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.

We're on the edge of the Amber Warning zone & just received an email from school to say they may close tomorrow & to check emails in the morning. Some other local schools have already announced they will be closed.

I'm on the Isle of Wight. Very calm here atm.

No, it doesn't.

@JIGNAJAY is asking a genuine and valid.question.

Go and annoy people somewhere else.

That is a very very different situation, in many ways the exact opposite of what the UK forecast is. You get strong winds regularly, maybe even up to 100 mph, I don't know - therefore your vegetation has grown and trained in those conditions, and your building regulations account for them. None of our trees under 30 years old have survived winds of this strength before, and many wont. Those over 35-40 years old are still standing after surviving similar before, so likely will survive again, but even there, they could be hit from a different angle this time, or be less sheltered than last time.

Therefore the same strength wind might well be very safe where you are, and lethally dangerous here

I will be working at home tomorrow @verdantverdure!

Put a coat on

Our primary school and nearby high school are closed tomorrow, on the Isle of Wight.

https://www.netweather.tv/weather-forecasts/news/12214-storm-ciaran---synoptic-analysis-of-a-powerful-storm-that-could-bring-100mph-wind-gusts

This makes for interesting reading for those who know a little about weather, may help put the "nanny state" comments in context.

Trees are frequently uprooted (young and old), and most of our houses have iron on the roof and fences are also often made of iron, which often rips off in winds - so I think we actually have more risk of damage here!! A house near me has just had it's garage replaced after a tree fell on it during a very strong wind last year, and farmers have had major damage caused to irrigators. We have no building regulations for wind, and I imagine UK buildings on the whole are probably stronger than ours are!!!

I'll be trying to if the kids are off

"Luckily" it's not like covid where we have had to wait years for the slow on the uptake who don't understand the precautionary principle to cotton on that it's not just a cold, Getting it doesn't protect you much from the next one, 250,000 have died of it in this country, they weren't all over 82, not that it matters if they were, and that long covid, organ damage and the other long term consequences are real.

We'll all know tomorrow whether this was just another warning from the nanny state or if we got gale force winds, trees down and floods.

Will they learn though?

Are they capable of it?

The Met Office are forecasting winds in the high 50s here (East Sussex, 6 miles from the coast). I live at the top of a hill and there's a breeze up here even on still days. I'm not unduly worried, but I'm glad I don't need to go out.

Because it's been so wet, the ground is waterlogged, especially down at the bottom of town near the river, so trees are more easily uprooted. Parts of the town have a flood alert, as well as the amber wind warning. I wouldn't want to be driving on rural roads tomorrow, tbh.

I'm glad this wasn't last week, when I had to drive to Hampshire for a work thing.

I'm not surprised some schools are closing.

@JIGNAJAY I'm in a similar situation but live right on the south coast. I'm going to play it by ear but probably won't do the nursery run as it's starting to pick up already! You could get a lift in, but then it may be worse at home time. I don't think you're being silly at all - but we'll have to wait and see what happens!

so you are now saying these winds ARE dangerous where you are? Even though less dangerous than in the UK?

We are on holiday on the Isle of Wight. What lovely timing we have picked. 🤣

You'll be fine.

Crystal ball?

It won’t be an issue for us as our school has already declared its closing!!

Where did I say our winds were less/more dangerous than in the UK? My original post was simply to agree with another poster that it isn't necessary to have constant warnings for winds which are just part and parcel of life. We get equinoctial gales every year without fail, but telling people there is a warning in place just frightens those of a nervous disposition.

All our schools are shut 😬

In the bad storm last year 5 trees on the road to our school completely fell over. These were old large trees from the 1960s. One tree very nearly hit my neighbour on the school run. So I don’t think you’re being silly at all. I will probably walk it, as worst winds for us are outside school run times.

sorry you are not making any sense to me at all, you are used to these winds and its no big deal and we are making a fuss about nothing, and your winds are in fact mega dangerous but you don't think anyone should be warned.......

West Sussex council sent out an email this evening saying all Lollipop patrols are suspended tomorrow so parents have to be extra careful on the walks to school. No closures yet (mid Sussex)

I'm in Guernsey, Channel Islands. Here all schools are closed, workplaces are closed and people have been told to stay at home tomorrow as far as possible. We are right on the West coast where it is predicted to hit and everyone has been preparing today. We get lots of wind here in the winter and are very used to it so it is an exceptional storm.

You could go wearing helmets?

😉