Storm Ciara forecasts and reports

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

First met office warnings for the month are
www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2020-02-03 for Scotland. Gusts up to 80mph (perhaps more in isolated spots) for many.

In general it looks like it could be quite a stormy month with a lot of potential showing from the 9th onwards. Might be worth looking at your fences in the south before then

Sorry  @Crabonastick just saw your update

Oh I was reading the thread this morning, I really should have checked back this afternoon. I went to the stables to fetch my horse in for the night around 3.30 and it was obviously mid main squall!

it was hideous walking the couple of min walk to the field then back the rain was stinging my face and I couldn't look up, my usual waterproof outdoor wear soaked right through.

Blue skies out the window now.

We've just had the mother of all downpours here in SE London - dare I say it sounds a little calmer out there?

6 fence panels in the B&Q basket so far, next weekend will be fun

After the storm...

Well after the squall anyway

@Wonderingwhyme

If the ridge tiles have actually blown off (and were not already cracked) it must have been extreme wind, they are actually rather heavy. One ridge tile does not make others fall of, they do not rest on each other.

Depending on age of house there may be felt or beathable membrane under the tiles, or nothing. If it is an old slate roof, probably nothing. If it has been retiled with modern orange tiles, probably felt. If it was new build or retiled in the last ten years or so, probably brewathable membrane, which is better. You would have to stick your head into the loft to see, probably with a totch, but if you can see daylight, the roof will leak.

If you think the roof is shedding tiles, wait until rain and wind have stopped. A pair of binoculars is very handy for looking at a roof, or a camera if you have a zoom or telephoto lens.

Roofers will be busy for the next few weeks. When they're not working they will be looking at Yacht catalogues.

The Rain alarm app is great for tracking rain direction and intensity. I use it to dodge showers/squall lines when planning on walking the dog.
Odd storm with so many lulls with sunshine, in amongst the wind and rain.
Don't think we got above gusts of 60mph which isn't particularly extreme for Scotland.
Temperature is now dropping, so roll on the rest of the weather warnings

@pigletjohn the house is 60’s and not that well looked after (not my doing) I had a nightmare few years back with water pouring down to the front room from the chimney and eventually the landlord did the pointing, and fascias etc but never touched the tiles. I’m glad they don’t rest on each other!

When I looked at all the mess I had no idea what had come off the roof as the roof is dark and these were orange! On closer inspection the orange is the underside and the ‘dark’ is just old/moss etc but then all the houses in my close are the same. House opposite me the exact same ridge tiles in exact the same space came off about half hour after mine.

I hate going in the loft, only me and dc here. Might send one of them up

1960's likely to be felted. You will probably see a tarry black sheet hanging between the rafters with a slight sag.

If you can see the underside of the tiles, and the horizontal battens they are nailed to, not felted.

In Scotland there are usually wooden sarking boards, which are better, under the tiles.

@PigletJohn thanks. I shall be on the phone first thing! Can’t see landlord being in a hurry to fix!

So glad I did not go to London now. No one can get back on Thameslink trains North of London because a trampoline hit a train near Luton.

Off topic, but (provided you have a landline) it's a good idea to keep at least one simple, plug-in telephone, with no answerphone, doesn't need a power supply.

Telephone exchanges are equipped with standby batteries and your landline will continue working long after cordless and mobile phones have stopped.

utilities repairmen are equipped with private mobile radios so they can continue to work after an event that knocks out mobile phones.

We've got off lightly in Durham and anything that was going to blow over did so earlier in the week when we had some heavy gusts, but the river wear has burst its banks in the city centre. Thankfully, the more modern buildings on the river Bank have been built with flooding in mind.

twitter.com/IncidentsTEES/status/1226549812964872192?s=19

I use mobile data and once charged I can get 7-8 hours out of it. Better than a BT Home Hub which as well as being v slow set my smoke alarm off depressingly frequently.

Off topic, but (provided you have a landline) it's a good idea to keep at least one simple, plug-in telephone, with no answerphone, doesn't need a power supply.

Yes, it's so important. I used to work at a telephone exchange (in the very dim and very distant past) and have always had a standard phone plugged into the landline as if there is a fire you never know when the power will go off and I'm notoriously unreliable and remembering where I left my mobile. At least I always know where the landline phone is

I'd thought the worst of it had passed us over, but it's suddenly got worse again. Next door's trampoline just made a bid for freedom (only thwarted by a fortunately placed tree) and the house is creaking in protest.

One of the neighbors has messaged to say a tree is down outside their house. I'm watching our willow somewhat nervously.

There has been some impressive photos of the sea up and down our bit of coast.

It’s still windy here. Such awful consequences for so many people in my region. Poor people.

I was meant to be driving on this road tomorrow.

We are having another surge in Cheshire, next doors fence (not my side) has gone after hanging on all day .

Thunder, lightening and downpours here in hull.

@lifeonprivetdrive

Worry that someone was in it!!

I think we have been pretty lucky here (Central south east). I expect there will be a lot of trees down though as the roads are through the woods, luckily I don’t need to drive anywhere until later in the day tomorrow & I think I’ll give my walk around the lake a miss (all trees) and I expect the lake will have over flowed.

I do need to just go up in the loft and make sure we are still dry. 🤞🏼

Well we ventured out in it and I must say I think we got off lightly as well in County Durham. I do know up the road in Yorkshire has been hit quite badly with flooding and trees coming down. My forecast says to expect more rain for tonight and tomorrow but it's not expected to be any more really bad wind.

I've been seeing a lot of jokes on social media about trampolines lifting off. There is some mild amusement in that it's such a cliche. But it's so flipping dangerous. Having giant metal framed objects relocate themselves into other peoples gardens, roads, railways etc is not cool.
I'm so glad that people here made an effort to try and stop that happen. While accidents happen, it really is better to always have them secure.

/rant over and sorry if I've upset anyone. I know that much of central England is out of practice with high winds.

Ugh we can’t get a flight back until the 11th. I miss my babies!

awwww, very soon today will be tomorrow, then you'll be seeing them the next day.

Re the bloody trampolines, I can’t understand why people haven’t dismantled them or weighted them down. Irresponsible if you ask me!