High winds forecast - advice??

[Elbowgreaser]

Hi all, I’m taking my dd (nearly 3) camping for the first time tomorrow. I’m a single parent but my brother is coming with his 10yo daughter and my brother in law with his teenage boys - ie there’s safety in numbers! The site is Eweleaze in Osmington, Dorset and we are booked for 3 nights BUT... the forecast for Tuesday is pretty much thundery showers all day and winds of 40mph+ from 1pm to 7pm. Then rain for the next 48 hours.

If it was just the two of us I’d call it off but we’re all in it together and have been looking forward to it for ages. Is it madness to take a preschooler into this situation?! On the amazing mumsnet 7 page camping tips thread a LOT of people advise against going if the forecast is bad and I kind of feel like it doesn’t get much worse than storms and high winds if you’re in a tent...

Any advice, or tips to help survival? Thanks!

I'm a new camper too - my limited experience is that it isn't that much fun doing the whole getting soaked, coming back to the tent for a bit, putting damp waterproofs on then going out to get soaked again cycle. I don't have any experience of wind though, I'm sure more experienced campers will be along soon.

Oh, advice:
More clothes than you think you need
Spare waterproofs if you have them
Pegs to hang things up to (attempt to) dry in the tent
Wellies

Did you go OP?

For high winds, see the Cross Camping video about storm guying.

Pitch your tent with the rear into the wind. I.e if it says the wind is South Easterly pitch with the back of the tent South East.

For thunderstorms see the advice in the threads on this MN Camping Board about lightening . For safety sleep in the car if a thunderstorm is going on because of the danger of ground strike.

But check the weather forecast hour by hour because it changes, and often improves.

Fingers crossed for you!