Gazette :

High winds continue to batter the Western Isles this morning (Wednesday) but causeways have re-opened.

The Braighe is open but is being monitored in the run up to high tide at 8.30am.

Baleshare, North Ford and Eriskay Causeways are open at the present time.

Last night Coastguard Rescue Teams assisted Northern Constabulary in closing the causeways between North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay as storm force westerly winds coincided with very high tides.

Using their 4x4 vehicles, Coastguard Rescue Teams from Griminish, Benbecula and Lochboisdale worked with police units to close off flooded roads and causeways until conditions abated.

At 8pm last night the Hebrides Range on the West side of South Uist recorded south westerly winds of 57 mph gusting 84 mph. The winds were combined with driving rain, coastal sea spray and some roads awash with the tide.

Carol Collins, Watch Manager at Stornoway Coastguard, said: “This stormy atlantic weather has been well forecast over the last few days with an amber weather alert issued by the Met Office for the area, and a flood alert issued for the Western Isles by SEPA.

“In these poor conditions, we ask that the public take extra care and avoid travelling unless absolutely necessary.â€

“We are grateful to the volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers who have helped out this eveningâ€.

Damage to a property at Leverburgh last night meant some homes had to be evacuated.

Gusts became far higher after 8pm than quoted above. I notice Misty Queen, Milkmaid and Weathermaster stopped posting reasonably early last night. I hope they are all OK, haven't sustained damage and have some electricity.

I have a confession: I was concerned about the potential damage and disruption this storm could do overnight and was hoping that everyone in the N and NW would be OK as I went to bed.....

The result is I had a bizarre storm related dream last night; NL's cows were starting to blow away high into the sky and I was running round with lots of other people (presumably NL and his family were some of the others) trying to rescue the remainder. Now we had dozens of cows swirling around about 20' high, tethered with thick rope by one ankle to stakes driven into the ground. And then we were all congratulating each other and drinking whisky for a job well done as we watched these poor animals thrashing around above us. Maybe I need to seek my own psychiatric counsel.......

[Soaring Hawk]

Maybe this one blew in from the Western Isles?

http://www.bbc.co.uk...w-west-21259473

[blitzen]

This Windows 8 plus a new camera for Christmas, makes me feel that I am fast approaching the 'dottery' stage! Things keep popping up in unexpected places! Here's one I took a few days ago which I thought had been lost; May I introduce you to 'the pup from hell' This is Harley, my daughter's dog, and I have the pleasure of doggy sitting 3 days a week. He is an American Cocker, 9months old and, believe me, he will be VERY lucky if he reaches 10months old!

Think butter wouldn't melt eh? Think again!!

Edited January 30, 2013 by Blitzen

[Hairy Celt]

This Windows 8 plus a new camera for Christmas, makes me feel that I am fast approaching the 'dottery' stage! Things keep popping up in unexpected places! Here's one I took a few days ago which I thought had been lost; May I introduce you to 'the pup from hell' This is Harley, my daughter's dog, and I have the pleasure of doggy sitting 3 days a week. He is an American Cocker, 9months old and, believe me, he will be VERY lucky if he reaches 10months old!

Think butter wouldn't melt eh? Think again!!

Dog looks stuffed?

Still gusty here, no floating coos mind.

[blitzen]

Dog looks stuffed?

Not yet.....I have looked up some reliable Taxidermists tho!

[mistyqueen]

Afternoon Peeps! Well, thankfully it wasn't as bad as anticipated last night. Strongest gust recorded by my weather station was 61.9 mph, believe me, we've had worse! Other areas definately did not fare so well with some damage being reported in Lewis. Our power went off for all of, oh 5 seconds, big light just flickered but stayed on and that was that. Still gusty today, but it has calmed down considerably. Phew!

[Northernlights]

Dog looks stuffed?

Still gusty here, no floating coos mind.

Just taken cows in from their daily walk to neep field .They did it in record time today probably because of the windchill and also the main plus of this wind.It has dryed up the ground considerably making it easier to walk for both man and beast. Currently still blustery with some brief showers and 5.5c

[Hairy Celt]

getting pretty foul now - nasty squally showers & dark early...

Edited January 30, 2013 by Hairy Celt

[Zenarcher]

Gusts became far higher after 8pm than quoted above. I notice Misty Queen, Milkmaid and Weathermaster stopped posting reasonably early last night. I hope they are all OK, haven't sustained damage and have some electricity.

All appears okay here, power managed to stay on the whole night although the lights did flicker a lot.

Today is windy again although not as bad as last night. Going out soon to go around the whole island to look for damage and take pictures, not sure if there will be anything though but will try and get a few pics anyway.

[milkmaid]

i stopped posting as i needed to get to work early to relieve anyone at work that had a bad trip home or had to cross the causeway to get home we are still at 81.7 mph,i do know the causeway was shut again as people couldn't get into work across it so stayed on for a while ,a few fences down ,

[101_North]

With charts like this floating about for next week it potentially ain't gonna be mild!

[Northernlights]

getting pretty foul now - basty squally showers & dark early...

Same here, inside job this afternoon, working out spring fertiliser programme for farm this afternoon.

[LomondSnowstorm]

Snow prospects, particularly for the west, are really starting to pick up in the coming 7 days:

-6C uppers are good enough about 9 times out of ten from the northwest, so this one has real promise.

[Zenarcher]

Part of a house in the Western Isles collapsed last night,

New story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-21248699

[Northernlights]

Still blustery and lights have been flickering a bit in the last hour or two so there must be some damage or trees on the lines.

[mistyqueen]

Snow prospects, particularly for the west, are really starting to pick up in the coming 7 days:

-6C uppers are good enough about 9 times out of ten from the northwest, so this one has real promise.

Sorry, did you say snow for the west? Oh, well that's just typical....I sold my snow boots tonight......sheesh!