Millions were last night told to remain indoors, work from home, cancel travel plans and stay away from the coast as the storm began to sweep across Britain.
Experts are concerned the conditions could create an extremely dangerous weather phenomenon known as the 'sting jet' – a narrow, focused region of exceptionally strong and destructive wind.
It would be the first instance of such an event since the Great Storm of 1987 as Boris Johnson yesterday said the Army was on standby to help those affected.I cannot recall this level of panic about weather before...even with the 2013 affair. That was also at half-term time, I'm reminded, which helped.
Even 'Pokemon' is at it!
Let's hope this one turns out to have been an overreaction, just like the last.
9 comments:
We shall see as the day goes by if this wind story has been pun intended, 'overblown'.
So far where I am the wind is bad but my child's school is at least still open. My chickens have gone and hidden in their house and my eighteen foot vertical antenna on the back of the house is doing a pretty good impression of a banana at the moment. Apart from that so far so good. A lot of people here in the Marches seem to have taken precautions where they can such as tying stuff down and I noticed that there was considerably less traffic than normal when I was taking Laughing Boy to school. There also appears to be less lorries going by than normal so some haulage firms might be holding back deliveries until the wind eases off.
The Met Office is saying that we can expect gusts of 63 MPH and this will go on until about 14:00 when the wind will ease down to 40 MPH. Hearing reports via CB that the River Wye is quite high in some places but I understand this is not unusual when there's wind and lots of rain together or wind and recent fallen rain. I'm listening at the moment to some radio amateurs who also have an interest in metrology and they are saying that at present the wind is currently 40 MPH at present where they are which is quite local to me rather than the sixty that the Met Office is predicting.
I believe that there is cause for concern about this storm but whether the media have lost their minds over it remains to be seen. It could be the case that the media have overegged the pudding on this after all if it bleeds it leads. I think that some areas will be worse hit than others it may not be like 87 when damage was across the country. We shall have to wait and see what happens at the peak at noon.
No, a sting jet is not scary unless it has a name.
And what is worse, a "Weather Bomb" or a "Sting Jet"? We need to know.
Or alternatively just tell us in the simple language of the Shipping Forecast without the pictures of intrepid reporters in their newly purchased Helle Hansons and the lead weighted boot (so they can do a more impressive lean angle), leaning into incredible winds (and I mean that literally) a short distance from the studio.
Scene from the Cruel Sea.
Roger, the Radio Officer's mate, comes in the bridge door while someone throws a bucket of water and ice cubes in behind him. The door slams shut and the soggy boy approached the Captain clutching a soggy piece of paper.
" Weather report Cap'n, sur. "
The grizzled captain shakes the water off the limp missive and his jaw drops.
"Wur doomed, ah tell ye, dooo-oomed."
The bridge officers in their ice-caked duffle coats gather round.
"Sturm Lili is on her way. And she's got a Sting Jet!"
The Navigation Officer raises his eyes from his ice encrusted boots and ejaculates "Oh shit!"
East Yorkshire has a stiff breeze. There has been a fair amount of rain so there are a lot of puddles but nothing close to being apocalyptic yet.
Stonyground. Just heard via radio from a lorry driver that a roofing sheet blew off and just missed a parked car. Think we are going to see a few trees down where we are in places that are less sheltered. There's some very strong gusts of wind that are waving the trees about but no branches down in my garden as yet. It's not 1987 levels of damage as yet from what I can gather locally but the Millennium Dome in London is pretty badly damaged.
It is much more windy here now. I'm not aware of anything being damaged yet.
"...but whether the media have lost their minds over it remains to be seen."
Nah. Unlike the 'services' we get from Mr Plod and NHS, our weather forecasts are accuratly formulated and reliable. Even the Daily Star reports them fairly honestly, JuliaM!
It’s all over now. As you predicted Julia, just a storm in a teacup.
The people have to be kept scared of something, a virus, a fuel or food shortage, a Russian invasion, or even some winter weather in February. Anything that distracts them while their pockets are being picked and their freedoms removed.
"I believe that there is cause for concern about this storm but whether the media have lost their minds over it remains to be seen. "
Three people dead. That wouldn't even merit a footnote in the paper in other countries.
Shame about the O2, and that church steeple, but really, the MSM hysteria was utterly out of proportion.
"... pictures of intrepid reporters in their newly purchased Helle Hansons and the lead weighted boot (so they can do a more impressive lean angle), leaning into incredible winds (and I mean that literally) a short distance from the studio."
I wonder if they draw straws in the studio for that sort of thing?
"There has been a fair amount of rain so there are a lot of puddles..."
We're lucky down south, we didn't have a lot of rain to weaken trees. Today might be different, as strong winds are forecast again.
"Even the Daily Star reports them fairly honestly, JuliaM!"
Is that rag still going?!?
"It’s all over now. As you predicted Julia, just a storm in a teacup."
So, it's back to eagerly anticipating war in Ukraine for the media. While studiously ignoring Canada.
"Anything that distracts them while their pockets are being picked and their freedoms removed."
Spot on!
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