Storm Ciaran, walking to school.

[JIGNAJAY]

Anyone else wondered if it'll be safe to walk to and from school tomorrow with weather warnings in place? We have a 20ish min walk and I don't have a car. Considering booking a taxi but am counting every penny. Or am I being ott and walk will likely be fine? Already very windy here.

The trees are still in full leaf. They're much more likely to come down or lose branches than later in the year when they're bare.
It's also unsafe to walk in woods or under trees in the days immediately after a storm too, as not everything comes down straight away.

Assess in the morning and do not be afraid to trust your gut and err on the side of caution.

Last year or the year before, can't remember, a tree came down right in front of my colleague's car as she was driving home from work. It was a huge, established tree and would have crushed the car. We didn't even have the most extreme warnings in this area.

Ignore people trying to shame you for being concerned. Remain grounded and sensible, yes, but it's much better to take it seriously and miss a day of school than go out because you don't want people calling you a wimp or whatever. They can stuff their arsey attitudes up their bums.

there could be a lot of trees down. Wet ground, leaves still on as do far autumn temps have been mild. Gusts to 60mph+ are serious.

It depends entirely on where you are and what your walk to school is like!

it’s half term here and I’ve booked tomorrow off as annual leave which I’m thrilled about!

Hurricane force winds aren't to be sneezed at.

Reach out on the class whats app for a one off lift home? A parent on ours did recently and had a few offers to help.

Cant see how being in a car is any safer, particularly if you don't know and trust the driver

Nothing to do with "these days" - I was at school half a century ago, and winds of much less than this would have had a warning sent around the school not to go home via the coast road.

People just taking responsibility for their own safety - it mostly isn't the careful ones that emergency workers have to risk their lives to save.

I think it should be taken in to consideration but live in the north west so we have regular weather warnings, trees down, localised flooding that traps cars etc. I think it's strange how the last couple of storms seem to be missing us and affecting the rest of the country who aren't quite as used to the inclement weather. During Babet when people were being evacuated and floods were rife we had sun - which is not a regular occurrence

Honestly there's no need for anyone to be so rude and obtuse. People can't win sometimes. Consider weather conditions and you're a drama queen. Don't consider the weather conditions and you're an idiot.

Without knowing your route its difficult to say, keep an eye on the forecast for your area and your schools communication as they may close.

Where I live you wouldn't get a taxi at school run time, they're all booked up on school contracts.

What, like in 1987 when 18 people died?

Major incident declared in Southampton and schools closed.

Seriously?? If it’s that bad the school won’t be open, otherwise not much chance of danger from some wind…

Wind can pose lots of legitimate dangers, which is why there are weather warnings for it. I posted upthread about how a large tree came down right in front of my colleague's car last time we had a bad storm here (Yorkshire). It's silly to be so dismissive of bad weather and of people who want to think about what's sensible to do. Don't try and make people feel embarrassed for thinking it through.

The issue isn't people it's the Met office and other organizations giving names to moderate breezes and calling them hurricanes.

Can you supply evidence that the met office is calling a moderate breeze a hurricane ?

which is why the met office is warning of a danger to life from flying debri...

We're right on the coast in Hampshire. I haven't heard anything about schools closing and didn't even consider it a possibility! Will have to keep checking the school app.

It needs to be over 40mph to get a name and over 75mph to be classed as a hurricane

Really?! I'm in Portsmouth area. Is it likely to be worse or better over this way? Haven't heard a peep from schools here. (my kids go to 2 Seperate local schools)

Wind can kill people. Someone died a few roads from my parents' house when a tree fell on them during Storm Arwen.

We get storms every year. Sometimes there are more powerful ones. It's not like this isn't something we don't see every year. Personally I think they ramp up the warnings to cover their own back so on the off chance one gust just happens to cause damage people can't say they weren't warned.

Apparently, Portsmouth City Council have declared Storm Ciaran a major incident.

At least one school I know is shut tomorrow.

I personally would go but then I don't let British weather get in my way, I've never experienced anything here that would change my plans. Forecasts aren't always correct either - ours has been downgraded to yellow